Sometimes it’s hard to get to sleep because all the remains of the day are swirling around in our minds. We try to solve problems but often it’s the hard things that happen that stay on our minds unresolved. Why did I do that… How much work have I left undone…What do I tell my child about what’s happening in the family…What can I do about those health problems. The thoughts can be endless and circular, robbing us of descending into a peaceful night’s sleep.
One way to prepare for letting go of life’s worries at night is to head them off at the pass. We can actually re-focus on what’s been right about our day and train the brain to slip quietly into peaceful slumber. One way to do this is through a gratitude journal. Just as we prepare to go to bed, we can focus on the three things that went right in our day. As those three things come to mind, take a deep breath and savor those. Expand on the joy of them as you breathe them into your being.
Sometimes that main thing that was good about our day can be something as simple as a great sunset, or a peaceful morning or a good night’s sleep the night before. Maybe we have accomplished something, large or small, that was an obstacle in our path. Or perhaps a feeling of satisfaction is there from a sweet moment in a personal relationship. No matter what else has happened today, we can go to these moments, be present in them and take them in again, this time with greater appreciation. We can sense their presence in a new way that calms the body and relaxes the mind. We can cultivate a sense of gratitude.
The ideal time to do this is the moments we are getting into bed and getting the mind ready for sleep. Here lies a state of consciousness not quite awake and yet not quite asleep, that allows us to drift effortlessly into a positive mind state that will further enhance the quality of our sleep.
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