sleep

Sleep Is More Than A Luxury

Written by: Debbie

“Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” ~Thomas Dekker

A modern living room with a white sectional sofa and large windows. Are you one of those people who believe that sleep is a luxury? Are you lucky to get 3 – 4 hours of sleep a night if that? If so, you are not alone. In a recent email a friend wrote, “I am trying to not worry too much about my job and issues with my aging Mom, etc…. I need help with how to turn my brain off at night without having to resort to taking sleeping pills.” His lament is something I frequently hear from clients as well. They are busy all day long and once it is time to relax and get sleep, the mind starts to race.

I always advise anyone with sleep issues to first get checked by their doctor. Obviously there are physical conditions that might be causing sleep issues and that needs to be addressed. Once we are sure it is the night time worries, it is time to learn some behaviors that will help sweet sleep return. It is known that caffeine is a stimulant, but so too is tobacco. While alcohol may help one fall asleep, once it wears off then wakefulness sets in. So while giving these items up is the best option, at the very least one should avoid them before bed.

Keeping up with exercise is recommended for good sleep and for better mental health! Just 20 minutes a day improves not only the heart, but the brain according to Dr. Daniel Amen, a medical doctor and psychiatrist who authored many books on the brain, including Change Your Brain Change Your Life and Use Your Brain To Change Your Age. There are numerous studies that back up the wonderful connection between exercise and a good night’s sleep.

But, what if your issue is really the late night antics of the mind?

Once everything is still for the night, your mind goes into hyper-drive. Suddenly you review the day and it seems as if everything you did was wrong! Tomorrow looks to be even worse and the sky is surely falling. Well, now it is time to take back your mind and get some sleep.

First of all, remember to reframe and refocus. Notice the dialogue in your head and challenge it. Are you really going to end up homeless because you didn’t refill the coffee pot in the break room? Do you have nothing else, no other resources that make you essential to the job you are doing? Sometimes we just need to notice how ridiculous our thoughts are.

If you are concerned with a list of tasks and events you want to be sure to accomplish, write them down on a list before bed. Keep a pad next to the bed in case you absolutely need to add anything to the list. Just taking a thought and putting it on paper allows the mind to begin to settle down.

The 5 – 1 Count

If you do a 5 -1 count it helps. Find 5 parts of your body that are comfortable. Notice how does each part feel? Recall 4 memories of the day that you feel gratitude for. What are 3 things you can remember seeing before the lights went out that caused you to smile? Can you feel the smile again? Check for 2 scents you smell in bed. Are they familiar? Are they sweet, pungent, or something else? Finally, listen for 1 sound that you hear that is soothing, what might it be? Is it the sound of your own breath even?

Then, if still awake focus on your breath, inhaling 7 deep breathes for each chakra as you visualize the color of the chakra as a mist that surrounds you. For those who are not familiar with chakras, they are centers of energy, located on the midline of the body. There are seven of them, and they govern our psychological properties. The chakras located on the lower part of our body are our instinctual side, the highest ones our mental side. Each chakra has a related color and they are:

Root Chakra is red, representing our basic needs
Sacral Chakra is orange, representing our sensual side
Solar Plexus is yellow, representing our personal power
Heart Chakra is green, representing our love and compassion
Throat Chakra is blue, representing our self-expression and communication
Brow Chakra is indigo, representing our intuition and dreams
Crown Chakra is violet, representing our connection to the Universe and our spirituality

If you imagine breathing in each color and at the same time imagine healing the area of your life that it represents, you will likely find yourself drifting off to a pleasant dream state.

Hypnosis for Sleep

Your brain is an expert at having insomnia.It doesn’t know how to do it differently,otherwise you would be able to sleep easily. Therefore, it isimportant you can teach your mind how to relax, letting go of worry so that you can fall asleep and stay asleep. Hypnosis techniques will help you manage your worry, anticipate easily falling asleep and create a new and healthy outcome.Some benefits of getting adequate sleepinclude releasing anti-aging hormones which help you maintain your youth, maximizing your metabolism, enabling you to control your appetite better, allowing you to relax, and keeping your mind and memory sharp. Getting the sleep you need also increases the feel good hormones released by your brain which makes you feel happier.

June Is Rebuild Your Life Month: How to Reduce Stress and Create a Healthier Future

Written by: Debbie

June is Rebuild Your Life Month, a perfect time to pause and take an honest look at where you are — and where you want to go. Whether life has thrown you an unexpected curveball or you simply feel called to make changes, this month offers a powerful opportunity to recreate your life with intention.

Rebuilding your life doesn’t require drastic moves all at once. Often, meaningful change begins by identifying and removing stressors wherever possible.

Step One: Identify the Source of Your Stress

Recognizing what causes stress in your life is the first and most important step. Job stress often spills over into home life, while a difficult home environment can make work even more stressful. Because stress compounds itself, it’s essential to narrow down where it is coming from so you can address it at the root.

Clear the Clutter to Calm the Mind

Sometimes rebuilding your life starts with something simple — decluttering your home. Numerous studies show that physical clutter contributes to mental clutter, increasing stress and overwhelm.

In The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin dedicated an entire month to clearing clutter. She describes how removing excess belongings helped her appreciate what she chose to keep and experience a greater sense of freedom. A clean, organized space often leads to clearer thinking and reduced stress.

Rebuilding Your Life May Require Letting Go of Toxic Relationships

In other cases, stress stems from conflict or unhealthy relationships. This can lead to the difficult realization that certain people in your life may not have your best interests at heart.

