While I Sleep: Subliminal Affirmations, My Subconscious & Giving Myself Permission to Rest
Lately, I've been talking a lot about solitude, self-awareness, affirmations, healing, and protecting my peace.
Apparently, my Higher Self decided daytime wasn't enough.
Now we're working the night shift. 😂
I came across a sleep meditation from Nicky Sutton Sleep Meditations called:
“SUBLIMINAL Affirmations for NERVOUS SYSTEM Reset & Healing ★ Subconscious DEEP Healing Subliminal.”
🎧 Listen on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vPLhx8EpaLc
And immediately I thought...
Okay.
We've talked about what I consciously tell myself.
We've talked about my I AM statements.
We've talked about meditation.
We've talked about solitude.
But what am I feeding my mind when I'm winding down and preparing to sleep?
👀
My Mind Doesn't Always Know When to Clock Out
My body can be exhausted while my brain is still somewhere holding a staff meeting. 😂
Did I respond to that message correctly?
Why did that person say that?
What do I need to do tomorrow?
Did I forget something?
What if this happens?
What if that doesn't happen?
Meanwhile, my Higher Self is somewhere like:
GIRL. GO. TO. SLEEP.
😂😂😂
But seriously, I've learned that sometimes I need to intentionally create an environment that tells my mind:
We're done for today.
I don't have to solve everything tonight.
I don't have to understand everything tonight.
And I certainly don't have to carry tomorrow while I'm still lying in today's bed.
What Am I Feeding My Subconscious?
That's what intrigued me about subliminal affirmations.
The idea is that positive messages are presented subtly while one relaxes or sleeps.
I'm not looking at this as some magical cure.
I'm looking at it as another way of being intentional about what surrounds me.
Because I've already learned how much the things I repeatedly consume can affect me.
Music.
Television.
Social media.
Conversations.
Other people's energy.
And especially...
My own words.
If I'm going to fall asleep with something playing in the background, I'd rather it support relaxation and positive thoughts than fall asleep watching another murder documentary and wake up at 2:37 AM convinced I'm Detective Aisha again. 😂
True Story.
My Nervous System Deserves Some Peace Too
One thing I've become more aware of is how my body responds to stress.
Sometimes my mind says:
"I'm fine."
Meanwhile, my shoulders are somewhere around my ears. 😂
My jaw is tight.
My breathing is shallow.
My thoughts are racing.
My body might be telling a completely different story than the words coming out of my mouth.
So I'm practicing something different.
Slowing down.
Breathing.
Meditating.
Creating quiet.
Listening to calming music.
Using affirmations.
And allowing myself to rest without feeling guilty.
A meditation isn't a replacement for professional medical or mental-health care, and I'm not expecting a YouTube video to magically “reset” my nervous system.
But if creating a peaceful bedtime ritual helps me relax and settle down?
I'll take it. 😌
I Don't Have to Earn Rest
Whew.
That's one I'm still learning.
I don't have to complete every task before I'm allowed to rest.
I don't have to answer every message.
I don't have to solve everybody's problems.
I don't have to be productive every waking minute.
Rest is productive too.
Sometimes the most loving thing I can do for myself is stop.
Turn everything off.
Get comfortable.
Breathe.
And allow my body to do what it was designed to do.
Rest.
What I Say to Myself Matters
This connects beautifully with what I've been learning from Toni Jones and “Eye Am That I Am.”
My words matter.
So before I sleep, instead of allowing my final thoughts to be fear, frustration, anger, worry, or tomorrow's to-do list...
I can choose something different.
I am safe in this moment.
I am worthy of rest.
I release what I cannot control.
I release today's stress.
I give myself permission to be still.
I am healing emotionally and spiritually.
I am becoming more peaceful.
I trust myself.
I trust the process.
I am enough.
And perhaps my favorite:
I don't have to figure everything out tonight.
Because I really don't.
Healing Doesn't Always Have to Be Work
Sometimes I think we make healing sound exhausting.
Journal.
Meditate.
Exercise.
Read.
Process your trauma.
Set boundaries.
Drink your water.
Eat your vegetables.
Talk to your Higher Self.
😂😂😂
Okay!!!
Can I take a nap?!
And maybe that's part of the lesson.
Healing doesn't always have to feel like doing.
Sometimes it's allowing.
Allowing myself to rest.
Allowing myself to receive.
Allowing myself to be quiet.
Allowing my mind to stop fighting every battle.
