Welcome back, friend. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. It's Thursday morning, and I'm guessing your mind might be doing that thing where it's already three steps ahead of your body, right? Maybe you're worried about tonight's sleep, or you've got that familiar tension creeping into your shoulders just thinking about everything on your plate. Here's the beautiful truth: we're going to spend the next few minutes together giving your nervous system permission to slow down. And that, my friend, is the best gift you can give yourself before tonight.

Let's start by finding a comfortable seat, whether that's on your couch, in bed, or even propped up at your kitchen table. Shoulders soft. Spine tall but not rigid. Think of yourself like a tree with roots going deep and branches reaching gently upward. Now take a deep breath in through your nose, and as you exhale, imagine releasing everything you've been holding onto today. Do that again. In. Out. Good.

Here's what we're going to do together. I want you to try what I call the Five Senses Wind Down. Tonight, this practice will become your bridge between the busyness and the restfulness. Right now, notice five things you can see. Not judge, just notice. Maybe it's the way light hits your wall, a corner of clutter, the curve of your hand. Name them silently. Now four things you can physically feel. The chair beneath you, the temperature of the air, your clothes against your skin, maybe your breath moving in and out. Three things you can hear. Birds outside, the hum of something nearby, maybe just the quiet itself. Two things you can smell. And one thing you can taste, or just notice the taste of your mouth right now.

What just happened is your mind shifted from spinning ahead to being right here, in this moment. This is the exact calm we're chasing for sleep. Tonight, before bed, run through this same practice. It's like sending your brain a text that says, okay, we're landing now. The landing strip is clear.

I want to thank you so much for spending these minutes with me. You're building something real here, a muscle of presence that your sleep will thank you for. Make sure you subscribe to Sleep Soundly: Daily Mindfulness Exercises for Better Rest so you never miss a practice. You've got this. Sleep well.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI