Good Health Choices New Zealand – August 2019

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Walking with nowhere to go

Rather than lying awake, agitated

that you’re not sleeping, get up and

have a wander to shift the attention

out of your head and into your body.

You can walk up and down a corridor

or room, or round in a circle, arms

wherever they feel most natural,

feet preferably bare.

Begin by standing up straight

and still, and sending your

attention around your whole body.

Notice how your weight is

distributed by your feet.

Shift to one side and peel the

heel of the opposite foot off the

floor. Notice how the sensations

change. Which part of your foot

comes into contact with the floor

first? Do the same with the other

foot, then slowly walk step by step.

If you’re walking in a straight

line, pause at the end, stand

still, then consciously turn. Notice

how the distribution of weight

may feel unsteady and awkward.

Continue walking.

Expand your attention from

your feet and become aware

of your whole body moving

through space. Perhaps include

the environment, its sounds and

smells. Then narrow your attention

to your feet once more, switching

back and forth as desired.

When you’re done, stand as

you did at the start for a few

more moments.

When you resist your personal sleep
experience and want it to be different,
it can lead to disappointment. You
may create mental stories about it,
catastrophising (‘This is a nightmare’),
generalising (‘I’m never able to sleep’),
blaming (‘This is all my fault – or
someone else’s’), judging (‘I should be
able to sleep’), and so on. You can get
caught up in the tales, but actually they
are just a reflection of your state of mind.
Break the cycle by becoming aware
of the different stories. Then you can
choose how to respond. For example...
Name the monsters: Notice what story
is in your head tonight – perhaps it’s
the ‘all my fault’ tale. Acknowledge
it but don’t give yourself a hard time.
The more you do this, the more you’ll
notice that it’s the same old ‘monsters’
reappearing. You can introduce a bit
of fun and give each one a silly name,
which undermines them so you gain
more perspective.
Your perceived amount of sleep:
Once, after a broken night, I told a friend
‘It was terrible – I was awake for hours’.
I felt exhausted. Yet when I looked at

What’s your bedtime story?

my fitness tracker’s sleep monitor, it

recorded eight and a half hours’ sleep.

Reading that made me feel better

(despite knowing they’re not always

accurate). My perception had changed.

It’s healthier to become familiar with

your body’s signals and respond when it

feels tired or refreshed, rather than focus

on what you think you experienced.

Shifting out of your head: You can

also notice how a story is manifesting in

your body, since negative stories often

generate uncomfortable sensations.

Bring a friendly interest to whatever

you notice physically and emotionally,

and remind yourself there’s no need to

do anything to fix or change what you

become aware of.

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Edited extract from

Mindfulness and Sleep

by Anna Black

(CICO Books, $30).