7 Evenings That Wind Down

1. Day 1

   Choose a finish time

   Decide when your day's tasks will end tonight, about an hour before bed if you can. When that time comes, stop, even if the list isn't finished.

2. Day 2

   Put tomorrow on paper

   Spend two minutes writing down what's left for tomorrow. It doesn't have to be neat. It only has to be somewhere other than your head.

3. Day 3

   Lower the lights

   Tonight, turn off the main overhead lights an hour before bed and use a lamp instead. Notice whether the room feels different.

4. Day 4

   Give your phone a bedtime

   Choose a time to put your phone down for the night, and leave it out of arm's reach of your bed.

5. Day 5

   Add something you enjoy

   Choose one pleasant thing for the last half hour of your evening: a book, some music, a warm bath or a gentle stretch.

6. Day 6

   Go to bed on purpose

   Pick a bedtime tonight and start getting ready twenty minutes before it, so that you get there without rushing.

7. Day 7

   Write down your routine

   Choose the two or three steps that worked best this week and write them down. Our wind-down planner can turn them into a printable schedule.

Tick off each day as you go. Your progress is saved only in this browser. If you miss a day, simply pick up where you left off.