| |  | Gratitude for this Day
If you are stressed with what is going on in your life at home or work, with your kids or extended family, or with the lack of money or fulfillment, it can be hard to feel grateful for much. Yet, it is common knowledge that people who feel gratitude for what is going right in their life and in their world, are often more resilient and more able to deal with life's challenges.
Many of my clients who are experiencing crisis or stressful events have a difficult time sleeping. If that happens to you, perhaps the following suggestions I give my clients will help:
- About an hour before going to sleep, set a timer for 5 minutes and concentrate on all the things that are making you miserable. Let them all out. Cry if you feel like it. Scream into a pillow if it feels good. When the timer goes off, take some deep cleansing breaths and then go wash your face. Imagine that you have given all those dark thoughts a chance to be heard so that they don't need to interrupt you thoughts as you fall asleep later. Then read, look through a magazine, put on some nice music, or do anything that will relax you prior to trying to go to sleep.
- Keep a pad of paper by your bed. Just prior to retiring, jot down the things that went well during the day or the things in your life for which you feel gratitude.
A friend just sent me the most amazing YouTube video of a TED talk. I am now going to suggest to my clients that they view this prior to going to bed in the evening. It's 10 minutes that puts things in perspective and will give you a respite from your stress.
 | | TEDxSF - Louie Schwartzberg - Gratitude |
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