Episode 186: Your Evening Routine: An Essential Five Step Guide for Busy Leaders
What happens when you try to go to bed after being on go-mode from the time your alarm went off that morning?
You have trouble turning off your brain. And then because you have trouble turning off the brain, you have trouble falling asleep. And because you have trouble falling asleep, you have trouble staying asleep.
You’re not alone in knowing that your body needs rest but your mind can’t seem to get off the hypothetical treadmill that is your life.
If you’re looking for a foolproof, customizable guide for your evening routine – this is the episode for you.
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Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the improve it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award.
This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.
When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight-pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.
You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We can’t wait to connect with you online!
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Episode 186 Transcription
Erin (00:00):
Hi new friend. I'm Erin Diehl, business improv edutainer, Failfluencer, and keynote speaker who is ready to help you improve your it, it being the thing that makes you, you. So think of me as your keeping it real. Professional development bestie who is here to help you develop yourself into the best version of you possible so you can develop your team and lead with intentionality, transparency, and authenticity. Oh, and did I mention we're improving your IT through play? That's right. I'm an improvisational comedy expert who uses experiential learning to help you have your aha haha moment. Those are the moments when the light bulb goes off and you're laughing at the same time. So grab your chicken hat, your notebook, and your inner child because I'm gonna take you on a journey that is both fun and transformative. Welcome to the Improve It Podcast!
Erin (01:09):
Improve It peeps. Welcome to June. I will not quit my day job as a facilitator because singing is not an option. So friends, welcome to this awesome month. I wanna start off the show by reading a review from one of you our amazing Improve It Peeps. So this month I'm reading a review from Land 8 43 and Land 8 43 says the Real Deal. Great podcast. I always enjoy hearing Erin's perspective on business entrepreneur, entre entrepreneurship and life in general. She brings a fresh approach with letting everyone know it's okay to fail, lover energy, humor, personality, intelligence, and spirit. Highly recommend stop. Keep going. Oh my God. Anyway, I'm not saying this to brag. I am reading this review today because these reviews are so important in helping us bring amazing guests to the show. So Land 8, 4, 3, thank you so much. Whoever you are, if it's you, send me an email at info, learn to improve it.com, and no, I will give you a free 20 minute coaching session to answer any of your career rare related cues.
Erin (02:37):
So that goes for anybody listening. If you leave a review on iTunes, on the Improve It Podcast page, a five star review, you'll write a comment. You give us five stars and you tell me the name that you left the review under or send me a screenshot. You can do that by emailing me at info, learn to improve it.com, sending me a DM on Instagram at Keeping It Real Deal. And you let me know you left this review. I'm gonna treat you to a 20 minute coaching session. That's right, 20 minutes, you may, I'll send you a link, you'll give me your cues ahead of time and in 20 minutes I won't answer your career related questions. That's how important these reviews are to us and to the improvement team over here because we wanna keep creating this great content for you. So that being said, if you haven't left a review for the show yet, please consider doing so.
Erin (03:35):
Get yourself a free 20 minute coaching session and know that we are going back to starting this month. One show a week. We did three shows a week for three months. And let me tell you, it was transformative. It was powerful. My team and myself realized how much of a force we could be. However, what we realized from you was that you were having a really hard time keeping up, but what you loved were the shorter bite size chunked shows. So that's what we're gonna do. You're gonna get one episode a week, it's gonna be very short. So when I say very short, it's gonna be between 20 to 30 minutes. It's perfect for your workouts, for your commutes, your showers, you're getting ready time. We'll keep the guest shows hopefully around that same length, probably like 30 to 40 minutes, and we're gonna keep giving you this content.
Erin (04:37):
So with that said, we have something to celebrate my improve. We are a top 1% podcast, 1%, a top 1% podcast. That is just incredible. Who knew three years ago when we started this show where we would go? But we are here now and we have you to thank for tuning in every week, caring about your personal, your professional development, infusing some play, some laughter, some fun into your workday. So no thank you, thank you, thank you for myself from our team, from the bottom of our hearts for helping us get here and just know there is so much more to come. So let's get into today's show. I am this, this topic I could talk about forever, but no, I'm keeping it to our new format, 20 to 30 minutes. So I gotta dive in. But I am talking to you about your evening routines.
