“Do you ever have trouble sleeping?”

“Sometimes.”

“What do you do for that?”

“I shut down my mind.”

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Do you ever have a period where your mind is racing?  Typically, it can be an event or encounter that is playing over and over in your mind.  Maybe you can feel your body reacting to the tension with an increase in blood pressure, shorter breaths and tightness in your muscles.  These are good times to learn how to shut down your mind.

There are lots of ways to “shut down your mind.”  One way is to visualize a large, heavy, concrete or steel vertical door.  Think of one that comes down from the ceiling and touches the floor.  Similar to an overhead garage door.  Now, think about a movie where there is a voice over a loud-speaker counting down, maybe with lights flashing and sirens beeping.  Begin your count down.

“Your mind will be shutting down in 10 seconds.  Your mind will be shutting down in 9 seconds.”  As you progress in the count down you can see the big door descending towards the ground.  When you reach the final few seconds, “your mind will be shutting down in 1 second.  Your mind has shut down”  the door slams to the ground.

Now, think of the thoughts being on the other side of the door.   There is no way to get to them.  So, now you are free to think of something else, or to just let yourself fall asleep.  Whatever it is that was keeping you awake is safely secured in the room beyond you.  You can now sleep.

This technique can be used any time in the day, but might be most effective at night when you find your mind preventing you from sleeping.   You can modify this scenario or create one that suits you.  The important thing is to literally, shut down the part of your mind that is frustrating you with thoughts.

Today is a great day to pay attention to the thoughts that are distracting you from being present.  If you find that something is doing that, go through the process of shutting down that room in your mind – locking those thoughts away.  When we understand what is distracting us, we can then let go of it and focus on the now.

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Distractions in the mind can affect changes in your body.  Distractions in the mind can prevent you from sleeping.  Learn to close down the mind so that you can start fresh again with joyful, empowering thoughts!

Written, Wed, Feb 17, 2016 8:02 – 8:12 AM MST