Do you ever feel tired as soon as you wake up in the morning? Your alarm goes off and you want to hit snooze button but you know you really need to get up.
So, you hit the snooze button anyways.
10 minutes later your alarm goes off and you’re tired and annoyed because you now are late. You drag your ass out of bed to the bathroom feeling like crap and wishing you could sleep for just 15 more minutes. This is the worst start to the day but it is very typical for most Americans in today’s busy society. But guess what, this foolishness didn’t start with the alarm clock. It started the night before. To feel good in the morning you need to get a great night’s sleep.
I know what you’re thinking. I try to get a good night sleep it just doesn’t happen for me. I toss and turn all night or I watch TV until it watches me or you play on social media liking pics and overstimulating your brain before sleep.
Here enters creating your night time regime. It will change your life!! It’s time for us adults to get ready for bed like we did when we were children. Like how we teach our children.
Prepare for bed like you’re a kid
The problem is you are an adult so putting on your pj’s and brushing your teeth is not enough. You need to spend some time today thinking about how you like to relax. Consider your morning regime. I will share my regime below but I hope that you customize your regimen with what works for you.
Turn Off Your Electronics!
I know you already know this but you aren’t doing this. You maybe addicted to the blue light and not even know it. The blue light from the tv or cell phone will ruin your day tomorrow. Please don’t say you need it to sleep because you don’t. I have one friend that always defends herself by saying, “I put the timer on the tv, it eventually turns off.” That doesn’t help. Get off the couch and get your mind prepared for rest.
If your brain in stimulated by noise, conflict, light, etc.… it can’t rest.
And if your brain can’t rest neither can your body. If your body can’t rest it cannot rejuvenate and restore itself for the morning. Being overstimulated before bed will cause you to wake up tired and foggy.
If you have a tv in your bedroom it’s even worse because you can’t leave the room. Don’t set the timer for after you fall asleep. Turn it off an hour before you want to be asleep. Yes, an hour. I chose not to have a tv in my room for this very reason. My room is for sex and sleeping. Not necessarily in that order. But, it’s my sanctuary. I will not allow the Real Housewives of Orange County into my bedroom.
So, drink a glass of water, turn off the electronics, put them away and head to bed.
Straighten Up Your Home
People overestimate the power of junk in their lives. It is very difficult to rejuvenate and find peace in a cluttered home. I am not asking for you to do a full-on cleaning. I’m only asking that you organize or re-organize and put things where they belong. Take dirty dishes to the kitchen. Start the dishwasher, if necessary. Put your shoes away. Put your electronics away. Everything has a place and it should be in its place. And yes, all this before you go to bed.
Lay Out Your Clothes For The Next Day
Don’t worry your mind in the morning with unnecessary distractions. If you know you work out first thing in the morning, set out your workout clothes. And when I say clothes, I mean the shoes too. If you’re anything like me, and own an own store of shoes, this could be an undertaking. So, prepare your entire outfit, down to the shoes, the night before.
Engage In Some Relaxing Behavior
If you haven’t already lit the candles the time you hit the door from work, then you need to start doing that now. Create your peaceful space and place. It’s time to shut the world out and spend time with you. Kids to bed. House is orderly, tv is off… It’s your time now. You’ve waited all day for this moment. Make it your best. Give yourself a solid 30 minutes and if you can splurge then an hour. In these 30-60 minutes, I want you to just relax. I don’t know how you relax but I spend the time in the bathtub reading and relaxing. But remember this time is critical. It’s is critical because it sets the tone for the next 24 hours. It determines how you will perform at the office, with your family, in traffic and with yourself. I personally believe we don’t take enough time to love ourselves like we love everyone else. So, this your time to love yourself. I love meditation. It’s how I start my day. I am more contemplative at the end of the day. I have a gratitude pad. I keep it next to my bed. I reflect and no matter how difficult the day I find things to be grateful. If you believe in a creator, it’s time to say thank you for another day to live your best life.
What relaxes you? A hot shower? Laughing and chatting with your partner? Yoga? A good stretch? A glass of wine? Passionate sex? Good music? Reading to your children? I don’t have your answer. But you do. Heck it may be several things.
You have 30 minutes. So, you could sip a glass of tea and day dream for 10 minutes while the tub fills up. Maybe go for an evening walk, tomorrow you may sit on the deck and stare at the stars. This is for you and about you. No wrong answers. Just do it and enjoy.
Get Dressed, Wash Your Face, Be Grateful And Go To Sleep
When I was a kid after brushing my teeth, and putting on my pj’s, I would kiss my parent’s good night. I would go to my room, get on my knees and say my prayers. I do all that now but in an adult way. I wash my face and brush my teeth. As I have gotten older though, my facial skin care regime has become sacred. I wash my face 2xs. The cleanser depends on the season.
Serums too but what is always consistent is a face cream with retinol.
I suggest your night regime that included your skin on your face and body. Slather your body in oils and creams. Things that makes your skin feel baby soft and kissable. I think it’s critical that we take care of our skin. You need to have a cream for those heels and those cheeks. And please not the same one. After you have cleansed & moisturized your skin and brushed your teeth and dressed, even if it’s in your birthday suit, it’s time for the best time of the night.
The one simple thing that pays tremendous rewards.
Gratitude. Once you have relaxed and readied for bed, it’s time to show gratitude before you drift off to sleep. This step is to whomever or for whatever you feel grateful for in that moment. We all have a lot going on in our lives. Sometimes we complain too much. We carry to much stress. Of course, we wake up tired and feel like shit all day. This is precisely why we need to show gratitude. We are alive and we get a do over tomorrow, if we are lucky. You have something to be grateful for.
Try to let that be the last thing you think of before you fall asleep. You’ll find yourself smiling without even realizing it.
As humans in 2018 we live in the most opportunistic of times. Yet we all complain that there isn’t enough time in the day to take advantage of the opportunities. We have more than enough time in the day.
We get 24 hours. Everyday.
All I’m asking is for you to give yourself and only yourself 30 minutes out of 24 hours. Can you do this? Sure, you can. Don’t give it to the Real housewives. Don’t give it to the evening depressing news. Don’t give it to your whiny girlfriend or demanding boss.
Take the last 30 before your bed hits the pillow for you.
Now, you have found the secret to feeling great all day. The secret is to get grounded and relaxed before the morning. Wake up refreshed and then you start your morning regime. And guess what you will be able to carry this feeling all day because you have honored your mind and body. You turned off everything and allowed your mind to slow down and that allowed your body to rest, rejuvenate and recover. Good for you! Feel good in it.
Namaste,
Nicole G.