An Irish proverb states, “A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.”
I don’t know about you, but I treasure my sleep. It’s a luxury to crawl into bed at night and pass out after a productive day. It may sound rather crazy, but it is something that I have at the highest value.
Unfortunately, millions of people have sleep issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of people don’t get enough sleep. Not enough sleep can cause anything from type 2 diabetes, heart disease, falling asleep at the wheel, mistakes at work, depression and — let’s not forget — grouchiness.
Some people make fun of me because I go to bed so early as 8 p.m. on an average night. However, I get up at 4 a.m. and maximize my morning. That’s eight hours of excellent sleep.
But what if you are not a great sleeper? What if you have bad dreams or weird dreams? What if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep?
And bigger yet, are you maximizing your deep subconscious thoughts while you are sleeping?
I can’t address all of these challenges in this column, as they are multifaceted, but I can address the need to maximize those subconscious thoughts as you are sleeping.
The need to program your subconscious while you sleep is nothing new. Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying, “Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious.”
Why not? You have nothing to lose. The key is remembering and then taking a few minutes to do it.
Here are some easy steps to follow:
- Get comfortable and ready to go to sleep.
- Have a notepad and pen by your bed.
- Relax. You can use a sound machine, meditation videos or audio (YouTube is a great source) or high-frequency music.
- Jot down anything that is bothering you and/or “to do’s” that are coming to your mind.
- With a clear mind and relaxed state, do whatever of these actions feels the best for you: prayer, gratitude, ask for help, or positive affirmation.
An easy example is: “Thank you for helping me grow my business,” or “I am in perfect health.” Anything that you feel you would like to say or ask for is OK. There is no judgment, as it is your thoughts and desires.
Once you get in the habit of this, it becomes easier and second nature. But, like anything in life, you have to make it a practice and remember to do it. If you need to put a sticky note by your bed to remember, that will help. Let your mind work for you while you are sleeping. Also, gratitude is a technique that shifts your mindset to the positive. So is prayer, meditation, journaling, etc. Any of the above actions alone or in combination can lead you to a state of happiness and success.
Keep in mind, whatever works for you and fits your beliefs is what you should do. But do it! You will be so happy when you start to see real change!
