The most productive day actually starts the night before! Not by tackling your to-do list, but by implementing a few routines that will get your day started on the right note. Read on to see how to do that!
*I know I said that your productive day begins the night before. But it actually begins the AFTERNOON before. Here’s the first habit to try: no caffeine after 12 noon OR about 10 hours before your bedtime. Since I try to go to bed by 9:30 p.m., I eliminate caffeine after 11:30 a.m. Since starting this habit, my sleep has been much more restful, I fall asleep more easily and stay asleep all night.
*This is a hard one, but try to stop doing any work-related tasks about two hours before going to bed. I have to admit that I break this rule frequently, but my goal is to stop doing any school work after 7:30 p.m.
*Avoid any electronics about an hour before bed. I stop using my phone, iPad, and laptop around 8:30 p.m. I sometimes break this rule with my phone if there is something I need to check, but I try to make it quick. While my husband is still watching TV at this time, I try to avoid getting caught up in watching myself and switch to reading instead.
*What to read before bed? Avoid nonfiction or self-help types of books! They are often motivating and stimulate ideas so they are not the best choice when you’re trying to relax your mind and slow down your thinking. Try to only read fiction at night. If you’re wondering what to read, check out Modern Mrs. Darcy blog HERE for some ideas! She has lots of book lists and something for every kind of reader.
*As an alternative to reading in the evening, do something you enjoy that does not involve a screen! Try doing some kind of craft (I want to learn hand lettering, for instance), talking with your family, calling a friend or family member, or writing letters.
*Make your to-do lists for both work and home for the next day. I do this when I wrap up any school work that I’m doing in the evening. That is when I have ideas for what I need to get done so it is most productive for me to make that list then. Plus, it gets stuff off my mind and out of my head so that I can relax and sleep, knowing that my thoughts are written down and ready to go for tomorrow.
*Think of five things for which you can be grateful. If it felt like today was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, stick to the basics: your health, your home, your relationships, your family, food to eat, a car to drive, a job, whatever is a “basic” in your life. You will be surprised at how much you really have for which to be grateful.
*While you’re being grateful, think of five things you are looking forward to doing. It might be something big like a trip or vacation, or it might be something smaller, like stopping at Starbucks or your favorite coffee shop on your way to work in the morning. Having things in mind that get you excited and make you feel happy are good thoughts to focus on before going to sleep.
*Develop a specific “bedtime routine”, like you might use for a child. These are whatever tasks that you do in a certain order to get ready for bed. For example: take a shower or bath, put on comfy pajamas, wash your face & moisturize, floss & brush your teeth. You get the idea.
*Before bed, try doing a few minutes of yoga. Some suggested poses: legs up the wall pose, cat/cow pose, child’s pose, butterfly. Or you can try this bedtime yoga routine from Yoga with Adriene on youtube. Yoga relaxes the body and the mind, reduces stress and anxiety, releases toxins, eases muscle & joint pain, calms the mind and improves breathing.
*And finally — review your goals. In his book Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want — Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible</em>, Brian Tracy says that the best times to write and review your goals are first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. Brian says:
“When you rewrite and review your goals in the evening, you program them into your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind then has an opportunity to work on your goals all night long, while you are sleeping. You will often arise with wonderful ideas for things to do or people to call to help you achieve your goals.”
Try one or two of these tips and incorporate them into your routine. When they become habits, try one or two more! Let me know how these tips work for you. Here’s to your most productive day tomorrow!