Sleep better, stress less: How Sophrology helps you feel like yourself again

Sep 10

You’re not broken — you’re changing

If this sounds like you then this blog is going to bring something very different and very impactful to you.

You’ve coped for years, but lately the edges feel frayed. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s coming back to yourself. But it feels like the most impossible thing in the world right now.

In this blog I’m introducing Sophrology, what it is and how it can give you a practical way to come back to yourself to feel like you’re in control of your life with only a few minutes a day. I loved my recent conversation on my Women’s Health Unwrapped podcast with Dominique Antiglio, founder of BeSophro and creator of the groundbreaking programme “Unlock Your Menopause Power” which disrupts the typical medicalised or purely symptom-focussed approaches in the menopause market with something personal, empowering and truly transformative, supportive of the actual changes faced during this transition such as finding peace, cultivating a positive mindset, balancing emotions, reframing your identity, and manifesting your goals.

If you’ve always been the one who holds it all together, midlife can feel disorienting. You’re capable and committed, yet tired, wired and not quite yourself. Sophrology invites you to pause, feel, breathe and reconnect — so decisions start coming from self-trust instead of self-pressure. I mean, who doesn’t want to have this in their lives?

What is Sophrology?

Sophrology blends Eastern wisdom with modern science to help you feel more in control of your life. It’s a guided mind–body practice that blends breathwork, body awareness, gentle movement and visualisation. Sessions can be as short as five to ten minutes. Think of it as a structured bridge — from a busy, high-cortisol day into a steadier, clearer you.
Traditional meditation can feel unreachable when you’ve been “on” all day. If you’re someone with a busy mind who’s struggled to bring moments of calm into your life, Sophrology meets you where you are, then guides your body and breath into balance. Over time, you gain a calmer baseline and an easier ability to focus, rest and choose well.

The phone–sleep loop

Evening scrolling is stimulating. The light, the content and the “just one more” pull keep your nervous system switched on. Yet so many women call it their only “me-time”. It’s the only part of their day where they feel they can unwind and that scrolling will provide this outlet switch-off. However the cost is cloudy mornings and edgy days. Waking up knackered, wishing you’d slept better, gone to bed earlier, and dreading the day ahead.

A kinder evening routine might be the unlock to better energy. Check out some of the new healthy habit suggestions below:

Choose a phone “lights-out” time.
Keep the phone out of the bedroom altogether.
Swap screen time for a chapter of a book or a soothing podcast.
Do a five-minute guided practice in bed to down-shift.

Small changes like any of these compound over time, resulting in more calm and rest.

State-matching over perfection

Calm isn’t the only goal. Before a presentation or important meeting you may need confident energy. After a hard day you may need release. Sophrology helps you choose and train the state that fits the moment — calm, clarity, courage or let-it-go.

Small steps that stick

Making lasting change crumbles when you take an all-or-nothing approach. I always coach my clients to start where it’s easiest and to keep their first step super small and achievable: a daily 2-minute breath or journal practice; an earlier phone curfew )even just 5 minutes to begin with); a glass of water before your first morning coffee.

An important step to take — which for so many women is super uncomfortable — to build a new habit around, is to celebrate each win. Taking time to reflect on that 5-minute earlier phone down decision and how it’s making you feel, not just to spend 5 less minutes doom-scrolling, but reflecting also on the fact you’re taken this action for YOU.

Identity grows from action: I’m a woman who looks after herself, one small choice at a time.

Mindset at the centre of creating lasting change

Movement, nutrition, sleep and stress strategies work better when your mindset is steady. Sophrology strengthens that centre. As clarity grows, the practical choices — protein at lunch, a brisk walk after dinner, a bedtime routine — stop feeling like a fight and start feeling obvious. This is who you are as a person and so making these choices feels aligned to who you are at your core.

A black woman with short afro hair holding her hands over her chest with her eyes closed taking a deep breath to feel less stressed as she navigates menopause overwhelm. — **The 3-step reset (use anywhere)**

When frustration rises or anxiety spikes, try out this strategy Dominique shared to help you come back into your body and connect with how you feel:
**Inhale** and **clench** your fists/arms briefly to gather the feeling.
**Long, slow exhale** through the mouth and release your body.
**Recognise** what shifted — then choose your next best move.
Five seconds. Real relief. More choice.

Connect with who you really are

Midlife doesn’t cancel who you are — it reveals more of her. With a few minutes a day, Sophrology helps you sleep deeper, stress less and make choices from a steadier self.

Start light. Stay kind. Keep going.

You’ve got this!