Here are three things that have helped me sleep at night despite my severe anxiety.
First, I have a conversation with God. I start by thanking him for all his blessings on me, my family and friends. I think of family and friends and consider what they are going through at the time. I pray for God’s guidance and protection over them. When I start to picture them, I start with my husband, children, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. Then, I move on to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, etc. I usually picture some of them individually and think about how I would like God to bless them and help them. I am always afraid I’ll forget someone – sounds like anxiety right?
Second, I do box breathing. This little trick helps a lot. I’ve had many people ask me, “what is box breathing?” Well, according to Webmd.com: “Box breathing, also referred to as square breathing, is a deep breathing technique that can help you slow down your breathing. It works by distracting your mind as you count to four, calming your nervous system, and decreasing stress in your body. Apr 8, 2021”
Here is more on how box breathing works. “Box breathing, also known as four-square breathing, involves exhaling to a count of four, holding your lungs empty for a four-count, inhaling at the same pace, and holding air in your lungs for a count of four before exhaling and beginning the pattern anew.” Source
Third, I do a simple meditation. When I do a simple meditation, I focus on my breathing (each breath), then mentally focus on relaxing each part of my body in sequence, starting at my head. I take time on each part of my body and feel the melting/relaxing of each part. I Do NOT allow any thoughts in (good or bad) while I am doing this, only thoughts of the sensation of relaxing those parts of my body. After I focus on each part of my body, from my head – down to my toes, I focus on my breathing again and drift off to sleep.
Click the links below if you are interested in more examples of meditation.
| UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center ENGLISH: | Play Audio | English Text |
| Breathing Meditation (5 mins) | Play | Transcript |
| Breath, Sound, Body Meditation (12 mins) | Play | Transcript |
| Complete Meditation Instructions (19 mins) | Play | Transcript |
| Meditation for Working with Difficulties (7 mins) | Play | Transcript |
| Loving Kindness Meditation (9 mins) | Play | Transcript |
| Body and Sound Meditation (3 mins) | Play | Transcript |
| Short Body Scan (3 mins) | Play | Transcript |
| Body Scan for Sleep (13 mins) | Play | Transcript |
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I really hope this helps you too. I think I’ll add to this page as time goes and as I learn new things. Check back from time to time.
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