Anxiety or excitement?

My sleep has become a BIG priority in my life over the last few years, and my morning and evening rituals have become such an integral part of the quality of my sleep.

I definitely still have improvements I can make, but I’m quite happy with where I am with it today and all the changes I’ve made.

I woke up this morning feeling nice and calm. I was up early and had a decent amount of sleep.

Part of my sleep hygiene involves sleeping with my phone in the kitchen. I try not to look at my phone anytime after 9:30pm and I don’t look at my phone first thing. This practice alone has helped immensely.

So this morning instead of sticking to that commitment, I walked into the kitchen and opened my phone.

I started scrolling and reading the news and could feel my calm nervous system shift into a state of stress and fear.

I started visualising the things that could go wrong which wasn’t ideal because I had started my day on a pretty good note.

I reminded myself that I cannot change or control what happens externally, so I’m going to focus on what I can change internally.

I decided to give my brain a different explanation for the negative feelings I was experiencing.

Instead of focusing on “What if this goes wrong? What if unexpected curveballs are thrown my way?” I told myself that the sensations I was experiencing in my nervous system were actually excitement!

I focused on what I’m excited for in my day ahead, for what’s to come for the rest for this year, and about all the opportunities I have around me.

This helped a ton, but I wasn’t back to where I started, so I chose 2 things I could do to continue to regulate my emotions and calm my nervous system down.

1. I meditated for 10 minutes using this guided meditation from YouTube.

2. I went for a walk along the canal near my flat and through the park and listened to a book.

I am happy to report that all of this helped a ton, and that I will be repeating this process again when these types of emotions arise as they do!

Here’s a simple recap of how to get yourself back on track when negative, challenging emotions resembling fight or flight mode pop up:

1. Stop what you’re doing, and notice the sensations you’re feeling and thoughts that are popping up.

2. Swap the thoughts you’re having for more helpful thought(s) that make you feel better, and ensure that there is truth in those thoughts.

3. Do 1-2 nervous system calming activities that calm you down (examples: Breathing exercises, go on a walk, meditation, music, movement).

I hope this helps you my friends!

Have a fantastic rest of your week x