Erin (05:39):
I'm gonna give you today an essential five step guide for you. The busy leader. I know you and private peeps, we've been doing this thing for a long time. You are busy. You do your morning routine, you get the kids off to school. You then start your work day. You work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, mm-hmm <affirmative>. And then you take outside of work time to go to your kids' sports. You move them all around your city, your community, by taking 'em to soccer, to dance, to play to chess, whatever it is they do. Then you get them home, you start the homework and then you want some time for your own personal and professional development. And so you go into the wee hours of the night trying to get it all done. Maybe you're helping with your kids' project. Maybe you have more work to do after they go to bed. Either way, you're overloaded, you're overwhelmed, and you're undernourished.
Erin (06:37):
I know ya. This probably hits home because I know so many of you listening to this show. We talk regularly because so many of you reach out. We have conversations. I am you. My kid is not in the homework, super sport activity phase yet. But we're busy. You're busy. So what happens when you try to go to bed after all of these activities? You have trouble turning off your brain. Mm-Hmm <affirmative>. And then because you have trouble turning off the brain, you have trouble falling asleep and because you have trouble falling asleep, you have trouble staying asleep. Now know that if this sounds like your life, you are not alone. I just went to Costa Rica. Unless you are a swath, most of us have trouble sleeping. It is just a part of the stage of life that we are in. So know that there are ways to curb this, to shut down your brain.
Erin (07:50):
It occurred to me one day while putting my son to bed who has a rigorous multi-step bedtime routine. I mean this thing starts an hour before we're putting down, we're putting the food down, we're cleaning up the kitchen, and then we do cuddle time. Silly cuddle time. He calls it on the couch where we're just being silly. Once we get him nice and wound up, he goes upstairs, we start the bathing, he gets a bath every single night. It's been a part of his life forever. After he does his bath, he gets a vitamin. He puts on his pajamas. Then I come in, this is usually my husband doing that piece of the of the nighttime routine. I come in, we do toothbrush. Sometimes we drink honey because he has a cough. Then once he gets the honey, we then go into his room where our dog meets us.
Erin (08:39):
We do book time. We read approximately one book cuz mom is like, Nope, we're not gonna get into this habit of you prolonging bed, which he's a master at. And then after we do that, we say some prayers. We give light and love to the world. And then after that we sing, twinkle Twinkle, we put on the sound machine, we turn off the lights and he is in bed. So while doing all of these things, it occurred to me that I, the mother, the human who's been on this earth much longer, has not established a 20 step process. And it does not have to be 20 steps. But I needed some type of cue, some type of signal, some type of way to tell my brain it is time to shut her down. So I have got five tangible steps for you to implement into your evening routine to help you shut down that old thinker and allow yourself to relax.
Erin (09:47):
Now, if you have listened to this show for a long time, you know I love a morning routine. My morning routine is solid. Some people say screw morning routines, they're not for me. That's too much. And you know what? Everybody has their own choices in life. For me, I need a routine to start my day, to get myself in a head space where I can give to the world. I have to give to me first in order to give to the world. So why not give to yourself at the beginning and the end of every single day? Start and end your day with self-care. Here are five easy, tangible steps that I'm gonna give you to help you do just that. Here is step one. This is imperative. Shut down your phone one hour before bed. Let me tell you, I am a part of multiple text chains, okay?
Erin (10:48):
I love my friends, I love my family. But at about 9:00 PM you're not gonna hear from me most nights. Sometimes this slips up, I'll talk about that later. Most nights post 9:00 PM I am in my phone setting alarms. I set alarms and I am looking at my schedule for the next day. And then I am placing my phone on a charger across from my bed. I used to put it in the bathroom, but my husband was like, why are you making it so loud in the bathroom? So I'm putting it across from the bed so I can easily get up and turn it off in a quicker way to not awake my husband. So I'm shutting down my phone one hour before bed. You're gonna do the same. You're gonna shut down your phone, put your alarms in, make sure you know your schedule for the next day, and then go to step two.
Erin (11:42):
Step two. Now this works for me. Consult with your doctor. I have many friends who are physicians, which I'm very lucky to have. And one of my friends who is a fantastic follow on Instagram. Her name is Danny Lee, md Danny Lee, md. We will put her hand Instagram handle in the show notes. Did a reel that even justifies what I had been doing for a while. So step two is to take vitamins and supplements that support your sleep one hour prior to bed. So Danny suggests that you take 600 milligrams of magnesium. I have been taking magnesium for almost a year. I take 400 milligrams. So for me, that just has worked. I don't think I need more. I feel it because it's actually a really great supplement that helps reduce stress. So magnesium, I have a brand that I love. It's called naar.
