If you’re anything like me, then Netflix has taken over your life one way or another. Walter White, Dexter Morgan, Blair Waldorf, Michael Scott, Leslie Knope and the gorgeous Jax Teller, have all consumed hours of my time one way or another. After days of procrastination, sleepless nights, and stressing over school, I deemed it time to do something about this. Needless to say, I would NEVER and I repeat NEVER ditch these shows completely, let’s be honest, I’m just way too emotionally invested. But I do find it important to cater my time to more productive activities as well. This is when I let my mind explore and discover new things to do at nighttime in order to stay productive, keep my mind stimulated, and hopefully help me fall asleep easier. I have experimented with a few activities and found the following to work the best.
CROSSWORD PUZZLES.
Okay, hear me out on this one. Initially you’re thinking that crossword puzzles are for your grandma and that no one else should dare to open one. I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong. Crossword puzzles have the ability to strengthen your vocabulary, stimulate your mind, and they make me feel a lot smarter than I probably am. Once you start one, you really want to finish it, which allows you to put your energy into something you really want to accomplish. Keep a small book of crossword puzzles on your nightstand, and use a pencil in case you make mistakes! There are a few crossword puzzle apps, but I suggest to stray away from them in order to eliminate looking at a screen so close to bedtime. Keep a dim lamp on next to you and begin with easy level puzzles; I promise you’ll find yourself loving them!
COLORING BOOKS
I recently just purchased an adult coloring book (not like what you’re thinking). It’s filled with hundreds of intricate designs and animals and I’ve found myself falling asleep so easily because my eyes are so focused on the picture that they can’t help but to tire out. Coloring requires your undivided attention, so I ditch my cellphone, put on some 70’s folk songs on Pandora, and I’m ready to go. I love the idea of coloring in a coloring book because it doesn’t have a point; it is the point. It’s a youthful activity that helps you unwind and relieve some stress! So crack out your favorite Crayola products and get coloring!
PAINT BY NUMBER
Paint By Number is something very near and dear to my heart because it is something I used to do with my grandma when I was younger. It’s a little dated, but it still holds the same purpose. Paint By Number allows you to unleash your creativity and relieves all that stress that’s been bottling up all week. Completing a small portion of the painting each night will give you something to look forward to the following day and you can see your progress right in front of your eyes! What I like most about Paint By Number, is how long it takes to complete. This makes it all the more rewarding when you finish a picture in the end.
MEDITATION
They say it’s vital to meditate at least 15 minutes every day, and I agree doubly. Every day we are investing our time into other activities, other people, other places, and it’s difficult to set aside time to invest in ourselves. Mental health and stability is crucial to live a happy and healthy life, and by shutting down at the end of the night and becoming one with your thoughts, you can really help your mind and body. It’s almost impossible for some people to get rid of all thoughts completely, so what I like to do is picture myself in a warm relaxing place, like a beach, and just take it all in.
REFLECT
Every day I strive to better myself as a person; I hope to make positive impacts on others and always offer a helpful hand to anyone in need. At the end of each day, I think reflection is very important. We all do things that we regret, or believe we should have gone about differently. By asking yourself each night, “am I proud of all my decisions today?” “Did I handle this situation to the best of my ability?” “Did I have good judgment?” it can only strengthen your connection with yourself and help you grow into a more mature and grounded person. If you feel like you had poor judgment or could’ve handled something better, comprise a plan on how to tackle it better next time. It’s better to come to terms with your mistakes then pretending they were never there.
We live in a time where our attention is always needed elsewhere; to school, to friends, to Netflix, to family, to social media. Everything around us demands our attention, which makes it harder and harder to devote energy to ourselves. We are our own number one fans and we need to promote mental health upon ourselves! So although I know you’re dying to see what happens in that next episode of Dexter, shut down the technology, stop scrolling through Instagram, and devote time to you, and only you. Become emotionally invested in yourself, because as individuals we owe it to ourselves.