Routines, a trending word at the moment. Why? Because developing healthy routines and habits are becoming more mainstream and a topic that we can all openly discuss. The common conversations are around morning routines, morning meditation, and how to kick-start the day. We should all try and implement these practices, but for someone who is not a morning person, I decided it was time to start a nightly routine. If you follow Entrepreneur, they are also a fan of bedtime rituals, because we all know a blissful night of sound sleep sets us up for success the following day!
Two-minute bedtime ritual
According to The Sleep Doctor, you can create an effective bedtime ritual for better sleep. So let me tell you a little bit about the two-minute ritual and why it will set you up for a great night’s sleep.
A few months ago, I felt a little less grounded in my life, and in the search to become the best version of myself I decided to explore a night time ritual. And the results? A reminder to be grateful day in and day out and an easy way to slip into a serene night of beauty rest. Of course going to bed around the same time, mastering your skin care routine, and possibly reading a book before bed are all great ideas, but sometimes you need a little bit of reflection.
So was born the two-minute ritual, a 3-step reflection. This is an opportunity to reflect with yourself or with your partner.
Why two minutes? Most people feel as if they don’t have time to add anything to their lives. Busy, yeah we hear you. But we all have two minutes and it’s an easy way to add value to your life, your partner’s life, and the lives around you. Truly, at the end of the day, it’s a meditative exercise and it’s a great way to remember to love yourself and the people around you. A Harvard study recently showed that those who gave thanks and cultivated gratitude were indeed happier.
We’ve highlighted the process below.
Step One
The first part is truly the most important, it’s an opportunity to express what you’re grateful for. It can be with yourself or with your partner and it can literally be everything and anything because truly we all have a lot to be grateful for and if you want to jot down more than one note or express more than one thing, sure go ahead. Gratitude is major, by adding it to your life it will be followed by love.
Step Two
So that brings us to the second part, when it comes to love, have you heard the phrase, “you must love yourself before you can love someone else?” There is definitely some truth behind that. The love exercise can be two-fold or whatever works for you. It’s important to express why you love yourself and it’s a great way to check-in. So take a moment to answer that question, on the flip side, it’s also a great way to check-in with your partner and a powerful exercise. Share with them why you love them or remind yourself internally what you love about them. Feel free to do both, or one or the other, it’s an exercise to improve your life and your life with the people around you.
Step Three
The final part, which you may or may not include, but the idea is to state something that you need to improve on. We all hate to identify our own faults and the things we need to work on but let’s be serious we’ve all got faults and should find ways to work on them. If you’ve got time in the 2 minutes to add this one and feel you should go for it. Let’s start making small steps to conquer this big world.
Do I feel more grounded after implementing my two-minute nightly routine? The answer is yes, but everyone has their own story and if you implement any routine, you should commit. At the end of the day we all want peace of mind, and this small but mighty ritual delivers peace of mind, well, for me that is.
What rituals do you incorporate into your night routine?
