The secret to a great day is a good night.
Oftentimes when clients come to me on the topic of time management, one of their greatest roadblocks is waking up anxious/moody, lethargic, and stressed nearly every single morning. For these people, the issue with their mornings and the quality of their days lies in their evenings. Most of the time, these bad mornings are the byproduct of having no structure and relaxation in their evenings. Many people either continue working long into the night, never giving themselves time to decompress before bed, and others remain on social media until the moment they can no longer keep their eyes open, engaging in passive and active interaction with others until exhaustion hits.
If you begin every morning feeling tired and under-rested, regardless of how many hours of sleep you may have gotten, try this: Log off of all social media 1-3 hours before bed, stretch a bit, eat if you’re hungry, take a hot shower or warm bath, listen to some soothing, lyric-free music, set an alarm, and go to sleep. Do this for a week to train your mind to anticipate real, recuperative rest and familiarize your body with the routine of waking up at the same time every day. Don’t check your email before exercise and/or breakfast, and don’t log onto social media until after lunch. I promise, whatever’s on there will still be there when you log on. Prioritize your relaxation, rest, and peace, and you’ll be rewarded with many more good mornings and productive days.
