Chances are you are one to read before bed. Why do you do it that way? That was so 2000s. The new trend is A.M. reading; it’s a technique that I made up and have been doing for years. I want to sell you on this new way to read while in bed.
I have tried to read before bed, but after working on my podcast, running around with my 10-month-old child, and working all day, I am exhausted. I climb into bed around 11:30 p.m. My wife is already sleeping and I turn on my lamp to read. She smacks me and says deliriously, “Turn that off; I can’t sleep with the light on!” So I take out my phone and shine it on the book under the covers and next thing you know I feel like I’m in a sauna with my own breath as the humidifier.
Try this instead: That 30 minutes you would have spent at night reading, use that time to fall asleep. Then wake up 30 minutes earlier in the morning to read. If you read in the A.M., you will get more bang for your buck. When you wake up you are still a little groggy. The stimulation in this case is reading. I am telling you; try it before you bash it.
Question: Sounds great but how can I fall asleep without reading! I knew you were going to ask that. Instead of reading, I have a few suggestions that will knock you out.
The first thing you should do when you climb into bed and turn off the light is to visualize. Visualize your life over the next months or years. Picture yourself in a nice location or doing something you love. Identify everything when it comes to visualization: the sights, sounds, who is surrounding you, what you are doing. Continue to identify every last detail.
“What you focus on expands.”
If visualization does not work, then try this. Picture you whole body as a big warehouse with all the lights on. Begin with your feet and start shutting off the lights. It sounds crazy, but try it. Once your feet are shut off, go to your calves, thighs, stomach, arms, chest, neck, and head. It works with me no matter how much chatter is going on in my head.
3 benefits of A.M. reading:
1. This technique will stall you from starting your day checking email and looking at your screen on your phone, tablet, or computer.
2. A.M. reading slowly gets your mind to wake up. It is a calm, natural approach to waking up.
3. It’s a lot better than jumping out of bed when your alarm goes off. It allows you to lie in bed without feeling guilty.
"I printed out the Manifesto and kept it with me in my interview (tucked away in the folder), it kept reminding me that I had the power to do this and it is my time to change into the person I’m meant to be. I can’t thank you enough!!!! "
-Chris- Moon Township, PA
