Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Sleepy Meditation for Transition (New Year's 2026 Bonus)
Episode Date: December 30, 2025Narrator: Thomas Jones 🇬🇧Writer: Anne Lowell ✍️ Welcome back, sleepyheads. Tonight, in a special bonus ahead of the new year, we'll drift off while learning how to navigate life changes wit...h greater ease and acceptance. 😴 Includes mentions of: New Year's, Mindfulness, Change, Uncertainty. Watch, listen and comment on this episode on the Get Sleepy YouTube channel. And hit subscribe while you're there! Enjoy various playlists of our stories and meditations on our Slumber Studios Spotify profile. Get Sleepy Premium Get instant access to ad-free episodes and Thursday night bonus episodes by subscribing to our premium feed. It's easy! Sign up in two taps: getsleepy.com/support GIFT A SUBSCRIPTION to someone you love! 🎁 Get Sleepy Premium feed includes: Monday and Wednesday night episodes (with zero ads). An exclusive Thursday night bonus episode. Access to the entire back catalog (also ad-free). Extra-long episodes. Exclusive sleep meditation episodes. Discounts on merchandise. We’ll love you forever. Get your 7-day free trial: getsleepy.com/support. Connect Stay up to date on all our news and even vote on upcoming episodes! Website: getsleepy.com/ Facebook: facebook.com/getsleepypod/ Instagram: instagram.com/getsleepypod/ Twitter: twitter.com/getsleepypod Our Apps Redeem exclusive unlimited access to Premium content for 1 month FREE in our mobile apps built by the Get Sleepy and Slumber Studios team: Deep Sleep Sounds: deepsleepsounds.com/getsleepy/ Slumber: slumber.fm/getsleepy/ FAQs Have a query for us or need help with something? You might find your answer here: Get Sleepy FAQs About Get Sleepy Get Sleepy is the #1 story-telling podcast designed to help you get a great night’s rest. By combining sleep meditations with a relaxing bedtime story, each episode will guide you gently towards sleep. Thank you so much for listening! Feedback? Let us know your thoughts! getsleepy.com/contact-us/. Get Sleepy is a production of Slumber Studios. Check out our podcasts, apps, and more at slumberstudios.com. That’s all for now. Sweet dreams ❤️ 😴 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Hey, it's Andrew. I'm the host of Send Me to Sleep, another sleep-inducing podcast from the Slumber Studios network.
On Send Me to Sleep, you'll find classic stories specially narrated to help your mind relax and drift off into a good night's rest.
Some fan favourites are The Secret Garden, Emily of New Moon, and the adventures of Sherry.
Lock Holmes. Everything is designed with your sleep in mind. So if you're looking for another
great way to ease into a restful night's sleep, then just search Send Me to Sleep on your
favourite podcast player. I look forward to seeing you there.
Hey everyone. Welcome to Get Sleepy. Where we listen, we relax.
and we get sleepy.
As always, I'm your host, Thomas.
This is a bonus episode, befitting of the upcoming turn of the calendar,
the start of a fresh new year.
I wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy one,
and I really hope you enjoy listening tonight.
Our meditation was beautiful,
beautifully written by Anne, and it's particularly helpful for those of you going through a change
in your life. It might be something related to your career, or perhaps moving to a new place.
Passing from the old year to the new can also feel like a transition. For some of us, it's
a moment to make changes in our lives. Perhaps the coming year will be a fresh start as you open
the door to something new. Whatever kind of change you're going through, this meditation
will help you navigate it.
We'll start with a simple body scam practice
to settle your nervous system,
so you're ready for a good night's sleep.
Throughout the meditation,
you'll have the chance to fully experience
the emotions and thoughts surrounding this transatlantic.
This is a great way to sort through any confusion or uncertainty that you may be feeling.
Plus, it's nice to pause and just check in with how we're doing and what we're feeling, especially during those times in when many things
things are in flux, we'll also explore the three stages of change. By moving through
these stages, we can enter that something new with more ease and confidence. So let's get started.
First, make yourself nice and cozy in bed.
them and shift around until your body feels just right.
