~You've had a long day. Your only desire at the moment is to curl up into bed and fall asleep. As hard as you try, your mind absolutely refuses to cooperative and shut down for the night. Your head is filled with regrets from the day, or worries for the week to come, preventing yourself from getting any sleep.
Before letting your head hit the pillow for the night, it is important to follow a routine that trains your mind into winding down before you drift off. Routines are essential for every individual that seeks a more productive day, or restful sleep.
To start off your evening, give yourself time to experience release. Start by letting go of any thoughts from today by filling out a page or two of your journal. By clearing your mind, you are setting yourself up for a more restful sleep as your mind had been given the chance to process that days events.
To help you with this journal entry, here are some journaling prompts for stress release, perfect to end off a chaotic day:
Name 5 things that make you happy.
Make a list of all the things you have control over in your life. Return to point #2 and see if your worries can be controlled in any way.
Make a list go what you are stressed about.
Write about what you would do if you had a free day to do anything you wanted.
Write about your biggest problem, as well as the steps on how you plan to solve it.
Write about the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Compare to point #5.
What is the greatest memory you can recall?
Once you have completed your journal entry, I recommend planning out the next day. Any tasks or events that are to be accomplished should be written down. Writing to do lists allows your mind to forget about theses responsibilities until they need to be addressed. Keep this to do list next to you at night so if anything else comes up you can quickly jot it down and forget about it.
At this point in the night, I like to make myself a cup of tea, take a bath and listen to some of my favourite music. I usually play a playlist of soft acoustic songs that help me relax before heading to bed.
The last thing I do before heading to bed is either stretch or meditate. Both theses practices help relax your mind and body as you are taking time to focus on breathing and releasing the muscles. As you focus of simple tasks such as breathing and stretching, you are distracting yourself from any other worries you might have, thus permitting for a better sleep.
Finally, end off your night by reading or watching a movie. Immerse yourself in someone else's story for a while, leaving your own burdens behind. Let your thoughts wander and enjoy this time to yourself.
-- Sarah