You're staring at the ceiling again.
Room is quiet.
But your mind is still running like the day never ended.
If you're here,
This isn't just I can't sleep.
This is one of those overthinking nights.
Tired and wired.
You're not broken for this.
Tonight isn't about perfection.
It's about giving your brain one simple,
Kinder job.
For these minutes,
You don't have to fix anything.
You don't even have to believe this will work.
Just be here as you are.
If it feels okay,
Let your eyes soften.
They can close all the way.
Or just rest heavy.
Let your shoulders drop a little.
Let your tongue fall from the roof of your mouth.
Blanket on your skin.
Just notice what's already here.
Overthinking is what happens when the brain stays in problem-solving mode.
Long after the problems are on pause,
Your body made it to bed.
But your mind never got the memo that the shift is over.
It's not weakness.
It's a brain that learned to stay on so you can survive.
Bring one hand to your chest.
Feel the warmth under your palms.
Feel the gentle rise and fall as you breathe.
In through the nose for four.
Out through the mouth for six.
Notice like you're fogging a window.
Let's try it together.
Breathing in two,
Three,
Four.
Breathing out two,
Three,
Five,
Six.
Again.
In.
Feeling your chest lift into your head.
Out.
Letting your shoulders drop a little more than before.
Now let your breath move at its own pace.
If you can,
Let the exhale be a little longer than the inhale.
Here's the practice for overthinking nights.
When a thought shows up,
We're not going to wrestle it.
Imagine a simple wooden shelf in another room.
This is your tomorrow's shelf.
Every time a thought comes in,
The bill,
The text,
The thing you said,
The thing you didn't say,
You don't have to dive into the story.
Just give it a tiny title.
See yourself writing that title on a little sticky note.
Placing it on the tomorrow's shelf.
You're not pretending it doesn't matter.
You're saying,
You get my attention in the light,
Not in the dark.
So the move is simple.
Thought arises.
You notice it.
You give it a short name.
You place it on the shelf.
You come back to your breath.
And your body.
Notice.
Name.
Picture.
Shelf.
Breath.
Body.
I'll leave more space now for you to practice.
Just keep returning to the same steps.
You're not failing this if the thoughts are still coming.
You're teaching your brain a new line.
I can think about this later.
Feel your hand on your chest again.
The weight of your body on the bed.
The air moving in and out.
You do not have to solve tomorrow from this bed.
You do not have to replay every scene of today to earn your rest.
Right now,
It is enough to be a human lying down.
Unfinished.
If sleep is close,
You can let these words fade into the background.
And follow your own breath.
If you stay awake,
That's okay too.
You're still giving your nervous system a night where it doesn't have to chase every thought.
Let the breath keep moving.
Let the bed hold you.
For now,
You're allowed to rest from the work of overthinking.
Good night.
