Arianna Huffington

1. Daily Morning Meditation Practice

Meditate every morning for 20-30 minutes, either on a cushion, chair, or in bed, before starting any other activities to establish a consistent practice.

2. Meditate During Night Wakings

If you wake up in the middle of the night, prop yourself up in bed and meditate without a specific endpoint, allowing yourself to fall back asleep naturally rather than stressing about not sleeping.

3. Quick Mid-Day Stress Reset

During the day, if feeling stressed, close your eyes, silently chant a mantra (your ’tone’), and connect with your breath for even a minute to course-correct and regain equanimity.

4. Cultivate Inner Equanimity

Strive to reach an ‘imperturbable’ state where outside events don’t disturb your inner calm, recognizing that everyone has this ‘inner citadel’ to retreat to.

5. Practice Rapid Self-Correction

Make it a goal to quickly catch yourself when feeling stressed or upset and return to a centered state, rather than dwelling on mistakes or negative emotions.

6. Silence the Obnoxious Roommate

Actively work to stop the draining internal ‘obnoxious roommate’ of self-criticism and judgment, which consumes energy and hinders personal progress.

7. Ruthlessly Prioritize Sleep

Prioritize getting enough sleep by scheduling your bedtime 8 hours before you need to wake up. Be willing to cancel or avoid events that would compromise your sleep, especially before important ‘game day’ events.

8. Determine Optimal Sleep Duration

Identify your individual optimal sleep duration (typically 7-9 hours) by observing when you wake up naturally without an alarm, feeling completely recharged.

9. Establish a Sleep Ritual

Develop a personalized ‘Good Night Moon’ ritual to transition from your day to sleep. Consciously say goodnight to devices, to-do lists, worries, and mistakes.

10. Implement Sleep Micro-Steps

When overhauling sleep habits, begin with small, manageable changes, such as adding just 30 minutes to your sleep time, rather than attempting an overnight transformation.

11. Banish Devices from Bedroom

Turn off all electronic devices and remove them from your bedroom at least 30 minutes before bed. This avoids blue light exposure and the temptation to engage with digital distractions.

12. Optimize Sleep Environment

Control your bedroom environment by keeping the temperature around 67 degrees. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to ensure darkness and reduce light.

13. Pre-Sleep Water Ritual

Take a hot bath with Epsom salts or a shower before bed. This ‘water purification ritual’ helps slow down the brain and wind down the body, creating a demarcation line for sleep.

14. Read Physical Books in Bed

Only read physical books in bed, choosing spiritual books, philosophy, poetry, or old novels that are non-stimulating. This takes your mind away from daily concerns and avoids blue light from screens.

15. Practice Bedtime Gratitude

End your day by writing down or verbally sharing three things you are grateful for. Focus on positive experiences to give the ‘closing scene of the day to the good things.’

16. Emergency ‘Dumb Phone’ Protocol

If you need to be reachable for emergencies, use a basic ‘dumb phone’ without data in your bedroom. This allows you to receive calls without the temptation of digital distractions.

17. Wear Special Sleep Attire

Rekindle the ‘romance with sleep’ by wearing special sleep attire, like beautiful lingerie, instead of day clothes or gym wear, to make bedtime feel special.

18. Embrace ‘Hokey’ Rituals

Don’t be afraid to create and embrace personalized, even ‘hokey’ or unsophisticated, transition rituals for sleep. Their effectiveness is personal and doesn’t need external validation.

19. Intimacy as Sleep Aid

Consider intimacy (sex/orgasms) as a natural sleep aid. It can help you relax and fall asleep more easily.

20. CBT for Insomnia

For persistent insomnia, consider Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It is significantly more effective than sleeping pills without adverse side effects.

21. Limit Afternoon Caffeine

Stop drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages by 2 p.m. This prevents caffeine from staying in your body and interfering with your sleep later in the evening.

22. Understand Why Change Matters

Before attempting behavior change, clearly understand and be convinced of the importance and benefits of the new habit. Ground your motivation in scientific understanding or personal experience.

23. Accept Setbacks Non-Judgmentally

When learning new habits or making changes, accept setbacks or regressions without self-judgment. Simply restart, as this non-judgmental approach is crucial for long-term success.

24. Set Morning Intention

Upon waking, give yourself at least a minute before checking your phone to set your intention for the day. Look ahead at your priorities rather than letting your inbox dictate your agenda.

25. Empower Employee Disconnection

Employers should foster a culture where employees are not expected to be on email or text after work hours. Clearly communicate that urgent matters will be handled via phone calls.

26. Use Vacation Email Tool

For employers or individuals, implement a ‘holiday email tool’ that automatically deletes incoming emails during vacation. It directs urgent inquiries to a contact person, allowing for a truly disconnected and recharged return.

27. Distribute 24/7 Workload

Companies operating 24/7 or across multiple time zones should structure their operations to ensure coverage without requiring any single employee to be available around the clock.