Everything Except Sleep | WE #178 [EN]

My daily routine, even during a calm week, never lets me hit the sack before midnight. In busier weeks, it stretches all the way to around 2 AM on average. Considering I wake up at 6 AM every day, it doesn't leave me much time to catch some Z's. If I were to fool myself, I'd think I could make up for this lack of sleep when the weekend comes. Ain't nothing like a chill weekend, right?

Well, I don't even know what a relaxed weekend is anymore. I completely forgot about them. Friday night rolls around, and it's 3 AM, and I'm still wide awake. What could be so important that keeps me up during my supposed rest time?

Early Friday morning, it's all about getting the final details ready for the Style Traveler trip. So, it's impossible to hit the hay early. But wait, Daniel, didn't you say the operations were on hold? Yeah, we did pause things, but since I've gotten used to going to bed later than roaches, I've replaced that time with other activities we'll be talking about in a bit.

The first activity that keeps me up until late at night on weekends is creating content for my blog here on Hive. Since I started, I've always enjoyed polishing my posts down to the tiniest detail. Many of the posts I bring may not be groundbreaking topics, but they involve a lot of work behind the scenes. Gotta add a touch of my own madness, making sure everything is top-notch. If you check out my profile, you'll see that most of my posts have elaborate covers, custom separators for each post, and whenever the community allows, they're in two languages.

Far from complaining, I actually enjoy this process. Thinking about the article, researching if needed, writing, editing, using Canva, being creative—I love it all. But each post takes time, and the internet connection in my country doesn't help at all. It's even worse. But hey, you, my dear reader, deserve the best. That's why every comment and every vote is so important, at least to me.

Of course, it can't all be about creating content, or else I'd be burnt out. It's important to engage in other activities and, above all, to enjoy life. Many times during the week, my friends and I decide to get together and go out for a few drinks to catch up (we're not all studying the same thing, so we don't see each other that often). So, some cold beers in the wee hours of the morning, along with a game of dominoes, really does wonders for the soul—and even for Hive, because some of these experiences later turn into blog posts.

I don't go out at night very often, mainly because I don't like spending too much money on drinks, so many times I decide to stay home and chill. And that's where the most relaxing plan of all comes in: watching series. When I need to disconnect from the world, I put on a recommended series, and more often than not, I end up having a marathon. The next day, I can barely function.

Lastly, we come to the habit that keeps me up until the wee hours of the morning and, on some occasions, has blurred my days. I'm talking about none other than studying. If this is your first time reading me, I'm studying medicine. It ain't no secret that it's one of the toughest careers to tackle. When I started, I remember sticking to my desk for hours on end, feeling like I wasn't making any progress. Many times, I dozed off right there, trying to memorize a subject (especially Biochemistry, man). Studying medicine is beautiful, wouldn't trade it for anything, but it requires a truckload of study hours, more than I can even tell you. I hit the books during the week, and still, many times I have to dedicate my weekend nights to studying and acquiring knowledge (not complaining, I actually enjoy it and got used to it—now I can't sleep before midnight).

I'm almost done with my degree (1 year and a half left, and counting). At this point, studying has shifted more towards practical training, and that's another reason: my shifts at the hospital. When I'm on duty, it's impossible for me to catch some shut-eye. That's when I take advantage of the usually calm shifts to do all the stuff I mentioned earlier, but still, sleep eludes me. Any advice for that?

These are the reasons why I don't sleep early. If you're one of those who hits the sack early, I'd appreciate some advice. Resting is important, no doubt about that, but I've discovered that I'm more productive at night when everything settles down. So, I try to make the most of this vibe to give it my all.

I'd love to hear from you, reader. Can you hit the hay early? Do you prefer stretching your day until exhaustion takes over? How do you make use of those extra hours? It's a pleasure to hear your thoughts in the comments, and I'll always respond.