There's much emphasis on the end of the year, however, I prioritise the end of the day every day. This is because it's a pivotal time for me to drop my shoulders, relax, reflect on the day, and prepare myself for the next day. This is a great strategy of mine for staying on top of my targets and accomplishing tasks on my agenda.
It's a common practice to set our alarm clocks to wake up on time, to crack on with our busy schedules. However, have you ever considered setting your alarm clock for bedtime, to unwind?
I do!
My body has a good circadian rhythm, which means that I do not have to set an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, but my brain is more alert in the nighttime, so I choose to set my clock for sleep time to maintain a good routine.
This alarm alerts me half an hour before my bedtime, which gives me enough time to shower and pamper myself before I hit the sack. Of course some days, due to location and uncontrollable circumstances, I might have to ignore the alarm. However, my principle is that after prioritising and accomplishing tasks throughout the day, when I lay my head down, it should be rest time with no distractions such as sound or light.
I respect my body and take rest time seriously.
Switching off is something that I have practised and have become good at. This prevents my brain from being stuck in overdrive which has no benefit to my productivity or my well-being. This way I know that when I switch on, I am doing so from a fully charged 'battery'.
Different activities can help you to switch off and into a relaxation mode.
A little restoration yoga helps me
I make the most of any location and weather conditions, wherever I'm at. Here in Jamaica, we tend to get a light late evening shower, but on days when it's dry a little restoration candlelight yoga at sunset ticks my fancy. These yoga sessions include a gentle flow of movements that help me to wind down.
There's something ethereal about having the candle lights during the sunset hour.
It reminds me of my childhood days of lying on the lawn at night looking up at the stars. I thought the stars were magical and I'd try to count them.
A little story which makes me smile all the time...
It's important to have things that make you smile
I must have been 6 or 7 years old. Our nighttime hide-and-seek was done in pairs, and on that night, my hide-and-seek partner was Eddie. My group of friends always joked that Eddie liked me but was afraid to tell me because I was feisty.
Well, Eddie first crossed through a barbed wire fence, and something was wrong because Eddie looked like he wanted to warn me but the words could not come out. Eddie never said a word to me whenever he was my partner. I just knew that I was to follow him wherever he went, plus he was a much bigger stature than me... regardless of my big (fowl) mouth for a tiny person.
...I saw that something was "wrong" and I shouted out, "what"?
Eddie just stood there looking, and I stepped through the fence, onto some spikes which must have been set as a trap by whoever's backyard we were roaming through in the dark.
The guilty look on Eddie's face was priceless. Eddie felt like shit, and when we made it back under the light there was blood on my ankle.
"Why you didn't warn me, you little wretch?"
Of course my friends mocked Eddie... Kids know how to free their minds, right?
One of those little scars remains, and I've nicknamed that little scar "eddie" and smile whenever I see it.
I might be considered strange... but when I have a bad day, I do not want to talk about it. Reason is that I feel like I am living that misery twice, and dedicating time, precious time, to something or someone negative. I am conscious of each moment, and I think harping on about things that we find unpleasant multiplies negativity.
I'm not one to hold on to grudges, because that sh*t eats at you slowly and makes you ugly, and at the end of the day, grudges can harm one's well-being.
That's like contributing to whoever it was that caused my misery.
Misery loves company.
That's what my late best friend always told me. She said I should remember that if ever I encountered someone who tried to make my life miserable.
I pass that on to you too ;)
I think that's a good thing to remember to be mindful of the company and influences around us. Our environment and people rub off on us, so be mindful and take responsibility for our minds, actions, and attitudes.
