Lindsay White
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Don’t Let A Lack of Sleep On Sunday Impact Your Manic Monday

Welcome to another Manic Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. Actually, that’s a segue to my topic today – Sunday Night!

I’ve heard from several people that Manic Monday actually starts on Sunday night for them. I can totally empathize, as I got absolutely no sleep last night thinking about the thousand and 1 things I need to do this week. I’m pretty sure I was up about every two hours last night. Needless to say, Monday is not starting off the way I’d hoped.

So what is that Sunday night ruminating all about? For me, its a bit of a mental “gear up” for a busy week filled with appointments, tasks and vacation prep. For others, it could be about something specific, like a big presentation at work. Either way it’s pretty non-productive and totally disrupts your sleep.

So what’s the solution? I don’t think there’s 1 thing that’ll work for everyone, but here’s a couple that I’ve tried:

1. Mindfulness – really focus on your breathing and being connected in your own body. Really dial in to all the details around you, all the sensations. This takes some practice, let me tell you, as those thoughts are going to want to creep in. But just like the old school counting sheep, being mindful can help you get some of those unproductive thoughts out of your head.

2. Question your thoughts – instead of leaving something to swirl ask yourself some great questions to see if you can find a new perspective. If you’re just going to lay there anyway might as well be productive!

3. Refocus – when I find that I’m really circling with my thoughts at night I think to think about renovating my master bathroom. I’m serious! I start thinking about tearing it apart and putting it back together, right down to the tile selections! This is called cognitive refocusing, and it helps me get so involved in other details I forget about the stuff I’m ruminating on.

4. Read – I’m a voracious reader and I find that a good book before bed gives my brain something else to think about beside my to-do list for the upcoming week. I always read, even if only for a few minutes, it gives my brain a chance to whined down and gives it a few ideas or visuals to chew on while I drift off. If you are middle of the night thinker like me, you may want to invest in a small clip light that you can attach right to your book so you don’t distract whom ever you’re sleeping with if you are up at 3am.

If you have any Sunday night sleep tips that work for you, please share with us. And for those of you, who like me, didn’t get a great sleep last night…may your coffee be strong, you patience be long, and your day be short!

Have a great Manic Monday everyone!!