Same here. Here are some tips on how to cope.
OK, I had to take a little break from writing about current events. I found that I wasn’t sleeping much, and when I did my dreams were very tightly woven with the day’s current events. My mind couldn’t let go and it was getting very creepy.
Now that I am back on online, I’m getting a better handle on what I can do to be engaged but not enraged. I am trying to stick to the two-hour rule. This means that in the two hours before bedtime:
No screens!
No work, no watching or reading the news, no email and no social media.
- In general, we should avoid bright screens at night, as they mess with our melatonin levels and make it harder to get a good night sleep.
- And reading infuriating news stories on bright screens before bedtime is very counterproductive to a good night’s sleep!
I don’t think very clearly when I am tired. So at night, I find it better to focus on areas where I can do less damage.
Focus on unwinding
This doesn’t mean you have to sit in the bathtub surrounded by candles. If you have time for that, more power to you, but there are plenty of way to unwind AND get things done.
When I’ve finished work for the day, I am tired and hungry. Making dinner just seems like another looming deadline. But cooking later in the evening (when I am full and not in a hurry) is actually quite relaxing, so I often end my day preparing the next day’s dinner.
- Cooking it helps me disengage from the day’s events, it stops my mind from whirring.
- And since most everything has been prepared the night before, dinnertime is a lot less stressful.
If the only time you have to catch up on news is during those two hours, do yourself a favor and keep your screen time to a minimum.
- Listen to the radio or a podcast.
- Call someone and talk about what is going on
And if that doesn’t work, get some Bongers and hit someone.
Yes, you read that correctly. Bongers are a nifty massage tool that you can use to whack the stress away. You can use them on yourself or others. The certainly help me get rid of the stress-related knots in my shoulders and back.
Sources
Scientific American Bright Screens Could Delay Bedtime