How many times a week do you go to bed with your mind still racing? You can’t quite turn off the thoughts, so you lie awake waiting for the churn to go away.
By then you’ve lost an hour (or two) of sleep. And then your alarm beeps….
Is this scenario familiar?
If so, today we’re going to run through a few hacks that will drastically reduce how much brain churn is going on.
In other words, you’ll finally be able to relax and enjoy your evenings. Sound good?
What not to do: No reminders
Don’t do this #1: Hit the sack straight off without debriefing.
Try this instead: Briefly run through your day to make sure you catch those nagging self-reminders before you hop in bed.
- Did you forget something for tomorrow?
- Leave a to-do undone?
- Suddenly have a great idea for your kid’s party?
Give yourself five minutes sometime in the evening (whether just before bed, or a little earlier in your routine) to jot down all these little reminders.
They’re good ideas, important things left undone, or self-rescues from your brain. Let it help you.
What not to do: Taking no thought for the morrow
Don’t do this #2: Leave tomorrow’s prep work for tomorrow – you know, “I’ll get to it later” or “I’m sure I’ll remember in the morning.”
Try this instead: Write down anything you’re thinking (to be sure you don’t forget), and set out that purse/library bag/Target return ready to go.
It’s so much less stressful to be able to roll out of bed and throw yourself and the kids in the car if you’re behind, without running around the house trying to figure out what needs to come with you while pre-coffee brain is still in charge. (Right?)
So make a habit of pm prepping: What do we need to take with us tomorrow? Then prep the lunches, backpacks, or vehicles accordingly.
Just because there are future to-do’s waiting for you doesn’t mean you need to get up and do them right now.
What not to do: Using the evening as flex work time
Don’t do this #3: Hit all the chores you didn’t get to during the day.
Try this instead: Work time was work time, chore time was chore time, and now it’s free time. I’ve earned this.
You wouldn’t expect your kids to do homework till bedtime, would you? Nor your husband to work straight 12’s all week?
Then why are you expecting it of yourself?
“Oh, I’ll just take a dinner break and an afternoon coffee break, and then I’ll get back to things. After all, my work’s not done.”
Newsflash: Of course it isn’t done! Do you leave things on your plate at work so you have something to do the next day? (Well, yeah.) And did you get all the essentials-for-today done on today? (I think so.) Then you’re good!
Just because there are future to-do’s waiting for you doesn’t mean you need to get up and do them right now.
And if you can’t accomplish today’s essentials by dinner time, then we’ve got a to-do list problem.
You deserve a break, you need a break, and you can’t keep going day after day without a break. You’re taking one.
So. Let’s wrap this up.
- When (after dinner) are you going to take 5 minutes to jot down those reminders?
- Which evenings do you know you need to pre-pack something in the car?
- And what do you commit to do (for fun!) tonight?
Because your best life is waiting for you. And it needs you to be rested, not frazzled, to experience it.
So you might as well start practicing now.
