There are some nighttime routines that you should implement in your evening routine that can help you to have productive mornings. If you have a good night’s sleep, a clear mind in the morning, and feel energized when you wake up you will finish all your daily jobs much easier.
What you do first thing in the morning has a huge effect on how successful and productive your whole day will be. It’s no coincidence that successful entrepreneurs get up much earlier than the average person (even if they can afford to sleep in).
They dedicate the first hour or so of their day to activities and habits that get them in a good mood, set them up for a big day, unleash their creativity, positivity, and peace, and help them get to work and start getting things done with motivation and passion.
That’s why a powerful morning ritual can turn your whole life around.
But there’s something else you can do that will double your results in every area, and will let you build even more successful habits: having a night routine, an evening success ritual.
Yes, there are things you can do right after you wake up that are healthy, positive, and productive. But there are also the ones you can make time for before you go to bed.
I believe that your nighttime habits are what makes you have a good night’s sleep (or are responsible for the lack of it), can help you leave the problems of the day behind and empty your mind so that you can be ready for tomorrow, can give you an idea of how you’re performing at work, personal life, etc.
So yes, what you do before you go to bed matters a lot.
And if you take control of it and dedicate as little as 20 minutes to create a pleasant night routine that includes some powerful nighttime routines, you can guarantee tomorrow’s success from the night before.
Nighttime Routines For Tomorrow’s Success
1. Do some light prep for tomorrow morning
First up on the list for making Tomorrow You happy: Use your nighttime routine to streamline your morning routine.
That can include things like setting out tomorrow’s outfit, loading up your coffee maker so all you have to do is press the Start button in the a.m., or writing out what your morning to-do list will entail.
Whatever will help you have a relaxed and positive morning so you can start the day off on the right foot, says Ryan Howes Ph.D.
2. Connect with someone
If you’re busy and stressed, you might find that once nighttime rolls around, all you want to do is burrow into yourself, maybe by watching TV or drinking wine or another activity that allows you to turn your brain off for the night.
While that’s so necessary sometimes (after, say, a day from hell), you don’t always want to defer to isolation.
Instead, Howes recommends making an effort to connect with others in low-lift ways every night, like texting or emailing someone you care about or talking with a partner or friend.
“It helps to ground you and remind you that you’re not alone,” he says. “It’s like, ‘I’m okay. I’m here with others on this planet.’”
3. Tidy up a bit
Ugh, chores. Not exactly what comes to mind when you think of nighttime relaxation.
But the thing about chores is they need to get done at some point, and the more regularly you do them (say, through a cleaning routine), the less they pile up.
There’s nothing to put you in a bad mood like waking up to a sink full of dishes that STARE YOU DOWN as you make your morning coffee.
Even worse: Then you spend your entire day knowing that those dishes are waiting for you when you get home too.
The same goes for the other chores you put off for Future You to deal with. I’ve got some good news, though: If you practice something with regularity (like doing a quick tidy of your place every night), it will eventually take less effort, says Howes.
You can thank the power of habits for that. Once something becomes a normal part of your day, you’ll find it feels like second nature.
4. Practice gratitude journaling
Therapists have repeatedly told me that practicing gratitude is one small way to make a big improvement in mental health.
Here’s why: The more you make an effort to notice the things that you feel thankful for, the more you prime yourself to just naturally feel grateful instead of having to work at it.
You’ll likely surprise yourself by eventually finding stuff to be grateful for even when your life is feeling kind of rough.
If you’re new to the practice, start by writing down one thing you’re grateful for every night. It can be something small, like freshly washed sheets.
You don’t even have to write it down if that’s not your style, just commit to thinking about it before you go to bed.
Or, if you worry you’ll forget, you can do what’s called “habit stacking” and pair your gratitude practice with another thing you do every night anyway, says Howes—like, for example, thinking of the things you’re grateful for while you brush your teeth.
5. Read
If you’re already in the habit of reading before bed, you probably don’t need me to tell you why it’s so excellent.
But if you’re skeptical (or know it’s probably nice in theory but never actually make the time for it), I’ll say that reading a book before bed is representative of the whole dang purpose of a good nighttime routine.
The point of a nighttime routine is to unwind and allow your world to get smaller and smaller until it’s just you, your pillow, and a good night’s sleep ahead.
You want to disentangle yourself from the stressors and stimulations of the day. “That’s the beauty of reading a book,” says Howes.
“Your focus is going from world events and drama from the day to just focusing on this one story you’re reading. That helps everything get smaller until you can go to bed.”
6. Give yourself a massage
Not only does this serve to make you feel good, but it encourages you to take a moment to appreciate your body for everything it does throughout the day.
How you pull this one off can vary. It could mean grabbing your favorite aromatherapy lotion and taking your time to apply it, paying attention to the sensation, and staying present in the moment with your body.
7. Enjoy a mug of decaf tea
I don’t know about you, but for me, a good cup of tea is a lot more than a mug of hot leaf water. It’s a small pocket of calm in a chaotic world; it’s a source of warmth and comfort in my hands, and it’s a simple pleasure that’s easy to come by.
Whether you’re a loose-leaf or a bag-tea person, there’s a variety of blends out there made with relaxation and sleep-readiness in mind.
More than just being a nice habit to enjoy, the ritual of brewing a cup can also serve as a signal that it’s time to start winding down. It may be a placebo effect, but by now, every time I nurse a warm mug of tea, I get a little sleepier because my body knows it’s almost bedtime.
8. Follow a guided meditation for better sleep
A lot of meditation skeptics I know were eventually sold on the concept via bedtime meditation.
If you are someone who has a hard time relaxing at the end of the night or finds yourself unable to shut off your thoughts to sleep, guided meditation could be just what you need to get out of your head.
Meditation works to help you regulate your breathing and ground you in the present moment, staving off the distracting thoughts that keep you from sleep.
9. Slip Into Another World Through Books
If you are not quite ready to slip under the sheets, consider slipping into another world through books. Many successful people, like Bill Gates and Arianna Huffington, make it a point to unwind with a good read before they hit the hay.
Whether it’s a fiction novel, a steamy romance, the newspaper, or even a non-fiction book about a particular topic, reading can help your mind disconnect from the day – meaning you’ll fall asleep easier and wake up more refreshed.
10. Keep a Consistent Bedtime
Pick a bedtime and stick to it. Once your body adjusts to the new time, you will find yourself ready for bed earlier and possibly falling asleep faster.
11. Prepare your clothes for tomorrow
Build that together with the other evening habits and you’ll make things easier for the next morning.
You can get other stuff ready too so that you won’t forget anything and won’t need to be in a hurry.
12. Set up an alarm and put it on the other side of the room
This will help you wake up immediately.
13. Go to sleep and be excited about tomorrow morning
That’s one of the most natural and powerful ways to get up earlier than you have to and kickstart your day.
Just think about what tomorrow may bring – you may take opportunities and thus open new doors, you may double your productivity and see more results in just one day, you may meet new people, take a serious decision about your life and decide to change, etc.
Conclusion: Implement these nighttime routines, let them become your habit and you will see the difference. You will feel happier in the morning, ready for the day and you will have a clear mind.
This way you’ll wake up not in a bad mood, but with a smile on your face and gratitude in your heart. It’s all up to you. And all that can start in the morning. So be happy about it.
Sources: medium.com letsreachsuccess.com self.com