Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

I was recently talking to a couple of people who mentioned that they were having trouble sleeping. After discovering that they were both suffering from overthinking or ruminating I shared some thoughts with what could help them.

Mindfulness can help us sleep better. Mindfulness is about being present in the present moment. We pay attention without judgment, to things as they are. We learn our thoughts are just thoughts not facts. With practice we can quieten our minds, which can help us sleep better.

Here are two easy to learn meditation techniques that can help when you can’t sleep:

  1. Breath Meditation
  2. Body Scan

Breath Meditation

The breath meditation is one of the simplest meditations there is. That doesn’t mean to say that it is always easy though. After making sure you are comfortable, place one or both hands on your belly. Tune in to the breath and feel your hands rise on the inhalation and fall on the exhalation. That’s it! Repeat.

Your mind will wander as that is what minds do!

Every time you notice your mind has wandered, very gently bring it back to your breath and feel the next inhalation or exhalation.

After a while you can remove your hands from your belly and try to keep your focus on the breath. Keep gently bringing your mind back to the breath every time you notice it has wandered off to thinking, worrying, planning etc.

Belly breathing meditation
Belly breathing

Body Scan

With the body scan we use the sensations of the body to keep us in the present moment. Make sure you are comfortable and lying on your back with your hands and feet resting out to the sides of the body.

Start by focusing on the breath. Feel the breath come in and feel the breath go out of the body. See if you can feel your belly rising and falling with each breath.

Body scan
Body scan

Now start at your left foot and see if you can notice any sensations in your left toes. Keep your attention on your left toes and see what you can notice there. If there is numbness or no sensation that is fine too. When you are ready, take a deeper breath in and out and move on to the sole of your left foot. Put your full attention there now. Allow yourself to feel any and all sensations in the sole of your left foot.

When you are ready to move on, move your awareness to the top of your left foot and see what sensations you can feel in this part of your body. Carry on in this way with the heel, ankle, calf, shin etc of the left leg. Repeat with the right foot and leg.

When you notice your mind has wandered, note where it went and gently bring it back to your breath and the body part you are focusing on.

Continue in the same way with the pelvis, back, torso, chest, hands and arms, shoulders, neck, head and face. Bringing your attention to each part in turn and just noticing what sensations are present.

Remember, the aim isn’t to feel any particular sensations (e.g. relaxation), so don’t try to force anything. It is to just be present in the body moment to moment, region by region. We are just paying attention to whatever sensations are present as we focus on each region in turn.

These techniques can be very effective, but are best practiced without any expectations. Just do the practice regularly and see what happens.

If you would like some help please get in touch.
Louise

I Can’t Get Back To Sleep

I Can’t Get Back To Sleep

You manage to go to sleep ok and think that’s it for the night, but then you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep. You toss and turn and try plumping up your pillow. You may even get up to go to the toilet or have a drink of water. But when you get back into bed, you just lie there getting frustrated! Your thoughts start churning and you start worrying about work or money or the economy or the destruction of the rainforests! It doesn’t matter what it is you’re worrying or thinking about you just can’t get back to sleep. Then you check your clock every couple of minutes and get stressed about how little sleep you’ll get.

I can't get back to sleep
I can’t get back to sleep

Sleep Deprived

Any one who has suffered a sleep deprived night knows just how horrible it is. The next day you struggle because you’ve not had enough sleep and you can feel tired and like you have brain fog! You can’t focus properly and maybe your work suffers. It takes you longer to do things that you’d normally fly through. Emotionally wise we can be more sensitive and something that would normally not bother us can send us off into meltdown.

Tap In Bed

So what can we do? You can try tapping in bed. If you are in bed with a partner, you might want to try tapping very quietly and gently or just finger tap. If you’re on your own, then you can be as loud as you like! Here’s some tapping statements that you might find helpful to get you started:

  • Even though I went to sleep fine, why oh why did I have to wake up?
  • Even though I was fast asleep, something woke me up and I’m pissed off
  • Even though I get so upset and frustrated when I wake up in the night, I choose to accept this anyway
  • Even though I’m so stressed that I can’t go back to sleep, I accept myself anyway
  • Even though I worry about how little sleep I’ll get, I choose to accept myself
  • Even though I hate not being able to go back to sleep, I love and accept myself anyway

Use a few of the statements that resonate with you and tap a few rounds. Always tune in to how you feel and use your words where possible. Hopefully these statements will trigger what feels right for you.

