Many people who have trouble sleeping tell us that a big part of the problem is their busy mind. The mind might be full of worry about work, relationships, past mistakes, or it might be jumping from one seemingly random topic to the next. Frustratingly, there’s no off switch. Practising mindfulness does not switch the mind off, but it can help to calm the mind, switch it into a more accepting mode, and improve focus and wellbeing. A calm mind is a good friend of sleep. It’s also a good friend of happier days.
Mindfulness based therapies have a strong developing evidence base for use in management of a range of difficulties such as depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia. There is also evidence that mindfulness can improve overall wellbeing and quality of life. See our earlier blog post for more about how and why it might help poor sleepers.If you’d like to learn more about Mindfulness, and how to implement practical strategies to get mindfulness into your life, come to an evening seminar by Annika Rose, wellbeing scientist.
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