Wellbeing

How to get a good night's sleep

Now we are back at school, it's hard to get back into a routine of waking up early.

Particularly if you have spent the holidays up late and sleeping in.The reachout website has some great tips on how to get a good nights sleep.

How to get a good night’s sleep: https://au.reachout.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-nights-sleep

Sleeping well is a huge part of feeling well, but getting enough zzzzzs isn’t always easy. If counting sheep isn’t doing the trick, there are some simple things you can try to make falling asleep – and staying asleep – more achievable.

This can help if:

• you're often unable to sleep
• the strategies you normally use to get to sleep aren't working
• you want to establish a good sleeping routine.

Getting into a good sleeping routine

Research shows that adolescents and young adults need at least seven to nine hours of sleep a night. A good sleeping routine will help you get the hours you need on a regular basis.

Let’s start with the basics:

• Stick to a routine of setting your alarm for the same time each morning and going to bed at the same time each night.
• Lay off the alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine before bed, as they can make it harder to get to sleep or may disrupt your sleep.
• Keep calm, but yes, you need to turn off your television, mobile phone and laptop or tablet at least 30 minutes before bed. The light from these devices can trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime.
• Practise relaxation and meditation techniques to help you switch off your mind in the evenings. Smiling Mind is a free, modern meditation program with exercises that can help you reduce stress and relax.
• Try not to nap during the day.
• Exercise first thing in the morning, outdoors. Sunlight can help reset your body clock.

Still struggling?

Still tossing and turning in your bed at night? There are some other things you can try.

Your environment

• Create a sleep playlist with soft, gentle music to slow your heart rate and help you unwind.
• Check the room temp – is it too cold or too hot? Open a window, get an extra blankie, or change the air-con setting so that the environment is comfortable.
• Keep light and noise to a minimum. Wear an eye-mask, or just put a T-shirt over your eyes, to block excess light. If outside noise is disturbing you, wear ear-plugs or grab some headphones and play gentle music.

Your body

• Drink warm milk or chamomile tea to calm your body.
• Try some progressive muscle relaxation techniques.
• Practise deep breathing. Inhale deeply through your nose for seven seconds. Hold for four. Then exhale slowly through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat.

Your brain

• If you're stuck in a half-awake, half-asleep state, get comfy, close your eyes and try to stay awake instead of falling asleep. This disruption can trick your brain into resetting itself.
• Escape into your imagination. Give yourself an imaginary task, such as building your dream house or exploring a new city, and walk yourself through it in your mind.

If nothing’s working

Give yourself a break. Turn on a dim light and read (from a book, no electronics!), do some light stretching, or walk around the house for a few minutes. Breaking the frustrating loop of not sleeping can help you reset and feel drowsy.

If you’ve tried some of these suggestions and you still aren’t sleeping well, talk to your GP, a counsellor, psychologist or sleep specialist about other options.

What can I do now?

First things first - cut back on the coffee, tea and energy drinks.

Download Recharge - an app which offers a personalised 6-week program that's focused on improving mood, energy and wellbeing by putting in place good sleep/wake patterns.

Talk to your GP if none of these tips are helping.

Explore other topics

It's not always easy to find the right place to start. Our 'What's on your mind?' tool can help you explore what's right for you.

Five ways to declutter your mind

5 ways to declutter your mind: https://au.reachout.com/articles/5-ways-to-declutter-your-mind

Wondering how to declutter your mind? Having a busy mind can make you feel stressed, anxious and overwhelmed. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of ways to declutter your mind.

1. Identify the problem

It’s hard to fix something if you’re not sure what’s wrong. Be aware of warning signs that your mind is becoming overcrowded. Some common things to watch out for are trouble sleeping, poor concentration and being unable to relax.

Once you’ve recognised that your mind is in need of a spring clean, the next step is to find out what’s adding to the clutter. Take time out to reflect on how you’re feeling. This will help you to identify what’s stressing you out, and why. Over time, you’ll get better at spotting the warning signs of a cluttered mind and be able to nip things in the bud nice and early.

2. Put pen to paper

When you’re trying to keep mental tabs on everything that’s going on, your thoughts are likely to get jumbled. Writing them down will help you to prioritise what’s most important, which will make you feel less stressed. You can mark important dates and reminders on a calendar or in a notebook, and jot down your thoughts on anything that’s worrying you in a personal diary. It doesn’t matter whether you use an app or just good ol' pen and paper. In a stretch, even the back of your hand will do (though it’s not our first choice).

3. Be mindful

We’ve all heard that meditation is a good way to clear your mind and relax. What you may not have heard is that there are thousands of ways to be mindful. This means you can look for a way that suits you. Some common things to try are yoga, exercise and deep breathing (try the ReachOut Breathe app). Some not-so-common ways to practise mindfulness are taking a bubble bath, cuddling a pet or chilling by the beach. Do whatever works for you.

4. Talk to someone

Talking to a trusted friend or family member, whether online or face-to-face, can be a great way to clear your mind, release some emotions and get whatever’s bothering you off your chest. It also helps to get a fresh take on a problem that’s got you stumped and is stressing you out. If you’re really struggling, remember that you don’t have to tackle your problems on your own. There are lots of different professionals available to talk with about anything that’s worrying you.

5. Keep at it!

Work some of the tips listed above into your everyday life to help you offload mental clutter. Make sure you get a bit of ‘me-time’ every day so that you can wind down properly. Just like cleaning your room prevents it from turning into a total dump, reflecting, writing, meditating and talking with others every day will help prevent the build-up of clutter in your mind.

