Can't Stop Thinking About Work at Night 10-Minute Wind Down for Better Sleep

The sun is dipping, becoming lower over the hills that surround me, casting long peaceful shadows across the meadows that we walk the other morning. The air is cooling and the days work is done, but often our minds don't know how to clock off. We carry the emails, the conversations and the to-do lists into our sanctuary. Today we are going to walk to the edge of the field and together we are going to close the gates on the day.

Everything behind that gate stays there. Everything ahead of you is peace. Hi there, welcome to Carming Anxiety. I'm Martin Hewlett, clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic in your guide to a karma life.

So find your quiet place to one wind now where you won't be disturbed somewhere company to sit or lie down or even ready for bed. If it's safe to do so, close your eyes. A major trend right now in high performance wellness is cognitive offloading. Use the practice of deliberately dropping the mental weight so that your brain can enter its recovery mode.

In my years as a paramedic, the end of a shift was sacred. When I took the green uniform off, I wasn't just changing clothes. I was leaving the sirens and the endrelement behind. You deserve that same transition.

We'll use the 4-7-8 breath to signal to your heart that you are officially off duty. Your breathe in for full, gathering up all the day's lingering thoughts. Your hold for seven, acknowledging that they are finished for now, and then exhale for eight. Watch them dissolve as you step through the gate.

Now when you're ready to breathe with me, breathe in a sweeping long in breath. Let the uniform of the worker fall away. Ready? In two, three, four, hold two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Exhale, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Well done. Just rest there a moment, let your breathing find its own rhythm again. And remember, as you breathe in, you gather up all of the thoughts of the day. And long-home, acknowledge that they are finished for now, and then exhale.

Let them dissolve, let them disappear. Allow yourself to rest. Ready? Let's breathe in now.

Inhale, two, three, four, hold two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Four, five, six, seven, exhale, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

And just melt. Waitress, drifting down deeply and safely within the sanctuary of your consciousness.

Slowly, leave the uniform of the worker behind. You are simply you now. Within this sanctuary of peace, of understanding, of offloading. Imagine that you are now standing at the heavy wooden gate at the edge of the meadow.

You step through onto the path that leads home. You reach back, and with a solid, satisfying click, you latch the gate. Behind it lies the work, the noise and the expectations. A head of you is the soft twilight of your evening, the tranquility of peace and harmony.

And here, within this moment of comfort, of understanding and self-worth, you see these wonderful words of permanent, positive change. Repeat them internally and allow them to settle into your subconscious. I am stepping out as a doing and into being.

The day's work is complete and I have done enough.

I leave the world's noise at the gate, my home is my sanctuary.

I give myself full permission to rest, recover and be still.

I am safe, I am quiet and I am finally home.

Deeper and deeper into a wonderful, natural, translike state. You imagine yourself drifting, allowing the weight of the world, of other's expectations to drift away. Love who you are, relax. And then once more, in the beauty of your mind's eye, visualize and repeat, I am stepping out of doing and into being.

The day's work is complete and I have done enough.

I leave the world's noise at the gate, my home is my sanctuary.

I give myself full permission to rest, recover and be still.

I am safe, I am quiet and I am finally home.

And within this moment of mind, body, tranquility, to make this off loading stick, try these three caring tips tonight. One, the brain dumb. Write down three tasks for tomorrow on a scrapper paper. Once they are on paper, your brain doesn't have to loop them in your sleep.

Two, the ritual change. The moment you finish this podcast, change your clothes, let the physical sensation of different fabric tell your brain the shift is over. And three, the gentle reach. Reach your arms up to the ceiling, then let them drop heavily to your sides.

Feel the gravity taking the weight of the day of your shoulders. Now just feel your breathing once more. Appreciate this singular moment, this gift of time to heal and reset that you gave yourself.

Now wiggle your fingers and toes and feel your awareness coming back into the room. Take a deep breath and then as you exhale, stretch out the arms overhead and then gently open your eyes. Thank you for finishing your day with me. You've done well today.

You've taken care of you. Have a lovely sleep. Let's reconnect tomorrow. Take care, truly and in your dreams, be kind.