Challenges
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Quick Win
Worries often pop up just when you’re trying to wind down. Jotting down thoughts and to-dos may help your mind settle.
Try This Today
- Prep your worry pad. Put a notebook and a pencil by your bed. (Avoid using your phone or computer, as the light can hamper sleep.)
- Be action-oriented. If you’re stressed about an upcoming event or trip, write down all the steps you can take to prepare.
- Revisit. Look at your list in the morning. Is there anything you can take care of immediately? Transfer other to-dos to sticky notes and leave them where you will see them. Knock out as many as you can.
Why
Making a to-do list may help you mentally offload worries and responsibilities before bedtime, thereby reducing stress and paving the way for sound slumber, suggests a study of 57 adults ages 18–30 reported in 2017 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. In the study, the more thorough and specific the to-do lists were, the faster participants fell asleep.
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