There is no-one on this planet who infuriates me more than myself.
I seem to be in a constant destructive battle with my self-discipline around going to bed early. I want more than anything to be a 5am person and have tried on and off for years. However, unless I’m working on a film set and have to be at location super early, I am unfortunately not accountable to anyone other than myself — and there lies the problem.
I do occasionally have some wins, but they’re far less frequent than the losses. Best I’ve managed is about three days per week of pre-6am wake-ups, but rarely have I got to bed early enough the night before. For each morning that I have gone to bed later than intended, or slept past my desired wake-up time, I’ve scolded myself harshly. This is not a great way to start a morning, especially considering this is most days.
So today, as I contemplated walking my dogs with my own thoughts, or with company of audio, I looked up motivational speaker Mel Robbins’ podcast. Sitting top of the list, as if just for me, was an episode titled Get Back on Track: 5 Evening Habits to Wake Up Focused, Recharged and in Control. This was the motivation I was looking for.
This week I am dedicated to nailing these habits and achieving the life-changing sleep pattern I’ve long desired.
If you’re not in love with your late-night channel flicking, series binging or mindless scrolling on social media habits, then please accept this invitation to join me on this self-improvement mission.
I honestly cannot recommend this podcast, and Mel Robbins, highly enough, so if you can prioritise listening to it, do.
For now, this is a summary of Mel’s five-step evening routine that I will be implementing from tonight.
1. Pick your bedtime
Not ‘between’ or ‘before’, an actual bed time. This needs to be nine hours before your wake-up time to allow an hour to actually fall asleep, and to get eight hours of sleep. I’ve chosen 9pm.
2. Clean up the mess
Load dishwasher, wash and put away pots. Leave nothing in the sink. Clear bench tops, put things away. This is not a deep clean or rearranging of cupboards, it’s a simple clearing to wash the day away, for a fresh start tomorrow.
3. Make tomorrow easier
Set out items you will use first up in the morning. Prep breakfast or lunches. Fill water bottles or have vitamins and supplements ready to go. Place your clothes out ready to go, or your car keys on the bench. Every little thing you can do the night before, your tomorrow morning’s self will be thankful for.
4. Five minutes for you
This could be reading a book or reading to your kids, making a bedtime cup of tea. Stretch. Run a bath while you’re cleaning up so you can take five minutes to soak before bed. Journal, perhaps; write down your wins for the day, what you’re proud of, what you’re excited about. Whatever this (minimum) five minutes for yourself looks like, just make sure to take it.
5. Tuck your phone in
Charge in a cupboard in another room with the door closed overnight, or as Mel suggests, and what I’ve already started doing, plug it in in the bathroom, so you have to get out of bed to turn the alarm off in the morning. Point is to keep it away from you, out of arm’s length, ideally in another room so that you can’t be tempted to reach for it.
So, will you join me in giving this a red-hot crack? I am recruiting accountability buddies. In fact, I’m going to post this challenge on my Instagram account and report in the comments every day for a month; my honest bedtime and wake-up times. The absolute honest truth. I’m not expecting to win every day, but I will be trying. Best case, I surprise myself!
I’d love for you to join in and report your times in the comments, too. Let’s do it!
It’s time to ‘Wake Up Focused, Recharged and in Control’ and win the day!
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