4 Easy Nighttime Habits to Feel Energized & Sleep Better
In "The Mel Robbins Podcast," Mel Robbins serves up a bespoke evening routine designed to enhance your mornings and ensure a rejuvenated awakening. The approach Robbins outlines isn't just about getting enough shut-eye—it's a comprehensive lifestyle adjustment that melds household management with personal self-care. Discover the power of a clutter-free environment, the art of schedule optimisation, and the serenity that comes with dedicated 'me time' as Robbins guides you through crafting an evening that paves the way for triumph when the sun rises.
Dive into tactics that range from practical (like washing the dishes and prepping for your morning) to personal (such as swapping the blue light of your phone for the pages of a good book), all showcased with Mel's signature flair for melding productivity with zen. With an emphasis on realistic bedtimes and the surprising benefits of relocating your phone from bedside to bathroom, Robbins offers a practical playbook for anyone looking to reshape their nights and transform their days. Join her as she maps out these four easy habits that promise to leave you recharged and ready to tackle your world with newfound energy.
This is a preview of the Shortform summary of the Feb 19, 2024 episode of the The Mel Robbins Podcast
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1-Page Summary
Establishing a Consistent Evening Routine
Mel Robbins champions the establishment of a consistent evening routine as a key element in setting oneself up for a successful following day. She presents a multifaceted approach that combines practical home management tasks with personal wellbeing activities, all designed to promote a smooth transition to the next day.
Picking a Realistic Bedtime
Robbins stresses that selecting a realistic bedtime is crucial, advocating for at least eight hours of sleep. She suggests calculating bedtime by working backwards from the morning wake-up time, while also considering the duration it typically takes to fall asleep. This calculation serves as the foundation of an evening routine.
Cleaning Up in the Evening
Emphasizing the role of a tidy environment, Robbins advocates for cleaning up nightly messes. She recommends doing the dishes instead of leaving them in the sink, taking out the trash to maintain a clean space, and tidying up living areas. This "flush the toilet" philosophy sets the stage for a clutter-free start in the morning.
Preparing for the Next Morning
Robbins encourages laying out clothes for the following day, packing healthy lunches, and filling up water bottles at night. These actions streamline the morning routine, with laid-out exercise attire also serving as motivation for morning workouts, and the pre-prepared water bottles ensuring hydration is prioritized.
Taking Time for Yourself
To enhance personal wellbeing, Robbins suggests replacing social media browsing with reading a book. She also values the role of taking a bath in her evening routine, considering it a cherished opportunity for personal time and relaxation.
Putting Away Your Phone
Lastly, Robbins emphasizes the importance of removing the phone from the bedroom to avoid late-night screen time, which can interfere with restful sleep. She personally keeps her phone in the bathroom, enforcing a boundary that supports better sleep hygiene and a more focused evening routine.
1-Page Summary
Additional Materials
Clarifications
- When calculating bedtime by working backwards from the morning wake-up time, you consider the number of hours of sleep you need and the time it typically takes you to fall asleep. This approach helps ensure you get the recommended amount of rest each night. By setting a bedtime based on these factors, you can establish a consistent sleep schedule that supports your overall well-being and productivity.
- Laying out exercise attire the night before serves as a visual cue and removes decision-making in the morning, making it easier to start a workout. It acts as a physical reminder of your intention to exercise, increasing the likelihood of following through with your fitness goals. This practice can help overcome morning inertia and excuses by creating a seamless transition into your workout routine. By preparing your exercise clothes in advance, you eliminate barriers and set a positive tone for the day ahead.
- Reading a book instead of browsing social media can be beneficial for personal wellbeing as it allows for deeper focus, relaxation, and mental stimulation. Books offer a break from screen time and can help reduce stress and improve cognitive function. This activity promotes better sleep quality and overall mental health by engaging the mind in a more calming and enriching way. It encourages mindfulness and introspection, fostering a sense of tranquility and personal growth.
