Sleep and Grow Healthy

Set yourself a time of day and a time limit (say, half an hour at 3pm).
As worries pop into your head during the day, write them down on a list.
At Worry Time, set a timer and get worrying!
Sort your list into short-term and long-term concerns.
Deal with the short-term ones first, writing down any strategies that come to mind.
Then give time for the long-term ones.
Allow yourself to fret, as it’s useless to repress feelings of stress.
Write down solutions or strategies as they come to you.
If an issue needs more worry time, keep it on the list for tomorrow!

2. Set a worry hour

A note for leaders and managers: if you’re trying to stay available at all times for your team, you’re doing it wrong!

Second, there’s a pressure to be constantly available.

knowledge work’, a limitless resource that can therefore be produced constantly.

Exercise: Visualise deep, restful sleep
Using pen and paper, write down a description of yourself as a natural deep sleeper. Write in the present tense, giving as much detail as possible.
What are your sleep habits?

How great does sleep feel to you?

How easy is it for you to fall asleep and stay asleep?

How do you feel when you wake up?

Imagine what your life will look like now that you’re sleeping so well.
What benefits have flowed over into the rest of your life?
Who have you become?

Where are you in your life?

What are you doing?

What can you now achieve?

How has your life changed?

How do you feel?

Return to this visualisation regularly to keep the vision in the forefront of your mind.

Exercise: Create your sleep affirmations

3. Try on some new beliefs through affirmation

can’t fall asleep easily. Why?

or I need medication to help me sleep. Why?

or I can’t stay asleep throughout the night. Why?

or I can’t wake feeling refreshed. Why?

Once you’ve hit on your first answer, keep asking why and see what comes up.

For example:

I can’t stay asleep throughout the night … because I’m a light sleeper.

I’m a light sleeper because … I was a light sleeper as a child.

I was a light sleeper as a child because … I didn’t feel safe.

I didn’t feel safe because …?

Keep asking ‘why?’ until you have exhausted your ideas. It doesn’t matter if nothing super clear reveals itself – you’ve made a good start towards awareness just by asking the question.

Once you know more about your subconscious attitudes towards getting healthy, you can assess whether these attitudes or beliefs are serving you.

Exercise: Identify your limiting beliefs