Have you ever worried about something keeping yourself awake at night? Once the worrying starts it’s difficult to get it out of your head. If you have an important event next day staying up all night adds to your stress. How can you get past the worry and get a good night’s sleep?
Recently I spoke at two Teacher Conventions in Alberta. After speaking at one convention, I immediately drove to the next city to speak again. That night I woke up after midnight thinking of different ways to present my material the next day. The information kept coming through so I got up, grabbed a pen and starting writing. I was awake for over two and half hours. I started to worry about not getting enough sleep. I worried about not having enough energy for my two presentations and the seven hour drive home that evening.
It can be really easy to get caught up in fear and worry! What will happen if you lose your job? How will your co-worker deal with the changes you made? What will you do if the kids get sick again? Fear leads to worry which leads to many sleepless nights.
Often worrying takes place in the night. There are no phones ringing, the children are in bed and the TV is turned off. Distractions are at a minimum during the night. As you lay in bed you start to worry about all the different problems you’re dealing with. The worry continues until you actually fall asleep from exhaustion.
Let’s make a distinction here. There is a huge difference between thinking things through and worrying. To think things through means you actually get to a solution and take steps towards that solution. Worrying doesn’t usually find its way to a solution. Worrying has to do with hoping something does or doesn’t happen. Worrying has to do with wishing you would have done things differently or maybe not at all.
When you think about the things that cause you to worry, what would be your intention in worrying? Have you ever thought of that? What actually goes on when you worry?
Firstly, the more you worry about something the more worrisome it gets! Energetically it increases the unrest you feel inside yourself making the problem seem even bigger. When you worry, it’s like repeating the same scenario over and over reinforcing what you are worried about.
If you are stuck in worrisome thoughts, those thoughts don’t have anywhere to go. Being stuck makes it very difficult to find your way to a solution.
One way to move past the worry is to express that worry outwardly. Get those thoughts out of your head in order to stop them from growing in intensity. You can express worry outwardly by journaling or talking with another person.
Secondly, take action on your worry! When you think about it, if you had the solution to your problem you wouldn’t be worrying! What one thing can you do to move forward to resolve the unrest you feel inside?
To move past the worry you need to interrupt the worrisome thoughts and give your mind something to work towards! What do you want to experience? Thinking about what you want to experience changes the whole dialogue going on in your head. You start to act from a position of empowerment. Your actions involve moving forward focused on what you want to experience.
Let me continue my story about the Teacher Conventions. I noticed I had worrisome thoughts about being tired the next day. I had a busy day ahead of me and I wanted to be rested! Instead of worrying about being tired I immediately started to thank my Divine for a restful sleep that night. I kept repeating that anytime I thought of not sleeping. Yes I was very aware the night hours were passing by without sleep. That wasn’t what I wanted to focus on. I wanted to experience waking up the next day feeling energized ready for a whole new day ahead of me. That was exactly what I experienced.
Whenever you’re worrying notice the thoughts replaying over and over in your mind. These would be the thoughts about what you don’t want or didn’t like. Then start to think of what outcome you want to experience for yourself. What experience do you want based on what it is you are worrying about.
The mind likes to have something to do. Give the mind an empowering question to answer! ‘Instead of worrying, what do I want to experience?’ Your mind will start looking for positive things you want overriding the worrisome thoughts. At times you may even want to close the worrying down by asking for the MBO (most benevolent outcome possible.) Asking for the MBO can give you something even better than you hoped for or expect.
Think of how rewarding it is to move forward even if in your mind. Moving past the worry will leave you in a more restful place giving you the good night’s sleep you’ve been wanting for a while.
Wherever you are on your journey, may you find what works for you…find your own truth…and you will always be guided to feel at peace inside.
Sheila Unique, Self Empowerment and Inner Strength Expert!
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