You can’t sleep because you’re stressed out. When you stress out you eat junk. When you eat junk, you can’t sleep properly. Have you found yourself in this vicious cycle?
You already know it’s pretty impossible to WILL yourself to sleep. So, you got to work on the other two, stress and eating — with intention. ?
But maybe this sounds like another chore. Or frankly, you’re already tapped out with everything and everybody needing *something* from you. (Can I get 10 min alone in the bathroom please?!)
Or maybe you’re like me: wow, there’s a crap-ton of info out there to sort through. (I want something tailored to me so I don’t have to sift through all this junk and validate it!)
Focus on one thing at a time
Pick the one area you think you can put real focus and attention on. Don’t try and fix the whole wheel at once. Not only will this set you up for failure, but doing all the things at once is what got you here in the first place. We want slow and steady progress, not peaks and valleys in our healing process.
You’ll also want to focus on cleaning up your diet or reducing your stress levels. Rarely can someone just focus on sleep without the other two in a healthy place.
Don’t give up too soon
We are set up to fail. Our brains are trained for rewards and double down on negative input. It’s not that we’re broken, we’re literally hard-wired to learn from negative experiences faster so we don’t repeat them. It makes sense when you think about touching something hot or sharp. It doesn’t make logical sense when you think about trying a new healing modality, but the same is true. Our brains and bodies want to conserve our resources and not spend time on things that don’t work. This is the reason at the smallest inconvenience or setback you’re looking to throw in the towel, or you move onto the next shiny object.
Celebrate ALL small wins
One way to support a successful habit change is to celebrate ANY small wins. This activates our reward center and even gives us a burst of happy hormones. You’ll want to find a reward that isn’t food-related, and equal to the habit formed.
If your goal was to up your water intake and you hit that goal, maybe you get a really nice water pitcher or that fancy thermal flask you were eyeing. Each time you drink from your newly acquired water vessel you’re reminded that you accomplished a goal you set out for yourself. This has long-lasting effects – it makes you feel good, not just the one time, but on-going. It’s been proven that rewards that are perpetual have the same dopamine output as the first time.
For more on this subject, check out the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Consider a health coach
When you’re square in the middle of burnout or an autoimmune flare-up, it’s difficult to set into motion new habits. It’s even more difficult to create boundaries and accountability for ourselves because the lack of those two things is what got us into hot water in the first place. For many, an outside perspective and someone who has a plan is helpful.
A health coach helps you achieve your personal health goals and can be someone to lean against when it feels hard. Most health coaches are drawn to the work they do because of their own health journey and can relate to you and your specific needs. Find someone who’s been where you’re at and see what programs they have available. These can be one-on-one, group programs or even digital go-at-your-own-pace programs. Feel out what’s right for you and your current state of need.
If you’re looking for daily health coaching and support, I’ve got something cooking just for you: holistic healing in the form of bite-size daily coaching. Check out Your Daily™ Health Coaching app for details on how to sign up to get 10 days free.
