100: What to do when you’re tired but wired

Still tired after making some sleep changes?  Your nervous system may be . . . worn out.  But that doesn’t mean you’ll sleep well.  It’s why so many people are tired but WIRED.

If you are someone who is a “type A personality,” stressed, or living in fight-or-flight mode all the time, you’re probably not getting great sleep OR feeling good during the day.  

We are meant to live mostly in rest-and-digest mode.  But so many people are living in the fast lane while white-knuckling the steering wheel for hours at a time.

The first thing to do is build in some three-minute breaks during your day.  Surely you can take 3 minutes just for you? 

• Be sure to set your 3-minute alarm to something pleasant- a sound that doesn’t shock you when it’s time to move on from this exercise.
• Close your eyes, get comfortable, get still, and focus on breathing deeply and slowly.  
• Breathe in and out through your nose.  Your belly should push out with each inhale.  Think of the air going down to your hips to make deep breathing easier.  You can put one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly to feel the expansion and contraction with each breath.
• Relax your jaw muscles, relax your shoulders, and relax all the tiny muscles around your eyes.  
• Make your exhale twice as long as your inhale.  This is your special time to relax.  Let your mind have some white space. 
• Notice your heart rate and emotional charge as the time passes.
• When the three minutes are up, stand up and stretch your body before moving on to your next activity.

Stress management is an active process.  Meaning:  you must take action and not wait for it to magically get better.  Regulating your breathing is always available to you, and this activates a natural calming mechanism.  

Our lives are naturally stressful because we care.  Instead of targeting “zero stress,” look for ways to find balance with calming activities.