Here’s a tip. If you’re having trouble sleeping because you can’t stop thinking about a problem that needs to be solved, and if using your “external hard drive” doesn’t do the trick, give yourself permission to think about the problem. Instead of trying to relax and clear your mind, you can spend a few minutes thinking about the problem that needs to be solved. But then turn that problem over to your subconscious mind.
Many people report that they sometimes wake up with the solution to a problem. That’s because our subconscious mind continues to work on the problem even while we’re asleep. So make a conscious effort to do that. By thinking about a problem as we’re going to sleep and recognizing how our mind works, we can relax by knowing that the sooner we get to sleep, the sooner that hidden part of our brains can come up with some solutions.
On Office Space, Peter asks the therapist if there’s a way he can hypnotize him so that he won’t realize he’s at work. This is sort of the same thing.
Have you ever dreamed all night about work and then woken up feeling exhausted, only to have to get up and get ready for work?