It’s All in Your Head (Achievement Nudge)

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Last Updated on April 24, 2025 by Bill Truby

Ever heard, “It’s all in your head!”? When it comes to how you feel in the morning, they’re right.

I have traveled much over the years, and there’s one thing I don’t get along with very well: time changes. My body clock gets all messed up. I get sleep-deprived. And that makes for a difficult next day.

But, I found that the REAL problem wasn’t in the time change or the amount of sleep, it was in my mind. If I had to go to bed at 7:00 p.m. (local time), my body wasn’t ready to sleep. I’d lay there trying to get my eyes to stay shut, but they wouldn’t. I’d then start worrying about not getting enough sleep. That would make my anxiety worse, and that would keep me awake longer. THEN, I’d wake up after a horrible night of insufficient sleep, and immediately begin worrying about not having slept enough.

I learned to cope by not worrying about it. I would remind myself, “Hey…I’ve functioned fine on an hour of sleep before. I can do it again.” It worked well. Now, I’ve found some research that tells me why.

A study divided 164 people into two groups. Both were given convincing education about how important sleep quality is for performance. They were told that this study involved a new test to determine how well they slept the previous night. The researchers presented a lot of convincing “mumbo jumbo” with graphs and charts until the participants were primed and ready.

After a night of sleep, regardless of how the people in the group ACTUALY slept, the first group was told they’d got “above average sleep quality.” It was “proven” with graphs, charts and percentages of REM sleep. The second group was told they got “below average sleep quality,” also backed with bogus facts.

I’m sure you know the outcome. Even though the “results” were a sham, the group that was told they received “above average sleep quality” scored much higher on tests of attention and memory than those who were told they had slept poorly. Performance was clearly linked to what they believed, not what was real.

It’s a fact: Belief determines attitude and action! It’s always true. It can’t be otherwise. It won’t be otherwise. And it shows up in all aspects of life. Your belief about your boss, your employees, your spouse, and your children, create your attitude and behavior each person or group. Belief affects your performance, your quality of life, your health. Actually, belief affects EVERYTHING!

Where do your beliefs come from? INITIALLY, they come from YOUR past “programming.” But they aren’t stuck. You can choose a different one, a different perspective. How? Gather as much information as you can about whatever your belief is. Find multiple ways to look at the issue. Then choose the belief you want.

Be sure to choose the belief that you CAN do this. Otherwise, you’ll stay stuck. Yet, if trying this doesn’t seem to work for you, simply find a friend who is like the researchers who conducted the study. This particular research project had a result that was, undoubtedly, an unintentional by-product, and certainly makes a powerful point…A deceptive, lying, manipulative friend can be super helpful. Aww, come on. We’ve all been there. Haven’t you ever had someone ask, “Does this make me look fat?”

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This article is part of our ongoing Achievement Nudge series—short, witty, and often inspirational articles to spark your personal and professional growth. Explore more nudges on our blog, or sign up for our weekly Nudge and News email. Each edition includes an Achievement Nudge plus leadership, professional development, and personal growth videos and articles to keep you inspired and on track.

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