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Sleeping & listening

A little sliver of reflection and an important chapter to my survival guide…

Sleeping, listening to our true selves, and journaling are some of the best practices we can do to enrich our settling down phase before bed. We have all been there when our minds are racing, we cannot switch off, and we are struggling to get to sleep as we lay in our beds. We often find our minds come alive at night, and we can be flooded with uncomfortable judgments, emotions, anxiety or worrying thoughts.

Some people like to combine meditation into these three evening practices to help them self-soothe before sleeping. But at the start of my healing journey, I found meditation practices difficult and found more comfort in journaling and practising mindfulness. It is important that we experiment so we can find what works best for us.

Here is another option from my survival guide, which is something I try to practise continuously

Let’s start with listening to our true-selves…

  • So, what does that even mean? Essentially, it means taking the time to really listen to our own thoughts, feelings, and needs. This can be especially important if we’re someone who tends to put other people’s needs before our own.
  • When we listen to our true-selves, we are able to identify what makes us happy, what causes us stress, and what we need in order to feel fulfilled. This can help us make decisions that are aligned with our own values and goals, rather than constantly trying to please others.

 

So, how can we start listening to our true-selves?

 

We should take time each evening/day to reflect on our thoughts and feelings. We could do this by meditating, journaling, or simply taking a few minutes to sit quietly and think. It can also be helpful to identify our core values and goals and to think about whether our actions and decisions are aligned with them.

Once we have gathered our thoughts, write them down. I have found tremendous help in journalling my thoughts and feelings just before going to bed. For myself and others, we have found that listening to our true-selves and writing these thoughts and feelings down, helps to clear the ‘busyness and fuzziness’ that can arise just before sleeping.

Let’s talk about journaling (one of my favourites, or I like to call it, mind-dumping)…

Journaling is a great way to improve our mental well-being, and it can be especially helpful if we are struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. Writing down our thoughts and feelings can help us process them and gain a better understanding of ourselves. In fact, research has shown that journaling can have a number of benefits for our mental wellbeing. For example, it can help reduce our symptoms of depression, improve our mood, and even boost our immune system.

So, how can we start journaling? There’s no one right way to do it, but here are a few tips: Find a quiet, comfortable space where we can write without distractions. Try to write for at least 10-15 minutes each evening/day. Write whatever comes to mind without worrying about grammar or spelling. Be honest and open with ourselves about our thoughts and feelings. Our bodies will normally take over, and the pen will just flow.

If we’re not sure what to write about, we could start by writing about our day, our goals, or our feelings about a particular situation. Over time, we may find that our journal becomes a valuable tool for self-reflection and self-discovery.

And finally, after listening to our true-selves, journalling and clearing our minds, we can start to look at sleeping. 

We all know that sleep is important, but did you know that it can have a huge impact on our mental health? According to research, sleep deprivation is linked to an increased risk of developing depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Lack of sleep can also make it harder to manage our emotions and can lead to irritability and mood swings

On the other hand, getting enough sleep can have a positive impact on our mental well-being. When we sleep, our brain is able to rest and recharge, which can help us to feel more alert and focused during the day. In fact, studies have shown that getting enough sleep can improve our mood, increase our ability to concentrate, and even boost our creativity.

So, how much sleep do we actually need? Well, it varies for each of us, but most of us need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. If we are not getting enough sleep, there are some things we can do to help. For example, we could try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bedtime, and creating a relaxing bedtime routine.

Of course, sleeping, listening to our true-selves, and journaling is not a remedy for all mental health issues, and it is not a substitute for medication or therapy. However, it can be a valuable addition to a mental wellbeing plan, and it can help us to improve our overall quality of life.

By taking the time to prioritise these three tools,

we are giving ourselves the space and time needed to self-soothe and self-regulate.

This will improve quality routines around sleeping and will help us manage negative self-talk and ’emotional rollercoasting’ during the day, as we will not be as tired from an interrupted sleep pattern.

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