Switching off after a stressful day

[abchandler]

I use one Paul McKenna's self hypnosis techniques. Start at 300 and slowly count down. Stay relaxed and concentrate on slow breathing. Also picture yourself in a lift descending outside a building.

This gives your brain enough to occupy it without the stressful thoughts coming in, but not too much that you can't relax.

I've got to the point now where by 299 my whole body has relaxed - even muscles I didn't realise were tense before I started

 

[Arch]

I have the radio on when I go to sleep - radio 4, so fairly soporific voices, and fairly quiet, just loud enough to hear what's being said. I leave it on all night, if I wake up and can't immediately get back to sleep, the World Service is there to listen to until I do.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Traumatic events will re play/take over the mind..sometimes to the exclusion of everything else...staring at the inside of eyelids whilst awake is the worst thing...better to keep busy, distract...easier said than done with serious events..but worth a try. There will likely be questions..which if able to be answered may help, but if they can tbe then there is no point in beating oneself up in search of reasons that eithe rdont exist, will never be forthcoming or will hurt if found.

I think of a totally neutral thing/word...something that meand absolutly nothing to me...something I jus thave no feelings about at all....then when the events replay or are triggered I simply say..."That cant hurt me (followed by my neutral word)"...sounds weird but it works mos tof the time...it associates the event with meaning nothing and helps distract the mind.

Talking it though can help...but beware of people who ask whats happening etc (always because they care) but all it is doing is replaying the event in the mind...causing pain...then they leave witht he information, but have actually simply compounded the pain by making one re live it. A counsellor is where you can get this out at your own pace...and becaus eit suits you...friends mean well but jus tdont understand if they havent experienced trauma themselves. Those that have will listen if you want to talk but wont ask you to tell them all about it, because they know that can really hurt.

I wish you well.