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Hi Wendy – thanks so much for your feedback! I feel like I’m learning so much through this.
You asked what action I could take to bring more laughter into my life. I liked how you described it as a muscle you need to get back into using. That really resonates with me!For me, a lot of it comes from my husband. He’s the least anxious, most laid-back person I know and he has a gift for adding levity to almost any situation. When I laugh, I’m right in the moment, and the anxiety that usually has such a tight grip on me loses its power. So the action I’m trying to take is to lean into that more and to actively look for the humor in everyday situations and not take things quite so seriously.
It looks like you’re doing some great things to move toward the life you want. I wish you continued progress – it sounds like you’re on a really good path!
Hi Wendy, thanks for sharing those examples. Here are some of the things I’m working to move away from:
1. Anxiety
2. Sadness
3. HopelessnessSome of the things I am moving toward are:
1. Meaningful relationships
2. Health – physical activity, diet
3. Living out my faith
4. Applying my skills to something meaningful
5. Laughter
6. Enjoying nature and the outdoors
7. Learning something newAs far as workable actions – when I find myself struggling with nighttime wakefulness, I will either stay in bed, focus on just resting and think about some things that are true – such as “It’s okay to be awake” or “I have nothing to fear in being awake” or “I don’t need to chase after sleep. It will eventually chase after me and I will eventually fall asleep.” If I am still struggling, I will read a book in bed to reduce the struggle. I have also heard that you cannot control the outcomes (how long I’m awake or how long I’m asleep), but I can control my actions and how I respond to nighttime wakefulness. This is easier said than done, but I am hoping that moving in this direction will eventually improve my sleep. I wish you the best in your sleep journey and hope some things in this reply are helpful.
Thank you so much! Your response was very encouraging and helped remind me of the purpose of these tools and path toward thinking less about fixing my insomnia and just letting sleep take care of itself.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply! Your comment around accepting insomnia and to stop fighting resonated with me. I’m beginning to move in that direction and can see that I am less anxious during the day which helps me sleep a little better at night. It sounds counter intuitive, but it does seem like the less I care about sleep and focus on other things, the greater the chances are that things will improve. Thank you again – I wish you the best in your sleep journey!
Hi Martin!
Thanks for your reply and helpful feedback. What I’ve been exploring is implementing the AWAKE technique over the past few nights which has been helping. I’m also focusing on the goal of resting instead of sleeping. Everything I am learning makes logical sense, but my brain is being very stubborn to change! I understand it is a process, takes practice and a lot of patience and perhaps not expect immediate results, so I’m taking things one day at a time. I’m not sure if the course covers this, but I’ve also read about “paradoxical intention” where the focus is not on sleeping but tricking your mind to stay awake. I found this intriguing and may explore that as well. Thanks again for your feedback and for this course – it has been SO helpful for me!
