I was presenting to a group of 70 virtually a couple of weeks ago and someone asked:
“How do you turn your brain off at the end of the day? With everything going on in the world, the personal, family, or community anxiety, divisiveness on the news, I find my head flooded with thoughts, and my sleep suffers.”
First of all, you are not alone. Even those who are really good at evening routines and reducing anxiety are struggling. But we have a baseline to work from and are iterating every day.
Here are 5 things that are working for people in my community.
1. Gratitude – What are two things that you are grateful for today?
- When you are grateful science shows it’s difficult to be angry or frustrated at the same time.
2. Iterate – What is one thing I can improve from today that will make it better tomorrow?
- Beginners mind. Put your mind at east and realize that you don’t have to get it right every day, you are playing the long game while focusing daily.
3. Journal – I have been keeping a journal for the last 6 weeks.
- Journalling reduced angst and brings perspective.
- I write what I am excited about for the day, capturing throughout the day and at the end of the day. I read what I wrote in the past week.
4. It’s a marathon, not a sprint – Sometimes it feels like the marathon may never end
- When you know the mile markers ahead you know what you have in the tank. We are not sure how much we need to reserve.
- Read up on history. In these situations, there is always darkness before the light. We are strong together. Don’t travel this road alone. We are starting to see some light.
Colin
The kick in the pants you need. Sign-up for a better start to your work day.