I have always struggled with sleep.
When I was younger, my issue was falling asleep.
I would crawl into bed and the “spinning” would begin. And by spinning, I mean overanalyzing every little thing that happened in my day. This accomplished absolutely nothing, except making me more anxious about getting enough sleep for the next day.
When I got older, falling asleep got easier, but staying asleep got harder.
Like most people of a certain age, I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and when I go back to bed, my mind often starts racing about something seemingly important — because at 3 am, everything feels very important.
Last week, I was talking to my friend and coach (yes, coaches have coaches) about this issue. I, also, mentioned that I still have reoccurring stress-related dreams.
My dreams usually involve me being on a business trip with my former television colleagues. In those dreams, I am usually in sweatpants, and we are all scheduled to attend some black-tie event. In the dream, I have no transportation, no change of clothes, and no luggage.
My coach was surprised to hear that I have this dream on a recurring basis, and she suggested setting an “intention” before I go to sleep.
I know all about intentions. I am always setting intentions. I set intentions in my meditations. I set intentions when I journal. I set intentions before I give a big presentation.
How did I never consider setting an intention before going to sleep? I don’t know, but I am always willing to try a new trick to improve my well-being.
So, for the past week, I have set an intention before I go to sleep. I think about how I want to sleep, how I want to dream, and what I want to dream about.
And you know what? It has been amazing. I am falling asleep faster and sleeping more soundly.
I always knew that setting intentions in the morning was a powerful tool to being more productive and focused.
What I have come to learn is that doing the same thing before bed can result in a more restful and peaceful night’s rest.
If there is something in your life that you are struggling with like stress or anxiety, let’s chat. You can schedule a free consultation with me here or send me a note.
Happy Wednesday!
xo, Jackie
#lifecoach #lifecoaching #sleep #happier #intentions #lessstress #anxiety
