In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week, I initially set out to write a piece about the sleep and mental health connection, offering insights and maybe a few tips. But as I began to write, I paused and thought, how truly beneficial is this? How will these words make a tangible difference in my readers’ day to day lives? Even the customary ‘sleep tips’ feels superficial. Advising people to reduce their stress and anxiety levels sounds good, but how do they actually make that happen?
Our social media feeds are inundated with similar content. While it may serve as a reminder to prioritise self-care and to take the time to de-stress, I can’t help but question how effective it is at making it actually happen. How many times have you read or watched a reel about what you can do to improve your mental health, felt momentarily inspired, and then promptly moved on, and have that thought overtaken by the chaos of daily life?
So, I then find myself reflecting on my own experience. Never having struggled with significant anxiety in the past, here I am now, navigating many menopausal symptoms, with anxiety seemingly permeating into many aspects of these. It is a stark realisation, that the labels of ‘stress’ or ‘anxiety’ have huge depths of complexity and impact behind them. For me, it’s the constant state of hyperalert, the procrastination, and the struggle to maintain clarity and productivity.
So amid these ramblings, what I have come to understand is that while it’s easier to toss around the terms of mental health, it is when we dig deeper into our own experiences, and confront the actual struggles and the practical implications of these, that we uncover more clearly to ourselves what our struggles are. And we can then start to take the steps forward, however tentative they might be. It’s not always easy, and progress might be slow, but it’s these small steps that lead to real growth and resilience on our mental health journey.
And if I can relate this to sleep specifically (I got there eventually), I would like to take the opportunity to share my top 3 strategies for prioritising your sleep while nurturing your mental wellbeing.
– Worry space: Dedicate 10-15 minutes before bedtime to jot down any stressors or worries that have been occupying your mind. By creating this worry space and putting your thoughts on paper, you can reduce their intensity when trying to fall asleep.
– Square breathing technique: This is a powerful exercise to calm the mind and body. Begin by finding a comfortable position and closing your eyes. Inhale deeply through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale slowly through your mouth for four seconds, and then pause for another four seconds before repeating. This rhythmic pattern helps reduce anxiety, promotes relaxation, and prepares you for restful sleep
– Negative thought challenge: Start by identifying unhelpful or irrational thoughts and beliefs that contribute to your feelings of distress, anxiety, or unease. Once you recognise these thoughts, you can reframe them in a more balanced and realistic way, considering alternative perspectives. Through this process, you can gradually shift your mindset and reduce the impact of negative thinking on your sleep and wellbeing.
Do you think there is more work to be done in the field of mental heath, and how to convert knowledge into action? I would love to hear your thoughts on this below.
And FYI – My new 1 to 1 Sleep Transformation Programme is almost ready for public consumption. This 10 week programme is designed to help my clients turn knowledge into action and achieve tangible results in their sleep, daytime productivity and overall wellbeing. I’ve been testing this on myself and it’s working!
If you’re ready to prioritise yourself, your sleep and your mental health, get in touch to join my growing list to be among the first to hear about launch offers.