Happiness and sleep, deep, blissful, peaceful sleep. These two things in a world with stress, pressures, deadlines and Covid may seem like magic to some, a thing reserved only for Disney films.
However this magic is not as far off as you think with the help of simple yet effective practices.
Supplements such as NAC for sleep, Positive thinking and Gratitude may sound simple but can help bring our happiness back and the elusive peaceful sleep.
Let’s take a look at how these practices can help us reclaim that magic in our lives.
Positive thinking- Viewing the glass as brimming with possibilities
Positive thinking in the simplest of terms is the choice to view the glass half full rather than empty. It’s a simple analogy that is easier said than done but has a wide range of benefits.
Choosing positive thinking over negative self talk has been proven to reduce stress, pain and infection and improve well being, coping mechanisms and happiness (1).
This may sound great but actually doing it may be easier said than done, so what can we do to improve our positive self talk?
Positive thinking practices
Becoming aware of our own self talk- Check yourself throughout the day. Is what you’re saying to yourself hindering or helping you.
Surround yourself with positive people- I’m sure we’ve all experienced how draining it is being around a negative person. Surrounding yourself with positive people will encourage you to be positive as well as lift you up not bring you down
Be proactive- If you notice that there is a common subject that keeps coming up in your negative self talk, try brainstorming ways to change it. Unhappy with your work environment? What can you do to improve it? Does the solution require pretty pot plants and scented candles or does it require applying for a new job?
Use positive words- Consciously choose to use positive words, this will help you in staying positive
Write it down- It’s easy to forget the good things that have happened and to focus on the bad things. Writing out the good things that happened to you during the day will keep the cloud of despair away and keep you thinking sunshine and rainbows
Visualize situations with positive outcomes- Instead of thinking about the worst that could happen, try to visualize the best outcome happening. By doing this it creates the space for these things to occur as well as creates a feeling of hope, excitement and happiness (1).
How does it make me happy?
Now we know some tools to help us view that glass as brimming with possibilities. How does it help with our happiness?
Our brain is constantly gauging the emotional tone of our thoughts, too many negative thoughts creates stress and sadness in our body while positive thoughts creates relaxation and happiness.
By practicing positive thinking it will help improve our negative to positive thoughts ratio and help promote happiness (2).
Gratitude- Practicing our thank you’s
The first time I heard about gratitude was from Oprah and she’s not the only one encouraging it. It’s a common topic in the wellness field and being brought up by many health practitioners.
Gratitude as we learnt when we were kids is being thankful for things. This practice extends beyond thanking individuals for services they may have done for you and focuses on all aspects of your life.
It includes being thankful for resources, people in your life, nature, your house, clothes, food etc. The list goes on and on.
Practicing gratitude can enhance our wellbeing, quality of life and make us appreciate our life more as well as boost our positivity (3).
Practicing gratitude
Observe- Observe how often you give thanks to someone or to a situation
Start a gratitude journal- Every day write down three things that you are grateful for. At first it might be tough to pick three things to be grateful for but after time you will find that it comes easier to you and that you don’t want to stop at three.
Share your gratitude with others- Research has found that sharing your gratitude with others around you will help foster relationships and will let the other person know that you are grateful for them. In turn this could cultivate a sense of gratitude within the other person and give them the boost they need to give thanks to another person or situation (3).
How does it make me happy?
When we start to practice gratitude on a daily basis it helps us to feel positive emotions and helps our negative to positive thought ratio. It also helps us to relish positive past experiences that remind us of happy times (3).
Sleep, the peaceful, blissful kind
We’ve mentioned some of the benefits positive thinking and practicing gratitude can have on our lives and bodies but how does this all relate to sleep?
Practicing positive thinking and gratitude can improve not only the quality of our sleep but also the quantity.
Practicing these techniques helps fill us with positive emotions which in turn relaxes and soothes our nervous system.
If you are struggling to sleep, practicing positive thinking and gratitude at night may help you drift off faster and for longer (4).
Take home message
Happiness and sleep doesn’t have to be an elusive form of magic, it can still be part of our lives. Sure, practicing positive thinking and gratitude may at first seem like chores but with the range of benefits it can surely help bring the magic back in our lives.
If you feel that your sleep issues are more of a chronic medical problem, you could have sleep apnea or another sleep related illness. Call the Alaska Sleep Clinic today to improve your sleep and improve your life
