Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Routine's, De-Cluttering, and Sleep!

So – I need an evening routine. I am a person who likes structure, a schedule, a ROUTINE. It seems like every evening I am so totally lazy that nothing gets done. I need some type of routine to follow, and then I might have more success and actually feel motivated because I can SEE that I accomplished something. Some things I would like to incorporate into my routine are: Reading, Relaxing, Getting my things ready for the next day, Brush my teeth, etc. Do YOU have an evening routine? If so, please share! I’d love some ideas.

I finally made it through the introduction and 1st chapter of “The Happiness Project”. It’s getting late in the month and I’ve only made it thru the 1st chapter, so I really need to pick up the pace. It’s not because the book is written poorly, it’s because I haven’t actually sat down and read it! The first chapter was about going to sleep earlier, exercising better, “toss, restore, and reorganize”, tackling a nagging task, and acting more energetic. Sleep plays a MAJOR role in just about everything. If you’re tired, more than likely you’re not in the best mood, more than likely you’re not performing at work like you should, more than likely you’re not accomplishing anything. In the book, she suggests going to bed an hour earlier. Some people, like me, tend to stay up late because it’s the only time during the day when they’re actually ALONE and they feel like they can unwind. When I do this though, I’m totally exhausted the next day! I have vowed to get at least 8 hours of sleep per night to see if this helps with my tiredness. By feeling more rested, I actually feel happier because I’m so much more productive AND I actually feel better! See – sleep IS important! Another thing she mentions is cleaning out clutter. Now note that there are different types of clutter. The clutter you can visually SEE and the clutter in your mind. She talks about cleaning out her closet and getting rid of the clutter around her house. I can totally see how this would lift someone’s spirits. I know when I’m surrounded by clutter it definitely effects my mood. It’s actually motivated me to clean out my closet! I also have clutter in my mind – tasks that I need to get done but have been putting off always sit in my mind and after a while it starts to affect my mood. It’s time I got rid of all the clutter filling up my life.

So, now I need an evening routine (for the part of me that craves structure) and I need to reorganize and de-clutter my life.

AND on another note – I have a really good Valentine’s Day idea but I don’t know how to pull it off!

4 comments:

  1. I have found that without sleep, I am completely worthless. So, in the evenings, when I get tired - I simply go to bed. And I know that's hard to do because I used to have issues with it. I would think "but everyone else can stay up until 11 so I should too." Then I discovered that I am the type of person who NEEDS sleep to function. I have to get 7-8 hours per night (even pre-pregnancy) or I just don't feel good. It's definitely hard to do at first, but now I have no problem excusing myself and going to bed!!

    And I hate that mental clutter. I feel like I have alot right now. I have a list of things we need to do before the baby arrives, but most of them involve painting/sanding/etc - which I can't really do alone at this point. So, I'm playing the waiting game and it's starting to get to me. I like to take control and do things myself, but right now, I just can't!

    I would love to hear about your Valentine's idea!

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  2. Yeah, I'm with you. I am worthless without sleep, but I really hate going to bed early. I'm a night owl! And I've been sleeping really poorly lately, either having trouble falling asleep or not sleeping soundly.

    Rachel, Kelsey is just like you. He needs to have 8 or more hours or he's miserable. I can go a few days on 6-7 before I start getting worn out! It's a point of contention sometimes because he gets lazy and says it's because he "needs more sleep" and needs to lay around while I'm stuck doing everything.

    Miranda, I know what you mean about clutter -- my mood is terrible when the house is a mess!! Once it's cleaned up I'm much happier!

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  3. I have found myself getting next to nothing accomplished on the nights I have off. Sleep is absolutely necessary. :)
    My problem is that when I work, I don't get home until 11pm and I just can't bring myself to go straight to bed.
    They say that you need to keep a consistent bedtime. At least I am being consistent. :)

    Decluttering is definitely a good idea too. I need to work on that!

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  4. My routine goes a little something like this: floss, brush teeth, wash face, get in bed, read book, sleep. I like to read right before turning off the light to go to sleep. It helps me to relax and makes me sleepy!

    I look forward to hearing about your V-day idea!

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