While smart professionals understand that a healthy morning routine is essential to their success, they might not realize how important a thoughtful evening routine is for ensuring the next day will be a productive one. Done consistently, nightly preparation will save you time and reduce stress in the morning, providing a lasting boost that keeps you going strong throughout the day.
Your evening routine doesn’t have to be complex; even simple actions can make a significant difference in your productivity levels the next day. Below, members of Forbes Coaches Council share 13 ways to improve your nightly routine and set yourself up for a successful tomorrow.
Forbes Coaches Council members offer tips for creating nightly routines that boost productivity at work.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Put Away All Melatonin-Disrupting Electronics At Bedtime
The type of blue light emitted from screens has a negative effect on your body’s production of melatonin. Melatonin is a neurotransmitter-like hormone that serves as a natural sleep-inducing mechanism, and disrupting it can lead to poor sleep. Poor sleep one day might not amount to much, but poor sleep day after day is cumulative and will affect your productivity in the long run. - Mari Carmen Pizarro, Whole Leadership Systems
2. Wind Down And Set Aside Worries For Undisturbed Sleep
To be productive the next day, nothing beats a good sleep that is not disturbed by fretful dreams. I have found nature’s best medicine for a calm and rested mind (and body) to be irreplaceable for a productive day. Pick a routine that allows you to unplug and set aside your worries because there’s always tomorrow for that. - Chuen Chuen Yeo, ACESENCE
3. Let Your Brain Check ‘Done’ With A Bedtime Story
To be more productive the next day, add reading to your bedtime routine. Bedtime stories are not just for children. The mind likes to finish what it starts. Bedtime reading allows you to focus on what you can control and achieve. You can finish reading a chapter or an article before going to bed. Having the chapter finished or the article read allows your brain to check “done” before sleeping. - Tracy Levine, Advantage Talent, Inc.
4. End Activities One Hour Before Going To Sleep For Eight
Getting a sufficient amount of sleep is critical for greater productivity. Sleep allows the mind to rest and reboot, regenerates the body, reduces stress and increases your ability to concentrate, problem-solve and think critically. In order to improve daily productivity, set a bedtime that will allow you to sleep uninterrupted for eight hours. Be sure to end all activities at least one hour before. - Carol Parker Walsh, Carol Parker Walsh Consulting, LLC
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5. Feed Your Mind The Right Data With Nightly Rituals
The secret to winning the next day is to master the night before. A great night routine gives you a great advantage. The subconscious mind processes a lot of information, and if you can feed in the right data at night, you will have a great start to the next day. Some of the best rituals to practice are entire-day review, gratitude, meditation and the setting of goals or intentions for the next day. - Avinash Anand Singh, Blue Dot Transform Consulting Pvt LTD
6. Stop Looking At Screens And Engage With People At A Set Time
The best way to improve your nightly routine is to set a time when you will stop looking at screens (phone, tablet, TV, etc.) and take time to engage with those close to you. If you find yourself distracted at night by the next day’s schedule, use a notebook or app to write down the tasks and concerns that are nagging at you. Give your brain some free space for rest and creativity by doing so. - Billy Williams, Archegos
7. Design Action Steps That You Can Follow Through On
Creating a nighttime routine sets you up for success. If you aspire to work out first thing in the morning, lay out your workout clothes the night before. I’ve even heard of people sleeping in their workout clothes to ensure they follow through. Choose small actionable steps; every step is one step closer to success. - Frances McIntosh, Intentional Coaching LLC
8. Review The Day Behind You And Look Ahead To Tomorrow
A nightly routine should include looking at the day ahead and asking yourself if the things on your calendar for that next day are the most important things you need to get done. Also, look back on that day. Did you accomplish the most important thing that you planned to do today? If not, that should be the first thing on your to-do list for the next day. Important things stay important! - Curtis Odom, Prescient Strategists, LLC.
9. Routinize Your Workday ‘Shutdown’ And Make It A Habit
Routinizing your workday shutdown enables you to close the day and set up for tomorrow. Whatever your sequence, include the actions of clearing out some emails, reviewing your outstanding to-do list and going over the day’s calendar and the next day’s. You can continue to finish up some work later in the evening if you need to, but the trick is to keep to the shutdown sequence and make it a habit. - Sheila Goldgrab, Goldgrab Leadership Coaching
10. Use A Smartwatch To Track And Improve Your Sleep Patterns
Getting a good night’s sleep is highly personal to each one of us. That’s why I recommend using a smartwatch to track your sleep patterns, especially the level of “deep sleep” you get. In my case, drinking wine after 8 p.m. and watching Criminal Minds before bed increases my heart rate and significantly reduces my deep sleep. So, if I want to be super productive the next day, I don’t do either! - Gabriella Goddard, Brainsparker Leadership Academy
11. Prep Small Tasks At Night To Get A Jump On The Day
Nightly routines are essential for creating a stress-free jump on your morning routine and workday. Prepping small tasks like lunches, clothing and schedules will help you to get a jump on the day with a clear mind and focus on items that really need your attention, such as clients, new ideas, employees and quality time with family. Taking 20 minutes before bed can save hours of stress the next day! - Miranda VonFricken, Miranda VonFricken - Masterminds & Personal Growth Coaching!
12. Set An Intention And Envision What You Wish To Achieve
To be productive, you must be focused. Decide what is important to you and then connect with the meaning of that task or project. Set an intention each night regarding the one thing you wish to achieve the next day. Get a clear picture in your mind of achieving the results that you want—including what you will see, hear and feel when you get it—to prime yourself for even better results. - Vered Kogan, Momentum Institute™
13. Practice A Self-Care Routine Of Appreciation And Gratitude
Self-care matters. Your nightly routine accounts for 100% of your productivity the next day. If you work through the night, the next day, your body will need to compensate and recover to function optimally again. Set a discipline of self-care to lower the cognitive intensity of the night and perform a self-care routine of appreciation and gratitude. Your words impact your body. - Jedidiah Alex Koh, Coaching Changes Lives
