It’s 2:45 am and I’m Wide Awake…
Welcome to an episode of a “racing mind”–a major sleep stealer that can keep you awake and lying in bed for what seems like hours. For some reason, your mind is buzzing, thinking about every minor (and major) thing in your life. If only you could just turn everything off, you’d be sound asleep. But how can you stop something you don’t remember starting? When did your brain get a mind of its own?
What’s Behind a “Racing Mind”
For me, episodes of “racing mind” are often triggered by anxiety. As part of a way of dealing with this, I turn to journal writing as it allows me to focus on the larger picture of what was really important–and what’s not–so that I can relax myself back to sleep.
Writing for Dummies
For those of you new to journaling, or who feel like they can never get the writing process started, I’d like to share some of the different writing tactics I’ve used. Feel free to experiment, try different styles, and see which feels more comfortable to you.
If writing isn’t cutting it, try some different relaxation techniques –sometimes it’s best not to dwell on what’s keeping you up.
Andi’s Top 5 Writing Tricks to Put Your Mind at Ease
- Stream of Consciousness / “Confession”: This is a style I often use late at night because it allows me to “dump” everything in my brain out onto the page. It also helps to provide a more structured narrative about what is bothering me so.
- Web: Similar to flow charts, this method allows me to connect any and all thoughts about a particular worry/problem/idea/feeling in a visual way. Great for those who like to get the “whole picture” of their thoughts.
- List/Worry Journal: Get your worries on paper, then write quick solutions to them. If paying bills is on your mind, make it a priority to sit down and tackle your finances in the morning. For more guidance, check out this article in our Sleep Info Center.
- One Liner: Write a sentence (or 2 or 3) that distills the main thing or idea occupying your mind. Sometimes the thoughts in our head are so big–or so hard to put into words–that a simple sentence does a good job at expressing what’s going on.
- Weekly Sleep Journal: Good for those who want to tally frequency of relaxed vs racing mind but don’t want to use a whole notebook. You can download a copy of our Sleep Journal here.
I know I said “Top 5″ techniques but I had to add one more. However, since this next style is often labor intensive it’s best to save it for when you know you’re not going to fall back asleep in the next 5 minutes–or better yet, do it the next day.
- Critical Thought & Reflection/Essay: Make a list of all the things going on in your mind, select which ones are the most relevant to you, and describe how those thoughts and emotions play into the larger picture of your life and your sleep.
If anyone has used writing in the past to deal with a racing mind, I’d love to hear about it–especially if you have additional tips or pointers. Feel free to comment below or on our forum!
Andi (ZQ: 86) is the company administrator and the editor of Zeology. She loves reading, writing, and giving people the resources they need to help them get the sleep they deserve.
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