Ways to Calm an Anxious Mind at Bedtime

Whether or not you’ve struggled with anxiety in the past, you are likely experiencing an increase in stress, frequent or difficult-to-control worries, feelings of restlessness, racing thoughts, a faster heartbeat, and possibly trouble sleeping. We are in the midst of an extremely uncertain, scary time, and even if you feel like you’re coping pretty well, anxiety is likely creeping in. We want to validate these feelings and experiences, because they make sense given the context we’re living in. In order to slow down racing thoughts and cope with our heightened anxiety, a first step is to take some deep breaths, and label the emotion. Notice what the anxiety feels like, and what it’s doing to your thoughts, daily routine, sleep, etc. Once we call it out for what it is, we can start addressing it. 

For many of us, anxiety stays with us throughout the day. Even when it’s time to sleep and rest, we have trouble “turning off” our minds. Is this something you’re dealing with? You desperately want to fall asleep, but anxious thoughts and worries keep you awake? If so, here are some ideas of ways to cope with anxiety at bedtime:

• Imagine positive distractions. When we focus on the fact that we can’t fall asleep, it becomes even harder to fall asleep. Try to use your imagination to go to a peaceful or safe place in your mind. Maybe this is walking along the beach, going to a place in nature that’s meaningful to you, or picturing a memory of a happy time with loved ones. Try to imagine this scene in as much detail as possible. What do you see, hear, smell, feel, taste?

• Allow worry thoughts. Sometimes, if we can label worries as “thoughts,” they lose some of their power. As your mind fixates on different phrases, images, or thoughts, mentally say to yourself “this is a worry thought.” Take an observational stance on what your mind is doing. Imagine putting each thought on a bird that is flying in the sky, or on a leaf that’s floating down a river. Watch the worries come and go. 

• Ground yourself in the present. Anxiety loves to pull us into the future, causing us to imagine worst-case scenarios of what’s coming. One antidote is to do something that brings our attention to the present moment. This could mean practicing mindfulness of breath for a few minutes, planting our feet on the floor, repeating a positive mantra to ourselves, or doing a body scan to notice what we’re experiencing in our bodies. 

• Practice gratitude. Another way to bring ourselves away from worry thoughts and boost our mood is by thinking about what we’re grateful for. What’s something you’re looking forward to? What was the best part of today? Is there a person who had a positive impact on you recently? Falling asleep becomes more pleasant when we are filled with a sense of gratitude. 

References

“What To Do When Worry Keeps You Awake.” Retrieved from https://www.mindful.org/what-to-do-when-worry-keeps-you-awake/

Coping with Financial Uncertainty

The unknown can be uncomfortable to face, especially when it has already caused so much discomfort. We are all dealing with these uncertain times in our own ways, while many of us may be experiencing similar outcomes. From the essential emergency workers working tirelessly day and night, to the people dealing with the stress of working from home, to the people who have lost their jobs, to the small business owners who are missing the community connection, and everyone in between, we see you. Each of us are dealing with some form of financial uncertainty, and we want you to know that we are here for you to offer support and guidance. This is a stressful time, so self-validate whatever you’re feeling, and know that you’re not alone. 

Financial Express (2020) came up with five helpful and mindful ways to deal with the financial uncertainty of this time:

Focus on You

It is crucial to increase self-awareness during this time. Although everything may feel uncertain, you have control over the way you react and take care of your mind and body. If we solely focus on the future, which can induce stress, we weaken our immune system. Use this time to focus on YOU in the present moment. It is a perfect time to start that daily journal, practice meditation, and move your body to get your blood flowing. The financial uncertainty may be out of your control, but the way you choose to take care of your wellbeing is in your own hands. 

Practice Acceptance

Acceptance may be challenging, but it is an important practice to incorporate into your life at the moment and for the future. You may be facing a lot of challenges that are difficult to navigate. These uncertain times are shifting the ways we do day-to-day tasks and it is necessary to accept the current affairs. It may be tempting to want to fix all problems, but for right now it is important to accept what is, and work with the present moment. 

Manage Spending

It may be tempting to do some online shopping, or purchase that one thing you've had your eyes on "forever." Now is not the time to do that :) It is not the best time to spend money on non-essentials. Instead, use this valuable time to create a new budget, plan long-term, create an emergency fund, and write out your current expenses. 

