Say hello to a good night's sleep and farewell to anxiety

The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has changed our daily lives. From working from home in pyjamas to looking after toddlers while on a video call, the 'new normal' sure is new, yet anything but normal. While it has been necessary, it has also been hard yakka for some.

Many of us have also come to realise how much we took our previous comforts and certainties for granted. And with their sudden loss, it's crucial to find other ways to unwind. While we might not be able to physically escape home as often as we’d like, a well-timed mental escape can be just as liberating.

A good night's sleep is perhaps the easiest mental escape you'll find and the most rewarding. It's not only a biological necessity but also a psychological one. You'll be amazed at how much it can reduce your anxiety while boosting your productivity.

As if you needed another reason to do nothing, here are some other things that may convince you to sleep more:

• Your immune system needs sleep to produce and release new immune cells. This means if you don't sleep enough, you may not have enough immune cells to fight off infections. Did you know chronic sleep loss even makes the flu vaccine less effective too?¹
• According to Harvard medical researchers, sleep builds our neural connections in our brains.² If you get enough sleep, you more likely to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle anything – well, maybe not the All Blacks.
• Just like diet and exercise, sleep is a pillar of health we often neglect. With many of us working from home, now is a great opportunity to create a new routine. You can start by aiming to get the 7-9 hours of sleep that most adults need.³

Now if there's anything as fun as soap in the eyes, it's sleep deprivation – except soap won't affect your work, health and relationships. While you're working from home during this time, we encourage you to work on your sleep too. However, just because you can sleep in doesn’t mean you should stay up late at night!