Marinating Your Brain for a Productive Day Ahead: The Last Hour Before Bed

We’ve all been there, a problem and we can’t stop thinking about it at the exact time we are trying to get to sleep, tired but wired.  We go down the rabbit hole, creating stories and alternative outcomes and eventually drift off after we have exhausted ourselves, effectively marinating our brains overnight. In negativity, troubles and stories which may or may not be true.  This is carried through our sleep, engrained or stored in our subconscious and kicks off the next day when we wake up. We start on the wrong foot.

But we don’t have to marinade our brains with negativity. We can take advantage of this magic window and retrain our subconscious to start our day off on the right footing.

Instead, be intentional about where you place your attention before bed.

Here are just a few basics which can set you up for a great start to tomorrow…

✅ Disconnect from screens 30-60 mins before bed

✅ Write down all your worries, a journal or paper and pen is fine, just get them all down

✅ Obstacle to opportunity. For every obstacle or issue, work out at least one opportunity. It’s a great reset.

✅ Call BS on yourself. A straightforward method of calling yourself out on things which haven’t happened yet or may not pay out the way you are thinking. What happens if things work out better than you ever imagined?

✅ Relaxation techniques. Pick your method, meditation, hypnosis, and breathwork.

✅ Reading a fiction book. This gets a special mention as it takes you out of your world and drops you into another for a brief period, but it acts as a great re-set/escape before bed.

The last hour before bed is often an overlooked and undervalued period of time in our daily routines. So much great prep can be done for tomorrow during this time so stop scrolling and start marinating that brain of yours! 🧠