Limit Risk Taking

It is important to stick with what you know during these uncertain and uncomfortable times. It may seem tempting to make an investment, but it is important to take a step back and carefully examine any financial decisions that are going to be made. Stick with the basics, and take it one step at a time. 

Connect With Your Network

Don't forget to stay connected with your loved ones, as they can serve as a great support during these difficult and uncertain times. Social distancing does not need to equal relationship distancing, and it is important to keep those friendships alive in the present moment. Call or FaceTime a close friend, or even a friend you've been meaning to catch up with for a while. Many people are getting creative with video chat options to have conversations with multiple family members at once, virtual dinner parties, book clubs, etc. Self-isolation may be tempting, but try your best to keep in touch with your loved ones, as connection with others can help boost your mood.

Remember, this too shall pass...

If you are looking for more resources to help cope with financial uncertainty, check out this article that gives wise financial advice for this specific crisis: https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/banks/articles/coronavirus-finances-how-to-react/

Resources

“5 Ways to Deal With Your Financial Stress During Coronavirus Pandemic.” Retrieved from https://www.financialexpress.com/money/5-ways-to-deal-with-your-financial-stress-during-coronavirus-pandemic/1905812/

Social Media Usage

Social media has become one of the most convenient ways to connect with one another. Information is able to travel at lightning speed, giving us the ability to gather information and receive updates faster than ever before. From seeing a friend's newborn baby to learning a new recipe from a food blogger, you can pretty much see it all. Social media has an amazing ability to connect us with important people and helps us stay up-to-date with others even if they live far away. However, it also comes with some downsides. You’re probably no stranger to trying to navigate the tipping point at which spending time on social media feels “life giving” versus a habit where you start losing track of time and feel glued to your screen. 

When you wake up in the morning, do you check your social media right away? Do you take your phone into the bathroom and find yourself scrolling for periods of time? Are you ever guilty of obsessing over what to post or whether or not your post has reached a certain amount of activity? These behaviors might be linked to too much social media use, and can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness in daily life (Forbes, 2018). 

Even if it’s not our intention while using social media, we often get stuck in a rut of social comparison. When we log onto social media, we are instantly connected with people's accomplishments and highlight reels, and when we compare, we are putting our happiness in a variable that is beyond our control (Healthista, 2018). Another reason you may be feeling dissatisfied is due to the lack of in-person connection. Behind a screen, you're missing out on that real, pure connection. The lack of seeing a person’s body language or hearing their tone of voice may take away the potential for a deeper connection, and can also lead to being misinterpreted or misunderstood. 

Ways to bring intentionality to social media usage:

1. Remove certain apps. If you find that some apps are taking up a lot of your time, it might be wise to separate yourself and consider if it’s really benefiting you.

2. Set a time limit. Many phones now give you the ability to set time limits on apps. Slowly starting to decrease your time might help you realize it wasn't bringing much benefit in the first place. Also, it’s important to create a buffer between phone usage and bedtime, as the blue light emitted from your phone can disrupt your body’s circadian rhythm and melatonin production, making it difficult to get quality, restful sleep. 

3. Put your phone out of reach. When you need to get something done such as homework or housework, try putting your phone in a drawer or face down where you know you won't be tempted to reach for it. 

4. Turn off notifications. Turn off the notifications in your phone’s settings for your social media apps so they aren't continuously popping up throughout the day and distracting you from being present to the task at hand.

5. Find a hobby you love. Putting your time and energy towards something new and exciting that you look forward to will assist in decreasing your social media use on its own! Instead of simply watching other people’s fun adventures and moments on social media, get active and make lasting memories of your own by living fully and participating in things that make you happy. 

6. Social Media Fast. You can always choose to go ahead and delete your social media apps for a few days and see how your daily life changes. It may be hard at first, but challenging yourself is important. You might be surprised by the joy it brings to “detox” from social media for a while :)

7. Spend time with your loved ones. Make more plans with the ones you love or simply focus on being present during the moments you have with people you care about. When you are tempted to go on social media to connect with others, consider making a phone call or video chat as a way to foster a more authentic connection.

References

“How much social media is too much?” Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomward/2018/06/08/how-much-social-media-is-too-much/#147eb2cd60e6

“Seven symptoms of too much social media use.” Retrieved from  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/artificial-maturity/201806/seven-symptoms-too-much-social-media-use

“Six reasons social media is making you unhappy.” Retrieved from https://www.healthista.com/reasons-social-media-making-you-unhappy/