Want to make your morning and evening routine better?
Keep a notebook by your bed.
It’s no secret that notebooks are an amazing tool. A simple notebook can help you organize your thoughts, make creative connections, solve problems, and even improve your memory.
So then, why keep a notebook by your bed? After all, shouldn’t your nightstand be reserved for items that will help you relax and fall asleep?
A notebook isn’t just for productivity. Keeping a notebook by your bed can help you sleep better, experience more gratitude in your life, and unlock your creativity.
Below we take a closer look at the reasons why you should keep a notebook by your bed.
To ease your mind
There’s nothing more frustrating than tossing and turning all night. Your mind seems to think that the middle of the night is the perfect time to start running through every thought, worry, or pending task.
A great way to combat these racing thoughts is to make a list in a notebook.
So instead of ruminating on all the things you have to do (and worrying yourself in the process) you’re transferring all those thoughts onto paper. Seeing everything laid out on paper will make your worries and concerns seem less overwhelming. And the physical act of writing things down will put your mind at ease.
In fact, research has shown that writing a to-do list can help people fall asleep faster.
So the next time your mind starts racing a mile a minute, grab a notebook and make a list. Jot down all the pending tasks and responsibilities that are weighing on you. Example: Respond to boss’s message. Update calendar. Make breakfast. Do laundry. Pay bills.
Another thing you can do is to make a list of the different emotions or nagging thoughts that are coming up for you. Example: I feel angry at myself that I didn’t finish that deadline on time. I’m worried my text message came across as insensitive. The stranger at the grocery store was so rude.
Letting go of these thoughts and emotions on paper will put your restless mind at ease. And you will finally be able to get some sleep.
The perfect notebook to ease your mind: This Kunisawa Find Ring Notebook would not only be perfect for your to-do lists, but, with its pretty cover, it would add a lovely touch to your nightstand.
To capture great ideas
From Thomas Edison to Toni Morrison, notable people throughout history have used notebooks and notepads to write down their ideas, observations, and even the first drafts of their novels.
Writing by hand slows down your mind and encourages you to be more thoughtful about what you put on paper. At the same time, it helps you be less precious about your work. Because of its simplicity, a notebook relieves the pressure to do extraordinary work, which, ultimately, frees you up to be more creative.
What’s more, keeping a notebook by your bed can boost your creativity.
Studies have shown that the moment right before you fall asleep is a fertile time for creativity and inspiration. Thomas Edison supposedly liked to nap with two spheres in his hands so that when the spheres crashed onto the ground when he fell asleep, he would wake up and jot down the ideas he had in this liminal state.
While you don’t have to copy Edison’s exercise to a tee, you can certainly practice the spirit of it by jotting down your ideas as soon as you wake up in the morning.
The morning is an ideal time to capture creative ideas because you’re still in that hazy state between sleep and wakefulness, and you’re too tired to criticize or judge your ideas.
You can also use your notebook as a dream journal and describe the various images and symbols found in your dreams. Writers and artists have long turned to their dreams as a source of inspiration.
The perfect creativity notebook to keep by your bed: The dot grid pages of a bullet journal would help you jot down your ideas and keep them all organized.
To find a solution
It has been shown that your mind is hard at work while you sleep. It’s finding all sorts of connections and making insights.
So give yourself a much-needed break and let your subconscious do the work. If you're trying to come up with a great name for your business or you’re searching for a creative solution to a work problem, try writing out your problem in a notebook. Sleep on it. And then in the morning, see what your mind comes up with.
The perfect notebook to help you problem solve: You’ll want to fill all your ideas and solutions in a durable notebook that can travel with you from the nightstand to the office.
To deepen your gratitude
If you want to experience more gratitude in your life, try practicing gratitude before you start your day or at the end of it.
Gratitude can help relieve stress, enhance happiness, and improve our health. Your mind and body will definitely thank you for practicing gratitude more consistently.
Despite all the benefits, we never seem to get around to articulating what we’re grateful for. It’s much easier to mope around or look on the bad side. That’s why it’s important to make a concerted effort to take time out and appreciate all the good things you have going on.
So instead of reaching for your phone first thing in the morning or right before bed, turn to your gratitude journal. Upon waking, make a list of three to five things you are grateful for. Your morning cup of coffee. Birdsong. Your warm and friendly neighbor who always says hi. This exercise will help set a positive tone for the rest of the day.
You can also practice gratitude in the evening. It’s a chance to reflect on the day and find at least three to five things that you appreciated. An empty train on your commute home. A delicious and comforting dinner. Reading in your favorite chair.
The perfect notebook to practice gratitude: This pretty gratitude journal would add a tender note to your morning and evening routine.
Written by JiJi Lee
