‘’Our daily decisions and habits have a huge impact upon both our levels of happiness and success. Good habits formed makes all the difference as we are what we do repeatedly, and excellence is not an act but a habit’’
This jumped at me the moment I came across these lines; we often sabotage the power of consistency and regularity, we fail to understand that quality is not an act but a habit.
I personally, for so long could not stick to a routine and never saw the essence of it, it was boring and stifling to me but as maturity sets in the need to be productive and grow became a priority.
In one sense, the whole process of development consists of the formation of habits; hence it is important that we cultivate and develop healthy routines and habits to simplify, guide and ease our daily activities.
Developing a routine helps us make improvements, see progress and feel accomplished more so, developing a routine before going to bed sets the quality of the next day and our sleep experience.
Nighttime is an important part of the day when the bustle and hustle tends to calm down, the chaos is reduced and it is essentially important that before the curtains are drawn, we are prepared to retire for the day and the right mood is set that will supercharge your mornings.
Let’s dig into this properly below are 10 things you need to do before you go to bed.
1. Take Care Of Your Body
- Brush your teeth after dinner. Ensure that you brush your teeth to avoid germs and food particles housing in them, as a result producing bad breathe in the morning and exposing your teeth to cavities.
- Floss- Simply flossing your teeth can make them look brighter by removing plaque and excess food particles that you may not see in the mirror or in areas that your toothbrush doesn’t reach. It also helps prevent tooth decay and can reduce the risk of developing gum disease by removing plaque.
- Wash or have a warm bath.
- Use lotion on your body.
- Carry out your skin routine.
2. Stop Screen Time 2 Hours Before Bed
We are always so quick to reach out for our smartphone and gadgets especially as Creators, Writers, Bloggers, Curators, and Influencers in the online world. The need to always be abreast is vehement by checking news feeds, updating your socials and replying messages is quite luring and distracting in terms of preparing your mind for a sound rest and it will surprise you to know that blue light emanating from the gadgets can speed up blindness, damage your eyes and prevent you from getting adequate rest.
So one trick I employ in balancing work and my healthy routines is allocating time to spend with my gadgets.
I attend to all the leisure findings, relaxation, work and bliss and once the time elapses for that, I put them away to attend to other things. This may be so hard at first but with constant practice and discipline, it becomes so easy.
Routines cannot be tossed out the window; they must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time.
3. Reflect And Visualize
A feedback loop is extremely needed in the cause of survival, knowing where you stand and how you are doing, checking up on yourself to evaluate and re-evaluate your outlined goals is very important.
At this moment, chunk out time to unplug, highlight what went right in your day, what went wrong, what was achieved, what didn’t go as planned and try to resolve it.
If you have a score to settle, endeavor to do settle it; do not sleep in with a negative impulse because while you rest your conscious mind, your subconscious is making connections to your day, generating codes to function for the next day.
If your mindset has been influenced or programmed negatively due to your experience, your subconscious beings to dwell and works with that. The brain is always working so it is essentially mandatory that before retiring for the day you run a check and correct wrong infiltrations.
Do not sleepover with them; the council of your mind works with the progression of your thoughts and activities, so guide your thoughts outline and resolve them; thinking is the way you talk to yourself so speak positively with an impetus of possibilities.
4. Write-In Your Journal
Before the day fades out, it is important that we keep track of our activities, goals, accomplishments, and connections for the day.
Write down as many things you are grateful for, accomplishments no matter how small write, wind down and clear your mind from the sequence of activities.
5. Express Gratitude
Be thankful, gratitude can transform the common day into thanksgiving. It helps you grow and expand beyond the ordinary and changes ordinary opportunities into blessings.
Gratitude turns what we have into enough, it is a powerful catalyst for happiness; it is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others. We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude; the ability of sanity, having loved ones around, the ability to eat, the good and grace that the universe puts in our way.
Gratitude will shift you to a higher frequency and you will attract much better things. Your gratitude can be in punchy lines or lengthy paragraphs depending on which is suitable for you and how your day rolls out to be.
When I usually have bad days, I try to spend more time writing a gratitude list. I refuse to lose hold to negativity so I sit down, prepare enough time and release all that I am grateful for the day, accomplishment and all that I will be grateful for the next day and this truly helps.
6. Read Before You Sleep
What you consume before bed is very important it plays a long way in your subconscious that is why sometimes after watching your favorite movie you start having dreams of the characters and sometimes of yourself or after a conversation you begin to dream about it.
Your subconscious preserves and works with what the conscious produces and dwells on; so feed your mind with positivity. I always try to read a page or chapter from my current read or any motivational books to strengthen me and feed my subconscious with positive preservatives.
7. Meditation
The calmness of the mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom when meditation is mastered. The mind is unwavering like the flame of a candle in a windless place, there is a serenity of peace that nobody can steal in that quiet moment.
So learn to slow down, get lost intentionally, stretching spiritually; it helps relieves stress and improves the quality of your sleep.
By making meditation a routine, a consciousness develops and gradually you will reach a point of highest consciousness where your calm mind becomes the ultimate weapon against your challenges.
8. Craft Out Your To-Do List
Envision your day and plan towards it by reviewing your calendar and outlining your important appointments. Identify your priorities for the day and bring them first.
9. Pray
There is something so powerful about connecting with the spiritual and I don’t miss any chance to connect.
I appraise and thank God for the ability he has given me to achieve and take charge of survival. I empower my fourth dimension here and go further in appreciating the universe for every good that is yet to come my way.
10. Set The Scene
- Dim the light.
- Wear comfortable clothes.
- Wrap your hair up.
- Take off your make up.
- And Dream big while you sleep.
Before you go, know that humans are creatures of habit. If you quit when things get tough, it gets that much easier to quit the next time BUT on the other hand, if you force yourself to push through it, the grit begins to grow in you.
You may not be able to stick to these routines immediately or to adopt these into your night routine but do not relent after one try or the other, keep pushing on until you get there.
If you believe you can change – if you make it a habit – the change becomes real.
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Love this post! I love setting the scene part!
Thanks, Teya I am glad you could connect with this piece, setting the scene before bed is extremely important. It can give a more healthy and beneficial night rest and the right momentum to wake up in the morning.
Wonderful post! I had to write it all down…each one was better than the next. Do you also prep for the next day? Such as your food or clothes? Thank you,
Tawny
YOU are such a darling ! Thank you
Oh I absolutely love this post I read the morning and night routines so informative and guess what I practiced it today and I was very productive.,Thanks for sharing this information, I found it on Pinterest
Organization is the key.
I love this article. So much wise and practical advice! This is just what I needed to get me back on track. I’m dealing with life altering health issues that have left me feeling drained, depressed and frustrated. As a result, my whole being is out of sync. I needed this to remind me that I need to get back into a routine so I can feel more grounded. Thank you! I am so glad I found your article.
Afam Uche, you are so inspiring and helpful! I never miss a post from you, sometimes read them again and again thank you so much xxxx sandra
Ugh I’m so guilty for not having at least a two-hour screen break before sleeping (that’s because I listen to motivational videos before I sleep). But I’m happy that I meditate, pray, and ofc brush my teeth before I sleep. Your tips are great! Thanks for sharing!
I think one thing you left out before going to bed is listening to calming, slow, love music. It reduces stress and is an overall calming effect. It also enhances nice dreams I have found.
Thus is really relevant even Ll these years later. With all that is going on in the world, we need to prepare ourselves for the next good fight.