9 things successful people do before going to bed. .....
very last thing you do before bed
tends to have a significant impact on yourq
mood and energy level the following day,
since it often determines how well and
how much you sleep.
Successful people understand that their
success starts and ends with their own
mental and physical health, and that it’s
almost entirely dependent upon them
getting enough sleep.
That’s why bedtime routines are a key
ritual for so many of them – and why
the very last thing most successful people
do before bed is read.
1. They read.
Experts agree that reading is the very last
thing most successful people do before
going to sleep.
Michael Kerr, an international business
speaker and author of “ You Can’t Be
Serious! Putting Humor to Work,” says he
knows numerous business leaders who
block off time just before bed for reading,
going so far as to schedule it as a “non-
negotiable item” on their calendar. “This
isn’t necessarily reserved just for business
reading or inspirational reading. Many
successful people find value in being
browsers of information from a variety of
sources, believing it helps fuel greater
creativity and passion in their lives.”
For example, while some successful
people use this time catch up on news
stories from the day, skim tech blogs, or
browse Reddit and Twitter, others
enjoy reading fiction novels and ancient
philosophy just before bed.
2. They make a to-do list.
“Clearing the mind for a good night sleep
is critical for a lot of successful people,”
says Kerr. “Often they will take this time
to write down a list of any unattended
items to address the following day, so
these thoughts don’t end up invading
their head space during the night.”
3. They spend time with family.
Michael Woodward, Ph.D., organizational
psychologist and author of “ The YOU
Plan,” says it’s important to make some
time to chat with your partner, talk to
your kids, or play with your dog.
Laura Vanderkam, author of “ What the
Most Successful People Do Before
Breakfast ,” says this is a common practice
among the highly successful. “I realize not
everyone can go to bed at the same time
as his or her partner, but if you can, it’s a
great way to connect and talk about your
days.”
4. They reflect on the day.
Kerr says many successful people take the
time just before bed to reflect on, or to
write down, three things they are
appreciative of that happened that day.
“Keeping a ‘gratitude journal’ also reminds
people of the progress they made that
day in any aspect of their life, which in
turn serves as a key way to stay
motivated, especially when going through
a challenging period.”
Vanderkam adds: “Taking a few moments
to think about what went right over the
course of the day can put you in a
positive, grateful mood.”
5. They meditate.
Many successful people use the 10
minutes before bed to meditate. Dale
Kurow, a New York-based executive
coach, says it’s a great way to relax your
body and quiet your mind.
6. They plan out sleep.
“Much has been written around the
dangers busy people face running chronic
sleep deficits, so one habit I know several
highly successful people do is to simply
make it a priority to get enough
sleep — which can be a challenge for
workaholics or entrepreneurs,” Kerr says.
One way to do that is to go to bed at a
consistent time each evening, which is a
key habit all sleep experts recommend to
help ensure a healthy night’s sleep.
Vanderkam further suggests that you plan
out when you’re going to wake up, count
back however many hours you need to
sleep, and then consider setting an alarm
to remind yourself to get ready for bed.
“The worst thing you can do is stay up
late then hit snooze in the morning,” she
says. “Humans have a limited amount of
willpower. Why waste that willpower
arguing with yourself over when to get
up, and sleeping in miserable nine-minute
increments?”
7. They unplug and disconnect from work.
Truly successful people do
anything but work right before bed, Kerr
says. They don’t obsessively check their
email, and they try not to dwell on work-
related issues.
Woodward agrees. “The last thing you
need is to be lying in bed thinking about
an email you just read from that
overzealous boss who spends all their
waking hours coming up with random
requests driven by little more than a
momentary impulse.” Give yourself a
buffer period between the time you read
your last email and the time you go to
bed. The idea is to get your head out of
work before you lie down to go to sleep.
8. They lie down on a positive note.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of replaying
negative situations from the day that you
wish you’d handled differently. Regardless
of how badly the day went, successful
people typically manage to avoid that
pessimistic spiral of negative self-talk
because they know it will only create
more stress.
“Remember to take some time to reflect
on the positive moments of the day and
celebrate the successes, even if they were
few and far between,” Woodward says.
9. They picture tomorrow’s success.
Many successful people take a few
minutes before bed to envision a positive
outcome unfolding for the projects they’re
working on, says Lynn Taylor, a national
workplace expert and author of “ Tame
Your Terrible Office Tyrant; How to
Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive
in Your Job .” “For most, this is not a task
or exercise; they’re wired with a gift of
solid resolution skills that come
naturally.”
Source: This article is published in collaboration
with Business Insider. Publication does
not imply endorsement of views by the
World Economic Forum.
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