Counterarguments
- While a consistent evening routine can be beneficial, some individuals may thrive with more flexibility and spontaneity in their evenings, finding strict routines too constraining.
- Eight hours of sleep is a general recommendation, but sleep needs can vary by individual, with some people requiring more or less than eight hours to feel rested.
- Calculating bedtime can be helpful, but it may not account for the natural variations in sleep patterns or the impact of stress and other factors on the ability to fall asleep.
- Cleaning up every night might not be feasible for everyone, especially those with demanding schedules or family responsibilities; some may need to find a balance that allows for occasional untidiness.
- Preparing for the next morning can streamline routines, but over-preparation might lead to rigidity, and some may prefer or find it necessary to be more adaptable.
- The idea that laid-out exercise attire will motivate morning workouts assumes a one-size-fits-all approach to motivation, which may not hold true for everyone.
- Replacing social media with reading or taking a bath assumes that these activities are universally relaxing, but they may not be preferred or relaxing for all individuals.
- Removing the phone from the bedroom can improve sleep for many, but others may rely on their phone for emergency calls, as an alarm, or may not experience negative effects from having it nearby.
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Establishing a Consistent Evening Routine
Mel Robbins emphasizes the significance of a consistent evening routine as foundational for a successful next day.
Picking a Realistic Bedtime
Robbins underscores the importance of picking a realistic bedtime, one that allows for eight hours of sleep, as the cornerstone of a good evening routine. She advises to start with the actual time you need to wake up and count backwards to find the right time to climb into bed, factoring in the time it may take to fall asleep.
Cleaning Up in the Evening
Doing the Dishes
As part of creating a fresh start for the following day, Robbins insists on the importance of cleaning up the evening's mess including doing the dishes. She recalls her own past routine of leaving dishes in the sink, which she now recognizes as counterproductive.
Taking Out the Trash
Robbins mentions taking out the trash as another component of the evening cleanup, part of the "flush the toilet" philosophy she advocates for in ensuring a clutter-free and fresh morning.
Tidying Up
Robbins suggests spending a few minutes to tidy up the counters and other spaces, organizing items that belong to others, and turning off lights to wind down the evening.
Preparing for the Next Morning
Laying Out Clothes
Laying out clothes for the next day, particularly exercise clothes to encourage morning workouts, is another strategy Robbins uses for a smooth morning.
Packing Lunches
Robbins endorses the preparation of healthy lunches the night before, which aligns with a successful morning routine.
Filling Up Water Bottles
She advises on filling up water b ...
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Establishing a Consistent Evening Routine
Additional Materials
Clarifications
- Doomscrolling is the act of excessively consuming negative news or content online, leading to feelings of fatigue and unproductiveness. It can contribute to declines in mental and physical health, often creating a cycle where individuals seek out more distressing information. This behavior is akin to a form of Internet addiction disorder and is prevalent among teenagers and adults alike. The term "doomscrolling" combines "doom," suggesting negativity, with "scrolling," reflecting the continuous consumption of online content.
- Tidying up the counters and other spaces involves organizing and decluttering surfaces like kitchen countertops, tables, or desks. This process typically includes putting away items that are out of ...
Counterarguments
- While a consistent evening routine can be beneficial, some individuals may thrive with more flexibility and spontaneity in their evenings, finding that too rigid a routine stifles their creativity or relaxation.
- Eight hours of sleep is a general recommendation, but individual sleep needs can vary. Some people may require more or less than eight hours to feel rested.
- Cleaning up every evening might not be feasible or necessary for everyone, especially for those with demanding schedules or who prioritize other activities for their well-being.
- Laying out clothes and packing lunches the night before can be helpful, but some may prefer to do this in the morning as part of their wake-up routine or because their preferences change overnight.
- Filling up water bottles in the evening assumes that one prefers room temperature water in the morning, whereas some might prefer fresh, cold water directly from a filter or refrigerator.
- Reading and enjoying a bath are suggested activities for personal time, but t ...
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