Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Relaxing Morning of Cleaning

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thank you so much for tuning in. Tonight's story was written by Chloe and it's her first to be featured on the podcast. I'll be reading it to you as we spend a quiet Saturday morning carrying out chores around the house. The house in the story might be a little different to your own, but maybe these aren't your usual weekend habits. But that's okay. As you listen, you can just gently imagine yourself in that house, finding peace and fulfillment as you tick off those chores one by one.

Starting point is 00:01:01 Before that, I have a couple of wonderful sponsors to tell you about. Firstly, tonight's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. I talk a lot about my tendency of having racing thoughts that keep me awake at night, and I know that can be the case for many of you too. Sometimes these worries and concerns are fleeting, but then there are the ones that hang around and keep on replaying night after night. One great way to make those racing thoughts dissipate is to talk them through with someone, and therapy gives you a place to do just that,ping you break out of negative thought cycles and find some inner

Starting point is 00:01:47 peace. So if you're thinking of starting therapy, give better help or try. Talking to my therapist if there are things weighing heavy on my mind not only helps me sleep better, but it improves all areas of my life and I'm sure it can do the same for you. Get a break from your thoughts with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com-get-sleepy to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp-h-e-l-p.com-get-sleepy. And a big thanks to Brooklinn for sponsoring the show too. We've partnered with Brooklinn for a number of years now, and that's because we believe

Starting point is 00:02:35 they make the best bedding available anywhere online. I have a set of their bed sheets myself, and they are my absolute favourite. Plus I still wear my Brooklyn and loungewear all the time, which is just as comfy as when it first arrived. I'd love for you to try Brooklyn in too, so they're offering $20 off on all purchases of $100 or more, to our Get Sleepy listeners. And they ship internationally, so my friends here in the UK can enjoy the comfort of Brooklyn in too. As the seasons change, it's the

Starting point is 00:03:14 ideal time to upgrade your bedding and home essentials. Experience the difference for yourself, and check out Brooklyn's new full collection. IN.com and promo code getsleapypod for $20 off. Now them, it's time to get nice and relaxed, ready for our story. Just gradually slow down your breathing, watching as the air flows gently in. And then ease is back out. To really help you center your attention on your calming breaths, it can help to place one or both hands on your stomach. So feel free to do that right now. As you breathe deeply and fully, feel your hands being lifted as your diaphragm expands. Then slowly sinking down as the air leaves your body and your muscles relax.

Starting point is 00:05:11 Sense also the comforting feeling of your hands and your stomach, like a warming reassurance to your body. And if there is any tension still lingering in your body or mind, let it go bit by bit each time you exhale. each time you exhale. This is your time to rest without any pressure. So continue to breathe at a gentle pace while I turn to our story. Imagine that it's a quiet serenity that fills the room. The only sound you can hear is the trees rustling in the air, creating a subtle, peaceful sound. Your bedsheets are warm and soft from a good night's sleep.

Starting point is 00:07:18 You curl up, roll over, and press your face into the pillowcase. It smells like your fabric softener. For a moment you lay there in the warm cocoon of your feathered duvet and let out a contented sigh. Rolling over onto your back, you smile as you remember that you have no engagements today. This weekend is for you and you alone. Normally, you would be busy on a day like this, going shopping, getting fuel for your car, or braving the busy grocery store on a Saturday morning, or you would be spending it with your friends, going to a movie, or to the park, or any other number of places.

Starting point is 00:08:38 Instead, this weekend you have chosen to stay at home. You're planning to sort out some domestic duties that you've been putting off in recent weeks. After finally getting out of bed, you head to the kitchen to make yourself a tasty breakfast. First, you take out a small pan from the cupboard, heat it up and place a dollop of butter at the center. Then you crack two eggs into the pan. After placing slices of bread in the toaster and pushing them down, you set the dial to the number 3. As you wait for your eggs to solidify, you slice up some bananas and strawberries.

Starting point is 00:09:55 The juicy fruit is soft and supple. You cut away the leaves and stems. The creamy-cutted banana smells so sweet as you cut it into edible golden coins. You place some coffee grounds in the machine. The hot brown liquid eventually dripping into your favourite ceramic mug. After giving your eggs a final flip, buttering your toast and adding milk to your coffee, toast and adding milk to your coffee. You assemble your meal and settle down at your desk. You fish out your note pad from the drawer. With your favourite pen, you write yourself a to-do list for the day, or the tasks that you want to complete. You write carefully, making sure you do not miss a single task.