Erin (12:49):
With supernatural products, you cannot find it in drugstores like CVS or Walgreens. I have it on Amazon. I'll put that link for you in the show notes as well. So Magnesium is a great resource for helping you get better sleep. A great natural supplement. Melatonin, one milligram to five milligrams is what Danny suggests. Dr. Danny Lee MD suggests. And I found the same brand of Natar re gummies and got the children's brand because you want a low dose of this. And these gummies are one milligram. So I'm doing 400 milligrams of magnesium, one milligram of me melatonin, and I have also used C B D sleep gummies for a long time. You can use these. Danny recommends doing C B D oil. So those actually like a tincture will actually work quicker and faster than the gummies. Right now my supplements are 400 milligrams of magnesium and one milligram of melatonin.
Erin (13:55):
Natar is the brand. And when I do use sleep gummies, I use Equilibria, which is a women based C B D formula with really great clean natural ingredients. We'll put this in the show notes for you as well, but find vitamins, talk with your doctor. Look at this reel from Danny Lee md or find your own supplements that will work for you to help you wind down. So once I start taking these supplements about an hour before bed, it signals to my body, okay, it's time to shutter down. We're not gonna plan anymore. We're not gonna create it's time to get to sleep. Which leads you to step three, which is to set the vibe. I like to, while I'm getting ready for bed light a candle in my bathroom, I turn on the sound machine next to my bed. I am a hot sleeper, like I sweat.
Erin (14:52):
I'm sure I'm going through perimenopause right now, which will be an entire show down the road. But I am sweaty. So I put our air conditioning very low. I like it at 68 degrees, which is a high bill, but it helps me sleep. And I'm like, what's more important, a high electricity bill or my mental health? And I choose some mental health because the girl is sweaty. So set the vibe for your night. If you like to sleep in warmer weather, hey, keep set that vibe, light a candle, put on a sound machine and set the tone to signal to your body and your mind. It's time to wind down. Here is step four, journaling, meditating, getting out of your mind, things that you need to let go of. Now there is an amazing resource that we have for you at Improve It. It's called the Play Your Way into Wellness Workbook.
Erin (15:51):
It's free. It is absolutely free. We have it in the link on almost every single show note for the past few months. It's going to be in the link in these show notes. It is a fabulous resource for ways to implement self-care into your life. You take a quiz to get the workbook. The workbook is emailed to you and it gives you tangible tips. Now, I have a journal prompt activity for you that is going to blow your mind. That is a fantastic way to end your day. And it is called the in. It is called the Airplane Method. Okay? And here's what I want you to know. It's actually called the Inner Airport. Okay, I just said that wrong. So I'm gonna read this activity to you because it's so important. And then I want you to make sure you get your wellness workbook.
Erin (16:40):
This is a simple writing activity. It has a little bit of woowoo, but wellness can be both woowoo as well as wellness, my friend. So here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna take out your journal and make three columns. Okay? So column one on the left hand side is arriving planes. Column two in the middle is going to be called Changing runways. And column three is going to be called Same lane. And then you're gonna use the following prompts to fill in your column. So in the third or the first column on the left hand side, arriving planes, you're gonna reflect on your day and you're gonna think about ideas that are coming into your mind for landing. So what's something someone said that stuck with you or made you pause? What's something you read or heard that made you read or listen again? What's something that you're learning about yourself?
Erin (17:33):
So these are things that you still need to learn, you still need to work through. Put all of those down in that column called arriving planes. On the left hand side, your middle column changing runways, you're gonna consider what was shifting within you today. So you can picture when you're on a plane and the pilot says you have to change runways. We're always like, oh, what were you interested in today? How would you describe your mood today? What is something from today that you don't understand? And now on the final column, the third column on the right, the same lane. Now here's what you're gonna do in this lane. You're gonna examine the things inside of you that are the same and aren't going anywhere no matter what your day was like. This could be your values, your beliefs, your goals, your perspective, your hopes, anything else that comes to mind.
