The 26 Breaths Technique For A Good Night's Sleep
A good night's sleep could be just one small tweak away. Helping you deal with those waves of anxiety that can hit you at night.
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For many people who have underlying stress and anxiety, it is at night when it hits you the hardest. Stewing over problems, worrying about things you cant control and churning over potential solutions.
But the knock on impacts of lost sleep can quickly start to be felt across all areas of your life. A small problem can easily feel ten times worse when you haven’t slept well. At work, tasks that are usually well within your expertise feel out of reach.
Problems start to mount, magnifying night after night.
A downward spiral begins.
But it doesn’t need to be this way
I read a great quote recently that said “there are hundreds of ways to deal with stress and anxiety. All you need to do is find one that works”. So to do that, you need to be open trying new techniques.
In that spirit, here is one that I’ve tried recently that has worked for me. In fact, as I practice it more and more, it is becoming my super power. It could just work for you, and as its just so simple, you really must give it a try.
So what exactly are we fighting against here
This isn’t a story of you vs the world or you solving all those issues that are keeping you awake. This is about you vs yourself. This is about you having agency over your feelings so that you can get the sleep and wake up refreshed and ready to tackle those problems.
Begin in your normal sleep position…
Place the number 26 in your head.
Take a deep breath in, holding the number 26 in your head all the time.
Hold your breath in for 2 seconds, then breathe out slowly.
After 2 seconds, place the number 25 in your head.
Take a slow breath in and hold again for 2 seconds.
Breathe out slowly again.
Repeat, each time dropping down a number.
You may find your mind start to wander onto your worry list. Each time you do this, drag yourself back to the number you’re supposed to be on. That takes a little practice but you’ll get the feel for it quite quickly.
I have never got below number 5.
I have fallen asleep each time and can never ever remember which number I fell asleep on!
This technique works for me. Maybe I’ve found the one thing that works for my particular situation but it could just work for you too.
But it isn’t easy
You need to put in the time and have the discipline to shift your mind back to the number. And, above all, you need to believe that it can work.
I’ve been talking about sleep here but it can work for other uses too. Try it out for relaxation, breaks between work tasks or writing sessions. Use it for rejuvenation throughout the day.
Just don’t fall asleep between meetings and wake up 2 hours later!
Let us know in the comments whether you’ve tried this one or any variations that could work too.
Two Recommendations - what to consume this week
1. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before by Julie Smith
This book has helped me no end with different techniques for helping with my mental health. I recommend a read and trying some of them. You never know which one might work for you.
2. How The Stoics Dealt With Anxiety - The Daily Stoic
Even more strategies for you to try and this time from the great Ryan Holiday.
Top 3 articles of the week
Finding great articles on Substack can be difficult. Fear not, I have been digging deep into the discovery areas of the platform so you don’t have to.
Here are my top three posts to read this week:
Harness the Power of Thoughts and Persistence...#48 by
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I’ve never struggled to sleep (very, very lucky, I am aware) but I’ve been amazing at it in recent years because I use techniques like this. I’ve actually given the 26 breaths technique a go over the past week and haven’t yet reached single figures. I also make a conscious effort to drop my shoulders and relax my facial muscles.
I am SO gonna try this technique tonight! Great resource round-up as usual - Julie Smith's book has been on my list for a while but I've just never got round to it