Stop Thinking About Your Resolutions and Go the Eff To Sleep [Part One]

I don’t know about you, but the New Year can bring up some anxiety for me.

The energy of everyone’s expectations often gets me worrying about what my year is going to bring – even though worrying is really not my thing. Questions like will the year ahead be easy? Frustrating? A year of learning? Or maybe of massive expansion? Lately I’ve been thinking about how to help my clients and community reframe their stories around resolutions and it’s been keeping me up at night. Which brings me to what I think is really at the heart of the matter…

It’s time to drop our thoughts and just go the f*ck to sleep!

Insomnia’s the worst, right? You lay in bed. Tossing. Turning. Praying. You’ve peed twice. Gotten a sip of water. Adjusted your pillows ten zillion times. Counted sheep. Heck maybe you even created a rambling to-do list in the darkness hoping it would help. But none of it does.

So what can you do when your mind just won’t shut off?

::: You stare it in the face :::

Here’s the 5 step process that worked to get me out of my head and into a hard fast sleep (more than a few times this week!):

1. Sit up in bed.
2. Breathe like so – in for a count of five, hold for a count of five, exhale for a count of five, hold the exhalation for a count of five (or as close a you can get). Repeat until you feel a sense of calm throughout your body.
3. Return to your natural breathing rhythm.
4. Ask yourself, “Are you ready to sleep now?” If the answer you hear is “Yes” lay back down. Resting one hand on your heart and the other on your belly, follow the flow of your breath and rhythm of your heartbeat allowing them to lull you back to sleep. If the answer you hear is “No” literally ask yourself the next question(s), “Why are you not sleeping (your name)? What do you need to work through, get out, write down, move past?” Listen for the answer, then breathe it in. Tell your body, “I am listening and will take action tomorrow. Everything is taken care of. You are safe. You are listened to. You are loved. It is okay for you to go to sleep now.” Complete this question answer series until you feel yourself settling into a peaceful resting state.
5. Go the f*ck back to sleep.

Next time you’re stuck awake at night try this out and let me know how it goes on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @robynyoukilis and use the hashtag #yourhealthiestyou. You can also tweet out these tips by clicking here!