6 Tips for a Healthier Nightly Routine

Weight loss comes from replacing current habits with healthier habits. The byproduct of doing this is a gradual and healthy weight loss.

Instead of spending time on social media just before you go to bed, take some time to get your smoothie ingredients ready for tomorrow, try making overnight oats, or spend time getting your lunch and dinner prepared.

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It’s hard to change habits, so giving yourself a head start on the day can make the rest of your day easier to remain healthy — it’s hard to start off with an unhealthy breakfast and make better decisions through the day.

Build a Healthier Nightly Routine

#1 - Prepare Your Breakfast

Skipping breakfast or opting for a sugary snack can cause a sugar crash later on in the day. Instead, take ten minutes to prepare ingredients for your breakfast tomorrow. You could even cook your breakfast at night and have it ready to heat up in the morning.

Try to pick foods that are going to help you feel fuller throughout the day. Peanut butter toast, avocado toast, oatmeal, and smoothies all pack a lot of nutrition while keeping you feeling satisfied for much longer.

If you can start your day off right, making healthy decisions for the rest of the day will be easier.

#2 - Get Lunches and Snacks Packed

I invite you to start meal prepping your foods. If you can cook or prepare the ingredients for three to five days of food, you’ll be able to take advantage of your time.

This includes pre-cutting veggies for a salad, weighing and portioning out your ingredients, or even fully cooking and packing your meals to warm up later Don’t be afraid of leftovers — they can be packed the night before and it gives you something to look forward to.

Chop up some veggies and pack your snacks so you have perfect sized portions that you can eat instead of being tempted by a less healthy option.

#3 - Make Hydration Easy

Keeping water, coffee, and tea around is important to stay hydrated. Most of us do not stay adequately hydrated and our performance and weight loss goals are being squandered.

You could pre-set your coffee maker or tea kettle so you are ready to go in the morning. Fill reusable water bottles and keep them in the fridge so you can just put them in your lunchbox before you leave.

Staying properly hydrated allows our body to function at its best, which also helps with weight loss.

#4 - Don’t be Afraid to Meditate

Simply being mindful and focusing on your breathing for a few minutes can help you slow down and become present.

If meditation really isn’t your thing, you don’t have to sit in an uncomfortable position and chant “ohm.” Being able to sit and observe the thoughts you are having without adding judgment allows you to take a peek inside of your mind without triggering any emotions.

Try to spend five to ten minutes relaxing and focusing on your breathing. Once you learn a technique that works best for you, you’ll sleep better and you will wake up feeling well-rested and ready to tackle the day.

#5 - Keep a Journal Handy

Writing in a journal is therapeutic and you can get the thoughts out of your head and onto paper. This helps you sleep better at night — now that it’s written down, spend time relaxing instead of dwelling on your problem.

Sit down at night and visualize your goals. Don’t be afraid to talk to yourself — it is your journal.

Spend time writing down a short to-do list tomorrow so you can go to bed faster. The less stress you hold onto at night, the better.

#6 - No Snooze Button

There’s nothing more satisfying than slapping the snooze button and silencing that annoying alarm.

As you roll over and doze off again, you feel how cold it is and you don’t want to get under the blanket. It’s worth skipping breakfast just so you don’t have to shiver, right?

When you hit the snooze button, you’re basically tricking your body into thinking it’s back into sleep mode. The foggy feeling you have when the alarm goes off again is called sleep inertia.

This can actually stay with you all day and make you feel more tired.

If you set your alarm early just so you can hit the snooze, you are robbing yourself of the restorative benefits of REM sleep.

Don’t do that.

If you need to break the snooze habit, start giving yourself more time to sleep, be consistent when you go to bed and wake up, and you should put your alarm clock out of immediate reach of your bed.

If you have to get up to turn it off, you can use your journal to wake up and start the day.

Wrapping It Up

Losing weight can be difficult due to all of the habits we’ve picked up over the years. Whether it’s hitting the snooze button or opting for that donut and soda for breakfast, making healthier decisions can be hard.

Give yourself a leg up by preparing things at night. Make a plan of what you are going to eat and follow through with it.

Prepare your clothes, have your food and drinks ready, and crush the day. Starting out your day making one healthy decision makes riding that healthy wave all day easier.