When we go to bed and remain alert, tense, anxious, and defensive, it can take hours to fall asleep. And even then, once you do, your sleep is not deep. Although your body is "asleep," your mind continues to race.
When fatigue builds up, what would otherwise be a much easier situation to handle ends up becoming a source of annoyance, apathy, irritability, anxiety, lack of focus, and unproductivity. Add that up for a few months and that diagnosis ends up as burnout.
So, how can we calm our minds and relax our bodies when we go to sleep?
Here are three tips to try starting today:
- Delegate your tasks at night. What do I mean by this? – It's very likely that when you go to bed, you haven't even laid your head on the pillow before you start thinking about what you have to do the next day. When this happens, delegate those tasks to your future self. Literally visualize yourself working the next day and "hand over" the responsibility for the pending tasks and problems in your mind. "This, this, and this are up to him. It's up to me to rest."
- Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. As the saying goes, "If you control your breathing, you control your brain." Inhale for 8 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds. Do this over and over again until you feel relaxed and your mind is calm. When we are in a state of alertness—anxious, worried, tense, irritated—our breathing is much faster. If we change our breathing to a much slower pace, the body—and consequently, our thoughts and emotions—interprets that we can relax and that "being alert" is no longer necessary.
- Don't force yourself to sleep. That "I have to sleep, I have to sleep" thought that pops into your mind every time you look at the clock and calculate how many hours of sleep you have left only makes you more tense. What we're looking for is relaxation. Wait calmly to fall asleep. If a long time passes and you can't fall asleep, get up, drink a glass of warm water, read a little, and go back to bed. Don't pressure yourself, accompany yourself.
Good sleep = good performance, good mood, productivity, vitality, energy.
And above all, less burnout.
As you know, if you are interested in more in-depth work to overcome burnout or reduce your stress, fill out this form and request a session with a coach or therapist.
Have a great start to the week!