Mindfulness 

Mindfulness – is it for you?  :  https://au.reachout.com/articles/mindfulness-is-it-for-you

‘Mindfulness’ simply means paying attention to the present moment. Practising mindfulness can help you to cope with everyday life and deal with tough times. This is confirmed by extensive research, which has found that mindfulness reduces stress and anxiety. It can also help you to concentrate, relax and be more productive.

The best way to decide if mindfulness is for you is to give it a crack! Here are some different ways you can practise mindfulness, tips for what to do if you’re finding it hard, and ways you can incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine. Here are some different ways you can practice mindfulness, some mindfulness practice exercises, plus tips on what to do if you’re finding it hard.

How to practise mindfulness

Focus only on the present moment

You can develop mindfulness during regular activities such as when walking, driving or even while brushing your teeth. The key is to try and focus only on the present moment and not pay too much attention to your thoughts about the past or the future.

When you concentrate on what’s happening around you, you’re less likely to get caught up in your thoughts. Ask yourself whether you feel hot or cold. What does the air feel like on your face? What sounds can you hear? What can you smell? Is your breathing slow or fast? Are you tired? Are you hungry? How do you feel?

Try not to be judgmental about anything you notice

This is tricky to do, but try not to label things as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Just notice things and let them be. For example, instead of labelling a particular smell as ‘bad’, just notice it without judging it.

Practise mindful breathing

Take a few extra minutes to focus on your breathing. You can do this with your eyes closed or open. What does your breathing feel like? What does it sound like? Where do you first feel the breath in your body? Check out the ReachOut Breathe app if you want a helping hand.

Try mindful meditation

If you’re ready to go a little deeper into developing your mindfulness, consider mindful meditation. To do this, sit quietly with your eyes closed and focus on your breath, or on a word or a phrase that you repeat quietly. If you find your mind is wandering, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It just means you have a normal human mind! Gently lead your thoughts back to your breathing, or to the word or phrase you’ve chosen. You can practise mindful meditation by yourself, or you can use an app (such as Headspace or Smiling Mind) if you want some guidance.

What if I'm finding it hard?

Becoming more mindful involves training your brain, so, like most things you learn, it can take time. Be patient. Also, see below for tips on how to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine.

Remember:

Don't expect to be able to hold your focus for very long, especially when you're just getting started.

It's completely normal for your thoughts to wander.

The goal isn't to have a totally 'blank' mind; it's more about noticing and gently guiding your mind back when your thoughts do wander.

The more you practise mindfulness, the better you'll become at it.

If you're struggling with a particular strategy, try a different one. Every person is different, and you may find some strategies easier than others.

Start with some everyday mindfulness

The following tips will help you incorporate mindfulness into your everyday routine.

Wash the dishes (yes, really!)

No, your mum hasn’t hacked our site; this is legit. When you wash the dishes after dinner, do you usually think about everything you still have to do before you can finally relax? Instead, try focusing only on washing the dishes. Start by listening to the sink fill up with water. Feel the warm water on your hands, and smell the dishwashing liquid. When you notice your mind wandering (and it will!), bring your attention back to your senses. What can you see/hear/smell/feel? If you just can’t get on board with dishes, read on...

Write a 'thank you' list

Is ‘gratitude’ another one of those words that make you squirm? If so, think of it as a ‘thank you’ list. Writing a ‘thank you’ list is one way to slow down and appreciate the small (and big) things in your life.It doesn’t need to be massively long; you could just write down three things you’re thankful for. Maybe it’s the delicious coffee you had this morning, the support and love you get from your friends, or the courage you found to speak up for yourself the other day.

Make it your mission to write three things in a ‘thank you’ note every day!

Keep a journal in which you write three things that you are grateful for each day.

Have a quick stretch

We sometimes get so caught up in our thoughts that we forget about everything else. But when we take a moment to focus on our body, such as by doing some stretching exercises, it gives us a break from our headspace. Here are some examples of stretches to try. Take your time, and focus on how your body feels.

Eat a snack

You’re probably wondering how eating a snack can be mindful, right? The best place to start is by focusing on what you’re eating, rather than on your thoughts (or the Netflix show you’re watching). So, instead of mindlessly eating that bag of popcorn and then wondering where it all went, take your time and pay attention to every mouthful. Notice the delicious taste as you chew the food, feel the textures, savour the aroma. It helps to put down your phone while you eat, too.

Make a cup of tea

Who doesn’t love a good cuppa? Brewing and enjoying a cup of tea is another great way of getting in touch with your senses. You might usually make a cup of tea without even thinking about it. Instead of just going through the motions, pay attention to each thing you do in order to make the tea.

While you might not have harvested and dried the tea leaves yourself, you can appreciate that someone, somewhere, has done this. Then there’s the action of putting the tea bag or leaves into a cup or teapot, adding the boiling water and letting it brew. Once you’ve gone through all the steps of making it, hold the cup in your hands and feel the warmth. Enjoy the sensation of taking a moment out of your day to make and enjoy a simple cuppa.

However you choose to fit mindfulness into your life, hopefully you will notice improvements in your concentration, and in your ability to relax and to cope with stressful moments. 

What can I do now?

For other ways you can lighten your mental load, check out How to deal with stress and 5 steps to talking to someone you trust.

Download and try the ReachOut Breathe app.

Check out some other relaxation tips.