Letting go of toxic relationships is rarely easy, and the initial separation can feel stressful. However, removing a consistently negative influence often creates a profound shift in how you experience life. Emotional well-being improves when you protect your peace.

When Your Job Is the Problem

A toxic workplace can be just as damaging as a toxic relationship. While leaving a job may not happen overnight, taking steps toward change is essential.

You spend a significant portion of your life at work, and chronic dissatisfaction can lead to serious emotional and physical health issues. Even beginning to explore new options — changing workplaces or returning to school one class at a time — can improve your outlook and reduce stress.

Healthy Changes That Support Rebuilding Your Life

Healthy Eating

One of the most impactful ways to rebuild your life is by improving your nutrition. Healthy eating supports energy levels, emotional balance, stress management, and long-term wellness.

There is no single “perfect” way to eat, as nutritional needs vary. However, a diet heavy in fast food and processed snacks does not support health or happiness. Choosing nourishing foods is an act of self-respect.

Regular Exercise

Regular exercise is a powerful tool for managing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, and improving emotional well-being. Exercise benefits both the body and the mind.

Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen often says that 20 minutes of vigorous exercise can be more effective than medication for improving mood and brain health. Movement truly is medicine.

Get Quality Sleep

Quality sleep is often overlooked, yet it is essential for rebuilding your life. Stress can interfere with sleep, and lack of sleep makes stress harder to manage — a difficult cycle to break.

Practicing stress-reduction techniques and healthy sleep habits can dramatically improve sleep quality. Self-hypnosis and meditation are especially effective tools for calming the nervous system and promoting restorative sleep.

Create a Happiness Ritual

A happiness ritual is a simple, repeatable activity that brings you joy. It might be a daily cup of tea, quiet reflection, journaling, coloring, yoga, or time in nature.

Practicing your ritual regularly reinforces your sense of worth and creates emotional resilience. When stressful moments arise, you can draw on the calm and comfort you’ve cultivated.

Rebuilding Your Life Starts With Small, Intentional Choices

Life was never promised to be easy, but it is responsive to the choices we make. Rebuilding your life can begin with decluttering your space, changing relationships, improving habits, or simply deciding that your well-being matters.

By adjusting your sails and choosing a new direction, you move away from the past and toward a healthier future. Use this month as your starting point. The life you rebuild may surprise you.

Monday Morning Musing….

Written by: Debbie

Another weekend has passed, another week begins. It is amazing how time passes so quickly. As a child, time seems to crawl. You count your age by the smallest of increments in order to sound older. Suddenly, somewhere, time begins to race. This morning I was thinking of my oldest son, picturing him as the sweet cherub faced baby he once was. He is 20 years old now and 6’4″ or more. (All I know is I look up to talk with him.) It seems so recent that he was that baby, however. I was able to recall the smiles, hear his laughs and revisit that wonderful baby smell. It brought back a wonderful feeling of joy, helping me start my week out with a pleasant feeling.

Hypnosis affects time perception. Just last week a client was in my office for a visit. She thought it had only been about 20 minutes. She had actually arrived at 6:00 p.m. and it was now 7:30 p.m. Under hypnosis, she lost all track of time. She has a stressful job and she was amazed how much more energy she had as well. She had arrived at my office exhausted from her day, now she felt invigorated and ready to conquer the world, at least her portion of it. The other benefit, however, is that she sleeps better at night as a result of hypnosis.

Take a moment, and breathe deep. Allow your body to relax. Listen to your body, allow it to tell you where the tensions are and release them. Give yourself permission to feel good, it is wonderful to allow comfort in every part of your body. Then let your mind wander and drift to a happy moment. Recall the memory with every sense. Really enjoy that moment, breathe it in. Now, thinking about the week to come, realize that many more moments are available to create joy and laughter in your life. Many opportunities to feel happy are there. I wonder which ones you will choose?

“To Sleep, Perchance to Dream”

Written by: Debbie

Oh sleep! it is a gentle thing,
Beloved from pole to pole.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Do you feel as though you sleep walk through your days? Do you spend hours awake in bed with your mind racing, only to have it shut down during the day? Sleep deprivation sufferers number from 50 to 70 million nationwide! This is National Sleep Awareness Week and no one is more aware than the weary.

Lack of sleep adds weight to our bodies. Insufficient sleep affects growth hormone secretion that is linked to obesity. With a chronic lack of sleep the amount of hormone secretion decreases and the chance for weight gain increases. But wait, there’s more! According to the National Sleep Foundation, “Blood pressure usually falls during the sleep cycle, however, interrupted sleep can adversely affect this normal decline, leading to hypertension and cardiovascular problems. Research has also shown that insufficient sleep impairs the body’s ability to use insulin, which can lead to the onset of diabetes.”

I have a client who was a chronic non-sleeper. I know because her emails to me arrived in the middle of the night, waiting for me to rouse from my slumber to see her frustrations spelled out in black and white. Her battle with the bulge was surpassed by the struggle to sleep. She ached through out the day and ate to comfort herself at night. Double whammy!

We reviewed the practical suggestions of the National Sleep Foundation and then added hypnosis to the mix. We worked in my office on creating the mind set to sleep, allowing that inner voice to quiet. I gave her a recording I created with hypnotic suggestions helping her to fall asleep to. I am delighted to say, she is now “sleeping like a baby” and releasing excess weight.

Sorry, writing this has made me tired, I think I will go take a power nap……