5 Evening Habits That Will Skyrocket Your Productivity

Are you always waking up tired? Do you struggle to stay productive and consistent on a daily basis? Well, you're not alone. In fact, the majority of people struggle with these issues too. But what if we told you there's a fix? What if we told you that your evening habits are just as important as your morning habits and they will dictate your destiny? Well, if these two questions are as important to you as they are to us, join us in exploring five evening habits that will skyrocket your productivity.

Welcome to Alux.

Number one: Understand and optimize your sleep cycle.

So the question of how much sleep we need in order to function properly has puzzled researchers for decades. It's incredible how some people appear to function better with five hours of sleep than others do with seven hours or more. Are they superhuman or is there a scientific answer to this? Well, according to the National Sleep Foundation, recommended sleep times are broken down into nine age groups, as shown in this table. So the average adult needs between seven to nine hours of sleep, while younger people need at least nine to fourteen hours of sleep. This could explain why some people function better with less sleep than others do. But it all boils down to context and unique circumstances.

Understanding your body's unique needs is important if you want to function properly. That's because your ability to stay productive and consistent is directly tied to your energy levels, and your energy levels are highly impacted by your sleep cycles. Sleep cycles are repeating patterns of brain activity that occur during sleep. The average sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes and consists of four stages.

So, stage one is light sleep. This stage lasts about five to ten minutes and is considered the transition stage between being awake and falling asleep. During this stage, your body begins to relax and your brain activity slows down. You may experience hypnic jerks or sudden muscle contractions, and you're easily awakened.

Stage two is your lighter sleep. This stage makes up about 50 percent of the total sleep time. So during this stage, your body continues to relax and your brain activity slows down further. Your body temperature and heart rate also begin to drop.

Stage three is your deep sleep. This stage is also known as slow wave sleep and lasts about 20 to 25 percent of the total sleep time. During this stage, your brain activity slows down even more and it becomes difficult to wake you. This state of sleep is important for physical restoration and emotional well-being.

Then, stage four: your REM sleep, also known as rapid eye movement sleep. This stage is characterized by the rapid movements of the eyes and increased brain activity, similar to that of being awake. During this stage, vivid dreams often occur and your body becomes temporarily paralyzed, which is good; otherwise, you would start to act out your dreams. It is this stage that's important for emotional and cognitive restoration.

Now, with these explanations out of the way, there are several ways you can optimize your sleep cycles in order to boost your productivity. One of the most important ways is number two: creating a bedtime routine.

Alright, so creating a bedtime routine is pretty straightforward. The hard part is knowing when to initiate it. But, luckily, we've already solved the issue regarding how many hours of sleep you should have on average. Depending on the time you wake up, you should initiate your bedtime routine 90 minutes before you go to bed in order to guarantee that you're going to fall asleep on time.

Okay, but what are the actual steps you have to go through in order to get there? Well, a big part of this boils down to creating a system that focuses on consistency. Waking up and going to sleep at the same hours every day is very, very important. Remember, we touched on this in yesterday's video. So just allow us to explain why really quickly.

This is the moment when you really should pay attention: disciplined sleep regulates your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm is your body's natural internal clock that regulates your sleep-wake cycles. By going to bed at the same time every night, you can help to regulate this rhythm and ensure that your body is in sync with your sleep schedule.

Disciplined sleep also improves the quality of your sleep. When you go to bed at the same time every night, your body can anticipate when it's time to sleep and begin the process of winding down, and this can lead to deeper, more restful sleep.

Reduced insomnia: insomnia is something a lot of people struggle with, and it's often caused by irregular sleep schedules. By going to bed at the same time every night, you can reduce the likelihood of experiencing insomnia.

Increased daytime alertness: a consistent sleep schedule can help you to ensure that you get the right amount of sleep each night, which in turn helps you to improve your daytime alertness and productivity.

Waking up with high energy levels: waking up at the same time every day can help you to wake up feeling refreshed and energized, and ready to start your day.

And it reduces stress: having a consistent sleep schedule can help to reduce stress and anxiety by providing a sense of predictability and routine in your life.

Now, as you can see, sticking to all of this requires a lot of discipline. But we've got a great tip for you: set an alarm 90 minutes before going to bed in order to remind yourself that it's time to get ready for sleep. It might be kinda hard at first, but it's the only way to make sure you're going to stay productive on a daily basis.

So if you're wondering what to add to your bedtime routine, well we've got some great tips for you in number three: set yourself up for a successful tomorrow.

Creating the perfect evening setup for a successful tomorrow involves several key habits such as journaling, meditation, and creating to-do lists. So let's dissect them one by one. Keeping a journal is one of those things that more people should be practicing on a daily basis. It brings tremendous benefits to our well-being.

