Q: What do you hold onto when you’re sleeping?

Posted on by Senia

Hi, welcome to Friday Questions! Would love to hear your response in the comments, and that’s where you’ll find mine.

Q: What do you hold onto when you’re sleeping?

Have you ever noticed that when you’re waking up, your face may be scrunched up in a thought? Your jaw might be tight or clenched? Your eyebrows may be knotted together? Have you ever noticed some physical reaction in your face as you’re waking up?

Where does this come from – if you have noticed it? What thoughts are bombarding around inside your head like dry rice inside a musical egg shaker? What’s making you tense up your face?

Because that’s what’s happening if you find yourself waking up with your face tensed up – something’s making you think tension-building thoughts.

And then it’s up to you whether those are useful or not useful thoughts. It’s up to you whether those thoughts are productive and more you forward. Sometimes you are in a serious situation in your life in which you may need to focus on situations even during your sleeptime. But often, you’re not in those serious situations.

I’m probably thinking along this wavelength because I just wrote about thoughtless awareness, and am thinking about things that make me aware.

Have a wonderful weekend!

4 thoughts on “Q: What do you hold onto when you’re sleeping?”

  1. I’ve held onto a bunch of things. The largest is probably that I can easily hold onto emotional conversations that are difficult or were difficult.

    I don’t enjoy it at all – and no, it’s not productive to me – to wake up with my face scrunched up and thinking about something distrubing.

    So what have I found that I can do to get out of holding onto something?
    * I can physically relax my face – progressive relaxation. I can relax different parts of my face.
    * I can think of a new blog post idea that I’ve been wanting to write, and then go write it.
    * I can think of people who really matter to me, and I can think through how warmly I feel towards them.
    * I can aim for thoughtless awareness, and in a sense focus only on breathing for a few moments.

    Sometimes, it’s just a matter of distracting me from myself. :)

  2. Just found your blog Senia and I love it -thanks! I’m subscribed to your RSS feed now.

    Last night I couldn’t find my cell phone so had to set the alarm on my husband’s phone. This morning when the alarm went off the ringtone made me think of him. That was a great first thought of the day.

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