June Newsletter - How to deal with setbacks & using mindfulness for better sleep

How do you deal with setbacks? 

​We all have times in life where things don’t go the way we hoped or planned. I remember the first year my sleep podcast listenership took a dip in May, I got a little anxious wondering what I was doing wrong and how I could fix it.Now in my third year, I’ve learned that the beginning of summer is just a slower time of year for a sleep podcast. Folks are getting outside more, staying up later and going to sleep naturally more tired from the longer days. They don’t need as much help falling asleep as they do during the rest of the year, and that’s a good thing.

So I stopped looking for ways to fix something that wasn’t broken. When I realized this was just a part of the natural cycles and rhythms of life, I saw an opportunity for a different response. Many farmers can’t sow or harvest in winter, but that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy winter or take the time to do something else.

I find that by yielding to my wisdom, not my doubts, I’m able to let go of the "problem solving" mode my mind drifts toward during any kind of a setback. This allows me to incorporate new perspectives and welcome change, so this year I’m spending these longer days creating new meditations and audiobooks to help give folks a little more peace during the day. I’m also taking time to enjoy the warmer weather outdoors, relaxing creekside with friends and neighbors.

How do you deal with seasonal setbacks, and what do you love most about summer? I’d love to know.

Here’s something that brings me peace.

​Shift Into Freedom by Loch Kelly is one of the best books I’ve read this year. His Effortless Mindfulness teaching has shown me how to access a pre-installed human "operating system" that I didn't even know was there. It’s also given me a new way to meditate anywhere and anytime. Right now, it's available for only $.99 on iBooks.

His teaching combines ancient wisdom practices, neuroscience, and contemporary psychology to help us shift from our chattering mind to a more grounded sense of well-being. You can experience Loch’s teaching for yourself on June 21st in his free online meditation hour.​

Here’s something to help you sleep.

Did you know that even the most basic mindfulness practice can help you get better sleep? I found a really interesting article in Psychology Today that cites research published in JAMA. In the study, older adults who had trouble sleeping were given either six weeks of sleep education classes or six weeks of mindfulness classes. By the end of the study, those who were in the mindfulness classes had less insomnia, fatigue, and depression than those who were in the sleep education classes.

Just placing your awareness on the natural rhythm of the breath and gently bringing it back when your mind wanders can be enough to make a difference. If you’d rather try a free guided mindfulness meditation, there’s a growing library of them on listentosleep.com with a new one added every Wednesday.

Here’s something I made.

This month is my one year anniversary on TikTok. It’s been so wonderful to share some of the peace of our mountain home along with what I’ve learned on the way to getting here. I’ve also made lots of new friends all over the world, and some of them asked if I would make longer videos to help them relax. I loved that idea, so I went down to the creek and made one last week.

If spending 30 minutes by the creek at sunset sounds good to you, it’s on my YouTube channel.​

Sleep well.💜

Erik

PS You'll get a free download of a relaxing recording of the creek behind the cabin when you subscribe to my monthly email newsletter with tips to help you get better sleep at night and more peace during the day. It's easy! Just use the form on this page. (Scroll to the bottom on mobile.)