Day 33 Sleep Tip

Today let's talk a bit more about meditation for stress management and sleep support. Does your mind have a hard time turning off when you are try to go to sleep? And is it even worse when your stress load is elevated? I know mine does for sure. What do you like to do help calm your mind? Today we invite you to give one of these meditations a try. You could do this anytime today or even right before bed.

Research has documented many health benefits of regular meditation practice. Here are 10 of them:

1. Reduced stress: Meditation may decrease stress. It can also improve symptoms of stress-related conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and fibromyalgia.

2. Improved memory: Better focus through regular meditation may increase memory and mental clarity. These benefits can help fight age-related memory loss and dementia.

3. Increased attention: Meditation helps with attention span, allowing you to stay focused longer.

4. Enhanced willpower: Meditation develops the mental discipline needed to avoid unhelpful habits.

5. Better sleep: Meditation can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and improve sleep quality.

6. Less pain: Meditation can reduce pain and boost emotion regulation. Together with medical care, this may help treat chronic pain.

7. Lower blood pressure: Blood pressure decreases during meditation and over time in people who meditate regularly. This can reduce strain
   on the heart and blood vessels and help prevent heart disease.

8. Less anxiety: Regular meditation helps reduce anxiety. It can also help with mental health issues like social anxiety, fears and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

9. Less depression: Meditation can help reduce the occurrence of depression.

10. Greater compassion: Meditation can help you better understand yourself, find your best self, and increase positive feelings and actions toward others.

Here is another study to check out: https://www.wbur.org/news/2018/04/06/harvard-study-relax-genes

*https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/10-health-benefits-of-meditation-and-how-to-focus-on-mindfulness-and-compassion/2022/12

These are all such fabulous exercises. Will they always be available on the Heights platform or are there direct links you can give us to use repeatedly?

im trying one of these tonight last night was awesome.

Can I have to try one of those tonight?

Often times if a problem comes along before bed. My mind won’t t shut down.

Regular meditation helps reduce anxiety. It can also help with mental health issues like social anxiety, fears and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
This gives me hope to keep trying!

One thing I do use often is the Calm app. When I turn it on and hear a certain voice that triggers my brain to go to sleep.

Thank you for sharing these meditation exercises and teaching us ways to reduce our stress.

Thanks for giving us all so many option to try. I look forward to trying them all.

There have been times when I just lay there and can’t get to sleep. Praying often helps calm my mind. Sometimes writing things down to take care of later also helps.