As I got into bed I noticed the clutter on my nightstand. I turned off my light and closed my eyes. Then I sighed. I could feel the clutter on my nightstand taking up space in my mind. My wife was still getting ready for bed, so I turned the light back on and cleared off the three books, my earbuds, and a few ideas that I jotted down on sticky notes. I put the books in the drawers of the nightstand. I put my earbuds next to my keys for the morning. I put the sticky notes on my desk to deal with in the morning.
As I got back into bed I felt so much better. Before I knew it, I was off to sleep.
This is the beauty of simplifying before bed. You get a chance to put a little bit of order to your home and your mindsest to help you focus on what truly matters.
I practice simplifying my life at the end of the day. It gives me a chance to clear out anything that distracts me from relaxing before I go to bed.
When you are looking to build a habit like decluttering before bed it’s important to do it in a way that fits your personality. You want something that boosts your energy instead of something that you have to do. I like to do it right after I brush my teeth. I use a four-step method I call the SOAR method.
- Simplify
- Observe
- Appreciate
- Reflect
This practice has done wonders for my energy levels. I sleep better and wake up more refreshed. I encourage the people I work with to start with Simplifying their lives. When you simplify your life, clear out the mental and physical clutter, you’ll find it easier to relax at night.
When you look at your evening routine it’s important to look at what habits you already employ and how you can stack on top of them to help you simplify your mindset before bed. The more you can slow down and allow yourself to relax before bed, the more likely you’ll have a better night’s sleep.
Over the next few months I’ll help you create and improve your evening routine so that you can have more energy and clarity each morning. If you are ready to take it up a notch, you can get the one-page SOAR guide. It shows you how the whole process works and how to implement it in your life.
Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash
