Feelings of anxiety are often irrational and difficult to control. It takes practice and structure to move past these feelings in a healthy, manageable way. Anxiety is a significant barrier to getting a good night’s rest for many people.
Here are some practical tips for beating anxiety, so you can get the sleep you need.
Create A Relaxing Environment
First, start by creating a restful environment that promotes deep, high-quality sleep. Your bedroom should feel like a safe space that you can retreat to while disconnecting from the outside world. If you work from home, resist the temptation to conduct work in your bedroom.
To create a great sleep environment, start with the bed. When choosing a mattress, look for something that suits your body type and sleeping style. Invest in a few high-quality pillows to use as extra support for your spine and joints. Next, turn down the temperature a few degrees to promote better sleep and add light and noise-blocking elements to create a dark, quiet atmosphere.
Keep A Consistent Schedule
The human body and mind thrive on structure and schedules. Creating a bedtime routine that sticks to a consistent schedule will help cue your mind to start settling down, regardless of the situation.
Incorporate activities that help reduce stress and anxiety before you go to sleep. Self-care activities like having a bath or listening to relaxing music can help you unwind and stop fixating on anxious thoughts.
It’s also beneficial to reduce your caffeine intake and set a limit for yourself to no caffeine after lunch. While many people argue that caffeine doesn’t impact their anxiety levels or restfulness, studies prove the contrary. Sometimes, we don’t know how something impacts us until we remove it from our lives.
Practice Mindfulness
Incorporating dedicated mindfulness practices as a part of the evening wind-down routine can also help reduce anxiety at bedtime. Mindfulness practice can happen in many ways. Some actions to try include:
- Doing a brain dump – set a timer for 10 minutes and write anything that comes to mind about what’s stressing you, your concerns, your goals, and general thoughts.
- Journalling – a brain dump with more structure; take some time to really dive into your day and what challenges you’re facing.
- Nature walking – take some unplugged time in nature to reset, breathe fresh air, and de-stress.
- Yoga or meditation – let your mind go with mindful yoga exercises or guided meditation.
Mindfulness looks different for everyone, but it’s about getting back in alignment with your mind and letting go of unhealthy thoughts.
Turn On Airplane Mode
Constant connectivity is a significant anxiety trigger, and blue lights from screens impact natural sleep patterns. Set a goal to turn on airplane mode and disconnect from the world at least an hour before bedtime. Use this time to focus on your mindfulness practice and restful routine.
Stop Negative Thought Patterns
When you’re lying in bed and find yourself overthinking things, create stopping points for yourself. Stop the negative thought without self-judgment, and replace it with a constructive thought instead. For example, “This isn’t something I can fix right now, and I deserve to rest.”
Create a safe space in your mind that you can focus on instead. This could be a collection of your favorite memories or a vision of a relaxing escape, like the beach. Shift your focus to the safe space, redirecting yourself as needed.
It will take time and practice to overcome anxiety, but these tips can help you get a good night’s sleep.
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