Actress Jane Seymour, aged 75, has revealed her approach to managing sleep anxiety after decades of dealing with irregular schedules and jet lag due to her movie career. In an interview, Seymour explained that she ensures she gets at least eight hours of sleep most nights and uses blackout curtains to create an ideal sleep environment. However, if she struggles to fall asleep, she avoids panicking or obsessing over it.
Seymour described her experience working nights in movies without the opportunity to adjust her internal clock, stating that she simply adapts to the demands placed on her schedule. Comparing it to the erratic sleep patterns of babies, she highlighted the inevitability of such disruptions.
To cope with sleepless nights, Seymour employs two main strategies: meditation and keeping a notepad by her bedside where she writes down any worries. She believes that transferring her thoughts onto paper helps clear her mind and promotes relaxation, leading to better sleep. “I definitely believe in that, quieting the mind,” she said.
The practice of journaling for mental clarity and stress relief is utilized by others as well. Olympian skier Tess Johnson shared that she journals twice daily, using it to set goals in the morning and unload thoughts at night to facilitate restful sleep. Similarly, athletes like Michael Phelps and WNBA player Caitlin Clark have incorporated journaling into their routines.
Mental health experts support the benefits of writing down thoughts to manage anxiety. Arthur C. Brooks, a Harvard professor and happiness researcher, explained that journaling helps shift emotional experiences from the brain’s limbic system to the prefrontal cortex, enabling more rational processing of feelings. Clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly noted that journaling can reveal hidden fears contributing to anxiety and help identify triggers.
Overall, Jane Seymour’s method of addressing sleep difficulties reflects a broader acceptance of mindfulness and journaling as effective tools for reducing sleep anxiety and improving mental well-being.
