8 Evening Rituals That Will Help You Reflect, Relax and Succeed

I am sure by now that you have heard of the many benefits of having a more productive morning routine. There have been many articles written about ‘the golden hour” or the ‘hour of power’ or being an ‘advanced early morning riser’.

I have written this article about getting the most out of your morning here. Did you know that by having a better evening routine, can also make a massive difference to your physical and mental well-being, can help you to achieve your goals and can increase both your productivity and indeed future success.

I am going to list 8 great evening rituals that will help you make the very most out of your evenings. When you get home from work or college etc the easiest thing in the world to do is to get changed out of your work clothes and just sit in front of the television for the rest of the evening.

There is nothing wrong with relaxing for a few minutes and clearing your mind of any stresses of the day. But, by spending your entire evening channel surfing, you are robbing yourself of a great opportunity to improve so many different areas of your life.

Exercise:

Instead of sinking into your usual place on the couch, why not put on your gym clothes and do 30 minutes of exercise to get your heart pumping and your muscles working. You will feel wide awake and energized after just a few minutes.

If you like to do your exercise in the morning, you could always do some Yoga, Pilates or go for a short walk in the evening. I find that walking is a great way to clear my head and focus on some really valuable ‘me time’.

Exercise is a great way to de-stress your mind and release any tension that you might have in your muscles.

Write Down 3 Amazing Things That Happened Today:

When you start the positive habit of writing down 3 amazing things that happen to you each day, you train yourself to watch out and remember for some of great things that are happening to you.

It could be that you made some great business calls, you might have read for 30 minutes on your lunch break or perhaps you simply felt super positive and confident about yourself and your future that day.

We often forget or fail to see the wonderful things that are happening to us. By remembering to take note of the amazing things that happen to you every day, you get into the positive habit of appreciating more and becoming more grateful. I use the great 5 Minute journal, which has a section for writing down 3 amazing things that happen each day.

Use Social Media In A productive Way:

I probably spend 30-60 minutes on social media every single day! I really value my time, so I have made sure that my Facebook and Twitter feeds are full of great personal development material.

Reading inspirational quotes always put me in a great frame of mind. Here is a list of my favorite inspirational Pages on Facebook. You can choose what Facebook can do for you. I find my Facebook time is always uplifting, informative and highly inspirational.

Using Social media can also be a great way to connect with other like minded positive people like yourself. I have made some really great friends on social media from all over the world. It has become a part of modern day life that many people cannot go a few minutes without checking their mobile device.

Get into the habit of limiting the time you spend using social media. Stop the habit of checking your mobile every few minutes. The mobile is fast becoming the new television of this generation. Don’t fall into this trap. Hours can pass you by while you scan through your social media feed looking for something useful.

Read A Book:

When was the last time that you read a really great book? Do you have a favorite author or type of book that you like to read? Companies like Amazon have made ordering books easy and affordable. Why not invest in a great book on nutrition or exercise that will improve your health. Why not buy a book that will develop your professional skills. Or, why not buy a wonderful book on history so that you can learn more about the world that you live in.

Start by reading just 30 minutes every evening, and before you know it, you will be reading one new book every month or perhaps even every week. Reading will help you to improve your vocabulary, improve your professional skills, increase your knowledge and keep your mind sharp.

Meditate:

Taking just a few minutes to mediate every evening can have a really positive effect on your overall well being. Free mobile Apps such as Insight Timer have hundreds of guided meditations that will make this both an easy and fun habit to incorporate into your evening routine.

There are many wonderful benefits of meditation. Get into the positive habit of meditating for just 5 minutes every evening to begin with and soon you will be looking forward to this wonderful part of your evening routine.

You will feel more relaxed, less stressed, have more clarity and be more creative. It can take a little time and some practice at the beginning, but before you know it, you will start feeling the many positive results that meditation can bring to you.

Use A Journal:

Get into the great habit of using a journal very morning and every evening. Every evening plan the next day. What are your goals for the following day? What tasks are you going to do? What are your thoughts and reflections of the current day? Read your exciting goals for the future. Here is an article on how I use my daily journal.

Spend Quality Time With Someone Close To You:

By taking the time to listen and talk to someone close you is a great way for both of you to de-stress, off load and share your troubles and your achievements. Did you ever hear of the saying “a problem shared is a problem halved.” A great way of building a strong long lasting relationship is to work together as a team and as a real partnership. Also, what better way to spend your evening than with someone that you love and care about.

Get Enough Sleep:

Getting enough sleep and allowing your body to relax and recover from the day before will set you up perfectly for the following day. Waking up feeling well rested and full of energy is a great way to start to any day.

Find out how many hours sleep that you need, and get into the habit of getting enough sleep every night. Get out of the habit of watching television in the bedroom. Use table lamps or a light dimmer switch to get your body ready for sleep. I have a Himalayan salt lamp as a table light. The beautiful warm orange glow is both calming and very relaxing. There are also many other wonderful benefits of using a Himalayan salt lamp.

I hope that you will make the decision to be more productive every evening. You will see so many amazing benefits in your life. Take action now, get your gym clothes ready for tomorrow evening, order a book or re-read an old one, download the free Insight Timer meditation App, buy a journal, organize your social media feed and get ready for tomorrow evening.