Starting point is 00:11:33 The pen tip scratches against the paper. Line after line, you write down the chores, from cleaning to tidying to doing laundry. All of these things will make your space feel more balanced and put together. Cleaning is a good way to refocus your life. When the place you inhabit is clean and tidy, it's easier to have a clear, focused mind. As you make your list, you sip your coffee. The comforting warmth streams through your body. And as your pen dances across the page, you savor the crunchy toast. The soft spongy egg, the bright and sweet strawberries, and banana by the forkful. You take your final sip of coffee and the last bite of the toast. After glancing down at your completed list, you take a moment to look out of your bedroom window. The sun peeks out from behind a cloud. The day is going to be sunny and beautiful.

Starting point is 00:13:20 You just know it. So you think to yourself, I'd better get a move on with these chores. You pick up your plate, mug and cutlery, and walk back into the kitchen. Placing the used dishes in the sink, you unlock your dishwasher, the latch clicking open. The citrus smell of your dishwasher tablets radiates off the interior. You slide out the top rack of glasses, coffee mugs every cabinet in your kitchen, you begin to put everything away. You take the plates from the bottom rack of the dishwasher and make a polished stack of porcelain. Coffee mugs nestle into each other with their handles, almost like an embrace. After the clean dishes are put away, you reach under the sink and grab the spray sanitizer.

Starting point is 00:15:18 Then you unwrap a fresh roll of paper towels, the quilted surface, feels soft in your hand. You begin to spray down your countertop. Fizzling spits erupt from the spray bottle. Then you tear along the perforated edge of the paper towel, fold it up and start to wipe, making small circles on the counter. As you spread the cleaner around, the small bubbles pop and dissipate. Eventually, the entire counter is clean and suds free, shining in the light. You open your kitchen window to allow some fresh air into the room and you feel the warmth from outside on your face. Breathing in the fresh smell of the air, you decide to open all the main windows. You draw back the curtains in your living room and pull open the windows there. Then you do the same thing in the other rooms of your home, from the office space to your bedroom.

Starting point is 00:17:12 Afterwards, you stand in front of an open window and breathe in the fresh air coming from outside. share, coming from outside. Inhaling through your nose, you fill your lungs to their utmost capacity. You hold the breath, letting the air stay in your chest for a few moments. Then you slowly exhale out of your mouth letting your chest deflate fully. The fresh air has cleared your head and you are ready to take on the day. Turning to your bed, you grab all your crumbled sheets and blankets. You straighten out the top sheet, shake and lay out the soft fleece blanket, and then grab your comfy duvet. You begin to make your bed look like it did before your night of restful sleep. Holding the duvet by the top corners, you shake it down to disperse the feathers inside. Then you throw it gently on your bed, adding a fluffy layer to your already soft collection of top coverings.

Starting point is 00:19:12 Exiting your room for the hallway closet, you retrieve your vacuum cleaner and wear it back into your bedroom. Once the vacuum is plugged in, it begins its soft humming sound. You move it back and forth across your carpet, hearing small crunching sounds as it cleans. Soon you've passed the vacuum over your entire bedroom floor. The carpet feels as though it's been lifted and it's softer than before. and it's softer than before. Finishing up your hoovering, you place your trusty machine back in the whole closet. Back at your desk, you grab your pen and cross off the tasks you have already completed.

Starting point is 00:20:34 You draw a tight spiral across the words on the page, making tiny circles over and over again as you completely block them out. Moving your index finger down the to-do list, you stop at your next self-assigned chore and tap your bathroom. Turning the light on, and find a replacement. After turning the lights back off, you unscrew the burnt out bulb and replace it with the new one, which is tightly threaded into the socket. Reaching back under the sink, you take out all of your cleaning tools.

Starting point is 00:21:58 There's a scrubber, a sponge, spray cleaners, disinfectant wipes and gloves. You stretch the soft yellow rubber gloves over your hands and let them go with a satisfying snap. After spraying down the entire bathroom sink with foaming cleaner, the lemon fresh scent fills the room. You let it sit for a moment as you turn to your toilet. Raising the seat, you take the bleach, and from the curved nozzle you squeeze a ring of bright purple gel around the lip of the bowl. It paints the white porcelain of vibrant blue. Next you begin to scrub down the sink with your sponge.

Starting point is 00:23:13 The foam makes soft, tiny bubbles. They pop as you drag a porous sponge in tiny circles, eliminating any stains left over from your toothpaste. After rinsing down the sink, it is now a shining surface, almost reflecting your face. Then you grab your toilet brush and start scrubbing the bowl. You make a large loop turning the bright purple gel into light lavender sats. As you flush, the soft foam retreats down the drain in a spectacular spiral, revealing a glimmering porcelain. After scrubbing out to your bath tub, emptying the bin and spraying your mirror with glass cleaner, you finish off your bathroom with some air freshener. The sense of herbiscus, mango and pineapple fill the air as you lightly spray away any traces of cleaning chemicals.

