Things look different in the darkness, don't they? That weirdly shaped lump that is clearly a laundry basket during daylight hours can transform into something kind of menacing in the shifting shadows of moonlight. And the familiar sound of your house settling, or your cat knocking something over, can suddenly seem like an intruder. Even though you know your doors are securely locked, darkness has a way of altering our perception, of magnifying small things and making them seem bigger, more threatening, more immediate.And it's not just physical objects that transform in the darkness. Our thoughts undergo a similar shift. There's actually a name for this phenomenon, catastrophizing.It's when our minds take a concern and escalate it to the worst possible outcome. And one of our mind's favorite things to catastrophize about, especially in the quiet hours when sleep won't come, is money. The rising cost of groceries becomes impending financial ruin.And a new story about layoffs or recession becomes certain unemployment. An unexpected expense transforms into never-ending debt. These worries may have legitimate roots in reality.I would never suggest otherwise. But in the darkness of night, they grow far beyond their true proportions. And it's not your fault.Our brains are actually wired this way. When we're tired, the rational part of our brain, the prefrontal cortex, begins to power down. While our emotional centers remain active.And without this rational oversight, our concerns can spiral unchecked. Add to this the lack of daytime distractions, and suddenly those financial worries have your full undivided attention. And of course, this cycle makes your insomnia worse.How could it not? Your heart rate increases, your muscles tense, and your mind races. All physiological responses that are the exact opposite of what your body needs to fall asleep. The more you worry about money, the more alert you become.And the more alert you become, the harder it is to sleep. And the less you sleep, the more catastrophic your financial worries appear. It's a cycle that can feel impossible to break.But tonight, we're going to break that cycle together. We'll use a combination of relaxation techniques and visualization to temporarily set aside these worries. Not to dismiss them, but to create the mental space needed for restorative sleep to arrive. Before we begin, I want to remind you to ensure that you are somewhere safe, where you can comfortably fall asleep. And there is a full disclaimer in the show notes. And a quick request.I would love to hear from you. Depending on what platform you're listening on, you'll find a place to comment or send me a message somewhere in or around the show notes. You can also find us on Facebook or Instagram, though I have to admit, it's a little lonely there at the moment. My most recent post is just a picture of my cat. But he is exceptionally handsome, so I still recommend having a look. And even just a simple hello would brighten my day. So let's acknowledge something important. Financial concerns are valid. They deserve your attention and action. But probably not in the middle of the night, when your problem-solving abilities are at their lowest, and your tendency to imagine worst-case scenarios is at its highest. Financial anxiety may be part of your life right now, but it isn't your entire existence. There's more to you than your bank account.Tonight, we're not going to pretend these concerns don't exist. We're going to acknowledge them, respect them, and then, just for the hours of sleep you need, we're going to set them aside. Not forever, just until morning, when your mind is refreshed and better equipped to handle them.So let's begin by finding a comfortable position, one that allows your body to fully relax. Adjust your pillows if needed, and allow your spine to find its natural alignment. Let your arms rest gently at your sides, and now bring your full awareness to your breathing. Take a deep, intentional breath in through your nose, filling your lungs, and then exhale slowly through your mouth, releasing all the air. Let's do that again. Breathe in deeply through your nose, and exhale through your mouth.Notice how each exhale carries tension away from your body. Now, I invite you to place one hand gently on your abdomen, just below your navel. With your next breath, direct the air deep into your lungs so that you feel your hand rise slightly. This is diaphragmatic breathing, the kind of breathing that signals to your nervous system that all is well, that it's safe to rest. Continue breathing this way, deeply and naturally. With each inhale, imagine drawing in peaceful energy, calm and comforting. With each exhale, release anything that doesn't serve your rest. Tension, worry, alertness. And let's bring attention to specific areas of your body now, releasing any hidden tension you might be holding.Let's start with your face, often a place where we unknowingly carry stress. Notice your forehead. Let it become smooth and unworried.Release all of those small muscles around your eyes and mouth. Feel your eyebrows softening and your eyelids becoming heavy and peaceful. Notice your jaw.Are you clenching or holding tension here? Feel the relaxation spreading through your cheeks and your temples. Your entire face. Now your neck and shoulders, places where financial stress often manifests physically.Let your shoulders drop away from your ears. Any knots of tension in your neck begin to unravel as you continue your deep nourishing breath. Move your awareness down to your arms and hands.Unclench your hands if they're tight and feel your fingers naturally curling into a position of rest. With each breath, any remaining tension in your arms and hands dissolves. Notice your back against the mattress.Any signs of tightness or holding are invited to release from the top of your spine to its base. Feel a wave of relaxation flowing downward. Your legs feel supported and still.All the way down to your feet. Feel them becoming warm and distant as relaxation deepens throughout your entire body. With each wave of breath, you sink a little deeper, become a little heavier, drift a little farther from wakefulness.There's nothing you need to do or accomplish. Simply experience each breath flowing in and flowing out. Your mind becomes quieter like a pond whose surface grows still when the wind subsides.Your attention rests more and more fully on the sensation of breathing, on the feeling of your body growing heavier and more peaceful with each moment. You're entering that perfect state of receptiveness now, where your conscious mind begins to quiet and your imagination can open to the healing visualization we're about to explore. You remain aware of my voice, following it easily and effortlessly as we continue our journey together toward restful sleep.Now that your body is settled comfortably, imagine yourself walking along a peaceful shoreline at dusk. The sun has just slipped below the horizon, painting the sky in soft purples and deep blues. Darkness is gradually falling around you as day surrenders to night.This is neither day nor night, but that magical in-between time when boundaries soften