F. Diane Barth L.C.S.W.
Off the Couch
Sleep
7 Ways to Get to Sleep, Stay Asleep, and Make It THROUGH The New Years
Part 2: Experts offer suggestions for dealing with pandemic-related insomnia.
Posted May 12, 2021
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THE BASICS
Why Is Sleep Important?
Find a sleep therapist near me
As the new year approaches, many of us are thinking of new places to celebrate and build the new year. One of the most anticipated was New Year’s Eve in the United States, the culmination of a 67-year collaborative between the Army and the Navy Yard. The event has been a tremendous success and is still one of the most anticipated events in modern times. Year after year, people from all over the world pour into this once-in-a-lifetime event to experience what it’s like to be part of the Team GB, Nascar, or Disneyland crowd. At the same time, there is a growing realization that we have to start thinking about how to crowdsource the experience of attending this incredible event.
That’s why I started a "Cultivation" series focused on new habit patterns that will help me shift into the new year with the extra points I need to reach next year to get there. Starting with my personal "Habits" for achieving a consistent state of happiness and happiness, and treasured ones I will use moving forward.
Pattern 1: Be grateful
This is perhaps the simplest, perhaps the most overlooked, and perhaps the most beneficial way to improve our existing sleep patterns. It is also the easiest to change if we don’t know how to do it. Simply lay a thank-you note or have some kind of acknowledgement of the gratitude you are getting across.
Research has shown that writing words like “thank you” or “making a difference” count, while they may seem girlish or lofty, are actually just as powerful as a formal thank you.
Lay a Cardinal Organ pattern on your nightstand.
Source: Photo by Michael Fonberg from Pexels
Following are some examples of how to put a cardinal pattern on your nightstand:
Cardinal Organization: I am grateful for the great health news that this cold weather is easing up.
I am grateful for the ability to continue to travel and to enjoy art and refreshments.
I am grateful for sleep and sleep as much as possible.
Pattern 2: Be grateful for options
There areumerous choices to make in our lives right now, and I encourage each of us to be genuinely grateful for the choices we are making.
Perhaps some of them are midway between me and my partner:
We could enjoy a cup of coffee or a quiet room to unwind after a long day at work
We could take a walk or hike, even cross-country skiing
We could embrace our parents or friends and have quiet time to rest
Perhaps these are the optimal choices, and we have no evidence that they are -- just because there are no studies measuring actual usage of the wishes and freely chosen words we say over 8 hours each day, and reviewing our usage over that time helps us focus our attention and direct our thoughts.
But other times, it isn’t possible to entirely avoid thoughts and images in the moment, and that is when journaling is the right option for you.
Writing about what is on your mind gives yourself permission to edit your behavior so that what you want or aren’t possible.
When I was feeling down, I remembered a time in which I had been focused on completed projects andpleted tasks. That was the time when I had been feeling happy, accomplished, and successful.
Because I was able to make fewer choices that placed me in the present moment, I felt less stressed. Fewer choices actually meant I less stress.
If you are feeling stressed, try to take a break from the stress. Find things that help you delay the stress. I found that the break is longer if I take a few minutes to think about something else.