Mind Spa - How to Relieve Psychological Stress

Author: Shen Xi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: According to research, 1/4 of people have experienced insomnia. Those with persistent insomnia are often strong seekers of treatment, while most untreated cases tend to self-recover. Why is this? Seekers of treatment often exhibit neurotic hypochondriac tendencies, an excessive pursuit of perfection, and heightened sensitivity to their physical, mental, and interpersonal well-being. Almost everyone experiences insomnia due to various factors such as noisy environments, physical discomfort, excessive daytime excitement, or drinking strong tea or coffee before bed. However, the most common cause of insomnia is still mental tension, anxiety, depression, and fear.
General insomnia typically lasts for a few days or even weeks, which is often a normal physiological or psychological defense response. However, patients with the aforementioned traits become anxious and restless, lying in bed trying to sleep while lying awake, worrying about their inability to do so. They fear that they will be tired the next day and affect their work, leading to further anxiety. In reality, they have fallen into an "insomnia trap"—anxiety about insomnia, insomnia caused by anxiety. This is the psychological mechanism of "spiritual interaction," where excessive focus on a sensation makes it hypersensitive, worsening it, which in turn increases anxiety and focus, creating a vicious cycle.
Thus, your anxiety and focus, or your attitude toward seeking treatment, can only lead you down the path of relying on sleeping pills. Those who do not seek treatment often recover on their own because they maintain a positive and optimistic outlook. While poor rest is undoubtedly frustrating, they dismiss it, saying, "It's nothing," or "It's already 12, and I'm not sleepy," without getting upset. They might even get up to read a book. The next day, though slightly uncomfortable, they still work and live healthily and energetically. This laid-back attitude keeps them calm and free from the "trap," eliminating the root cause of insomnia—the lack of focus on insomnia, allowing it to fade away unnoticed.
Of course, the "untreated" approach we refer to is merely a psychological coping strategy. Insomnia has many causes, and if you seek medical help, your prescription might simply read, "No treatment needed." As the saying goes in psychology, "If you see yourself as a patient, you will always live like one; if you see yourself as healthy, you will live healthily and optimistically like a normal person." Therefore, do not treat insomnia as a disease but accept it openly, without worrying or fearing it. "Only by giving sleep can you get it," as sleep does not occur by sheer will. Thus, avoid chasing sleep. At the same time, cultivate good living habits and pay attention to mental health.
Wang, a 25-year-old unmarried male, dreams every night, often waking up in extreme fear from terrifying dreams. He has been struggling with poor sleep for over half a year, leaving him exhausted. With no other option, he sought help from a psychologist. In reality, dreaming during sleep is a normal phenomenon. The presence of dreams indicates that you are asleep, not that you believe you haven't slept at all. Generally, people dream every night, but those with good sleep quality tend to forget their dreams upon waking, while those with poor sleep quality may remember some of them.