For a long time, I thought that sleeplessness was just a sign of stress, something I could get over by working hard or pushing through. I didn’t believe it. I told myself, “It’s just a phase.” But every night, the stillness became worse. I was out of energy. I lost my focus. I wasn’t just tired; I was falling apart. My mental health was worsened.

Anxiety and depression didn’t come on suddenly into my life. They slowly came in via lengthy hours of computer time, mental exhaustion, and missed meals. I stopped feeling like myself. I wasn’t living; I was just surviving.

I remember being up at 2 AM, with my mind racing and my body feeling heavy. No one cried. It was just a constant pain and a growing sense of being cut off from my old self. That night, something changed. I didn’t make a big promise; instead, I made a little one: “I will start small.” I will become better with time.

I changed my attention to simplicity. I began to change my routine, but not in big ways. Instead, I listened to the cues my body had been sending me all along.

I started eating salads full of leafy greens, not to lose weight, but to feel better and improve my gut health.

I utilized boiled eggs, which are a natural source of tryptophan and protein, to boost my energy.

I drank turmeric milk before bed since it was warm, helped with inflammation, and was a common thing to do.

I added ashwagandha tablets to my regimen since they are known to reduce cortisol levels and improve the body’s reaction to stress.

I ate more oranges and amla to get more vitamin C, which is good for my adrenal health.

I kept going after that. By 9 PM, I had turned off all the electronics and written one honest page in my diary every night. I focused on foods that help you sleep naturally.

The goal was not to fix everything right away. It was a slow process of rebuilding trust in my body, one moment at a time.

James Clear expressed it well in Atomic Habits:

You don’t reach the level of your goals. You go down to the level of your systems.

I started building methods that I could truly keep up with and that were easy to use. Slowly, like the morning, peace returned. My sleep became deeper. The fog in my mind cleared. I began to feel light again. Come back.

I didn’t become a new person at that time; instead, I reconnected with the part of myself that had been quietly waiting under the noise.

“Sometimes, healing isn’t obvious.” Sometimes it begins in silence, with a cup of turmeric milk, a deep breath, and a gentle reconnecting with oneself.