From Spiral to Stillness

An ode to my overactive mind...

Last night was one of those mental tug-of-wars so many parents can relate to. I heard my three year old calling out for me around 1:25am, only to find him standing in his doorway, tears streaming down from a bad dream. I carried him back to bed and climbed right in with him so he could snuggle up and regulate. There are plenty of opinions about staying above the covers or under, leaving before they fall back asleep or after… but I read the situation and it called for mom under the covers until we fall asleep.

And so began the age-old battle.
Not of trying to fall asleep, but of trying not to.

Identifying the right thoughts to focus on (that are stimulating enough to keep you from dozing, but not so stimulating that you can’t fall back asleep in your own bed after making your daring escape) is a challenge like no other.

I opted not to think about the current states of the world, our bank account, or my to-do list (all far too stimulating), and actually found myself here, in a liminal Substack content-planning mode where I could visibly see words flowing out and forming poignent sentences in my mind. I was peacefully floating between alpha and theta states and relaxed into all of the swirly ideas that were forming.