6 Things Successful People Do Right Before Bed
1 They read
Experts agree that reading
is the very last thing most successful people do before going to sleep
-President Barack Obama and Bill Gates are known to read for at least half an
hour before bed.
Michael Kerr, an
international business speaker and author says he knows numerous business
leaders who block off time just before bed for reading, going so far as to
schedule it as a “non negotiable item“ on their calendar. “This isn't
necessarily reserved just for business reading or inspirational reading. Many
successful people find value in being browsers of information from a variety of
sources, believing it helps fuel greater creativity and passion in their
lives,“ he says.
2 They unplug completely
Researchers agree that any
kind of screen-time before bed does you far more harm than good. If you don't
believe the research, take it from Huffington Post cofou nder, president , and
editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington. After collapsing from exhaustion,
Huffington completely revamped her approach to sleep, and as she details in her
book Thrive, she has completely banned iPads, Kindles, laptops, and any other
electronics from the bedroom.
3 They keep a hygiene ritual
The National Sleep
Foundation recommends you create a hygiene ritual that sends a psychological
signal that you are getting ready for bed. This can include brushing your
teeth, washing your face, flossing, combing your hair. Stephen King's nightly
routine includes washing his hands and making sure all the pillows face a
certain way.
4 They go for an evening stroll
Joel Gascoigne, cofounder
and CEO of Buffer, takes a 20-minute walk every evening before bed. “This is a
wind down period, and allows me to evaluate the day's work, think about the
greater challenges, gradually stop thinking about work, and reach a state of
tiredness,“ he writes in a blog post.
While it's a popular belief
that exercise before bed can prevent sleep, the National Sleep Foundation
actually found in 2013 that exercising whenever you can, even at night, helps
you sleep better. Numerous stud ies have also found walking to reduce stress
and anxiety.
5 They reflect on the good things from the day
It's easy to fall into the
trap of replaying negative situations from the day that you wish you had hand
led differently.
Regardless of how badly the
day went, successful people typically manage to avoid that pessimistic spiral
of negative self-talk because they know it will only create more stress. Benjamin
Franklin famously asked himself the same self-improvement question every night:
“What good have I done today?“
6 They make a to-do list
Clearing the mind for a
good night sleep is critical for a lot of successful people. Kerr says, “Often
they will take this time to write down a list of any unattended items to
address the following day, so these thoughts don't end up invading their head
space during the night.“
For example, Kenneth
Chenault, CEO of American Express, writes down three things he wants to
accomplish the next day
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