Sleep Program Main PageWork is increasingly cited as the cause of waking at night and troubles going to sleep. Some ideas for understanding and dealing with work stress:
Questions to ask yourself: Are finances the primary reason I’m in this predicament? If not, what are my motivations for working in this situation? Is this is a temporary situation? What are the non-financial benefits of my work? What was I doing when I felt most at peace and at ease? How can I incorporate some of the essential parts of that into my life? Am I willing to risk facing my fears to learn a new way of living?
Supervisor or boss related questions: Who is my supervisor? What is that person really asking of me (as opposed to my first knee-jerk response)? Is the authority I’ve been given equal to the responsibility I have? If not, who can I talk to about changing the situation? How can I approach that person?
If financial pressure is the reason you’re having work stress: What do I spend money on? What kinds of things do I buy that I think will bring me joy or happiness that don’t? For what length of time am I willing to take on a lot of stress in order to change my situation (for instance, take classes to qualify for a higher paying job)?
To cope with work related stress you will want to do the following:
Figure out your ACTUAL situation. The one that you can see when fear isn’t blocking your vision. (Use the questions above to help with that.)
Be honest with yourself and others about what you can reasonably do. Have you been taking on more responsibilities and tasks that you should?
Get clear with the other people in the household that you need to sleep and that they will have to help (by being quiet...)
Give yourself at least an hour before bed to relax, do quiet things that aren’t mentally stimulating. Worry feeds on mental stimulation, so you need to quiet your mind’s activities before bed.
Depending on your dietary situation you may want to eat a LITTLE dairy or carbohydrate-rich food just before bed, and have eaten some good protein at lunch (a lesser amount at dinner). Discuss the specific dietary options with your health-care provider.
Consider an eastern practice of regular retreats to renew one’s spirit or recharge batteries. The western habits of going on stimulating vacations may be counter-productive to the recharging functions of a retreat. You don’t have to meditate, but a time of quiet, unstructured time that includes some introspection can be very valuable.
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