These days, almost every day is stressful. We are stressed at work, with our kids, our bills, you name it. And worst, it doesn’t stop anymore. We’re always connected, we take work home and feel guilty if we’re not available 24/7.

As a result, we cannot turn off our minds and worries at night. We subsequently don’t sleep well, don’t get enough rest and are starting the next day on the wrong foot and even more tired. And the spiral goes further down.

Wind down at night. Do a mindfulness exercise. Meditate, do Yoga or Tai Chi. Have nice dinner conversations with loved ones. Leave it there.

Break that spiral by consciously winding down at night. Specifically, try to do a mindfulness exercise at night before going to bed.

Do some meditation before you go to sleep. There are plenty of phone and Alexa apps that will guide you, if you don’t have experience meditating. Pick you favorite.

If meditation is not your cup of tea, do some Yoga, practice Tai Chi, stretch gently, take a bath with some candles, snuggle with your dog (or cat) or just have a relaxed dinner table conversation with loved ones.

Be grateful for the day. Be grateful for friends and families. Be grateful for the experiences of the day and the ones that still lay ahead for the days coming. Great ones, and challenging ones, experiences are what makes our lives interesting and worthwhile.

Pick whatever works for you and do it. When you’re home, be home. Wind down, be mindful.

And most important: don’t go back to your work after a mindful break and before you sleep. Close your day and keep it closed. You don’t want to stay awake all night and think about the things that ‘keep you awake’, you want to be relaxed and marvel about the connections and experiences you had.