054: How to Make Self-Care ‘Non-Negotiable’ Through Sleep – with Carly Pollack (part 2 of 5)

Can I ask a silly question? How good at sleeping are you?

I read a fascinating poll from the National Sleep Foundation, and it stated…

“only 10% of American adults prioritize their sleep over other aspects of daily living such as fitness/nutrition, work, social life and hobbies.”

As we all know, when we get a great night’s sleep we feel unstoppable. We’re sharper, clearer and more productive. We are less likely to get triggered by what others say, or when things don’t quite go how we hoped.

Great sleep helps us live better lives.

So, how do we make it a priority?

My guest today, Carly Pollack, simplifies how to make sleep part of your ‘non-negotiable’ self-care routine.

Carly Pollack is a nutritionist, author, and business owner.

In this episode, you will learn:

• About the science of sleep, and what happens to our minds and bodies when we sleep
• Why sleep so important to our health and stress levels
• How to set your bedroom and nightly habits up for success
• The 4 questions Carly asks herself nightly that help her take a daily inventory of her life and make simple refinements
  • How did I overcome resistance today?
  • What did I do today that was great?
  • What can I improve?
  • What am I going to do tomorrow to put this improvement into action?
• How to train the mind and build better discipline around sleep… so you can get back to thriving

This is part 2 in a series of 5 episodes, where Carly Pollack talks about how to make self-care a ‘non-negotiable’ in your work and life. Make sure to listen to part 1 – episode 037, where Carly shares simple, practical tips on cooking and meal prep.

I love her, and Carly’s new book – Feed Your Soul: Nutritional Wisdom to Lose Weight Permanently and Live Fulfilled – is a must-read if you’re done with dieting, and want to learn how to have a better relationship with food and your body.

#DoTheThing!

Links, books and apps mentioned:

Book: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles – Steven Pressfield

Book: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself – Michael A. Singer

Book: Feed Your Soul: Nutritional Wisdom to Lose Weight Permanently and Live Fulfilled – Carly Pollack

Recipe from Carly: Spicy Hot Chocolate

Weight loss course by Carly: End Emotional Eating. Use the code ‘simplifiers’ for $50 OFF (was $97, now $47).

Favorite quotes from this episode:

[09:32] “This is all about the mind, and the game of health is 90% mental and 10% logistics. Yes, there are things that we ultimately need to do, but what drives us to do those things day after day, are the stories that we create. Our thoughts drive our emotions, which ultimately dictate our behaviors.” – Carly

[17:29] “All this stuff that I’m doing from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM is zoning out. I’m on social media, I’m watching Netflix, I’m writing emails that ultimately are just busy work.” – Carly

[19:22] “The most important tools to retrain your brain are those pain and pleasure associations. Recognize that anything you do that you do consistently, it’s because you attach pleasure to doing it.” – Carly

[20:59] “Now that most of our survival needs are met [for most of us, shelter, water, food] now we’re having to use this for day-to-day things of living our best life, which is really not how the mind is set up. That’s why we have trouble.” – Carly

[22:17] “We want to have around a 12 hour fast every night. So that means if I stopped eating at seven thirty, I won’t eat again until seven thirty the next morning, which is really amazing for digestion, longevity, weight loss and many other things. And it’s called intermittent fasting.” – Carly

[30:29] “I love the ability to take a daily inventory… This is a really great practice for making sure you’re coming back to center every single day, what’s most important to you, your core values, and nourishing yourself.” – Mary

About Carly:

Carly Pollack is the author of Feed Your Soul: Nutritional Wisdom to Lose Weight Permanently and Live Fulfilled, and is the founder of a thriving private practice based in Austin, Texas. A Certified Clinical Nutritionist with a master’s degree in holistic nutrition, Carly has been awarded Best Nutritionist in Austin five years running and has helped over 10,000 people achieve their health and happiness goals. Visit her online at carlypollack.com.

Carly’s vote for the perfect guest on The Simplifiers Podcast:

Kelly Krause – programming at SXSW (Texas-based conference and events company)

Where Carly hangs out online:

Website: carlypollack.com

Instagram: @carlypollack

Facebook: @CarlyPollackNutrition

Twitter: @carly_pollack

Pinterest: wisdomseekers

YouTube: Carly Pollack