Bedtime Mindfulness Habits for Success

We often read about powerful habits to start your day with, but how about some Bedtime Mindfulness Habits for ending the day?

You’ve had a long, hard day, and all you want to do is flop down on the bed, forget about everything, and drift off. But wait! You want to be happy and successful? Many of us are very good at starting something, but sometimes we neglect closing off things. A circle only rolls along effortlessly when the beginning connects with the end. Finding time to allow for some ‘me-time’ and to properly wind down, will ensure the investment you made in terms of time, effort, actions and experiences for the day, serves you in the long term.

So before packing in the day, here are some Bedtime Mindfulness Habits you may want to spend a few minutes on:

1.Greet the night

Take a few moments to become aware of and to welcome the evening. Nature is our best teacher, so become still and appreciate it. After a long day, irrespective of how busy or even how chaotic your day has been, a few quiet moments will centre you and bring you back to the present moment. If at all possible, try and do it outside where you can connect with nature. Only a few seconds with full awareness is amazing for clearing the cobwebs gathered during the day.

2. Stretch

Do this whether you have exercised your body or not. You don’t have to go into gymnastic contortions, just lengthen your limbs for a few minutes and breathe. Emotions, thoughts and impressions we gathered during the day become stuck in our energy centres. It is much easier to clear little blockages than it is to remove massive blocks later on. Stretching helps clear the concentration of energy so that the prana (vital life force) can flow freely and optimally through our energy centres. And breathe again – fully, slowly and deeply.

3. Become aware of your feelings

What is happening in your body, in your mind and in your heart? Try not to judge, just observe. This is your moment to be kind to yourself and to acknowledge how you feel. Look within and connect to a Higher Power if you wish. By doing this you take your energy back from wherever you have disposed of it during the day. You make space for you and honour your own being.

4. Practice Gratitude

Name one thing you are most grateful for that happened during the day. No matter how bad your day appear to have been, I bet there will be one thing that happened that you are grateful for – even if it is only that the day is over! I keep a rock next to my bed and hold it in my hand as a reminder to do this; and to focus my energy on gratitude for the moment. Doing this also forces you to recall the events of the day and to realise all the many little things that may have gone unnoticed or have been forgotten.

5. Review Your Day

It is always good to “take stock” but perhaps do it in the following way: Mentally list what was great about the day, what was good, and where your behaviour or reactions could be improved. Then let it go; do not dwell on anything. No judgement, berating or beating-up. The emphasis is on acknowledgement, learning and improvement. Think of the wheel metaphor – it needs to be balanced and aligned for the vehicle to run smoothly.

6. Ask a Question or State your Intent

So when we are asleep our subconscious is awake and aware, without any of the filters we apply during the day when our bodies and conscious minds may overrule. So the ideal time to set a question on which you need some clarity on is right before bed-time. Just put it “out there”, and leave it be; don’t cloud it with your beliefs, assumptions, analyses and impressions. Ask the question mindfully and then – important – turn your attention away from it and let it go. The answer will come at the intended moment if we trust and become aware, without attaching to the outcome or trying to control it.

7. Smile

Lastly, make sure you facial features are relaxed. We hold a lot of tension in these muscles and a smile always changes things and puts us in a positive, relaxed state, ready for Dreamland and tomorrow!

Easy, right?

Invest in your happiness and success. Start implementing these simple but powerful bedtime mindfulness habits to release the blocks built up during the day, and be ready for a powerful start the next morning. You will sleep easier too!

About the author: Celeste Du Toit is a transformational Life Coach, NLP practitioner, and speaker. She is passionate about working with people who dare to dream or think out of the box, and who long for “something more”.

She works individually or with groups, runs regular workshops and delivers inspirational speaking engagements.

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