If you’ve been following along the past month of October, you have seen us welcoming the transition into fall by exploring our sleep.

We began with a pause breath exercise and then talked about sleep hacks, evening rituals, and how our daily routines lead to a good night’s sleep.

On Episode #124 of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we are extending our “sleep talk” into the first episode of November with five phrases that I find help me get to - and stay - asleep.

1. The early darkness from the time change is going to help me hunker down and go to sleep.

Try to embrace this time change and use it to your advantage.

Having darkness fall earlier allows you to nudge your body’s internal clock into sleep earlier, which can help leave you more well-rested in the morning.

1. I’m going to keep to my evening ritual as much as I can.

Picture this: You and some friends have decided to join an exercise class together.

The class meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm and lasts for an hour.

This seems like no big deal until you start to think about all the things you have to do in the evenings: dinner, laundry, dishes, pack lunch for the next day, etc.

So, you resign yourself to getting less sleep on those nights because you know you’ll go to bed later.

Instead, try preparing and planning ahead so you don’t miss your sleep target.

Pack all your lunches on Sunday so you don’t have to do it during the week. Ask someone else in the family to share in laundry duties. Have your pajamas and toiletries laid out and ready to go for your bath when you get home.

Planning ahead helps the routine be more automatic - and more effective!

1. Keep telling yourself, “All will be well.”

Once you’ve completed your routine and gotten into bed, you hunker down, close your eyes and…

Nothing. You can’t sleep.

Maybe your mind is going a million miles per minute; thinking of things you might have forgotten or need to do the next day. It happens to us all!

In that moment, I like to remind myself that all will be well. My family, my friends, my animals, my home, my plans, my responsibilities. They will all be well.

Then I let that sink in, and allow that feeling to calm me and relax me into sleep.

1. If I wake up during my sleep, I remind myself I’m resting.

If you find yourself waking up in the early Vata hours between 2 and 4am, it can sometimes be difficult to let go back into sleep.

If you can’t simply remember that although you may not be sleeping, you are resting.

Your mind and body are resting and healing and preparing for the day ahead.

1. Once I am up for the day, I remember that I have had enough sleep to do what I need to do for today.

You’re not performing brain surgery. (Well, unless you are a brain surgeon!)

Even if you got very little sleep, or your sleep quality felt less than you desired, it’s still OK.

You did, in fact, get enough sleep to accomplish your goals and tasks.

And, remember, there’s always tomorrow night!

Just keep repeating and remembering these 3 phases, incorporating your habits and routines, and you will soon find yourself relaxing into a wonderful night’s sleep…

Lorrie xoxox

Download my Sleep Checklist

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond

This month on the Habit Thrive Podcast is all about sleep.

We started with an episode exploring what contributes to a good night’s sleep and moved into answering the question: Why is it so difficult to put a daily routine into place?

On Episode #123 this week, we are using our Sleep Checklist to set ourselves up for a blissful sleep.

So, start by thinking about what time you go to bed.

10? 11:30? After Midnight?

If you have a consistently later bedtime and it works for you; by all means, stick with that!

But if you notice mornings are a little rough, and you’re always telling yourself “I need to get to bed earlier…”

Then plan for that.

Maybe back that bedtime goal up an hour or two.

From there, begin to plan your evening routine:

Dinner by 7pm

Stopping social media screen time by 8pm

Journal/Yoga/Meditaion

A warm bath at 8pm

A little TV or reading

In bed at 10

And, remember, your bedtime plan doesn’t have to go perfectly every time.

But I guarantee that once you start to notice how you feel after getting a blissful sleep, you’ll have an easier time following that sleep checklist.

Lorrie xoxox

Download my Sleep Checklist

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond

On this week’s episode of the Habit Thrive Podcast, we are continuing our journey into a good night’s sleep.😴

Last week, we explored how a good daily routine contributes to a good night’s sleep. This week, on Episode #122, we’re answering the question:

🤔Why is it so difficult to put a daily routine into place?

Let’s start by recognizing what, exactly, makes a routine (and noticing that you may already have some).😉

✅Waking up at the same time each morning

✅Hitting a few yoga poses to get your muscles warming as you get out of bed

✅Planning ahead for a healthy, well-balanced lunch

✅Taking a walk every afternoon

✅Having dinner before 8pm

✅Taking a warm bath before bed

Just to name a few!

These all seem like simple, easy routines to have… so what could possibly make them difficult to put into place?🤷‍♀️

For one: LIFE!

There’s just a lot going on right now for a lot of us.😬

⭐You might have a social obligation that keeps you out later than normal, leaving you hitting snooze in the morning

⭐You’ve got a busy day that requires you to grab a quick lunch wherever you can instead of making your normal salad at home

⭐The rain prevents you from taking your daily walk

⭐A new dinner recipe turns into an utter disaster and results in a late-night pizza

Another distraction from our routine is the constantly overwhelming presence of technology.

📱We have all stayed up way too late scrolling on Facebook

📱Or letting news articles cause us to stress over things we can’t control

📱Or hopping onto Pinterest for a quick recipe only to go down the rabbit hole

The time and mental toll that technology tends to take can certainly hijack our day … and our happiness.

So, try swapping your phone or tablet for a journal🖊️

Take a deep breath.😮‍💨

Enjoy nature around you.🌳

And put yourself first, even if just for a moment!🤗

Keep your routines at the forefront of your mind, and you’ll start to notice how they connect to letting go into a good night’s sleep.

Lorrie xoxox

Download my Sleep Checklist

Loving the show? Let’s connect! Find me:

Facebook: Women's Wellness Community: For women wanting to rock their “Me Now” Years

Instagram: @Habitguru365

Website: lorriemickelson.com

Habits, Mindfulness Routines & Self Care For Women 50 & Beyond