Work stress is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to get in the way of a good night’s sleep. Try these strategies during the day to avoid worrying about work at all hours of the night.
Make a to-do list. The act of writing down uncompleted tasks allows us to put them out of mind.
Keeping a journal, where you write down thoughts and feelings. Putting pen to paper can help process emotions and reduce anxiety.
Get some exercise. Physical activity — even a single instance — decreases rumination, which is often linked to insomnia.
Practice meditation. Researchers have found that even small amounts of mindful meditation (10 minutes before and after work for two weeks) helped calm racing minds and improved sleep quality and duration.
Lastly, be easy on yourself. Self-compassion can often break the cycle of negative thoughts that keeps you up.
Work stress may be inevitable at times, but these strategies can increase our ability to wake up feeling refreshed and able to tackle the biggest challenges.