Sometimes the answer’s right in front of your nose — and you still miss it. Like when you’re sure the microwave is on the fritz, but in reality, the fuse was blown.

Then there are those times when you have the opposite scenario. The answer seems so clear, it couldn’t be any other way — or could it? Pushing yourself to keep working, no matter how late into the night — after all, how else will everything get done? Putting your efforts into making that all-important first impression — no second chances on that, right? And buying in bulk — that has to be a money-saving no-brainer.

Not necessarily. Here are ten situations where the right course of action may not be so obvious after all

Second Wind

Rivka’s more tired than usual on this typical Thursday evening. Her limbs are aching, her eyelids heavy. But her evening is too full to call it an early night: the dining-room table is piled with clutter, she hasn’t started on her Shabbos menu, and she must pop into the neighbor’s vort. After a brief rest on the couch, Rivka starts peeling potatoes. Soon enough, her energy kicks in and a good part of the Shabbos cooking is accomplished before she gets dressed to go out.

Belief

The “second wind” is a lifesaver, allowing us to briefly function at very high levels of energy even if we feel sleepy.

Real Deal

What seems like a magical antidote to the I-don’t-have-enough-hours-in-my-day-conundrum can actually be harmful.
We can override the intense feeling of tiredness that’s triggered by our circadian rhythm. We can pull all-nighters, meet tight deadlines, and overcome midday slump. But if you’ll rely on the second wind too often, and your body doesn’t receive enough sleep, it will become more and more difficult to override feelings of sleepiness.

More importantly, you’ll accrue sleep debt, which can have serious physical and mental consequences. Sleep debt weakens the immune system; impedes cognitive abilities; causes moodiness; increases the risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease; and may cause weight gain.

Before you push for more energy so that you can bake another cake, finish an engaging book, or dive into a work project, consider the negative effects of sleep debt and choose to cut back, simplify, or delegate tasks.

(Excerpted from Family First, Issue)