Can't Sleep Tonight?

Struggling to get some shut eye? Here's something you can try tonight: As you're attempting to relax, just STOP. Stop telling yourself to "just relax." Stop starting that internal monologue with, "I should be feeling..." or "I'm supposed to be feeling..." Instead, do your best to accept your feelings as they are. Feeling a pit in your stomach? Just sit with that feeling. Feeling tense muscles? Just acknowledge and accept the discomfort. It will go away. The more you fight these feelings, the worse or more noticeable they will become. This is a well-researched meditative technique called Radical Acceptance. It takes practice, but can help with insomnia, with panic attacks, and many other manifestations of anxiety and depression. You can check out this book or listen to meditations like this for more information on the topic.