Getting a good night’s sleep is not only crucial to your overall health and wellbeing, but to your ability to be productive at work as well.
But what happens when looming deadlines are keeping you up at night? Or when a project that didn’t go well is showing up in your dreams, preventing you from waking up feeling rested?
There is no doubt that the work you produce will be affected by this, and not in a good way.
If you find yourself in this situation night after night, it’s important to know that you aren’t alone. According to the CDC, 35% of American adults don’t get the 7 hours of sleep each night that is needed for optimum brain function.
This can slow down their problem solving abilities and contribute to bad moods and emotional reactions at the office. But luckily, there are practices that workers of all kinds can implement into their daily routines to help ease their anxieties and get to sleep. These practices fall under the umbrella of mindfulness.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a state of being where you are completely focused on the present moment, rather than allowing your brain to reanalyse the past or jump to tasks ahead. By focusing on the present moment, your brain and body are able to relax which helps prepare you for sleep.
Below are a few science-backed effects of bringing mindfulness practices into your daily life:
- Better focus and memory
- Improved ability to problem solve
- Less abstract thinking or jumping thoughts
- Boost in the process of your metabolism
- Fewer mood swings and better control of your decisions
But mindfulness is easier said than done. Especially for those with anxious tendencies or those new to mindfulness, traditional practices like meditation may prove too difficult to start with.
That’s why focusing your mind and breath on one activity can prove helpful when first starting your journey, such as the mindfulness activities Tommy John has put together on their blog.
From box breathing to gratitude mapping, there is sure to be a mindfulness practice that everyone will enjoy. And by following these guidelines every night, you will see a great increase in your ability to fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer.
Eventually, the idea of mindfulness won’t be so foreign and you can even start to include other practices such as meditation, yoga and breath work to deepen your mind-body connection over time.
To get started, check out the mindfulness printables here.