Your Nighttime Habits: The Reverse Alarm

Fitness + Wellness

Mar 1

Is it your habit to have a fit body? Sounds kind of strange I’m sure, yet it is a good question. Do your daily habits reflect your desire to have a fit body? If a big part of your identity is to have a healthy and fit body, then your actions speak for themselves.You know the answer…Fill in the blank: I do this (habit fill in the blank) because I am a (fill in the blank) kind of person. Each time you engage in that activity, it is a vote for the kind of person you want to be.Another reason I decided to focus my attention on helping women take back their wellness through a holistic approach was the result of my research on the science of habits. When I began to apply it to my life, my life changed. Dozens of clients applied it to theirs too. So why not teach as many who are hungry for deep wellness beyond a fitness-only model?As an example in my life: I go to sleep by 10pm every night because I want to be highly productive before 6am each day.Now you try it…Last week, I unveiled some simple new ways to approach your morning and your thoughts that can help you get to that optimal fitness for you. The morning, for most, is the easiest time of the day to get wellness in. When you figure out how to get yourself out of bed at least one hour before you need to leave the house, you will discover a whole new sense of accomplishment, confidence, and vitality. I know it is not for everyone, yet most of you will agree, it is the time of the day you control the most…before anyone else in your household is awake.Now, let’s uncover the next time of day to practice wellness: the hour before bed.Habits are most likely started – and broken – because of the time of day and location. You can choose to make your nights another venture into your wellness by setting a “reverse alarm,” a term coined by a coach of mine, Craig Ballantyne.The reverse alarm is set one hour before you are asleep. It sets the stage for a chain of events that channel to your brain – I am approaching the magical time when I am going to sleep.Don’t miss out on our next workshop on why sleep is possibly the reason you don’t have that body you want at Alexandria Wellness. What are the key components of your nighttime that must take place before you fall asleep? What actions will lead you to getting the best sleep you can and be as productive the next morning as you possibly can?I’ve learned so much about sleep, I want to share it with you. We are hosting the first ever Sleep Workshop where I will teach you my 10-3-2 Rule, simple steps to overcome 1-3am awakenings, and other proven ways to get the best sleep you can.You know sleep is not only important for cognitive health and many other essential physiological factors, yet did you know sleep is key to weight loss, digestion, and muscle building? Well, it is! I’ll outline the many reasons why sleep might possibly be the biggest thing holding you back from achieving real wellness in another article later this month.We all need to make sleep our most important appointment of the day.Here is an example of a typical night for me:8:30pm: Check email and text for last time/review notes for meetings for following day8:45pm: Put out mine and kids’ vitamins for next day in separate piles8:48pm: Put (non-refrigerated) Bulletproof coffee ingredients in blender bottle (Head upstairs where I will be for remainder of the night.)8:50pm: Brush teeth/Wash Face/Put out clothes for following day9:00pm: Take Epsom Salt Bath/Read something calming or nothing at all9:20pm: Make sure kids are upstairs/homework complete/chat & pray with kids9:30pm: Return to bedroom/Read9:30-9:40pm: AsleepSetting the alarm is a reminder it is that magical time. If there are others in the household, it lets them know it’s that time as well.Making your nighttime, and your bedtime routine, a habit is a sure-fire way to take back your wellness, control your (next) day, and feel amazing.I currently have a waitlist for my Concierge Wellness Program, but you can still get on the waitlist here to be notified as soon as spots open. And, if you’re ready to get started right away, you can check out our Fitness + Foundations program to get to wellness resources, guidance, education, and support here.

Alexandria Wellness

Adrien Cotton

See all posts

ADRIEN COTTON believes the greatest gift you can give to yourself is the gift of wellness.

After serving in high-leverage professional roles, including being one of the youngest Communications Directors in the US House of Representatives, Adrien pivoted her career focus to helping clients capture their strength in all areas of life. An accomplished speaker, entrepreneur, corporate wellness educator, menopause expert, and wellness coach, Adrien has proven success in designing and implementing innovative wellness programs.

With a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University, Adrien sharpened her professional skills by working with individuals from all walks of life. This unique background allows her to tailor her services for each and every client, with optimization and long-lasting success as the goal. Her effectiveness is rooted in a solid foundation of growth-oriented principles, a proven history of helping clients transform their lives, and a deep level of relatability gained from her personal wellness journey.

Since founding her wellness enterprise, Adrien leverages her fitness and wellness background to guide people from a state of giving up to a place of proactive self-care. Her work extends beyond nutrition and exercise, emphasizing lifestyle and high-impact areas of focus visually represented in her Wellness Wheel. Incorporating strategies in stress resilience, sleep, calendar management, mindfulness, and menopause, she’s helped transform hundreds of lives.

Adrien is living her mission to support clients in shifting their mindsets and helping them leverage small habits that yield lasting results.