Slowing It Down

I recently spoke to an entrepreneur who shared that what she really wanted was more money AND more sleep. When I asked her why she wasn't getting enough sleep, she replied that her mind started racing at night and it kept her up.

I bet so many of you can relate. 

When I hear people describe thoughts like this, I often think the scene from I Love Lucy in the chocolate factory. Lucy and Ethel are factory workers tasked with wrapping each piece of candy that comes down the conveyer belt. Their boss has told them that if even one candy goes unwrapped, they will be fired. The stakes are high. At first, the chocolates come at a manageable pace, and then a bit faster, and then suddenly at a very fast clip. One chocolate after the next, Lucy and Ethel cannot get it under control, stuffing chocolates down their shirts, into their mouths, filling their hats. Whatever they can do to keep up the facade of success for their boss. At one point, Lucy says to Ethel, “I think we’re fighting a losing game”. 

This is exactly what our racing thoughts can feel like. This level of stress is comical in the video clip, but can be debilitating if we let it go unchecked in the real world. 

But it's not exactly the racing thoughts that are the issue. Of the 6,000 plus thoughts we have everyday, we dismiss many of them as benign, or boring, or outright ridiculous, and we let them pass on by. Then there are the ones we pluck out and attach meaning to. "If this then that." We concoct entire stories of the future based on a thought, or we re-hash the past over and over. 

If your mind is racing and you can't quite slow down, ask yourself what are the thoughts are keeping you up. What are you making them mean? It's the meaning that creates all the pressure.

And—if you would like support in what's keeping you up at night, reach out. I have been offering clarity sessions designed to help my clients get clear on whatever is weighing most heavily right now. In a few hours you will have a different lens and a plan forward. Just respond to this email and we can have a conversation to see if this is a fit for you.

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