Add These 3 Things To Your Evening Routine To Boost Productivity
Do you follow a daily routine? I know the word “routine” sounds boring and limiting. You may think incorporating a routine into your day is difficult or complicated.
The truth is routines are an excellent way to boost productivity and maximize your time.
One of the reasons routines are so effective is because they become habits. When first starting a routine, it requires conscious thought. After a while it becomes a natural part of your day. It’s just something you do.
We all have a shower routine that we don’t really think about. For me, it’s a morning shave followed by a shower. My wife showers every evening and then puts on lotion before bed. We don’t think about our shower routine because we’ve been doing it basically the same way for years.
Practice a productivity routine long enough and it will become as easy as your shower routine.
Morning or Evening
One of the big questions is should you have a morning routine or an evening routine. Of course, there’s no right or wrong answer because it’s going to differ for each person.
One study found that only 25% of us are “morning people.” This means the majority of us are just trying to get up and get going in the morning. If you’re not a morning person, a morning routine may help you focus, but getting started with your routine (before it becomes habit) may be more difficult.
I prefer to focus on my evening routine because it helps me prepare for a productive day. I focus on three basic categories for my routine: daily chores, planning my day, and winding down.
Daily Chores
There are things we need to do every day around the house or to prepare for the next day. Washing the dishes, ironing clothes, packing a lunch, and taking out the trash are examples of chores you can build into your evening routine.
If you’ve ever heard the trash truck rumbling down the street at 6:00 AM and realized you didn’t put the trash out the night before, you will wish taking out the trash was part of your evening routine.
Even though I wake up at 5:30 (if not earlier), my mornings can be unpredictable. Mornings are when I ship out orders from my online LEGO business. If I have too many orders (I’m not complaining about that) my morning can be crazy! Too many times I’ve run out the door without a lunch because I didn’t make it the night before.
Doing as many of your daily chores at night helps ensure a smoother morning, which means you’re not as flustered at the start of your day.
Plan your Day
The last thing you want to do after a long or stressful day at work is look at what you need to do the next day. But it’s incredibly beneficial to take a few minutes at night to look at your schedule and to-do list for the next day.
Many of us get to the office in the morning and don’t have a clue what we’re supposed to do. Between the pleasantries with co-workers and trying to figure out what we need to do today, you can easily waste 30 minutes.
One of the most important parts of planning your day is looking at what meetings you have scheduled and what is needed for each one. There’s nothing like getting a calendar alert that you have a meeting in 15 minutes and realizing not only did you forget about the meeting, but you also forgot to prepare.
Planning your day the night before is simple and an easy way to mentally prepare for the work you need to accomplish, which lets you start as soon as you get to the office.
The Wind Down
Research shows we should not use out phones at least 30 minutes before going to bed. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic recommends we should be screen-free for two hours before bedtime.
Blue light from the screen suppresses melatonin and interrupts your circadian rhythm. Social media “doom scrolling” stimulates the brain and prevents you from hitting REM sleep as quickly.
Think you can’t put your phone down so early each night? Use this time for your evening routine of daily chores and planning your day. Pack your lunch, iron your clothes, look at a non-electronic planner to see your schedule and to-do list.
You can also use the wind down to journal, read a book, or practice gratitude. These self-care activities can help improve your happiness and provide opportunities for personal growth.
The wind down may be the most important part of your evening routine. It incorporates the other elements of your routine and helps improve the quality of your sleep. Not only are you rested, but you’re also ready to tackle the day!
Your Evening Routine
As you can see, there’s nothing difficult about developing an evening routine that can make your more rested and better prepared for the next day.
If you have an iPhone, you can use the Health app to create a sleep schedule. This includes a reminder to start winding down for bedtime, silencing of all alerts, and even a limit on what apps you have access to (of course you can override this).
I’d love to hear what things you do as part of your evening routine. If you don’t have one yet, try it for a week and let me know what you experienced.