Allowing tomorrow to wait until...
Tomorrow.
Tonight, I Choose Peace
So tonight, I'm trying something simple.
Phone down.
Lights low.
No murder mysteries. 😂
No doomscrolling.
No replaying conversations from three days ago.
I'll put on something calming, breathe deeply, and remind myself:
Today is complete.
Whatever didn't get finished can wait.
Whatever I couldn't control can be released.
Whatever tomorrow brings...
I'll deal with tomorrow.
Tonight?
I rest.
I release.
I receive.
I am worthy of peace.
And if my Higher Self wants to work the night shift...
She can handle it.
I'm going to sleep. 😂💚
Until next time, my beautiful souls. 😌
Peace, Love & Light. 💚🧘🏾♀️
Eye Am That I Am: The Words I Speak to Myself Become My Mantra
Godd3ss Aisha
There are songs I listen to...
And then there are songs I feel.
Toni Jones' "Eye Am That I Am" is one of those for me.
🎧 Listen to "Eye Am That I Am" by Toni Jones on Spotify:
Released in 2020 as part of her I See Me Mantras album, this isn't what I would consider a traditional song.
It's affirmation music.
It's something I listen to when I need to reconnect with ME.
And lately, I've been thinking a lot about exactly that.
What Do I Say About Myself?
I've talked about affirmations before, but lately I've been paying more attention to how I describe myself—especially when nobody else is around.
I can spend entirely too much time thinking about what other people think of me.
Do they like me?
Do they respect me?
Do they think I'm attractive?
Successful?
Smart?
Good enough?
But there's another opinion that matters even more.
MINE.
If I'm constantly telling myself:
"I'm not good enough."
"Nothing ever works out for me."
"I can't do this."
Eventually, those words can begin shaping how I see myself.
That's why I love the message I take from "I Am That I Am."
Instead of waiting for someone else to tell me who I am...
I tell myself.
I Look in the Mirror 👀
If you've been following these blogs, you already know I've spent some serious time looking in that mirror lately. 😂
Sometimes there were affirmations.
Sometimes there were tears.
And sometimes my Higher Self had to call me out on my own 💩.
But that's part of becoming self-aware.
I have to be willing to see myself.
Not the person social media sees.
Not the person my family sees.
Not the person other people expect me to be.
ME.
The beautiful parts.
The complicated parts.
The healed parts.
And yes...
The parts that still need a little work.
They all belong to me.
I AM...
Two incredibly powerful words.
Because what I choose to put after them matters.
I am powerful.
I am worthy.
I am abundant.
I am capable.
I am growing.
I am learning.
I am enough.
And one I've had to remind myself of lately:
I am still becoming. 😌
I don't have to have everything figured out.
I don't have to be completely healed.
I don't need the perfect career, relationship, body, bank account, or life to appreciate who I am today.
I can love who I am right now while still working toward the woman I'm becoming.
My Words Matter
One of the things I appreciate about Toni Jones' affirmation music is how intentionally it uses words.
Music already affects my mood, so I'm learning to be more intentional about what I'm feeding my mind.
Every day, I'm surrounded by noise.
The news.
Social media.
Other people's opinions.
And sometimes the loudest negativity comes from...
Me.
So I'm learning to change that conversation.
Instead of:
"I can't."
I can.
Instead of:
"I'm not enough."
I am enough.
Instead of:
"Nothing is working."
I trust the process.
Instead of waiting for someone else to validate me...
I validate myself.
My Mantra
When I wake up, before I grab my phone and start scrolling, I can take a moment and remind myself who I am.
I can look into that mirror.
Really look.
And finish this sentence:
I AM ____________.
Not what my boss says.
Not what my partner says.
Not what my family thinks.
Not what some random person on social media decided.
What do I say?
And if saying something positive about myself feels uncomfortable...
Maybe that's exactly why I need to keep saying it.
Affirmations aren't about pretending my life is perfect.
They're about changing the conversation I have with myself as I navigate an imperfect life.
So today, I'm reminding myself:
I am growing.
I am learning.
I am worthy.
I am protected.
I am becoming.
I am exactly where I need to be in this moment.
And most importantly...
I Am That I Am. 💚
That's my affirmation.
That's my reminder.
That's my conversation with myself.
And I'm going to keep saying it until the woman looking back at me in that mirror doesn't just say it...
She believes it.
Until next time, my beautiful souls. 😌
Peace, Love & Light. 💚🧘🏾♀️