Check-in

Once you’ve tapped a few rounds, you may start to feel a bit better. Check-in with how you feel now. If you have cleared enough of the ‘negatives’ it could be time to use some more positive choices.

The next statements offer some choices that may help you too:

  • Even though I hate waking up in the middle of the night, I wonder if I can go back to sleep easily?
  • Even though I feel upset about waking up, I’m curious if I can let that go and go back to sleep
  • Even though I worry about {work/money etc}, what if I can easily let that go
  • Even though I get so stressed when I wake in the middle of the night, maybe I can be less bothered and fall asleep again
  • Even though I feel so awake, I wonder if I can start to feel drowsy and relaxed

Try tapping on whatever alternate choice feels good for you. Slow rhythmical tapping can be helpful. Breathe slowly and deeply and hopefully you’ll soon drop off to sleep.

Wishing you a good nights sleep 🙂

Sleep well
Sleep Well

If you’d like some help, drop me an email.

Louise

I’m So Tired

Tiredness affects us all from time to time. Whether we’ve had a bad nights sleep or just gone to bed later than we should have. Sometimes our energy levels are below par and that makes us feel tired. EFT can help us in a number of ways. Firstly, if you are having trouble sleeping then tap for that. Tap on all of the things you may be worrying about, stressing over or any physical symptoms that are stopping you from getting a good nights kip.  Check out your bedroom and make sure it is dark enough, quiet enough etc. When was the last time you bought a new mattress? If your mattress has seen better days maybe it is time to invest. We spend a long time in bed and good quality sleep is very important. Avoid stimulants late at night and try to spend some quiet time away from the TV or computer for at least half an hour before bed.

Many people feel there just aren’t enough hours in the day! Life is so hectic these days & we seem to try to pack so much in. It often feels like there just aren’t enough hours to do everything. So we compromise by not getting enough sleep. But this has a knock on effect because we then feel tired, don’t have so much energy and don’t work as efficiently as if we’d had enough sleep.

Here are some tapping suggestions to get you started:

  • Even though I don’t get enough sleep,  I’m open to accepting myself anyway
  • Even though there aren’t enough hours in the day, I love and accept myself anyway
  • Even though I compromise on my sleep to fit everything in and I know my health is suffering, I’m open to accepting myself anyway
  • Even though I’m really really tired and I don’t know how I’ll get through this day, I accept myself anyway
  • Even though I wish I had 27 hours in a day, then I’d manage enough sleep, I’m open to getting to bed earlier
  • Even though I take on too much and then don’t get enough sleep, I’m open to learning to say “no”
  • Even though I wish I had less to do every day, maybe there is a way of reducing my load so I get enough sleep
  • Even though I’m so tired, I just want to close my eyes and sleep for a week, I love and accept myself anyway
  • Even though I feel weak because I’m so tired, I’m open to feeling like I have the energy I need
  • Even though I can’t concentrate because I’m so tired and I keep making silly mistakes, I love and forgive myself
  • Even though I’m tired of being tired, maybe I can start to make sleep a higher priority in my life

Tap on all the things that mean you don’t get enough sleep. Are they things you want to do, have to do etc. What can you skip or delegate to someone else? Work out ways you can reduce your load so that you get half an hour extra sleep a night. It will make a huge difference!

Remember to tap on all the things that keep you awake at night too. Sleep is an important part of our health and wellbeing. Learn not to compromise on yours.

Keep tapping!
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk

Sleep…Perchance to Dream

If you’ve ever had a sleepless night you realise just how important sleep is. It is often only when we don’t have things that we realise just how important they are. Sleep is like that. We take it for granted. Yet it is so valuable for our health and well-being.

You may lie awake at night, worrying about money, your job, your relationship, your family or your health. Or you could find yourself drifting off to sleep ok, only to wake up a few hours later and not be able to get back to sleep.

