Latest / The Kathie Owen Perspective Podcast / 230. Overthinking at 3 AM? Transform Your Nights with These Tips

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230. Overthinking at 3 AM? Transform Your Nights with These Tips · The Kathie Owen Perspective Podcast

• 0:00
  Hey friends.
• 0:00
  Welcome back to the channel.
• 0:01
  If you're new here.
• 0:02
  My name is Kathie Owen, holistic wellness coach and team consultant, and someone who helps high achieving leaders thrive.
• 0:11
  One heart at a time.
• 0:13
  Today we're diving into something I hear all the time from my friends and clients.
• 0:18
  Hey Kathie, I'm waking up at 3:00 AM and I cannot turn my brain off.
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  What is wrong with me?
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  The short answer, nothing.
• 0:28
  You're not broken, but your brain is waving a flag and we're gonna talk about that today.
• 0:34
  And what is it trying to tell you?
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  You are listening to Kathie's Coaching podcast.
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  I'm your host, Kathie Owen.
• 0:43
  If you've tried melatonin weighted blankets, wine or meditation apps, but you're still tossing and turning or popping awake in the middle of the night.
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  This episode is for you.
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  We're gonna unpack the real reason this happens, why high achievers are especially prone to it, and the simple evening shift that helps you sleep like a rock.
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  I wanna start with a bold statement.
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  You don't need more melatonin.
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  You need mental closure.
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  Here's what I mean.
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  Your brain is this incredible problem solving machine, and during the day, especially for high achievers like you, it's on fire.
• 1:28
  You're solving big problems.
• 1:31
  You're making decisions that impact teams and revenue.
• 1:34
  You're keeping plates spinning at work and at home.
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  You're holding space for everyone, but often not yourself.
• 1:43
  Every one of those moments creates what I call an open loop, an unfinished mental tab, just like your browser with 47 windows open at night.
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  Your body is trying to power down, but your brain is still spinning.
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  Especially at 3:00 AM when your prefrontal cortex goes offline and your emotional brain, the limbic system wakes up.
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  That's when the mental gremlins show up.
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  Whispering, did you follow up with the vp?
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  What if the deal doesn't close?
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  Should I rethink that strategy?
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  I pitched.
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  Or this one from a friend of mine I heard last week, my God, my assistant is on maternity leave for six months.
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  What if I mess something up?
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  Now?
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  I'll be honest with you, I don't struggle with sleep anymore.
• 2:37
  In fact, I sleep like a rock.
• 2:40
  I love my sleep, but that wasn't always the case.
• 2:45
  There was a season in my life after a traumatic event where my anxiety was at an all time high.
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  That's the only time I can remember struggling with sleep and what saved me.
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  It wasn't a pill and it wasn't forcing myself to relax.
• 3:02
  It was my evening routine.
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  My flow, my ability to process the day and close those loops.
• 3:11
  Let's talk about why this actually matters.
• 3:14
  Waking up in the middle of the night isn't just annoying.
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  It's disrupted to your focus, your mood, your leadership, and your long-term health.
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  Here's what I see in my executive clients who don't sleep well.
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  They're reactive instead of responsive.
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  They lose their edge, not because they're smart, but because they're mentally overloaded.
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  They feel disconnected from themselves, their families, and their teams.
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  And the worst part, they think it's normal to operate this way, but it's not.
• 3:51
  You're just in leadership limbo, still holding the weight of the day, even in your sleep.
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  This is where my favorite thing comes in the evening, wind down checklist.
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  This is not a luxury.
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  This is your leadership protocol because how you're end your day determines how well you lead tomorrow.
• 4:17
  Let me walk you through the six steps in the checklist I created for my clients.
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  Close the loops is step number one.
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  Write down three things still open in your mind.
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  Put a name plus a time on when you'll handle them tomorrow.
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  Number two, breathe and reset.
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  Try box breathing.
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  Breathe in for four seconds.
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  Hold at the top for four seconds and breathe out for six seconds.
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  Bonus points if you float.
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  What is floating?
• 4:56
  Kathie?
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  Floating is a way we deal with anxiety.
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  When anxiety arises, you just float.
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  You just vision floating on a river, on a cloud, whatever you see as floating, and you practice the deep breathing.
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  This put your nervous system on calm, on calm, not anxiety.
• 5:23
  If you want some more information about floating, I'll be happy to talk about it.
• 5:26
  Just comment the word, float in the comments below, and I will tell, give a do a video on floating'cause it's very helpful.
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  Step number three, shut down your technology.
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  Turn those devices off by 9:00 PM Honestly, I think earlier is better, but if it has to be nine or even 10, no shame, no condemnation.
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  Turn those lights off.
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  Use red light filters.
• 5:59
  And this isn't just about light.
• 6:02
  It's about not letting the outside world rinse space in your nervous system before bed.
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  I can't tell you how many of my clients have fallen to sleep with their phones in their hand scrolling.
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  No, don't do that.
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  That is so bad for your brain.
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  And if that's something that you enjoy doing, fine, do it.
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  But please try to eliminate it or try to cut back on it.
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  Number four.
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  Name the feeling.
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  Just say, today I felt, fill in the blank.
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  That's it.
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  High achievers, forget to process feelings.
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  This step is everything.
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  Process those feelings.
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  Name those feelings.
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  Name those emotions, and don't forget to process them.
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  Number five, visualize tomorrow.
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  As done.
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  Picture yourself handling everything with calm confidence.
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  It primes your brain for a rest, I'm just saying.
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  And number six, anchor with a ritual.
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  I love anchors.
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  So we're gonna anchor all of this checklist with a ritual.
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  It could be herbal tea.
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  Could be cozy socks, a candle, your skincare routine.
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  Create a signal that the day is closed, and guess what?
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  This takes less than 10 minutes, but the ripple effect is huge.
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  Don't believe me.
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  Just try it.
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  Try it for one week.
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  By the way, I created a free printable version of this checklist, and it's not just the checklist.
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  It's got more details in it and steps and actions you can take, including new ideas.
• 7:58
  Yeah, you can go download that, there's a link in the description and show notes below.
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  And if you wanna go deeper, if you want help creating a personal wind down flow based on your energy, your leadership style, and your nervous system, I'm offering a sleep and nervous system reset for just$147, it's usually$400.
• 8:24
  In this session, we'll map out what's really keeping you up at night, your personal triggers, mental, emotional, and physical.
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  A custom routine that actually works for you and your brain.
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  Tools you can use during the day to prevent the 3:00 AM spike.
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  Click a link in the show notes in the episode below to learn more about this offer.
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  I want you to remember this.
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  You don't need to push harder.
• 9:00
  You need to recover smarter.
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  Your next level of clarity, leadership, and performance doesn't come from overthinking at 3:00 AM It comes from mastering your evening, closing those loops and showing your nervous system.
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  I've got you.
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  You can lead powerfully and sleep peacefully.
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  Trust me, I do.
• 9:28
  If you found today's video helpful, give it a thumbs up.
• 9:31
  Subscribe to my channel and share this with the higher performer in your life who needs it.
• 9:37
  Comment below.
• 9:38
  What's one thing you're gonna change today about your evening routine starting tonight?
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  Don't forget to download your evening wind down checklist.
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  It's free.
• 9:55
  Links are in the show notes and description below.
• 9:59
  Alright, that's my episode for today.
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  I trust that you found it helpful.
• 10:03
  If you know someone who can benefit from this, please share with them and until next time, I will see you next time.
• 10:10
  Peace out and namaste.