At The End of The Day

When I tell you I crush it with my morning ritual – I really do. I am a morning ninja.

I awake at about 4:30 to 5:00 am everyday to pray, meditate, journal and learn something new. During this time, I envision what I want to accomplish for the day and think about how today might be a bit better than yesterday. I reflect back on some of the not so great moments and think about what I could have done better, how I need to improve my thoughts and behavior.

This gives me enough time to get to the gym, make a healthy breakfast and get to work by 8:30 – 9:00 am when I hit the ground running. Most days are a blur of activity. Phone calls, emails, projects, meetings, lunch at the desk. The day flies by.

So by the time I am done with my day, after dinner, I am cooked, fried, simply done with the day and more often than not, I am at my worst by 9:00 pm. I have been going hard and fast and I am trying to wind it down. I am trying to slow down my mind. I am trying to shut it all off, so I can have a peaceful night’s rest.

Believe it or not, this slowing down takes focus and thought. Especially on non-yoga nights. It feels as if after dinner, dishes and a glass of wine, maybe a scroll through Instagram, a moment with my hubs and I hit the wall. A crazy crash landing. I am exhausted.

For some reason, it doesn’t feel like the best way, nor the most respectful or sacred approach to end the day.

While the mornings are so full of prayer, peace, positivity and purpose, the evenings feel thoughtless, restless and scattered. Full of guilt about things I didn’t get done and worry about whether I really gave it my best.

What I need is a 9 pm to 11 pm slow down ritual. Something that I can do, to unwind me, other than two glasses of wine and Instagram videos.

Reading a book in bed will put me to sleep. Guided hypnosis, even with lucid dreaming, puts me to sleep. Watching anything on Netflix, puts me to sleep.

Sketching seems like it would require too much effort. I don’t have an ounce of brain power left to write. My eyes too weary to stare at another screen, so watching a movie is out of the question.

I am on the hunt to discover ways to slow down and not fall asleep at 9:30 pm. Recommendations are welcome. I am curious, how to you wrap up your days? Do you have a slow down ritual?