For example, journaling in the evening can boost productivity by allowing you to reflect on the day's events, organize your thoughts, and set goals for the next day. By reflecting on what you accomplished during the day, you can identify areas where you were productive and where you struggled. This will help you to set more realistic and achievable goals for the next day, which can increase your overall productivity.

Additionally, journaling can also help you to relax and unwind after a long day, which can lead to a better night's sleep and improved energy levels the next day. And the best part is it all goes hand in hand with meditation. An evening meditation can boost productivity by helping to reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus and concentration, and promote better sleep.

Another way you can do this without the traditional meditation is to try out the Alux Sleep stories. You can find them on the Alux app; these are like bedtime stories, especially for Aluxers, between 35 to 45 minutes in length that will talk you through into a peaceful slumber. It's like a meditative story time.

So if you haven't already tried it, go to alux.com/app and sign up today. Now back to the video. It's a scientific fact that stress and anxiety can negatively impact productivity by making it difficult to focus and complete tasks.

Considering how social media is ruining our attention span, well it's only natural a lot of people are turning to meditation to fix that. Training your mind to be more present and aware will make it easier to stay on track with your tasks and complete them more efficiently. And finally, meditation can promote better sleep by helping to relax the mind and body, which can lead to improved energy levels and focus in the following day.

So suffice it to say, incorporating meditation into your evening routine is an effective way to boost productivity. It might be hard to stay focused and not let your thoughts disturb you at first, but with enough practice, you will experience the benefits.

And last but definitely not least: creating to-do lists. Yes, we know everyone mentions this when discussing increasing your productivity, but we promise to add some extra value. Okay, creating your to-do list for the next day in the evening can make you more productive because it allows you to plan and organize your tasks before the next day even starts.

Having a clear plan of what needs to be done and in what order can help you to prioritize your tasks and ensure the most important and time-sensitive tasks are completed first. Furthermore, by creating a to-do list the night before, you're giving yourself time to think about what needs to be done, even subconsciously.

So when you wake up in the morning, you can start working on your tasks right away instead of wasting time trying to figure out what needs to be done and when. If you make this a daily practice, you already know the satisfying feeling of crossing tasks off your list, and that is a great source of serotonin.

Number four: activate your parasympathetic system.

Okay, so now we're going to dive a little bit into the fascinating field of neuroscience, so pay attention. We'll try to keep this as simple as possible, just like we do on the Alux app where we talk about neuroscience a lot.

The parasympathetic nervous system is one of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Its main function is to slow down the body and promote rest and relaxation. This system is often referred to as the "rest and digest" system because it helps to conserve energy and promote the growth and repair of tissues.

So if you want to activate the parasympathetic system in the evening to improve sleep, you could try the following techniques: deep breathing exercises, yoga or stretching, meditation or mindfulness, reading or listening to calming music, taking a warm bath or shower, aromatherapy using essential oils such as lavender, avoiding stimulating activities such as watching TV or using electronic devices for at least an hour before bed, and keeping your sleeping environment cool, dark, and quiet in order to lower your body temperature.

Now you might be saying, "Okay Alux, but taking a warm shower will increase my body temperature, so it kind of conflicts with your last point." Yes, okay, the parasympathetic system generally activates when the body temperature decreases, and this happens as the parasympathetic system helps to conserve energy and promote rest and relaxation. A decrease in body temperature can be a sign that the body is entering a state of rest.

But it's worth noting a warm bath or shower can also help to lower the core body temperature by promoting sweating and blood flow to the skin. This will make your sleep way deeper and a lot more relaxing.

And because we're talking about that, number five: do something for your soul.

Lao Tzu, the famous Chinese philosopher, once famously said, "Watch your thoughts; they become your words. Watch your words; they become your actions. Watch your actions; they become your habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

Engaging in activities that feed your soul in the evening can make you more motivated the next day by promoting overall well-being and satisfaction. These activities can help to reduce stress, promote relaxation, and improve your mood, which can lead to increased energy and a more positive outlook.

Additionally, when you engage in activities that you find fulfilling, you may feel more motivated to pursue your goals and aspirations. You can invest in yourself by reading a good book, pursuing spiritual practices like meditation or prayer, or even spending some time with your loved ones. Pick an activity that makes you happy and motivates you to stay productive by building on your long-term goals.

We know you're going to make it, and that's a wrap, Aluxers!

What does the perfect evening routine look like in your opinion? Drop your answer in the comments section below. We're always eager to hear how you guys plan for your day. And if this video inspired you to live a more productive life, return the favor by tipping us with a like and make sure to share the video with your friends.

As always, thanks for watching Alux, and if you're hungry for more knowledge, check out this video next.