Steps To Better Sleep Part 11

Sleep is so important for us but it is so difficult to shut our brains down and just relax get into REM and recharge those batteries for the next day. This blog will help you go out there with unstoppable energy and feel better than ever before. As we near the end of this Series, let's continue with Part 11

There are many downloadable audiobooks online. Some are priced cheaper than e-books whereas some are free. The purpose of this step is to tune out your mind from distractions. Listening to an audiobook shuns out background noise such as barking dogs, TV sounds and conversations. It engages you, but it does not require too much focus and attention. For best results, choose an audiobook that you already know. 

If you are still fond of children's bedtime stories, download their audiobooks. The narration in children's stories is friendlier than usual to appeal to children and in this case, adults who have trouble sleeping. You can create an album of your playlist and play your audiobooks on shuffle. You also can opt for a glass of nut milk and snack on a few slices of real cheese before going to bed. 

I hope you have enjoyed this blog series on Steps To Better Sleep.

Here are some additional ways to clear your mind and clear up stress:

Talk to a friend.

Discussing your problems, obstacles and potential solutions with a friend is a great way to reduce stress. Often we, as entrepreneurs, get so intertwined with our work that we actually cause our own stress.

Simply talking things out can clear up a situation and you learn that things aren't as bad as you are imagining them to be. Also, just knowing that you have someone in your corner that is always going to be there for you gives you that extra confidence to tackle any situation.

Read a great book. 

Picking up a book allows you to get away without actually getting away. Take this time to learn about any topic you wish, including whatever it is that's causing your current stress. You can gain insight, advice,, and peace of mind my reading.

Write down your thoughts in a journal.

Writing is something that many entrepreneurs don't do enough of, yet it's such a powerful personal exercise that can help you better understand any dilemma or situation. Put a journal on your desk and throw it in your bag when you leave the office. Keep it on you at all times.

When a stressful situation presents itself pull out your journal and write down the problem, what is contributing to the problem and possible ways to defuse the problem. Give it a try, I bet you will surprise yourself with how effortlessly you are able to come up with a solution to any issue.

Hit the gym hard

Hitting the gym is a great way to rid your body of stress, you can literally sweat the stress out. Finding the motivation to get to the gym is often the biggest hurdle to overcome, but once you get accustomed to working out regularly you won't miss the opportunity to de-stress at the gym.

Leave your phone in your locker, throw on your headphones and get your blood flowing and heart rate cranking. Aside from de-stressing, the health benefits of regular exercise should be enough to convince you to make this a regular occurrence.

Go for a long run.

Along with the gym, I also love going for a nice long run to clear my head and escape my business. I like an outdoor run consisting of several destination points along the way, this allows me to focus on reaching each point. The physical exercise combined with the focus eliminates all of the stress.

Just like at the gym, leave your phone at home or at the office. It's too easy to take a break to check emails or voicemails if you bring your phone, a single email or message can trigger the stress to come back instantly. Throw on a comfortable pair of running shoes and make sure you have a great music playlist ready to rock. Let the run and music consume you. 

Go for a punch in the boxing ring.

One quick look at local gyms will show you that a lot of people are jumping in the ring for physical fitness. Many gyms that offer boxing actually advertise it as a stress-reducing workout.

I've seen men and women of all ages in the ring. Sometimes, you just need to hit something and let out a little steam. If boxing isn't your thing, go to the driving range and hit a bucket of golf balls or take some swings in the batting cage. Driving a golf ball 280 yards or crushing a baseball 400 feet will make you forget that you were ever stressed.

Take some time to meditate.

True meditation, when you are able to remove yourself from everything going on in your world and focus only on breathing, has amazing benefits. It eliminates stress, allows you to think clearly, see the big picture and helps reduce the probability of future events stressing you out. 

As entrepreneurs, we are so busy, constantly operating with the pedal to the metal, we often forget to pause for a minute and take a step back to simply breathe.

Unplug from technology and take a walk or a hike.

Unplug from technology and venture out into nature, a beach, park or hiking trail provides a great setting to forget the stressful situations for a minute and get lost. Connecting with nature reminds you that we, along with the things that cause us to stress out, are just small pieces of a much bigger picture.

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