We may have outgrown our fear of monsters hiding under the bed, but night-time anxiety continues to keep many of us awake long past lights out. So is there a way we calm our anxious minds, and get to sleep more quickly? One of the most common difficulties with getting to sleep is people just can’t turn their minds off. You might be tired and sluggish all day, but you lay down in bed and all of a sudden your mind just starts going and won’t stop. If that sounds familiar, here are four ways you can quiet the mind and sleep soundly: 1. Encourage positive distractionsFocusing all your attention on how you can’t get to sleep will only make sleep more difficult. We recommend distracting yourself with interesting and engaging imagery, involving as many as your senses as possible. For example, close your eyes and picture a nice beach - can you hear the crashing of waves? Feel the sun on your skin? Taste the salt from the sea? These kinds of images can then transfer into dream content, so keep it pleasant and positive. 2. Allow worrisome thoughts If you’re unable to sleep because you’re fixated on something stressful that’s happening the next day—like a big presentation at work, or a confrontation with a family member - it’s common to want to push those thoughts from your mind. However, doing so may hurt more than it helps. Not only will you start to think about these things again, now your arousal will be higher, too. Rather than trying not to think about what’s worrying you, he recommends considering what comes after the big event. Remembering the mundane tasks that follow something stressful - like cleaning up your meeting space after the presentation, or going grocery shopping after you’ve seen family - can help you recognise that the panic will pass. Keep going until the stressful part is over and you’re back into your normal life, don’t just replay the worst parts over and over. 3. Practice nightly mindfulnessOften when we’re wide awake worrying, we’re focused on something that’s happening in the future. In those cases, mindfulness can be a powerful antidote as it directs your attention towards what’s happening in the present. You can always focus on your breathing, but it may also be helpful to focus on a physical sensation like how warm and soft your blankets feel. You can also try a body-scan meditation to relax both your body and mind. Anything that helps you focus your attention on something that’s happening right now, rather than something that might happen in the future. 4. Focus on gratitude Finally, focusing on the good can evoke pleasant emotions and help soothe you to sleep. For example, rather than thinking what might go wrong, try to focus your attention on something you’re looking forward to. You can also think of something that happened during the last day or two that you are grateful for. It can also be comforting to think of a positive person in your life, or nice deeds other people have done for you. Feeling fortunate or grateful for that person can reduce worry and help you sleep. References Jared D Minkel, PhD: https://www.lifespan.org/jared-d-minkel-phd
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Mindfulness in the workplace is one of the most important trends that businesses are paying attention to. As part of a series dedicated to mindfulness we explain how implementing these practises in your organisation will make for a more productive and harmonious workplace. For HR leaders who are contemplating different strategies to help foster a healthier, happier and more productive workplace, here's a look at three key benefits of incorporating mindfulness into your work culture. 1. Better Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence (EI) affects the workplace at all levels, and mindfulness can help improve EI, according to Harvard Business Review (HBR). Mindfulness means being aware of our experiences, observing them without judgment, and responding from a place of clarity and compassion, rather than fear, insecurity, or greed. When mindfulness in the workplace helps teams achieve more emotional clarity, it can have numerous benefits, including:
Mindfulness in the workplace plays a critical role at keeping your team sharp, specifically by improving three features — stability, control and efficiency. Meditation allows people to learn how to manage distractions. Workers operate in a 24/7 environment of constant distractions with email, smartphones, social media, the 24-hour news cycle and multiple projects and deadlines. It's important for your employees to develop the skills to put their focus where it's needed most. 3. Enhanced Creativity As automation becomes more common and routine administrative tasks are completed by computers and algorithms, the real value that people bring to the table is creativity. Enhanced creativity can help develop new products, find innovative solutions to problems and redesign processes in an effective way. Studies show people are at their most creative when they're in a relaxed state. Relaxation allows people to look at problems differently, using divergent thinking to consider the widest range of potential solutions and hone in on the right one. Encouraging mindfulness in the workplace can support a stronger creative process. There's a strong case for introducing mindfulness in the workplace — from increased productivity to an improved employee experience. Mindfulness makes us more focused, more effective, and happier, to name just a few benefits. So it's little wonder why today, in multinational corporations and small businesses alike, more and more people are meditating on the job. If your organisation would like support on how to implement workplace mindfulness or is interested in our employee mindfulness courses get in touch with FD Consultants today. Mindfulness Exercise SeriesOver the next four weeks I will be releasing a series of mindfulness exercises that you can do at home, at your desk or when you find five minutes to truly focus on yourself and your mental wellbeing.
Please also do share these with your friends, family and colleagues, so we can all enjoy the benefits of mindfulness and stronger mental health. |
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