Getting back to sleep.

Early this morning, I lay awake ruminating. I would usually try to distract myself by focusing on my breathing, which has a mediocre average return. Instead, I acknowledged that my brain was trying to keep me safe by imagining what I would do in bad situations. I thought, "Thank you, brain, for protecting me. But I need sleep more than I need planning." Then I paid attention to how each breath felt, while counting on both the inhale and the exhale. I was back asleep before I got to ten.

I've read that it makes more sense to view a person as a collection of selves than as a solitary self. Maybe the self that ruminates prefers not to be dismissed. Give it some appreciation and validation.