You can manage stress and learn to relax by following some simple exercises. Practicing these exercises will help you fall asleep more quickly. You can also use them when you wake up in the middle of the night.

Start winding down about an hour before bed by trying these methods of relaxation:

• Read a book
• Take a bath
• Play solitaire
• Do a crossword puzzle.

Then there are more detailed exercises you can do, like Progressive Muscle Relaxation which is a set of exercises to reduce anxiety and stress. PMR is a two-step process. It takes a little time to learn, but try it. You will get a quick course on it in the next chapter.

Another exercise helps you learn to breathe slowly and deeply. It is called Diaphragmatic breathing and it’s a good way to slow down. To give this a go, simply put your hand on your stomach, take slow breaths. Let your stomach expand as you breathe in and relax your chest and shoulders as you breathe out. As you do this, keep your mind away from stressful thoughts.

Here’s another. Practicing visual imagery is the practice of choosing peaceful, soothing thoughts to focus on. Doing this calms you and lets you stop thinking of all the things you have pending in your life. You can think of things that make you happy and relaxed, such as taking a walk in the forest, boating on a lake, talking with someone you love. As long as the image doesn’t excite your mind, you will find yourself relaxing.

Managing stress can be something you teach yourself to do. If you can, you should come up with solutions to the problems you face. If you can’t go out and handle them right now, you can at least write down the things you will do in the future. When there are situations that you know you can’t possibly change, you can resolve to accept that things are how they are. Allow time to do the things you need to accomplish. This includes meals.

Try to live in the present and not spend time worrying about the past or the future. Talk to your partner if you are experiencing problems in your relationship. Don’t get into any arguments, however.

If you find you are angry much of the time, you can deal with it so it doesn’t keep you up at night. If the thing that is making you angry is solvable, take steps to do so. If not, realize you can’t change it and move on. Talking about it or writing it down in a journal sometimes helps.

An important factor in managing stress is to give yourself a break. Take some quiet time every day. Do your relaxation exercises regularly.

The good thing about these self-help strategies is that they aren’t addictive and
are usually effective. They are also less expensive!

Don’t forget, changing your physical sleep environment can help too. Try placing a board under your mattress if it sags. Put your bed in a different position. Put up thicker curtains.

Avoid being kept awake by noise. Use earplugs. Try and change your attitude towards the noise, as sometimes it is not the level of noise that bothers you, but the way you feel about it.

Another way to work on alleviating your insomnia is to look into cognitive behavioral therapy.