A Guide To Getting Your Evening Routine Right

02:59 discipline , early bird , evening , exercise , fitness , gym , health , leaf , meditation , motivation , motivational , Schedule , Sleep 0 Comments

We are always looking for ways to improve ourselves via daily habits or making small changes every now and again. To be completely successful, happy and continue motivated, we must align all of our goals toward the same direction.

 Rest Your Eyes

 Reading a good ol' fashioned book is a brilliant staple, in a vast number of successful peoples nightly routines. This could be about your specialized field, unrelated or an enticing novel. Set aside 1 hour of uninterrupted down-time, this is non-negotiable. You are the most important person therefore you must allow yourself time to be entirely yours. Turn off all technology at the start of this hour, some prefer to turn their phone or restrict mobile data. Looking at a bright screen before bed stimulates brain activity and makes it even harder to doze off. This is your time to unwind and relax, not being answering to someone else' messages. A 2009 study from the University of Essex revealed that reading for as little as six minutes a day can reduce stress levels by up to 68%! - Expand your knowledge and reduce stress, perfect!

Schedule 60 minutes just before bed

Turn off technology

Remove yourself from all distractions

Create a comfortable reading environment (ie. Dim light, supportive seating..)

 Plan Your Attack

 I find that physically writing this down with pen and paper helps this stick in your mind. Schedule your morning, leave nothing to chance. You need to know what you are doing from the minute you open your bright eyes, because a confidence in an affirmative plan will allow you to rest easier the night before. Set your alarm (With no snooze) early then plan your morning, allow for a 2 hours in the morning before turning on any technology. In this time you are able to properly wake up, feed, exercise & any other light activities to set yourself up for a day of success. You will feel so confident in the fact of having your evening & morning so well organised for optimal performance that you will be jumping out of bed refreshed and prepared for the day. Just before going to bed either after or just before reading, make sure to write down 3 goals you wish to achieve for the following day. You will be able to reflect on these the following night, creating new goals as you progress.

 Schedule your mornings 

Allot time slots for morning tasks 

Write 3 goals every evening 

Reflect on previous days goals 

Find out how to: Improve Your Morning Routine

 Practice Perfect Sleep 

 We as animals make connections with our surroundings and associate them with certain tasks - We walk into a kitchen and we will start thinking of food involuntarily - The same process applies with sleep. To have a deep and peaceful sleep our bodies must be comfortable to the surrounding and associate as a place of rest. This is why routine is so important, when your body understands that once you turn off your phone, start reading a book and sitting in a certain room it will start to respond by shutting down the moment you pick the book up or when you start the routine. Do not work in the same room you sleep in otherwise soon as your head hits the pillow you will still be thinking of work and problems instead of a clear mind ready for sleep.
 Here are some good sleep practices;

 Do not watch TV before bed 

Make the room as dark as possible 

Create a cool temperature 

 Invest in a comfortable mattress 

 Minimize sound 

 Find Your Groove

Once you have found your routine and the tasks to fill your evening you need to write them all down. Have it written out in front of you and recite the lines in your head. Be affirmative with your words, you're here to make an impact and a change in your life. This could include spending more time with your family in the evenings, working on that big project or you are just wanting to maximize your time even further. Find what works for you and your lifestyle, where some people prefer to shower in the evening, others prefer the morning to wake them up. Do not leave things to chance, you have more power and control than that. The most important part of the whole routine is to remain consistent, you may slip up but that is not an excuse to quit, become adaptable and remain firm.