8:50 p.m.: It’s a Thursday night. We just finished our family time with the kids (we read and talked about our days). I finish up some leftover work and update my next day’s to-do list. 

9 p.m.: My reminder goes off on my phone to wind down in case I decided to sneak in any additional work! I respond to posts on social media, texts, and any final calls. Scheduling limited time to do this has been life-changing when it comes to setting boundaries! 

9:10 p.m.: I grab a glass of water, turn on the dishwasher, and head upstairs. I pop into the kids’ rooms to make sure they are asleep and their phones are charging in the charging station. I bring out my scrubs for clinic the next day! 

9:15 p.m.: I start my routine by brushing my teeth, taking a nice hot shower, and doing my skin care routine. 

9:30 p.m.: I become inaccessible to the world, except for close family members and those on my VIP list (in case there’s an emergency!). I’m sitting in my recliner in the bedroom near a dim lamp, and my blue-light-blocking glasses are on. I usually have a real book but sometimes I do use my Kindle. Today I’m reading The Pumpkin Plan.  

9:50 p.m.: Pray, meditate, and journal on gratitude. If I have a lot more on my mind, I may need to extend this a little longer. This practice really helps me offload any worrisome thoughts lingering in my mind before bed. 

10:05 p.m.: Get into bed, put my sleep mask on, tuck myself under the covers, kiss my hubby, and out I go. He tells me I’m asleep within minutes.

5:19 a.m.: Wake up. My alarm is set for 5:30 a.m. but it hasn’t gone off yet. I quietly lie there to observe how I feel: rested. My next thoughts were about if my daughter was well enough to go to school. I responded with, “There’s nothing I can do about it, said a quiet thank you Lord, and give you my cares.” I got up and did some stretches to get my circulation going. 

I probably should have gone to bed about 10 minutes early since I fell asleep within minutes with my head hitting the pillow. I’ll try that tonight and wrap up my reading a little earlier.