Starting point is 00:24:56 Grabbing your used bath and hand towels, you place them in your bedroom laundry bin. Then you pick up the oblong basket and carry it over to your washing machine. You put in all of your clothes, making sure they're even. After adding fabric softener, popping in some detergent pots and closing the lid, you set the washer to a regular cycle and press start. The washing machine begins to hum. You stand there for a moment and listen to the low sound. And you begin to smell the floral-centred detergent as it lightly escapes the clothes to lid. You cross the hallway and approach your desk once more. Tracing your finger down the to-do list, you identify the tasks you still need to complete. Then you take your pen and press the tip to the page, scribbling

Starting point is 00:26:32 curlicue loops over the tasks you've already done. The nip dancing along the paper makes a light scratching sound as you mark your list as nearly complete. Exiting your room, you hear the mechanical sounds of the washer as it swellallows your clothing. The faint smell of the lavender-centred detergent pots wafts through the hallway. The machine moves your clothing back and forth, cleaning everything thoroughly. You smile to yourself, inhaling the floral scent as you make your way back to the kitchen. Staring at the sink full of dirty dishes, you begin to fish out used cutlery. Then you carefully lay all the items in the cutlery basket, criss-crossing them so they resemble a dense forest of trees. Next, you pick up your mugs stained with dark brown splotches from your morning coffees. Arranging them in the top rack of the dishwasher with their handors nestled into each other, you make the most of the slotted spaces. The mugs softly clink together. Here

Starting point is 00:28:33 are all your days of drinking coffee in one row. You think about all the times you have sipped coffee, that first warm drink of the day that brings you comfort. And you reflect on how these ceramic mugs are one of the first things you use in the morning. The ritual grounds you for whatever the day brings. Now that the mugs are in place, you pick up used drinking glasses, bowls that contain cereal and spatula from cooking. It's like playing a game of Tetris with yourself, arranging them so that they all fit into the racks, in solid lines of glass, porcelain and plastic. Cake pans are the next to go in.

Starting point is 00:29:52 When baking a birthday treat for your friend this week, your pans got some use after sitting in the cabinet for months on end. Once everything has been placed in the dishwasher, you turn back to the sink, ready to clean the hand wash only items. Starting with the tray for frozen pizzas, you spray it down with warm water, squirting some bright blue soap onto the wet surface. Then you take your scrubber sponge and begin to move it back and forth on the azure gel. As you turn the sponge over to the scrubbing side, the gel begins to foam. Bright white bubbles of sats bloom onto the nonstick surface, cutting through the grease.

Starting point is 00:31:08 The soap pops and fizzles as you wipe away crumbs and whatever else was on the baking tray. After rinsing all of the sards off, you grab the pan you used to cook your morning eggs. You coat it in more dish soap and repeat the process, removing your breakfast residues and making the ceramic shine. When you place the baking tray and pan on your dish rack, the items slot perfectly in the slim cutouts of the rack. They stand straight up like soldiers at attention. Leaving them to air dry, you take a soft dish towel and gently wipe out the sink, making the stainless steel clean. With the same damp towel, you wipe down the countertop, making sure to soak

Starting point is 00:32:32 up any water you might have splashed while doing the dishes. After hanging the towel back on the handle of the stove, you stand there for a moment and take a deep breath. You close your eyes and make sure to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. through your nose and out through your mouth slowly and mindfully. You open your eyes and cross the hallway back into your bedroom. Picking up your pen, you cross off the last of your tasks. Then you scribble spirals over the words to mark them as complete. You finished your morning of domestic tasks. You draw a big smiley face over the entire page to signify that you are done. Closing your note book, you go and sit on the foot of your bed.

Starting point is 00:34:13 As you breathe in, you roll back your shoulder blades, letting out the tension from your upper body. Then you gently circle your head clockwise and fill your body, becoming loose and relaxed. After closing the window, you stand there in your space, glancing around at the clean and wonderful place you call home. Then you look down at your phone for the first time today. Opening your music app, you begin to play an acoustic playlist you made for this very occasion. And you find yourself tapping your foot on the soft carpet as you get into the rhythm of the song.

Starting point is 00:35:49 While you listen to the music, you reflect on how content you are with your chores. You are happy you were able to make your dwelling pristine, at least for a little while, until you need to tidy again. That's something that you're looking forward to now. All in all, it's been a satisfying morning. You're happy that you can spend a quiet Saturday of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. you you you ... I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing.

Starting point is 00:38:52 I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. I'm going to do a little bit of the same thing. you ... you ... you you you you you you you you you ... you you

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Relaxing Morning of Cleaning

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