How To Calm Your Mind On Anxious Nights
If you live with anxiety, you might find yourself staying up too late, night after night. It can feel impossible to simply close your eyes and drift off to sleep when you try to go to bed. Instead, you may toss and turn for hours, ruminating on your worries and struggling with negative thoughts. Chances are, you feel exhausted during the day, and you might feel like you have no energy for the activities you truly love.
Living with anxiety can leave you fatigued and run down, and it’s a vicious cycle. This is because a lack of sleep can actually exacerbate anxiety symptoms. With some changes to your routine, you can improve your quality of life. Here are several ways that you can improve your sleep schedule if you live with anxiety.
Before you dive in, remember that our professionals are always here to help
Turn Off Your Screens
Do you ever catch yourself scrolling on your phone for an hour or so after you get into bed? You might think that you’re just relaxing, but the truth is that using screens at night can actually negatively influence the quality of your sleep. Make a commitment to put your phone and laptop away at least an hour before you want to go to sleep, and turn off your TV around this time, too. You might be surprised by how well you sleep when you’re not looking at your phone in bed!
Write in a Journal
Maybe you lay awake in bed for hours while turning the same thoughts over and over in your mind. You might tell yourself not to dwell on a particular problem, but you just can’t help it. The thoughts enter your mind anyway, and it feels like you can’t clear your head. One way to let go of your worries is by journaling. When you journal, you can get these thoughts out of your mind and down on a blank piece of paper. You might feel a little lighter when your journaling session is done.
Practice Gentle Yoga
Anyone can practice yoga—you don’t have to be super flexible. Maybe you’ve never tried yoga before, but this practice can be highly beneficial for both your mental and physical health. You don’t have to join a studio to practice yoga or even leave your house. Instead, you can follow along with video classes from home. Simply unroll a mat or a towel, and block off thirty minutes to an hour to focus on nothing but yoga.
Meditate
In addition to yoga, you can practice meditation to let go of your anxieties before bed. Many people believe that in order to meditate, you need to clear your mind completely and think of nothing. But this isn’t the case! All you need to do is notice your thoughts and let them pass by. This can help you break free of the rumination cycle.
Read a Book
Sometimes, you need a source of escapism in order to leave your anxiety behind. Reading a book allows you to slip into another world—one where your worries and problems simply don’t exist. You might want to grab a random novel that you’ve never read before, ask a friend for their recommendations, or return to a favorite book that you’ve read over and over again. You could set a reading goal, or simply read until you feel tired—either way, you’ll be in a better state of mind before you fall asleep.
Are you struggling to fall asleep due to anxiety? Talking to a therapist can help. Reach out to us today to discuss your options for scheduling your first session.
