One of the most common things I hear from my clients regularly is that they are experiencing some form of anxiety at night surrounding work. The mind gets going and begins solving problems, thinking about what happened during the day, or simply falling into worry. If this is you, you’re definitely not alone. It happens to a lot of people, and there are many different ways to work with the active mind at night.

Why Does Anxiety about Work Arise at Night?

There are many reasons that you may find yourself thinking about work at night. It’s well-documented that for many individuals anxiety is worse at night. During the day, we are often a bit distracted or focused on completing tasks. When we finally stop at night and have nothing to do, it gives space for the mind to start thinking. For many of us, work makes up a substantial portion of our days, identity, and experience in life. It’s natural that we begin thinking about work as soon as our heads hit the pillow.

Without distractions, two things are happening. First, the brain has time to get active. We aren’t thinking about the task at hand or whatever we are doing during the day. There is free space, and the brain can use this time to begin thinking about work. Second, the body is not distracted or active. The experience of anxiety in the body comes to the forefront of our experience and creates a feedback loop with the thinking mind.

Exercises and Practices to Reduce Nighttime Work Anxiety

Here I have some practices you can use when you find yourself thinking about work at night. A few of these exercises are to be used in the evening when you are actually experiencing the work anxiety, while others are things you can do during the day or before bed to help lessen the strength of these thoughts.

1. Practice Somatic Exercises for Anxiety

There are many practices and exercises that come from somatic therapy, or somatic experiencing, that are useful for nighttime work anxiety. Somatic exercises help you to connect the mind and body. This can help by both bringing you out of the thoughts and into the body, and by actually softening around the anxious feelings in the body. 

One of my favorite somatic exercises to try at night is a body scan meditation. During a body scan meditation, you bring attention to each part of the body, bit by bit. There’s nothing special to do. We just tune into the physical experience at each part of the body, from head to toe. This helps us to leave the thoughts behind by giving us something else to focus on. We can also tune into the experience of anxiety in the body, and begin to soften a bit.

2. Make a To-Do List

Making a to-do list is another great way to work with the thinking mind at night. You can do this either once you start thinking about work, or before you get in bed. Make a list of what you need to get done or things you want to tackle. If something regarding work comes into your head while in bed, put it down on the list. You can find some tips on making an effective to-do list here. 

What this does is allows the mind to let go of the thoughts about work. When you write down what you need to do, reflect on, or figure out, it relieves a bit of pressure on the mind. Now you have it written down, and you can address it tomorrow during the day. This is also one of my favorite ways to validate yourself, as shared in my post below.

3. Be Physically Active

One study found that people who experience anxiety are likely to engage in physical activity less than those who don’t experience anxiety. Another meta-analysis of over 650 people found that exercise was effective in the treatment of anxiety, whether or not the person had clinical anxiety disorders. So get some exercise! It doesn’t have to be much. Go for a walk during your day, in the morning, or before bedtime. The research does suggest that high intensity exercise was more effective than low intensity, but low intensity exercise was still effective.

4. Set Work Boundaires

Setting work boundaries may be somethign that is easier said than done, but most of us can do this to some degree. If you’re up thinking about work at night, you might need to set some internal and external boundaries. Can you stop answering emails while off work? Can you set a time in which you leave work alone, both with the thinking mind and externally by answering emails or calls? 

As we set boundaries, we train the mind and body that nighttime is not for work. If we don’t have boundaries with our jobs, we are always on in a sense. The mind is always ready to think about work. By setting a boundary with work, you tell your mind to leave work alone. As you do this more consistently, your brain will get the message and stop thinking about work at night so much.

5. Create a Bedtime Routine

A bedtime routine is incredibly useful in promoting healthy sleep. We do it with babies and children, and it’s no surprise that it works with adults as well. In the half hour or hour before bed, set a firm routine. It may include brushing your teeth, showering, meditating, stretching, doing a body scan, reading, or whatever you want. It’s advisable to steer clear of screens as much as possible during this time. Set a routine and stick to it.

By setting a routine, you’re training your mind and body that it is nighttime and time to go to sleep. Instead of being ready to think about work at night, you are prepping yourself to go to bed. The habit will build, and the brain learns when you start the beginning of your routine that this is your wind-down period. 

Remember that if you are dealing with severe anxiety, you may consider seeking help from a mental health professional. There are many forms of therapy that may help nighttime anxiety.