Over the years, I’ve gotten a lot of questions from readers about how I do my day. What do I eat each day? What are my favorite snacks? What do I do for exercise? How do I work out when I’m traveling? Today though, I thought I'd take some time to talk about what I do to end my day.
Just as our mornings can mirror scenes of rampant pandemonium, evenings for many people are remarkably unhealthy in their own right. We collapse and barely move from the couch. We spend hours in front of media entertainment, basking in blue light way past our intended bedtimes. We succumb to the day’s stresses and take them to bed only to lose the chance for mental rest as well as physical relaxation. There’s a better way of course.
It doesn’t take much hoopla or energy to make for a healthier or more Primal evening, but the benefits will carry us through the night hours and then some.
One way to do so is to carve out some solitude, especially if you work in person all day. Everyone could use the time to hear their own thoughts. Enjoy the mental space for doing whatever activity feeds and relaxes you or for doing absolutely nothing.
Another great habit is to incorporate some mindful movement. It’s movement, yes but most people I know see it as more relaxing. It could be a few restorative yoga poses, a few minutes of Tai Chi, or some focused stretching. Use the time to get out of your mind, so to speak, and into your body.
I believe it's also important to create order for the next day. A few minutes tonight will allow you to begin the next morning without undue stress and turmoil. Take care of business, write your to-do list, and you’ll sleep better knowing you’re ready for the day.
Speaking of sleep, try to get to bed early. Quality sleep isn’t in any way optional for good health. In fact, it’s a Primal Blueprint Law. I'd bet most of the folks reading this could benefit from investing in better sleep, whether that means more sleep, higher-quality sleep (more deep sleep, fewer wakings), or both. I invite you to get honest with yourself here.
What could you be doing better--should you be doing better--to improve your sleep? I don't mean if you're losing sleep due to shift work, small children, menopausal symptoms, or other factors that are by and large out of your control. I mean the daily choices, big and small, that we make. The ones where we sacrifice sleep in favor of electronic entertainment, social media, late-night snacking, crack-of-dawn gym sessions. In the big picture, are they enhancing or detracting from your health and well-being?