and different realms can meet. The sand is cool beneath your bare feet and ahead where the beach curves, you notice a small cove sheltered by gentle cliffs. This threshold place between land and sea, between waking and sleeping, is where we sometimes encounter our deeper selves.As you approach the cove, the last light of day fading around you. Your attention is drawn to those financial worries that may have been keeping you awake. We all carry these concerns, they're a natural part of living in today's world.Imagine that on the stand before you appears a sturdy storage container. This isn't a flimsy box, but rather a solid high-quality container with a secure lid, the kind you would use to protect important seasonal items or precious belongings. Notice its color, its texture.See how substantial and dependable it looks. One by one, begin to gather the financial worries from your mind. The nagging concern about rising prices.Gently place it in the container. The worry about retirement planning, that goes in there too. Those thoughts about credit card debt that circle in your mind, place them inside.Concerns about rent, monthly bills, or saving for your first home, all these join the others in the container. For each financial worry you identify, visualize yourself physically lifting it and placing it into this secure vessel. These concerns deserve acknowledgement.They're real and they matter, but they don't need to occupy your mind right now. When you've collected all your financial worries, press the lid firmly onto the container and hear that satisfying click as it seals shut. Your concerns aren't gone, but they're securely contained for now. As you hold this container of worries, become aware of a presence nearby. Someone has been waiting patiently in the deepening shadows of the cove. Turn slowly and see them standing there.A figure that we'll call the night guardian. It's difficult to make out their exact features. They're partially shrouded in mistiness, their face in gentle shadow, but you can see that they stand tall with a quiet dignity and strength. And their eyes, their eyes are unmistakably kind, radiating a calm understanding that immediately puts you at ease. The guardian carries a softly glowing lantern that casts a warm, gentle light around you both. There's something about their presence, a sense of wisdom, of experience that lets you know instinctively that your worries will be safe in their hands tonight.Without words, you know what to do. You extend the container toward them and with steady hands, they receive it from you. The transfer feels significant, a weight literally lifting from your shoulders, your arms, your hands. The night guardian nods once, acknowledging the importance of what you've entrusted to them. Then with unhurried movements, they turn and walk away along the shoreline, disappearing gradually into the gathering darkness with your container of worries. As you watch them fade from view, you feel a gentle transition beginning.The cool sand beneath your feet slowly transforms into the soft surface of your bed. The sound of distant waves becomes the quiet of your bedroom and the night air on your skin becomes the comfort of your blankets. You find yourself back in your bed, your head resting on your pillow and your body supported completely.Feel how differently your body rests now. Notice how your breathing deepens naturally. There's a newfound spaciousness in your chest, in your shoulders, your mind.These problems have been temporarily taken from your hands and that's exactly as it should be, because this is your time to rest. Tomorrow you'll wake, remembering what it feels like to be resilient, resourceful and strong. But you don't need to be any of those things right now. Those qualities belong to tomorrow's you. A refreshed, revitalized and proactive version of yourself. And you simply cannot become that person without proper rest. Not just for your body, but for your mind. Your mind has been worrying at these problems like a hamster on a wheel, spinning in endless circles, dwelling on financial issues until they seem twice as threatening and four times as insurmountable. It's nearly impossible to maintain perspective when you're tired, when your thoughts swim with worst-case scenarios that might never come to pass.But now your mind is free and your worries are in good hands until morning. What you may not realize is the true identity of the night guardian. This figure who now watches over your concerns is, in fact, a manifestation of your own subconscious mind, the part of you that continues to work even while you sleep. Unlike your tired conscious mind, your subconscious has the capacity to hold all your problems while you rest, to examine options from different angles, to see solutions that your overtired thinking mind cannot discover. As you lie here in bed, place a hand over your heart, feel it beating steadily beneath your palm, feel the warmth of your body, notice the air moving gently in and out of your lungs. Your heart is strong and courageous. Your spirit at its core is indomitable, is fierce. All you need now is rest. Feel how heavy your eyelids have become.Notice how your thoughts are slowing down, becoming less distinct and more dreamlike. Your body feels wonderfully heavy, melting into the bed beneath you. Each breath draws you deeper into relaxation. In this moment, remember that while you rest, your body is doing extraordinary work. Each system is engaged in its own form of renewal. Your muscles are repairing themselves, growing stronger.Your immune system is strengthening its defenses, and your brain is processing the day's information, consolidating memories, and yes, perhaps even finding new perspectives on those contained worries. This restoration happens automatically, perfectly, without any effort from you. All that is required is that you surrender to sleep.As you drift closer to sleep, take a moment to acknowledge what you do have in this moment. A simple blessing of shelter, a roof that keeps you safe from the elements, the comfort of your bed supporting you, the air that fills your lungs freely, without effort or cost, and perhaps there are people in your life who care about you, who value your presence in their world, regardless of your financial situation. Remember too, that you possess the resources that no financial circumstance can diminish.Your unique perspective, your capacity for kindness, your ability to appreciate beauty, your sense of humor, your creativity. These qualities remain yours, regardless of any external circumstances. Let go completely now.Release the last threads of wakefulness. Nothing requires your attention now. Nothing needs solving tonight.Your body grows heavier with each breath, sinking deeper into comfort. Your thoughts become more distant, like stars fading with the approaching dawn. The rhythm of your breathing slows, becomes deeper and more regular. Sleep approaches now, a gentle wave washing over you, carrying you into its peaceful depths.  Trust in this natural process that has restored humans since the beginning of time. Let go... let go... and drift away. Sleep now. Sleep deeply. Sleep well.