I already wrote a post about my morning routine to get my day started, but how you end your day is eqaully important. I never had a “routine” – I would just go to sleep when I got tired and tried to get 7-8 hours of sleep. But as I read up on newsletters, interviews, and books on some of the most successful people they all seem to herald not just a structured morning routine but also a disciplined nighttime habit. I’m still adapting my nightly ritual as it’s much harder to maintain when I’m constantly going out to meet with friends, going to events and generally staying out late at night. But on nights when I can control my time, I tend to bask in the routine and it most definitely sets me up for success the following day.
After dinner – 7pm
- Wash dishes
- Complete a crossword puzzle
- Watch a bit of a sports game if possible, or one episode of my current Netflix show
- Put all of my clothes away, organize my desk
Getting ready – 8:30pm
- Wash my face (Cerave)
- Brush my teeth, floss
- Take supplements (Vitaming D, Fish Oil, Magnesium)
Winding down – 9pm
- Heat up a cup of Ginger & Turmeric tea
- 15 minutes of stretching while listening to a podcast
- Foam roll
- Turn all electronics off ay 9:30pm
- This has been a big key for me. Shutting off your laptop and phone and not looking at a screen for at least a half hour before bed will make it a lot easier to go to sleep. Looking at that bright blue-light is the opposite of what you want to do before bed.
- Read for 20-30 minutes
- 10pm – Meditate and visualize for 5-10 minutes
- Write down any thoughts, ideas, or general quotes in to my notebook
10pm – Lights out
I try to put my phone on my desk which is across the room, and put it on airplane mode. That forces me to not only wake up but to physically get out of my bed when my alarm goes off. Once the hard part is done, I start my day. I usually have my alarm set for 6:00 AM which gives me a full 8 hours of sleep.
If you’re curious as to how I got in to the habit of developing these routines. Here’s a great article about Bedros Keuilian’s morning and nighttime routines. He is the founder and CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp. The website in general has a ton of interviews about the morning routines of successful entrepreneurs and tech influencers.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to wake up and go to bed at the same time on weekdays and weekends.” – Bedros Keuilian
-KB