Then take a deep breath in and let it out.
If you haven't yet done so, close your eyes.
eyes. Without any judgment and without trying to change anything, notice where your energy
and attention is focused. For most of us settling down at the end of the day takes some time.
So, be patient with yourself.
It's normal to have lots of thoughts at bedtime and for your attention to go from here to there.
For the next few moments, don't force your mind to do anything.
Just notice what it's like to have the mind you have right now.
When our minds are active, it can be helpful to consciously move our attention towards any sensations in our body.
since our bodies can't help but be in the present moment.
So let's take some time to do just that.
Notice what parts of your body feel most active.
In other words, where you feel more energy or something.
sensation. Many people tend to notice a lot of sensation in the souls of their feet or the
palms of their hands. That's because these areas of the body have a lot of nerve endings.
Without moving your feet or hands, just notice what sensations you feel and pay attention to any other parts of your body that feel very alive or active.
When you notice your attention wander, or your mind start to go into a story about a sensation
that you feel.
Remember that that's normal.
And then consciously move your attention to the direct experience.
of feeling the sensations.
What are the sensations like?
Tingly perhaps,
or maybe another word comes to mind.
Dull, bright, moving, or still.
Notice where your attention is.
Without any judgment, practice bringing it back to the sensations in your body.
Now, bring your attention to an area of the body that hasn't been explored yet.
An area where there is less obvious sensation.
Perhaps the tip of your nose, a knuckle on your left hand, or a shoulder blade.
Pick an area and see if it's possible to perceive just a flicker of sensation.
Then bring your attention to another unexplored part of your body.
What can you feel there?
Now, zoom out and see if it's possible to perceive sensation throughout your entire body.
Your whole body, alive with sensation, alive with sensation, energy,
and attention in the present moment.
Physical sensations often go hand in our emotions.
Physical sensations often go hand in hand with our emotions.
When we're upset, we tend to clench.
When we're at ease, our bodies reflect that too
by softening and releasing tension.
So now, let's explore what it means to be in transition
and how to transition with grace and ease.
You can allow the sensations in your body to drift into the background.
Bring your attention to the journey you're on right now, or the one you're about to embark
on.
Even if the path ahead seems unclear, that's okay.
Our stories often unfold and become clear as they happen.
So when you think about this journey, what comes up for you?
Excitement, fear, or maybe it's something else.
Confidence, hope, hesitation, or eagerness.
Whatever you notice is perfectly okay.
See if it's possible to also feel whatever emotion arises in your body.
You might feel it as a flutter in your stomach, a wave of ease washing over your legs,
a lightness in your chest.
Then, simply notice what your mind has to say about it all.
Something like, yes, this feels right.
Or maybe, can I do it?
or how do I even start?
Whatever thoughts and feelings you're having are completely normal.
Every transition begins with an ending.
Sometimes endings are abrupt and unexpected, the sudden loss of a job or the end of a relationship.
Other times, endings are slow to come, so slow that it can take years to realize something is over,
that something has ended, a mindset that you realise you no longer have,
something you loved at one time that no longer feels that important to you,
or a dream or goal that you no longer feel motivated to achieve.
It can be difficult to accept things coming to an end, even if it was our choice to make it that way.
But acceptance of whatever is ending, whatever it's time to let go of, is essential.
allows us to evolve into the next version of ourselves.
So now, take a moment to reflect on whatever it is that has ended, or is in the process of ending,
or that you feel called to end in order to take the next step.
See if it's possible to stay open to whatever arises, rather than actively trying to
think your way to an answer.
Stay connected to the sensations in your body as you explore this first stage of any
transition. The ending. The next stage has many names. The neutral zone, the transition zone, the space
in between, limbo, or the unknown.
This is the phase in which you've let go of the past, but you don't yet know what's next.
Most of us struggle with not knowing what our future will hold.
we'll work tirelessly to get that coveted clarity.
We'll even try to force ourselves into some next step
just for the sake of figuring it out.
But doing this can actually lead us towards the opposite of what we want.
It prolongs our stay in the neutral.
zone, rather than moving forward.
