For most of my life, I've believed I was someone who didn't sleep well. In fact, that belief was so strong I often found myself awake in the middle of the night, sitting up and wishing I could be asleep. When social media became a thing, I noticed something curious; there were lots of other people who were sitting up in the middle of the night all over the world feeling exactly as I did - that sleep would never be something they did well.
Then, I started to pay attention to how I thought and spoke about sleep, and what my expectations were surrounding sleep. I noticed I frequently told people I suffered from insomnia. I also noticed my thoughts before bed each night included things like, "Oh gosh - I hope I don't have insomnia tonight," or, "Hopefully tonight my sleep won't be disturbed." The universe supported the thoughts by making them creations. I tossed and turned. I suffered hip pain that woke me frequently. The universe even sent me a little dog (who I dearly love) that woke me up several times a night for seven years. The universe wasn't being perverse or mean. It was supporting what I believed about my sleep. Once I understood this and noticed my own thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors, I was already halfway to a better night of sleep. First came the behavioral issue with the little dog. I consulted with animal communicator Karen Anderson who reminded me my beliefs about what my dog, Monkey, was going to do each night (wake me up multiple times) was part of the reason for Monkey's behavior, and she kindly suggested I change that expectation. She also communicated with Monkey and gave me some tools for dealing with behavioral slips and within a few days, the behavior had ended. It has not returned, nor do I expect it will because once I realized that behavior was in large part driven by my expectations, I was able to change the way I thought about it until my expectations changed, and then I was able to change my experience. I also started to change my thoughts about the quality of my sleep, which also led to a change in my expectations. Every time I noticed myself slipping into my beliefs about insomnia or hoping I didn't sleep poorly, I paused for a moment, visualized myself sleeping well and waking refreshed, and repeated the affirmation, "I sleep peacefully and comfortably and wake refreshed." I now use this affirmation every night before I go to sleep, as well as throughout the day if I notice any of my old thought patterns about sleep creeping in. One of the things I've found is along with sleeping better in general, I've noticed I am less likely to be awakened by aches and pains (such as persistent hip pain I've experienced for several years) throughout the night. Now I'm working on changing my thoughts, beliefs, and the story I tell about that hip pain, but that's another blog for another day. Right now we're focusing on sleep. Other Solutions (Metaphysical & Physical) I also implemented some metaphysical solutions, which serve as a reminder that the focus of my thoughts need to be on peaceful sleep. They also create an energetic vibration that is more supportive of peaceful and restful sleep.
Your Better Sleep Program
With some attention to your thoughts, habits, and environments, it's possible to reprogram yourself to sleep peacefully so you won't have to sit up all night with other insomniacs on social media. Image by congerdesign from Pixabay Every town needs a good metaphysical and/or rock shop, and we are lucky to have one in downtown Centralia, Bead Opus. I love browsing and feeling the good vibes. And buying. Here's today's haul.
Remember when you were a kid, and you'd get totally lost in play? It didn't matter what else was going on in your life; while you were playing you were lost in your own joyful world of fun. In early childhood, it was probably pretty easy to get totally absorbed in that state of playful joy, but as you headed into your 'tweens, teens, and beyond, the worries of real life intruded, and you were less able to escape into play.
What happened? Why did it go away? "I grew up," you say. "Life got in the way. I have responsibilities." I get it. Unfortunately, we often condition our children away from play as we direct them towards greater responsibility because we want them to be successful adults. However, I'd argue this is misguided because in my opinion, being joyful is being successful. When our boys were 9 and 11, we took them to Disneyland over spring break. We rode every big fun ride, and I spent the four days we were there laughing. I was playing, and it filled me with joy. It was during this trip I was reminded of the power of playfulness and how much even small amounts of play can have a big impact on how happy you feel. Since that trip, I've made a point to find ways to bring playfulness into my life every day. Doing so allows me to slip into that space of joy, and when I find it I can carry it with me and bring it to mind whenever life seems to get too serious. Somewhere along the path to adulthood, many of us let go of our playfulness. We traded fun for things we perceived as being more grown up and in doing so, we lost one of our major sources of joy. And so I encourage you to find ways to play. Dance, sing,, spin in circles, and lay on the grass and look for four-leaf clovers. Sing at the top of your lungs to music on your car stereo. Roll down a hill. Tell a silly joke or make a bad dad pun. Crunch your feet through the autumn leaves. Lay on your back and look at the sky. Daydream. Hula hoop. Play a rousing game of Hungry Hippos. Build something with Legos. Pretend. Laugh so hard you snort. There are hundreds of ways to bring playfulness back into your life. Do it every day and remember the joy you once felt as a child. If you make a point to bring play back into your experience in big and small ways every day, your life can't help but be more joyful. Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay Visit my article on LoveToKnow.com for scented bath salt recipes. All you need is some type of coarse salt (sea salt, epsom salts), essential oils, and baking soda for a lovely scented bath. It's a great way to include aromatherapy into your routine.
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