When you think of a “touchstone,” it’s usually a person with whom you can share your deepest desires, hopes, fears, frustrations, and dreams. This is your “go-to” cheerleader/accountability partner.
But what if you don’t have someone in that role?
You need to keep going after your goals and be open to possibilities.
Touchstones are your inner circle. They look after you, mentally and sometimes physically. They challenge and uplift you. In colloquial terms, “They’ve got your back.”
So what about worry dolls?
When I was a little girl, I received a small lidded basket filled with tiny worry dolls. I loved them! I knew they were from Guatemala, but that was about all. At the time, I didn’t understand their purpose.
Recently, I received a new set (my first has been MIA for many years.) These are like the above picture.
Worry dolls let you leave your worries with them. The legend is that you whisper your worries to them, place them beneath your pillow, and you’ll sleep more soundly.
This is akin to writing your worries in a journal before bed or using worry beads. The bottom line is that you’re freeing your mind so that you are able to sleep. For those who don’t want to try mediation (guided or traditional), this might be a viable option.
It’s important to allow your mind to rest because that’s the time memories are consolidated and learning occurs. Does learning happen other times? Of course, but this is background processing. Magic happens here.
Have you ever gone to bed thinking about a problem, drifted off to sleep and awakened with a solution based on some whacky dream?
That was background processing in action.
The take-way is this: Find a way to free your mind so that you’re able to rest. Do this by,
- Meditating
- Visualization
- Practicing Tai Chi or Yoga before bed
- Journaling
- Drawing/doodling
- Praying
- Using worry dolls
- Talking with your “touchstone”
None of us live a worry-free life. The important thing is that we learn how to cope with those moments when worry wants to take over and invade our sleep.
