Productivity doesn’t just happen. It requires intention, planning, and thoughtfulness.
Evening and morning routines are key for my success and allow me to feel good throughout the day. A productive day starts with good quality sleep – not just from the night before, but routinely. I used to be a night owl and an insomniac. If I can get a handle on my sleep, I bet you can, too! It requires intention and discipline – and a desperation to feel better! Many of my tips are founded in neuroscience. If you want to understand the WHY behind my routine, I would highly recommend listening to the Huberman Lab podcast and following neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman on Instagram.
Here’s how I set myself up for success:
Evening Routine
My routine starts the night before, so that I get the most restful sleep possible.
Start dimming/turning off lights around sunset
Use lamps below eye-level, rather than overhead lights
Use warmer-colored light-bulbs
Get outside around sunset, even if for just a few minutes
Activities that I rotate through:
Reading
Stretching
Chamomile tea
Gratitude practice
Calm, classical music
Think about what went well today
Diffuser with lavender essential oil
Epsom salt bath with lavender essential oil
Inversions (ex. Lie on the floor or bed and put your legs up the wall)
Breathwork (Ex. Inhale through your nose for 4, exhale through your nose for 6; inhale through your nose for 4, hold for 4, exhale through your nose for 4, hold for 4)
Set up/clear space for tomorrow
Stop eating a few hours before bed
Look at tomorrow’s schedule so that nothing is a surprise
Use phone’s Do Not Disturb feature
Stop looking at screens at least 2 hours before bed
Keep phones out of bedroom (buy an alarm clock)
Morning Routine
My morning routine is all about prepping my mindset so that I can be energized and focused and less reactive to stressors.
Drink lots of water upon waking
NuCalm Performance (magical technology that changed my life – it upregulates the parasympathetic nervous system, downregulates the adrenals, and put your brain into theta state – ask me about this!)
Turn on bright lights upon waking
Get outside upon waking, ideally without sunglasses, to experience sunlight
Avoid looking at screens for at least the first hour of the day
Breathwork (see suggestions above; iBreathe is my favorite breathwork app)
Meditate
Dance
Move
Cold shower (Ask me for tips to make this easier! Anyone who knows me well know I HATE the cold, but I’ve trained myself to appreciate my cold showers!)
Eat nutritious food (did you know that the digestive system has a circadian rhythm?)
Gratitude practice
Daytime Habits
These are some other things I keep in mind to stay productive.
Set boundaries and say “no.”
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. And then hydrate!
Set timers or reminders to look away from the screen, stand up, and move around.
Keep the phone out of eyesight.
Consider turning phone on Do Not Disturb.
Schedule everything – breaks, social time, eating, movement, breathwork, etc.
Be intentional about everything – social media, email, etc.
Find joy – something to look forward to!
Eat nutritious, whole foods. Stay away from processed non-food.
Be kind to yourself. Ask for help. Remember that progress is the goal, not perfection.