The challenge is to learn how to stay in that zone for just as long as we need to,
until we're ready, truly ready, to move forward.
This is the time when it's most important.
to pause, reflect, and be patient.
A caterpillar doesn't become a butterfly overnight.
Like caterpillars and other creatures, we go through our own metamorphoses all the time.
and these transformations require extended time
in a place where we can't see the future all too well
but this phase of transition isn't all bad
it can actually be quite fun and freeing
That neutral zone presents us with a blank slate, upon which we can brainstorm, ideate, and experiment.
This is the ideal time to learn from the journeys of other people, and pay attention to what we ourselves feel.
Often, if we really throw ourselves into the neutral zone, we get clarity on what's next,
without any effort at all.
If you're still in the place of processing an ending, it's likely this phase is waiting
for you on the other side.
But if all this talk about metamorphosis and not knowing sounds familiar, you are likely in the
neutral zone.
If this is you, take a moment to give yourself some compassion.
This isn't an easy place to be, especially in a world that demands we pull ourselves together or get on with things.
But I'm going to suggest that you take this moment to let yourself know that there is no rush to have it all figured out.
It's okay not to know.
The last stage of transition is the new beginning.
This stage is only possible after we've processed our endings
and sat in the quiet of the neutral zone.
The new beginning is the opening of the cocoon,
where a colourful butterfly is revealed.
It's the coming of spring
after a series of long, cold winter days.
All three stages, the ending, the neutral zone and the new beginning, are equally important
for our evolution.
Without any judgment, take a moment to reflect on where you currently land in the process
of transition.
Are you still working on letting go of something, of exploring what needs to end?
Or are you currently in the neutral zone, sitting with a little uncertainty?
are you in the new beginning phase, where you're sensing more clarity and embarking on a new
venture.
There is no doubt about it.
transitions are not usually simple and straightforward.
It's not always easy to take the initiative and to end something that's not working,
to let go of a belief you've had your whole life, or to accept an involuntary loss.
It's often challenging to accept not knowing and to experience yourself as a person without
that thing you used to have, or simply as a new person in general.
And as much as starting something new can feel exciting and enlivening, it can also be stressful
and maybe even a little scary.
Transitions take courage and strength, but you've done it before.
Take some time to think about past transitions that you've successfully navigated.
Include ones that felt rocky or even felt negative for a while until you got some perspective.
All the transitions you've undergone have helped shape the complex, beautiful, ever-evolving person that you are today.
As this meditation transitions towards its ending,
and as you make your way towards a deep, peaceful sleep, take a moment to reflect.
Think about the beauty that's present in your life right now.
Endings can feel frightening.
But hopefully you can see that on the other side of all your fears, there's also a sense of freedom.
Letting go can feel counterintuitive sometimes, but it's often just the thing you need in order to evolve into a new version of yourself.
There is beauty in letting go.
There's beauty in the clouds finally releasing their heavy vapour, creating a rainstorm.
There's beauty in the trees dropping their leaves one by one.
as the temperature's cool and winter begins.
And your ending, whatever it is, can also be beautiful.
When you're in the in-between, it's only natural to want to run.
rush towards a new beginning, to get past winter and enjoy spring, to rush through what feels
uncomfortable so that you can relax and have fun. But there is beauty in where you are right now,
even if it doesn't really feel like it.
There is beauty in this place of uncertainty, of murkiness, of mystery.
Heavy rain can be intense, but instead of staying inside,
and waiting for it to pass.
What if you went outside and surrendered?
What if you fully embraced the intensity of this moment of your life?
New beginnings can feel uncomfortable at first,
Like trying on an outfit in a style you never wear.
You might be tempted to take it off right away and go back to what you were wearing before.
But you'll find that it no longer fits and that's okay.
There's beauty in that too.
You will find your way in this new world, like a little flower bud emerging, seeing the sun for the first time.
Wherever you are in your transition, knows.
that it's perfectly okay, it's allowed to feel difficult, and it's also allowed to feel beautiful.
May your transition unfold in the sweetest of ways, and may the new year bring you.
you everything you desire.
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