I consider myself to be a pretty motivated and productive guy. Although I’m in control of much of my schedule, a typical day consists of work, physical activity such as walking and exercising, and spending quality time with my wife and often with family, neighbors, and other friends. I know that I’m not too unique in that regard, but I don’t think that I would be as efficient or effective if I didn’t have routines for easing into the day and easing into the night.
I think that a morning and evening routine is pretty important to enable your body and mind to wake up in the morning and to quiet down in the late evening. Before I started doing so, I would often feel rushed and harassed at the beginning of the day, feel tired and yawn more during the day, and often work at the computer at night until I was so tired that all I could do was fall asleep. More often than I would like to admit, I would fall asleep with the TV on. I had learned about shutting off screens for a period of time before going to bed, but I was pretty successful and felt that the rules didn’t apply to me.
It feels different when you pay attention to your own self-care. Reading about it doesn’t do anything for you unless you apply it. Everybody is an individual, and everybody’s individual routine has to be a good fit for them. The commonality is that it should enable you to ease into the day and ease into the night. I know that some people have more time to spend on these routines than others – but the quality of the routine and the focus on self-care is what counts. I don’t think, however, that a real routine can be done in less than a half-hour. I’ll share mine as an example, recognizing that not everybody has as much control over their schedules as I do most days.
Things that I do every morning include showering, weighing myself, eating a healthy breakfast, reading a physical paper that I can hold, meditating, checking my email and my electronic bank statements to make sure that I didn’t get a surprise deduction that I forgot about, and some form of exercise (some days it’s just stretching and balance; other days it’s weight training) – which I will supplement with a walk later in the day.
In the evening, I try to get away from the computer, TV, and phone screens at least an hour before bedtime (sometimes I don’t succeed), spend time talking with my wife, read, do a gratitude exercise, and make or review plans for the next day.
There is nothing magic about my particular routines, but they have magically contributed to a greater emphasis on self-care and a general feeling of wellness. If you don’t have routines that fit your style and personality, I encourage you to try and establish them. But just like with every other behavior change, start slowly with one behavior and gradually add others. In other words, ease into the process of easing into the day and easing into the night.