Clive, my 23-pound tabby hunk of feline love, teaches me life lessons every day. I thought it was high time that I shared his words with you.
I, Clive the Cat, take cat naps all the time—I need a break from exploring, being a human companion, playing with hair ties, begging for protein shakes and even purring. Too much of a good thing can be tiring.
Whenever my eyes get droopy, I let myself sleep. I get even better sleep when I cuddle up to one of my parents. I love it when one or both of them relax with me. It makes me feel like I am still doing my part for them, and taking care of myself too.
I know my feline friends and I wish our human friends would learn this trick. How much better moods would they be in if they all rested for just 30 minutes whenever they had the opportunity? How many more head scratches and love pets would we get if they took a nap and had more energy? How much better would they feel to take care of feeling overly tired, stressed or emotional?
Let’s ask my mom what she thinks. After all, she has many ideas to share, like I do.
Mom’s Musings
I, Clive’s mom, took a cat nap today. I didn’t sleep well last night because of some ongoing issues in my shoulder or because I was thinking about some stressful situations that I faced in the last few days.
Clive is right. My 30-minute cat nap completely changed my day. Before I rested my eyes, I was dragging, fighting to stay awake, unable to complete any task or be fully focused. Clive knew I was not at peace. Seeing him snooze made me get up from the couch and move to the bed and lie down. As soon as I did, he got up and followed me. He jumped up on the bed, snuggled in with me and I dozed off peacefully to the sound of his purrs.
After my cat nap, I:
- Started to rock through my list of tasks that I had been trying to complete for hours.
- Was no longer waring with my eyelids that felt like bricks.
- Came up with ideas that I was struggling to solidify in my tired state before the nap.
- Could see the best way to order the rest of my day.
- Began moving forward on several things.
- Received clarity about how to deal with some difficult challenges.
- Observed opportunities for growth and learning that I had glazed right before I rested.
The moral of the story? Don’t be afraid or ashamed of taking a cat nap—just set your alarm—for 30 minutes or more. It just may do you a world of good. 🙂