[Pastasauce]

I have found befriending wakefulness to be very helpful in my insomnia recovery journey. What I have started with is accepting that it is ok to be awake – like really truly ok. It’s not what I want, but it is ok. What has been helping with this is the knowledge that I can live my life the next day, even if I don’t sleep well. It is also helpful for me to remember that my body will always sleep at some point.

Then I have been working on responding to being awake. The idea I have been working with is “how can I respond to this moment with a little bit more ease?” I also ask myself – “is how I’m responding creating more struggle (or grounded in struggle)?”

For the hyperarousal or physical symptoms of anxiety, I have been working with the idea of acceptance as well. For example, if I feel my stomach clenching, I lean into it instead of trying to make it go away. I describe it to myself (“I’m feeling a tightening. It’s in the upper part of my stomach.”) And I remind myself that it is just an adrenaline response from my body. I don’t like it, but I am not in danger.

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