Erin (18:26):
So what you're doing and why this works is when you begin to reflect on your day, using these three guiding points, you begin to reflect on your internal world. The distinction between what's coming in, what's shifting and what's steadfast becomes clear over time. And that list, that list goes into what's coming in those arriving planes, what's shifting those changing runways, and what's your core values? What's steadfast in that same lame column, you get to see and make adjustments or deeper existing daily wellness practices as a result. Now, here's some extra credit you could do in your journaling. You can make a simple paper airplane by finding, there's a folding diagram in the workbook that helps you actually learn to make paper airplanes, and then you can throw it across the room and read it the next morning or reread it the next morning. I love that.
Erin (19:20):
So try this journal prompt or just do what I like to call rage on the page. Get out your thoughts, your fears, what you need to let go of, but take some time to really center yourself and let go of the things that have been in your mind and festering in your mind before you go to sleep. Finally, here is step five. I love to read just Ryan. I'm writing a book. I love books. They have changed my life so many times over and I love transformational books, especially spiritual books. And I always have one next to my nightstand that I will read. So step five for you is to read until you feel tired, something that speaks to your higher self. I really highly recommend not getting into a romance novel or some type of book that is super action packed before sleep. Those will really impact your dreams.
Erin (20:17):
I like books that speak to my higher self and allow me to really think positive thoughts before I drift into dreamland. So couple of other things to keep in mind besides these five steps, not drinking alcohol before bed is huge. Listen, we're all guilty of it unless you don't drink good for you, which I admire you a lot, but I realize that my sleep is much better when I don't consume alcohol. I also want you to realize that it's not gonna be perfect that I, this is the five step process that I have put into place in my own life that works. But some nights I will go out with friends and have a couple of drinks and my routine is off. Some nights I break these habits and I slip into a social media rabbit hole and I haven't put my phone down till nine 30 and I've spent an hour on my phone just devouring content that doesn't do anything for me.
Erin (21:13):
So know that it is not going to be a perfect five step process every time, but I want you to find what works for you. Because at this stage in life with so many responsibilities, sleep is the greatest form of wealth instead of mental health. It is your mental wealth. It is your wellbeing, your health determines how you show up at work, how you show up for your family, how you show up for yourself. And sleep is one of the most important factors. So why not give yourself this gift of winding down? Let me just review these five steps one more time. Step one, shut down your phone one hour before your bedtime. Step two, find vitamins and supplements that you can take to help you get into a healthy habit routine. And allow your mind to think that you are about to fall to sleep and give you some things that help you do that, like magnesium, melatonin and C B D.
Erin (22:15):
Then I want you to set the vibe. That's step three. Light a candle, put your salmon machine on, and then go into step four, which is journaling. We have that awesome, awesome prompt for you with this inner airport prompt in the welt. Play your way into Wellness Workbook. And then step five is to find a book that allows you to read until you're tired, but that speaks to your higher self and gives you the opportunity to go into the dreamland with the highest version of you. So here's your homework. Improve It Peeps. Step one, you are going to get your wellness workbook on. You can find the link in the show notes, or you can go to our website, learn to improve it.com. There'll be a popup there for you to, it's gonna ask you to take your wellness quiz where you can find out your wellness avatar and then you'll receive the workbook.
Erin (23:10):
The quiz is fun, it's awesome. So take that and then get your workbook on. And then step two, let's remain a top 1% podcast. Let's give you some high quality guests as we've been having on this show. Let's keep bringing you this free, awesome content. Week after week. Leave us a review, five stars on iTunes. Go such a long way. And if you want that 20 minute coaching session with me, let me know you left a review and I'll send you the link and we'll set up a 20 minute session to answer any of your career related questions. My friends, you know what I'm gonna say? I am so proud of you. I want you to know that you make this world go round. And in order to make it go round, you need to take care of the most important person in your life. You so keep failing, keep improving because this world needs that very special it that only you can bring. I'll see you here next week. Remember one episode a week now. Bye. Hey friend, did you enjoy today's show? If so, head on over to iTunes to rate and subscribe. So you never miss an episode. Now, did I mention that when you leave a five star review of the Improve It podcast, an actual team of humans does a happy dance? Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. That's right. So leave a review for us on iTunes, screenshot it, and send me an email at info learn to improve it.com. I'll send you a personalized video back as a thank you. Thanks so much for listening. Improve It Peeps. I'll see you next Wednesday.