Productivity Tip:

Beat Bedtime Procrastination

There’s a neat little term psychologists use for something a lot of us do without thinking: bedtime procrastination. You go to bed later than you intended, not because of anything urgent, but because you’re scrolling, watching “one more” episode, or pottering around even though you’re tired. 🫩

Maybe it’s the only time that feels like it’s actually yours. Staying up becomes a quiet protest, even though tomorrow‑you is going to pay for it.

A few things to try:

• Pick a rough “start winding down” time and treat it as a cue, not a rule.
• Swap late‑night scrolling for one low‑effort calming habit (cup of tea, book, light stretching). 
• Make distractions slightly less convenient, like charging your phone across the room. 
• Use a “to‑bed” alarm to help you stay on track without turning your evenings into yet another thing to optimize.

Make it a tiny experiment: see how you feel after a week of getting to bed just a little earlier. Future-you might be pleasantly surprised. 😌

Routine Breakdown

Dudley Tal Stokes, Former Four-Time Olympian, Olympic Coach & Entrepreneur

How an Olympic Coach Trains His Mind Before His Body

For Dudley Tal Stokes, former Olympic bobsledder and inspiration for the movie Cool Runnings, a successful day begins with meditation and movement. 

The Routine:

• Meditates. “I begin each day with a meditation routine I call Mental Relaxation and Rehearsal. I aim for a minimum of 15 minutes and an ideal of 1 hour. From a state of deep relaxation, I do a series of visualizations designed to help me reach my peak performance state and model potential situations ahead. Once my mental state is set, I find it easier throughout the day to maintain the correct tension required for the particular situation I encounter.”
• Works out. “I focus on mobility and control of the body, followed by 15-20 minutes of high-intensity exercise, using body weight and kettlebells. I may do a walk, with or without weights, for 30 minutes. After a cold shower, I’m ready for the day.”
• Starts his day the night before by getting enough sleep. “I have an alarm for bed at 21:45; I usually get ready by 22:00 and am asleep by 23:00. Before the alarm, I make sure the environment is low-light and add some Green Tea.”

Why it works:

• Research supports visualization as a performance-enhancing tool! Mental rehearsal lowers anxiety, helps you prepare for situations, and builds confidence and focus. 
• Mobility work improves joint control and reduces stiffness, while a short burst of high-intensity exercise flips the “on” switch in your brain, boosting focus and mood. 
• Adding a cold shower boosts alertness even more, thanks to a quick surge of energising hormones.

Notice how Dudley uses a “to-bed” alarm to start intentionally winding down? As we said above, it’s a neat trick for keeping your evenings on track!