Emotional Hygiene for good sleep
Emotional Hygiene is often overlooked ingredient of a good sleep. It helps us clear the root causes of the uncontrolled mental activity that keeps us awake.
Unwinding before sleep
It is always nice if you can find the time to unwind before going to bed. Distraction or suppression (quick fixes) may offer temporary relief, but the effect usually wears off. Because the root problem is still not resolved.
Guided meditation mobile apps may act both ways:
- As a distraction. Temporarily switch your attention to a narrative, soothing sound, or attractive voice.
- As part of your practice. Expose you to constructive, compassionate views. Help your reframing and mindfulness efforts.
The actual unwinding means disturbances no longer arise. Even if your mind touches the problem, it does not trigger agitation. To achieve this – clear the root causes. Investigate and label them, do objective reframing, and integrate changes.
Maintain Emotional Hygiene during the day.
You cannot have an uncontrolled restless mind 24/7 and then suppress it before sleep. Monitor and manage your state of mind.
If you wake up at 3 am
If you have taken care of external and physical factors, but your mind still keeps you awake at 3 am — your internal causes may be in play. Mind wandering triggers them and launches thought loops that disturb your sleep.
If the issue that keeps you awake is familiar, you have worked with the reaction and its causes before — you may wish to use the opportunity to complete the task. Even if you fall asleep in the process.
If you have not yet worked with these thoughts and emotions — use a proven practice that targets a wider outlook and includes current irritators.
For example:
I got emotional after critical feedback on a meeting with my manager. Woke up at night, worried about losing a job. I allowed my mind to wander, overthinking the situation and catastrophizing.
But I did work with the causes of my insecurities before. So I routinely went through them. Repeatedly restoring compassionate views and constructive reactions. Exhausting all causes of disturbances. Fell asleep. It was a rewarding morning afterward — I used the time at night as an opportunity and made the best out of it.
Don’t get discouraged if your focus is unstable, and keeps escaping your practice targets. Patiently return it to the task each time it follows the new train of thought.
Even if you do not fall asleep, the progress will reduce and finally prevent the next night’s interference.
