A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind

Are you ever so exhausted you can’t wait for a good night’s sleep – only to find yourself awakened at 2:00 am by an overactive brain thinking about some random work or life issue?

This used to happen to me ALL. THE. TIME. 

I would wake up thinking about a presentation. Thinking about a people issue. Thinking about an underperforming campaign. Or about how I wasn’t spending the time I wanted to with my kids.

Not cool.

To resolve this, at first I tried leaving a notepad beside the bed. As if writing all these thoughts down would be a miracle cure to going back to sleep. Good try.

Then I tried simply getting up – heck I added another 5 hours of work to the day ahead – I congratulated myself for having a big head-start! HA! On these days, not surprisingly I was struggling to stay productive by 3 pm. #FAIL

Alas, one of the techniques that helped me effectively resolve this issue was meditation. For someone who is constantly on the go, who has been known to be labeled a “workaholic” at times, and who is constantly thinking about new initiatives, calming my mind on a daily basis, has had a significant impact.

Even 5 minutes a day can make a huge difference. 

What are some steps to implementing this life-changing habit?

1.   Start by trying it for 5 min a day. There are many apps out there for free that you can download. They’ll provide you with guided meditation if you struggle to do this unassisted.

2.   Track it – track when and for how long you do it. Repetition is key. In order to rewire you need to commit.

3.   Turn it into a habit. Schedule time into your daily agenda and keep at it. They say habits take anywhere from 21-60 days to form. Don’t give up!

They say a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Try this technique to help you create a focused and happy mind – not to mention get the sleep you deserve to leave a healthy and happy life!