Moms often lead busy lives, and it can feel overwhelming and chaotic. They have to keep up with things around the house, track appointments, work deliverables, childcare, activities—the list goes on! The whirlwind of things supplies more stress and anxiety throughout each day, and it can seem never-ending. We’re here to share some practical sleep solutions for busy moms on how to incorporate journaling into your busy lifestyle, helping you find calm and improve your sleep quality.
Finding time to relax and get adequate sleep is crucial for maintaining your health and well-being. One powerful tool that can help you achieve better rest is journaling.
Organization is Key
Before exploring the different mindful practices you may want to incorporate, you should understand that working on your organization is critical. Consider organizing a binder with lists, creating a digital calendar online, or investing in weekly undated planners to get yourself into a good routine of writing things down to help you stay on task if you don’t already.
Establishing an organized schedule is not just about managing your time, it’s a crucial step in setting aside ‘me time’ for mindfulness. It also cultivates a healthy habit of self-checking, preventing double bookings and further chaos in your day-to-day life.
The Power of Journaling for Better Sleep
Journaling is a versatile tool that can help busy moms manage stress, process their thoughts, and improve their sleep patterns. Here’s how you can incorporate it into your routine:
- Evening Reflection
Take a few minutes each evening to reflect on your day. Write down what went well, any challenges you faced, and how you felt throughout the day. This practice can help you unload your thoughts, making it easier to relax and prepare for sleep.
- Gratitude Journaling
Practicing gratitude can shift your focus from stress and anxiety to positive thoughts. Keep a journal of the things you are grateful for as a way to reflect on the good things in life. Consider taking a moment to evaluate your day in the evening and note the things that brought the most happiness and what you’re thankful occurred that particular day.
- Mindfulness and Journaling
Incorporate mindfulness techniques into your journaling practice. Write about the present moment, your current feelings, and sensory experiences. This can help ground you and bring a sense of calm before bed.
- Visual Journaling
Busy moms need to be able to picture themselves somewhere else at times. Visualization practice helps calm the mind and reduce overwhelming feelings. Write about a happy place, describe the surroundings in detail, and imagine yourself there. This can be a powerful tool to unwind and relax your mind before sleep.
Creating a Sleep-Friendly Environment
Besides journaling, creating a conducive sleep environment in the right way is essential. Ensure your bedroom is comfortable, quiet, and dark. Limit screen time before bed and consider using calming essential oils like lavender to create a relaxing atmosphere.
Focus on Your Breathing
Complement your journaling practice with deep breathing exercises. It’s a powerful tool that’s often used to manage stress and anxiety. A quick and easy deep breathing exercise is to close your eyes and gently inhale through your nose, filling your lungs with air. Exhale slowly through your mouth and try to hone in on releasing tension with that breath.
You can do this for just a minute or two at any point in your day or multiple times throughout the day but practicing deep breathing before sleep can help your nerves relax. It can be beneficial when you’re starting to feel panicked or overwhelmed and unable to sleep.
Establishing a Bedtime Routine
A consistent bedtime routine can signal your body that it’s time to wind down. Have you ever heard the expression “Move your body, change your mind”? Movement is one of the most commonly utilized mindfulness techniques for busy moms because it is easy to bring along your child or children when incorporating some sort of exercise, such as a hike, walk, or playtime activity.
Mindful movement before sleep involves more than just exercising; the point is to work on finding calmness and relaxation through the movement as well. You can lay your baby or have your little one lay with you on the floor to do some simple stretches that help release tension in areas of the body. You can also take a walk outside, paying attention to sensations, smells, and sights.
Yoga is an excellent movement technique that works to provide physical and mental relaxation to reduce stress and anxiety. It goes beyond mindfulness to promote strength and flexibility and incorporates deep breathing.
Incorporate journaling as a part of this routine to help clear your mind and reduce stress before bed.
Practicing Gratitude
Mindfulness doesn’t have to involve breathing and movement; practicing gratitude is a way to shift your mind from thinking about sad, stressful, or overwhelming things. Gratitude and anxiety cannot exist at the same time, so focusing on positive things promotes happiness and takes your mind away from feelings of resentment or depression.
Keep a journal of the things you are grateful for as a way to reflect on the good things in life. Consider taking a moment to evaluate your day in the evening and note the things that brought the most happiness and what you’re thankful occurred that particular day.
Keep post-it notes around mirrors or common areas to help jump-start that shift in mindset and help you feel more optimistic, providing that balance in your busy life. Have your children identify things throughout their day that made them happy and get into the habit of practicing gratitude.
Conclusion
It’s easy to get lost in caring for our children, spouses, workmates, job responsibilities, and house responsibilities, so much so that you forget to focus on yourself as a busy mom. Journaling can be a powerful tool to help you manage stress, process your thoughts, mental health and improve your sleep quality.
Remember to carve out just a small chunk of time each day to give yourself some grace and find some calm in the chaos. Try each technique individually and figure out what helps you feel the most tranquil, or incorporate a couple of them each day throughout your busy week.
After some time, if you feel your old habits kick back in, switch gears and try a different mindful practice or two. It can refresh your perspective and put you in a more calm place. Don’t feel you have to stick to one or just a few; do as many mindful practice techniques as you can to give yourself the peace you need!
