Staying Awake in Church

Seven members of the congregation with heads bent were quite oblivious to the message of the sacrament-meeting speaker. It was a warm summer afternoon, but the heat wasn’t the cause of the drowsiness because the chapel was air conditioned. The man behind the pulpit wasn’t a dynamic speaker, but neither was he boring. Why, then, do some of us tend to doze during meetings?

Sleep overcomes us when we are physically inactive and our oxygen supply is slowed down. The simple solution, then, is to speed up our circulation—by exercise. How can you exercise in church? When heavy eyelids tend to overpower you, try the following:

1. Change position. Sit up straight and tall and uncross your legs.

2. Take a few deep breaths.

3. Do a few unnoticeable exercises: twist your ankles, stretch your arms or legs, hold in your stomach muscles for ten counts. Or think up a few movements of your own. These should not distract anyone, and when your circulation is improved and more oxygen is delivered to your brain, you will stay awake and listen. Verlene Winkel Tanner, Provo, Utah