30 evening habits, why we do things that are bad for us, a new mindset of productivity and more
3 new ideas on smarter living
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30 short evening habits for life
What’s your evening routine? Mine is designed to reduce cognitive load, reduce stress, and most importantly, do more of what guarantees brain reset. I tend to read a lot, go for walks, do nothing to clear my head, choose a topic for a post in the morning and if I watch TV, it’s time blocked.
Every night you have one chance to wind down and prepare your brain for the next day. Don’t waste it by loading your brain with activities and events that make you even more tired in the morning.
A productive evening routine means putting your best self forward, so you can start fresh in the morning. It also means avoiding distractions, so you’re ready to face the new day.
An evening routine is a set of activities that you repeat after work to prepare your mind and body for the next day. It’s the perfect time to start your day fresh in the morning. It’s also the ideal time for taking a break and relaxing.
The brain can’t deliver at 100% capacity all the time — it needs downtime for peak performance. You can use the evening routine as a chance to wind down or plan for the day ahead.
These are a few habits, routines and activities for a productive evening.
End your day with a short nature walk to clear your head — away fromscreens. You can immerse yourself in nature for at least half an hour.
You can listen to a podcast, audiobook or just the sound of nature if you choose to go for a walk.
Whilst walking, be fully present; observe what you see, ponder over that new thing you’ve never seen before; learn to fully relax your brain and enjoy your time away from work.
You can also end your day with a short exercise routine; you could go for a run or to the gym. I tend to alternate between running and walking.
When you spend quality time with your partner, close friend, spouse or anyone you care about, turn off notifications to connect better with them.
You can block time for a productive TV show, talk or documentary that can help you learn something new. You could also watch one TED talk every night (in under 12 minutes).
Do absolutely nothing at some point in the evening; sit and enjoy a few minutes of mind wander or meditation. It relaxes the brain.
If you choose to read, turn off the TV. Choose physical copies to stay away from screens — it will help you sleep better. It’s a great way to connect with the author or story of the book fully.
Use writing or journaling to calm your brain; you can write down the one thing you want to start doing first thing in the morning. It can improve your mood and emotional well-being.
If you don’t want to read a book, you can read that essay or article you bookmarked a while ago to learn something new.
If you have a porch and the weather is great, get yourself a drink, sit outside and watch the sunset. Or just enjoy the quiet time outdoors.
If you happen to close early from work or work for yourself, you can visit a gallery, museum or public art studio and enjoy great pieces of artwork.Switch things up to see the world from a different perspective.
Make time for an evening dinner with a friend once in a while; nothing stressful — just dinner with a close pal to catch up.
Call a friend for a good old chat; talk about anything but the weather.
Create a new to-do list for the morning. Write down at most three things you need to do to make the next day successful.
Choose your outfit for the next day. Don’t waste cognitive energy on what to wear in the morning. It saves mental energy for real work in the morning. Make that decision before you go to bed.
Don’t eat too close to your bedtime. And cut down on your alcohol and ditch heavy dinners. It’s the best way to help your body go to sleep faster.
End your evening on a good note by keeping work-related items away from the bedroom. It empties the mind of work, which can help you sleep faster.
Clean, organise and clear tables. Don’t wake up to a messy house. Distractions and mess cause stress. Start your morning right by getting rid of anything you may have to do in the morning.
Try a new experience, hobby or activity you are curious about. You could work on a passion project, create art or learn a fun skill. It’s a great way to lose yourself in something you enjoy.
Make time to reflect on what went well, what can be improved the next day and what you want to do differently for a great day ahead. You can reflect and ponder through writing.
Think about an activity, event or task that excites you about the next day.It’s deeply motivational. It puts you in a good mood at night and in the morning.
Take a class on an intellectually curious topic: art, illustration, design, or painting. It keeps your mind away from the worries of tomorrow.
Instead of ordering takeaway again, make dinner from fresh ingredients. You can create a whole mood for it by playing your favourite music and cooking something new.
Ditch caffeine. Drinking caffeine even 6 hours before sleep can interfere with your sleep pattern. Do yourself a favour and cut off caffeine. You don’t want to disrupt your sleep.
Save the intense workout for the morning. If you really want to exercise, stick to lighter options like brisk walks or stretching. Strenuous exercising raises heart rate and body temperature, making it harder to sleep.
Create an evening playlist and play good, soft and soothing music in the evenings; it can improve your mood and help you sleep better.
Think happy thoughts when in bed; this is probably the most difficult for many people. Worrying and stressing about tomorrow prolongs sleep. Practice positive thinking; focus on events you look forward to in the morning.
If you lie in bed and haven’t slept after 20 minutes, get up and read a physical book. Lying awake makes sleep even harder because your mind becomes active again. Drifting off shouldn’t take long.
“It’s easier to sleep when you don’t believe in all the negative thoughts you think.” — Jennifer Williamson
Recommended Reads
Is It Even Possible to Become More Productive? [Esquire] — The main question of my day, every day, was: How can I get myself into a flow state? I would sometimes overshoot the mark and get myself flowing on flow itself, leaving not much for the actual work. On Newport’s advice in Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World…
A New Philosophy of Productivity [ Behavioral Scientist] — A philosophy for organizing knowledge work efforts in a sustainable and meaningful manner, based on the following three principles:
Do fewer things.
Work at a natural pace.
Obsess over quality.
Why do we do things that are bad for us? The ancient philosophers had an answer [The Guardian] — We all break promises that we make to ourselves. Our dedication to a weekly running schedule falters; groceries wilt as we order takeout. Despite pledging to go to sleep earlier, we stay up late scrolling.
I rebuilt my self-esteem by changing the story of who I am [ Psyche] — Your sense of who you are is deeply entwined in the stories you tell about yourself and your experiences. Storytelling is a big part of how we develop a view of our lives, says Jonathan Adler, a psychologist at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts. If you’ve ever struggled with low self-esteem…
The magic of the mundane [Aeon] — Think back to the last time you fell over in a public place. What did you do next? Perhaps you immediately righted yourself and carried on exactly as before. I bet you didn’t, though. I bet you first stole a furtive glance at your surroundings to see if there were witnesses.
The new science of optimism and longevity [Big Think] — People with an optimistic mindset are associated with various positive health indicators, particularly cardiovascular, but also pulmonary, metabolic, and immunologic. They have a lower incidence of age-related illnesses and reduced mortality levels.
3 ideas on smarter living
Writer David Foster Wallace on the importance of controlling your attention:
“Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the liberal arts cliché about “teaching you how to think” is actually shorthand for a much deeper, more serious idea: Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed.”
Source: This is Water
Standup comedian Cameron Esposito on success:
“There is no formula for success—you just begin and then you continue. I’m often asked how to have a career in stand-up and the answer is confoundingly simple: Do the work. Over and over again, just do the work. After you build the courage to get onstage that first time, it’s all about repetition.”
Source: In the Company of Women
Writer David Chapman on how to improve your thinking:
“Learn from fields very different from your own. They each have ways of thinking that can be useful at surprising times. Just learning to think like an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a philosopher will beneficially stretch your mind.”
Source: How to Think Real Good
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Thanks for reading!
Until next week,
Thomas
Medium | Thinking Toolbox | The Write Life | How to Live: Lessons in Stoicism
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