Written by Jenny Catton
It’s a feeling we’ve all experienced from time-to-time. You’re dog tired, ready for a good night’s sleep. But then as soon as your head hits the pillow you’re wide awake worrying about work. Perhaps you’re dwelling on the stressful day you’ve just had or are fretting about the workload you need to get through tomorrow – either way; not being able to get to sleep is frustrating. And if it’s a problem you’re facing night after night, it can soon take its toll on your health, making it hard to perform well during the day creating a vicious cycle of stressful days at work followed by restless nights.
If you find yourself kept awake by work worries, there are a few techniques you can try to help you drop off to sleep:
Make a list before you leave work
Before you leave work for the day, make a list of all the important things you need to do the next day. You then won’t find yourself making mental lists in your head when you should be sleeping.
Talk about it – but only for 10 minutes
When you’ve had a bad day at work it can be therapeutic to get the frustration off your chest by sharing your experiences with a partner or friend. But make sure you only talk about your day for a short while –reliving every minute in detail will just make you feel wound up again.
Keep a pen and pad by your bed
There will be times in the night when you suddenly wake up to realise that you’ve forgotten something important. By keeping a pen and pad by your bed, you will be able to make a quick note and drop back off to sleep.
Write a letter – but don’t send it
Perhaps someone at work has upset you and you can’t sleep because you’re thinking of all the things you want to say to them. If you find yourself running through conversations in your head, try writing a letter to the person that has upset you. Once you’ve got your thoughts down on paper, you’ll probably find that you can switch off. In the morning you can decide if you still want to send the letter – or you may find that your mood has changed after a good night’s sleep.
Switch off before bed time
Modern technology has made it harder than ever to switch off from work in the evening. When you have access to work emails on your home computer or smartphone, there is always the temptation to check emails whilst watching television. This is a bad habit to get into and if you see an email that causes feelings of stress, you’ll find it hard to relax again. Try switching your phone and computer off in the evening, or make a policy not to look at work emails after a certain time.
If stress at work is causing problems in your home life, visit: www.mind.org.uk/employment
