Productive off switch: A guide to stress-free evenings

Ever struggled to unwind after a busy day?

Juggling the exhilarating demands of your role, transitioning from intensity to tranquility can be a challenge.

In this issue of the Productivist, let's explore the art of unwinding — a crucial practice for maintaining balance in the fast-paced world of high performance.

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Before we begin: Here’s what you might have missed last week

• In issue #18 of The Productivist, I shared a playbook on value networking.

• You learnt how to approach and prepare for networking in different scenarios.

• You discovered 7 ways to improve your charisma and how to leverage your second brain for networking.

To access the full issue, click here.

Big idea #1: Have a shutdown routine at work

A prerequisite to a productive restful evening is a well-executed shutdown routine at work.

Have a clear finish line after your work day when you can completely disconnect from the responsibilities of your role and intentionally show up for yourself, your family or close ones.

I recommend dedicating at least an hour at the end of work day to:

1. catch-up on tasks if any

2. plan your day for tomorrow

3. check your inbox one last time

4. review tomorrow’s appointments

5. check in with the team one last time

Big idea #2: Transition ritual from a busy day

Not to carry the stressful work energy into your evening, create a transition ritual that you can do at the end of work day.

For some people it is:

• biking home

• heading to the gym after work

• coming home and meditating for 10 minutes

• coming home and taking 10 minutes to stretch

• walking home and releasing work stress along the way

• arriving home and staying in the car for 5 extra minutes to breath deeply with eyes closed.

You should experiment with a few different methods and find what helps you transition the most.

The goal is to release the stress and intentionally show up for yourself and others in the evening.

Big idea #3: Routine > randomness

If your evening looks like:

• have dinner when it arrives

• maybe scroll social media

• maybe play video games

• maybe watch netflix

• maybe go out

• maybe drink

I bet you will not feel well-rested in the morning.

All of those activities, especially the random nature of them, flood your brain with dopamine (reward chemical) and fire it up, when it should be winding down instead and releasing melatonin (sleep hormone) for you to fall asleep easily.

Most people talk about importance of morning routine, but let’s flip the script here.

Your evening routine is more important.

If your evening routine is bad, it makes sense you struggle to function normally the next day if you skip your morning routine. 🙃 

A few suggestions to optimize it:

1. Try having supper at the same time every day.

2. Plan your week in advance and know exactly what you will do each evening. Make social plans and schedule your self-care practices too.

3. Watching a Netflix show is okay if you don’t pair it with snacks, alcohol, and scrolling.

4. Take it one level up and give your eyes a break from screens. I like to call it digital fasting. You can turn off the devices at least 1 hours before bed, then go for a walk, read a book, or take a bath.

5. Even if you are a shower-in-the-morning kind of person, take a warm shower or bath in the evening to wash off the stress of the day, plus lower your core body’s temperature to have better sleep. (more on that next)

Big idea #4: Optimize your environment for winding down

I spoken more about it in Sleep Mastery issue of the Productivist.

You can set up your environment to wind down more easily by optimizing these 5 levers:

1. Light

2. Temperature

3. Sound

4. Smell

5. Taste

Light

• Darkness is a natural signal for your brain to start producing melatonin.

• Be wary of bright artificial light. Even a small amount of it in the evening disrupts your sleep.

• As the sun goes down, dim those artificial lights. Do it on as many nights as you can.

• Opt for using lights that are located below your head level rather than overhead lights, if possible.

• One more suggestion: candles!

Temperature

• A decrease in your core body temperature is needed to fall asleep and stay asleep.

• Keep your environment cool. Reduce temperature in your home to 18-21°C in the evening.

• A hot shower, hot bath, or sauna before bed also does the trick.

• Exercising close to bedtime keeps your heart rate and body temperature elevated, thus making it harder for you to fall asleep and reducing the quality of your sleep in the early part of the night.

Sound

• Loud sounds keep you alert.

• But a gentle melody or white noise can help you unwind.

• My sleep score drops on the days I go to see a concert, so make sure you don’t have a “concert” in your home every evening.

Smell

• Smell is a powerful trigger, and you can use it for sleep.

• Burning incenses, lighting candles or diffusing essential oils leading to bedtime - all are a gentle cue for the mind to relax and prepare for bedtime.

Taste

• Taste is yet another trigger, but I do not recommend eating within 3-hour window leading to bedtime (unless you haven’t eaten enough during supper, thus, your feeling of hunger prevents you from falling asleep).

• What I do highly recommend is to drink chamomile tea 1-2 hours before bedtime, which is my go-to every day.

Big idea #5: Create a capture system

Having such a relaxing evening will trigger many brilliant ideas related to work come to you when you are no longer working.

Have a system to capture those breakthroughs, and make sure to do it as soon as idea arrives. Get it out of your head and return back to your wind down mode.

I use Notes app on my phone for that. You can use a physical notebook or any other app.

Tiny Habit: End of day gratitude practice

As you wrap up your day, build a habit of writing down one or more things you are grateful for.

This simple practice encourages you to take a moment to appreciate and acknowledge the positive aspects of your day.

Think of it as the finishing touch, like a bowtie, for the beautiful day you just experienced.

By expressing gratitude, you not only reflect on the day's blessings but also cultivate a sense of readiness and anticipation for an even better tomorrow.

The Productivist Question

Today’s question is:

What is one small thing I could do today to set myself up for success tomorrow?

(in terms of energy, joy, and productivity)

I hope you’ve got a few ideas of what that could be after reading this issue of the Productivist.

Until next week!

Valeriya

PS: Who from your network would also enjoy and benefit from reading this newsletter? Make sure to invite them to join us before year end! I have something special prepared for you then 😉 

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