Firstly, I’d recommend trying the obvious things – avoid mental stimulation before going to bed i.e. no TV, computer etc. Avoid drinking coffee or any other stimulants at least a few hours before your bedtime. Ensure your bedroom is a dark enough and a comfortable temperature etc.

It can be useful to keep a notebook and pen beside your bed. Jot down any thoughts that are going through your mind. It can feel like the proverbial hamster in a wheel otherwise with the same thoughts going round and round your head all night.

 

Insomnia

You can also address your worries, stress, anxiety etc with EFT before you go to bed. Here are some examples you might want to try:

  • Even though I lie awake in bed every night, worrying about my finances, I still deeply and completely accept myself
  • Even though I toss and turn every night because I’m stressed at work, I have too many responsibilities and I just can’t cope, I’m still ok
  • Even though I can’t sleep because I’m so worried that my marriage is failing and I just can’t talk to my husband/wife, I deeply and completely accept myself anyway
  • Even though I lay awake each night worrying about my Mother’s health and I don’t know if she’ll make it through this year, I love and accept myself anyway

Whatever it is that you are worrying about be really specific. Tap a few rounds on what you do at night when you are not sleeping. Here’s an example:

  • Even though I can’t sleep and I lie there tossing and turning all night long, I’m ok right now
  • Even though I keep checking the clock to see how much sleep I’m missing out on, I still love and accept myself anyway
  • Even though I lie there listening to every noise, wondering what it is, I accept my feelings about this anyway

Eyebrow: I can’t sleep at night
Side of eye: I lie there tossing and turning
Under eye: I keep checking the clock
Under nose: To see how much sleep I’ve missed
Chin: I think I’ll never get to sleep
Collarbone: My mind races at night
Under arm: It feels like I’m awake all night
Top of head: I feel so lonely lying here with no-one to talk to

Eyebrow: I hate not sleeping
Side of eye: I feel so tired
Under eye: I really want to go to sleep
Under nose: But I can’t stop worrying about ………………
Chin: I listen to all the noises
Collarbone: I wonder what they are
Under arm: I can’t get comfortable
Top of head: I keep getting up to go to the toilet

Eyebrow: Maybe I can write down how I feel
Side of eye: I could write down all my worrying thoughts
Under eye: I wonder if I’m worrying too much
Under nose: What if I could get a good nights sleep
Chin: Maybe I can stop worrying
Collarbone: What if I could just focus on my breathing
Under arm: Maybe I can get really comfortable
Top of head: What if I did some deep breathing and felt really relaxed

Remember to tune in to how you feel and be specific as possible.

I hope that the script and ideas help you get a good nights sleep!

Keep tapping.
Louise
07866 013 637
louise@freeflowingenergy.co.uk

Do I have to Tap?

Quite simply the answer is no. If you have tried EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and found that you don’t actually like the tapping sensation then there are alternatives.

  • Rub each spot instead. Repeat the tapping statements as you gently rub each spot. Always use a pressure that feels right for you.
  • Touch and Breathe (TAB) is another option – touch each spot and repeat your tapping statement. Then with your fingers still in place, take an easy breath. This is a slower almost meditative form of EFT (developed by psychologist Dr John Diepold).
  • Imagine tapping the spots as you repeat your tapping statements. This is a great way to work when you feel stressed, anxious etc in public. Just imagine you are tapping on the points whilst mentally repeating the statements.

EFT is truly a flexible transformational tool. Experiment to see which method works best for you – tapping, rubbing, touching or imagining. Personally I use a combination of these depending on the situation. If I’m in public and don’t want to be seen tapping, then I imagine the tapping.

Often I will use TAB before going to bed or in bed. This is very slow, meditative and calming – ideal to help you get a good night’s sleep. If a particular tapping point is a bit sore – I will often rub it rather than tapping on it.

Experiment and see what feels right for you.

If you would like any help with EFT then I am available for sessions via phone/Skype worldwide or face to face in Cardiff or Devon. Call me on 07866 013 637 or email me for a free consultation, to see how I can help you.