I often work long hours. Lunches and breaks aren’t scheduled and certainly aren’t guaranteed. The pace is generally fairly hectic. Some months require me to work weekends and frequent 30-hour shifts. It is not particularly rare for me to forget to go to the bathroom in the midst of it all. I love it. What I love more? SLEEP.

This month I get the best of both worlds: Shift Work!

This means that I know when to show up and I know when I get to leave. I’m working four 8-hour shifts/week and life is good! Busy shifts with interesting things going on, but still plenty of time to sleep. Plenty of time, that is, in theory!

Today I stopped to reflect on all I have to be grateful for in my life, and I found myself completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of beautiful and positive aspects of my life. From the simple to the profound, from the warm weather today to the love of family and the satisfaction of being in a career that I love – life is good and I cannot deny that I have been blessed. It got me thinking, how does my gratitude for these blessings show up in my life? What does gratitude look like, day in, day out?

It strikes me that one way to put gratitude into action is to respect the things that I have been given. When I receive a gift I am truly grateful for, I put it to good use and I take good care of it.

It has come to my attention that I have not been taking very good care of my sleep hygiene. Even when given this beautiful opportunity to get enough sleep, I just don’t. My time schedule unfortunately ends up looking quite similar to that of the poor schmuck in the cartoon above.  And I have no excuses! No kids, no pain, no true insomnia, no loud neighbors, nothing … just a love of staying up late.

Am I alone out there? Do you get enough sleep? Could you if you tried? If you do, how do you go about it? Does it come naturally? If you don’t, what gets in your way?

I cannot say how long it will last. But today I am going to make a commitment to show my gratitude for this beautiful schedule by taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity to do what I love … SLEEP.

By New Year’s this year my psyche was chapped, my lips sore and peeling, and my love for Seattle was growing dim. It was then I decided that I needed to salvage this relationship.

There’s no changing the weather, but that doesn’t mean we can’t adapt. While the rest of the nation was mocking me for being a softy, I turned that supple exterior to good use. Here’s five tips to get you started.

1. Coffee. Yeah, this seems like a duh moment, I know. But I’m not talking about drugging up for the day. I’m talking about creating a nice little ritual that gives you a reason to enjoy getting out of bed in the morning. Let coffee become a ritual instead of just a necessity. Take half an hour and journal, or read poetry, or just relax in a few moments of peace and quiet before you hit the crowds and the elements. Make a morning playlist. I don’t care what you do, just make sure it’s something you like.

2. Vitamin D. Another duh suggestion, but a darn good one. This little vitamin does more things that you could shake a stick at, and when you go to work before sunrise and get home after dark, your skin is making none of it. You’ll be surprised about the balance you start to feel when you’ve regularly taken it for a few weeks.

3. Omegas. I prefer flax seed oil (with lignans), but not everyone can stomach a spoonful of oil in the morning. Take a pill if you need to, but get these fatty acids in your system. They’re great for your skin, heart, and provide a boost in mood stabilization. Omegas aren’t the cure all, but they’re a great way to get a headstart on the physical and emotional stress of winter.

4. Hydrate. Staying hydrated is probably the single biggest thing you can do to increase your general well being. Other than peeing a lot, drinking water will help offset the liquid you loose by upping your caffeine, and help fight ubiquitous dry skin. Water will help reduce headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, and it will help keep your immune system up and running.

5. Wardrobe. The last tip to help you befriend winter is a bit of a wild card, but its the x-factor that can make all the difference. First of all, dressing to stay warm will save you plenty of angst during your day. Second, if you’re not used to dressing for a long winter, you may be scraping the bottom of your closet to layer enough just to stay warm. If this is the case, it’s time to go shopping for a few winter essentials. Don’t break the bank, Wall Street is already on top of that for you, but do make a few purchases that will make you want to head out the door in the morning just to show off your new duds.