Feeling tired and drained after a long day at work is something everyone can relate to. There is nothing better than to come home and relax with a nice cup of tea. The dread comes at 10 o'clock when you realize you have work tomorrow and a list of things to do before bed.
Where did the day go?
You've been home for hours and it feels like you've got nothing done. What did you do? Why didn't you get anything done before now? This feeling is all too familiar. However it happens time and time again. Why does this keep happening?
Well, its all down to your habits. Your habits obviously play a huge part in your daily life. When you come home from work do you start cooking dinner, and get ready for the next day? Or do you fall to your couch and scroll through Facebook, watch Youtube, maybe Instagram?
I know you might be saying to yourself now, "well, duh!" but do you still do it even though its so obvious? If the answer is yes this article is directed towards you. If you can make these three simple changes to your daily habits it can have a massive effect on your life.
1. Get your after work routine down.
As mentioned above, when you get home don't get comfy and flick through your news feed. Get a routine in place for when you arrive home.
unpack your bag
shower
cook your dinner (and extra for lunch for tomorrow)
get your clothes ready for work in the morning
After a week or two of this you can have this routine down to a tee. If you get home at 5 you'll be done and dusted by 7. You'll have the rest of the evening to yourself. No dread about what has to be done at 10 o'clock.
2. Get up earlier, and stick to it.
Try and pick a time to get up in the morning and stick to it. If you're not a morning person, its because that's your current habit. For example if you work at 9am get up at 7am. Set your alarm and get out of bed as soon as it sounds. Stick at this for two weeks and you won't need an alarm clock. You'll wake up feeling rested and more alert.
DO NOT sleep in on the weekends. Your body needs a constant routine. Sleeping in on the weekend will disrupt this and make it more difficult to get up in the morning. Having a lie in may feel great on a Sunday but will come back to bite you on Monday morning.
Getting up early will give you a chance to wake up a bit more before work. Have a decent breakfast. Get a stretch in or even some exercise. Doing this each morning will give you a boost in energy for the day. It will also tucker you out late in the evening. Which brings me to my next point.
3. Set yourself a bed time and get good sleep.
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. If you do this your brain perfects your sleeping patterns. You'll be far more refreshed in the morning and be less reliant on that morning coffee.
Setting your room up for a good night sleep is also important. The temperature should be between 18-20 degrees Celsius (64-68 degrees Fahrenheit) . So turn on the heat or open a window depending on your needs.
Having a hot shower before bed can help your body cool naturally. This is important to help you get some more deep sleep which is vital for your body's recovery.
Have good sleep hygiene and try not to use your phone, iPad or laptop before bed. Read a book instead until you feel drowsy. If you do use your phone at least use a color shift to softer light. Harsh blue/white light can affect trick your brain into perceiving daylight making it more difficult to fall asleep.
These three simple tips can be very powerful if done correctly. You will have more energy, be more awake and in the evening you can really focus on the things that are important. It will take time but keep at it and in a few weeks you'll be thankful you put in the effort to change up you habits.
