There are many reasons why people find it hard to sleep at night. But one of the most common reasons is stress.
When you are stressed, you tend to over think and even if we don‘t realize it, when something is bothering us our brain will keep on processing these thoughts even during the night.
Which can result in bad sleep which is almost, if not, the same as no sleep at all.
Even if you try to clear your mind and tell yourself to just stop thinking about what’s stressing you and just fall asleep, you can’t do it.
And when you don’t get enough sleep because of your stress, you tend to feel weak, lethargic, and irritable the next day.
This can result in lower productivity and even more stress.
So to help you sleep at night, you should first get to the bottom of the problem, that is, getting rid of stress!
What are the causes of stress?
To be able to effectively get rid of stress, you should first pinpoint its cause. Many factors play a role in an individual feeling anxious or stressed.
However, the following are the most common ones:
- Problems within the family
- Unhappy relationships
- Tough work and personal schedules
- Toxic workplaces
- Financial problems
- Tobacco, drug, prescription medication, or alcohol abuse
- Poor diet
It would be very difficult for you to get peaceful sleep at night if you are not able to effectively manage the above-mentioned factors.
In some instances, you could even trigger more serious stress-related health conditions.
Ways to get rid of stress instantly
The following are some ways by which you can lower or eliminate stress quickly:
Helping other people in need
If you dedicate yourself to helping other people in need, you will find yourself thinking less about what’s stressing you. Why?
Because you will discover that so many other individuals are going through circumstances and trials that are way worse than whatever problems you have.
Suddenly, it will seem like your problems are nothing when compared to theirs.
You might come to the realization that here you are, stressing yourself out and feeling so bad that your salary isn’t that big, while many other people will do everything they can just to land a job to survive.
Helping others doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give them money or do the heavy lifting for them. Sometimes, by simply offering your company and listening to them, you are already helping.
They might already feel a lot better if there is someone they can talk to. And it is no secret that when you make a person feel good, you would also feel good.
However, practice caution when helping others. It is good to listen but always set boundaries. You should not get too attached or involved in the problems of other people.
This is because you might find that your own stress level is being increased because you are also worrying about their problems and thinking of ways to help them.
You should also know when to say no.
Laughter
There is a saying that laughter is the best medicine. This is highly accurate.
When a person laughs, tension is relieved and their muscles are relaxed. In addition, laughter stimulates healthy blood circulation to the heart and brain.
Also, when a person laughs, his or her body releases a chemical that is capable of relieving body pains. Over the years, more and more studies have been conducted and have proven that laughter offers a lot of health benefits.
So if you find yourself unable to sleep because of stress, go watch comedy films!
Appreciation
When you are stressed, your mind is focused on the thing, person, or circumstance that is causing you to be stressed.
This makes it hard for you to clear your mind and go to sleep. In other words, your mind is focused on the negative.
However, try doing the opposite. Instead of thinking of what’s causing your stress, think of all the things you are thankful for.
Particularly, think of the things that you are blessed enough to have without having to ask. It could be the fact that there was no traffic this morning on your way to work.
That your health is in top shape. That your daughter said “I love you” before leaving for school.
That you were able to find a parking spot quickly. That you have a roof over your head, and a nice, warm bed to sleep on at night.
Write them down on a piece of paper. You might be surprised at just how many good things and blessings you would be able to think of.
Once you realize this, it would be so much easier to forget about whatever it is that is causing your stress.
Physical activity
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. These are chemicals that decrease your perception of pain and stimulate a feeling of positivity and happiness.
As a matter of fact, you might have noticed that when you are idle, it is much easier to feel depressed or find yourself thinking of your problems.
So wake up early every day and jog around your neighborhood. Even just 30 minutes or one hour of walking or jogging is enough to relieve your stress and boost your energy.
Alternatively, after school or work, do a full body workout. You’ll be so tired when you get home that it is almost impossible to not fall asleep quickly.
Meditation
Meditation is a well-known way of relaxation. You can consider it to be an exercise to empty your mind and let go of your negative thoughts to focus on yourself and your well-being.
You may want to join a class or simply do it by yourself at home while playing relaxation music or no music at all.
The point of this exercise is to focus on your breathing, emptying your mind and relax your body.
Completely emptying your mind may be hard to do at first, in this case, try to focus mainly on happier thoughts. Whatever makes you smile, happy and you are thankful for.
Sometimes, the main source of stress is when you are trying to control everything. You need to be less harsh on yourself understand and accept the fact that there are things in life that may be out of your control and that is okay.
If you are having difficulty falling asleep because you are stressed, give these steps a try.
If you have enjoyed this article and want to know more about insomnia, feel free to read these articles and let us know what you think.
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