Learn why you can’t shut your brain off when it’s time for bed and a simpler way to end the evening for more productivity and happiness.

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We live in such busy world that it’s no surprise that many people deal with anxiety on the daily.

All it takes is one negative interaction or stressful event to keep you up all night, riddled with fear and thoughts of the worst possible outcomes.

What if I never lose the weight? Did I say something stupid in the meeting today? Do I have enough money? What if I die alone and never love again? Why didn’t that person text me back?

These are a few, among many, types of thoughts that can control your mind at night and alter your ability to feel productive and more stress-free in the morning.

If that sounds anything like what you’re going through, then take a deep breath, because you’re not alone.

I dealt with the same struggle, until I discovered this Night Time Routine to help calm my mind before bed.

Read about my journey and the tips to create an anxiety-reducing, night time routine that you can stick with.

Reduce Anxiety With This Night Time Routine

A little background...

When it became harder to be positive and productive every morning. I knew that a night time routine adjustment was needed.

I’m guessing you might know how that feels…

Not only was I tired, but I felt overwhelmed and mentally exhausted from the constant grind, social interactions, and many nights of restless sleep.

At this point, waking up and working on my goals was asking for too much.

If you’re anything like me, and all about growth mindset and self-improvement, then you know that exhaustion can be a dream killer. Add to that a few anxious thoughts, and a shot of self-doubt, and you’ll have the perfect cocktail for complacency and constant anxiety.

It became clear that if I was going to be happier and more productive, I needed to make a change.

So, I started by looking at my night time routine.

Tell me more about this routine. How will it help my anxiety?

This night time routine is simple, works with any lifestyle or budget, and the only goal is to free your mind to reduce anxious thoughts while resting.

It’s a five-step process that can be completed in less than 30 minutes, and involves using The Five Senses to trigger relaxation and calm anxiety-reducing thoughts.

I believe this routine is what’s missing in your evenings because after a week of doing it, I felt less anxious, able to stick to my morning routine, and more well rested!

If your dreams suffer due to anxious thoughts or stress, then addressing anxiety may help change your life too.

CHECK OUT:

THE BEST PRODUCTIVE MORNING ROUTINE

What is anxiety?

According to Medline Plus, “Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness” that can cause you to sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat”. It can also “be a normal reaction to stress”.

Newsflash, if you’ve ever experienced stress then you’ve probably dealt with some anxiety too!

Let’s dig a little deeper…

Research from Gallup, a global analytics and advice firm, shows that over the last two years, more than 53 million U.S. adults experienced significant stress and worry on a daily basis.

Additionally, while everyone will experience some form of anxiety in their life, the more recent spikes are attributed to responses to health and economic fears caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Relevance, your honor?

The reason understanding anxiety is important is because it normalizes us and demonstrates what our brains might be going through when we’re trying to relax or sleep at night.

So don’t blame yourself if you don’t have a night time routine or haven’t been able to reserve enough time for yourself – we’ve all just been trying to survive…even before the pandemic.

This could explain why we’ve fallen off of our night time routines and have made less strides towards our goals – despite being passionate about them.

If all we’re doing in the night time routine is coping, and applying body oil, then we’re missing the bigger picture which involves creating space to declutter our anxious brains.

This is why you can complete every item on a night time to-do list and STILL be unable to shut your brain off and get a quality night’s rest.

It’s also why you’re bombarded by constant thoughts the moment you close your eyes for meditation, worship, or yoga.

Oh, so what’s the solution?

I’ll let you in on a little secret…

It’s called a daily brain dump.

And for the record, I don’t claim to have all of the answers or fixes to life’s problems. I can only show you what worked for me and what I attribute to being more positive and productive now, over any other time in my life.

Can you answer this question?

Before we get into the night time routine that changed my life, consider this question for a moment:

What specific time do you have, between the end of school or work and when you get in bed, where you allow yourself to empty the trash from your brain?

In other words, what time do you decompress and analyze the stress, worry, dread, fear, uneasiness, or tension that you experienced in a single day?

Think about it.

If lying in bed is the first time your brain feels relaxed, what do you think its response might be?

Probably something similar to what happens when rain clouds become full.

Raindrops fall to Earth when clouds become saturated, or filled, with water droplets. Millions of water droplets bump into each other as they gather in a cloud. When a small water droplet bumps into a bigger one, it condenses, or combines, with the larger one. As this continues to happen, the droplet gets heavier and heavier. When the water droplet becomes too heavy to continue floating around in the cloud, it falls to the ground.

The busyness of your mind while you’re trying to sleep at night is a sign that your brain is saturated; Your cloud is too full.

Imagine all the emotions and interactions, aka “water droplets”, you accumulate in a single day. If there is no regular, daily practice, to process and sort through the mess, then it will continue to build until it starts to flow out of your brain like a constant stream of water.

When you lay down at night, without dumping your mind, you’re giving your brain permission to relax and remind you of everything you’ve accumulated throughout the day…and every day before that.

That makes sense! How do I create my own night time routine and start brain dumping?

I believe the key to unlocking positivity and productivity is to embrace a night time routine that involves relaxation from The Five Senses to create a safe space for our minds and bodies to communicate what’s affecting us.

The purpose of this exercise is to create a routine and process to help your brain recognize when it’s okay to relax and release information.

When your brain realizes that there is a set time to do this, then there’s no need to keep you up all night with anxious thoughts or stress you’ve already dealt with.

The Five Senses are: Taste, Touch, Sight, Smell, & Sound

To begin decluttering your mind, you could create a new routine, or simply add the Brain Dumping portion below to your existing one.

Steps:

Step 1. Download your FREE copy of The Five Senses: Night Time Routine and the Brain Dumping Worksheet, or feel free to use blank versions to create your own!
Step 2. Determine how much time you want to allot to your night time routine.
Step 3. Begin the routine by selecting an item from each category on The Five Senses: Night Time Routine list. Then, complete them.
Step 4. Once completed, answer the questions on the Brain Dumping Worksheet to sort out anything your brain revealed, or reminded you of, during the relaxation period.
Step 5. Lastly, finalize your thoughts and close with a brief prayer, listening to a relaxing song, or have a brief meditative moment.

That’s it! It’s super easy and it does not require anything unreasonable.

What are some common best practices for bed time?

Try to limit phone time before bed and grab a pair of blue light glasses, if needed.
For heavier issues or anxiety, try talking to a life coach or mental health therapist.
Upgrade your bed linens and opt for breathable fabrics like cotton.
Prep your room prior to bed. Close or open the curtains, spritz a calm linen spray on the sheets & pillows, and wear comfortable pajamas.
Keep a journal bedside for regular “brain dumping” practice.
Aim for 8 hours of sleep per night.
Use ear plugs, if needed.

Conclusion

Now that you understand a bit about anxiety and the importance of comforting your mind before bed, give your new night time routine a shot.

Tell me what works for you, what didn’t have as big of an effect as you thought, or which information you learned today that was new.

I can’t wait to see how this routine, that’s helped me so much, helps you along your journey to be more productive, happier, and less anxious overall.

Happy brain dumping!