💭5 Notes: Gently fix your sleep schedule, meditation tips for beginners, Ellie's night-time routine

Welcome to 5 Notes! Today, we're chatting about:

• Today’s affirmation of value

• How to fix your sleep schedule

• Ease financial stress with Money

• Tips for beginner meditation

• Ellie’s night-time routine

Today’s Affirmation

“I have value just by being.”

Resetting Your Sleep Schedule (The Gentle Way)

A few small shifts that make a real difference:

• Put the phone away at night. Scrolling triggers cortisol and wakes up your brain when you’re trying to wind down. Bedtime mode helps.

• Make your room a sleep-only zone. Save the bed for sleep and sex. Keep the space cool, dark, and quiet to build a calm association.

• Keep the same sleep/wake times. Yes, even on weekends. Consistency strengthens your circadian rhythm.

• Cut caffeine 8 hours before bed. And keep alcohol at least 3 hours away from bedtime.

• Move your body. Exercise supports deeper, more restorative sleep.

• Use zeitgebers (time cues). Morning sunlight, meal times, and movement help anchor your internal clock.

• Reduce “social jetlag.” Late nights followed by early Mondays disrupt your rhythm more than you think.

• Try a wind-down ritual. Meditation, stretching, or quiet reading signals to your body that it’s time to rest.

• Still struggling? A sleep specialist can help identify what’s really going on.

Better sleep doesn’t require perfection, just a few habits that make your nights (and days) feel a lot steadier.

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Thank you to Money for sponsoring Note To Self.

Quick Meditation Tips for Beginners

Meditation sounds intimidating, but it’s really just intentional pause time for your brain. The goal isn’t to “empty your mind” or sit perfectly still. It’s to give your nervous system a break from constant input. Even a few minutes a day can help ease stress, quiet racing thoughts, and create a little more breathing room in a hectic week.

For beginners, simple techniques work best. Try breathing meditation: focus on your inhale and exhale, or use a pattern like 4-7-8 breathing. Mindfulness meditations invite you to notice sensations, thoughts, and feelings without judging them. Body scans and progressive muscle relaxation gently move attention through the body, releasing tension as you go.

If sitting in silence feels impossible, guided meditations or walking meditations are great options. The “best” technique is the one you’ll actually return to consistently, and with kindness.

Self-Care with Ellie: Night-Time Routine

Enjoying Note to Self?