Just like planning a morning routine, it’s also important to plan an evening routine that works for you. Here are some ideas for what you might include in an evening routine to help get your next day off to the best start.
The suggestions that follow are based on my life now (married, adult children no longer living at home, early rising elementary school teacher). Use them or adapt them to do what works for you!
LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING
*After dinner and kitchen clean-up, set up your morning beverages and breakfast/lunch for the next day. I get my coffee maker set up for the next morning (a necessity!), then prep/pack my lunch. (I don’t eat breakfast because I do intermittent fasting every day. See my post for more information.)
*Get some exercise and fresh air after dinner. I walk my dog every evening. Other options might include to sit outside or just walk outside for a few minutes and do some deep breathing.
*If you did not do some meditation earlier in the day (morning or afternoon), try to take just five minutes for that in the evening. Meditation could also be combined with an evening walk (with or without a dog), or with being outside.
*Make sure your living areas are somewhat neat and tidy, the kitchen is cleaned, and laundry is sorted for the next day if it’s a laundry day. I don’t take an hour to do all this — I do as much as I can in about 20-30 minutes. This is not a time for “deep” cleaning, just a simple clearing of clutter.
*Speaking of clutter clearing, you might get your purse and work bag cleaned out, packed and ready for the next day.
*Plan and time block the next day. I will be sharing more about time blocking on a future post. This helps me focus on what I need to get done the following day and what tasks will reasonably fit into the day’s “blocks”, based on other responsibilities and appointments.
Also look at your list realistically. Could you delegate some tasks? What really has to be done, and what could you eliminate without major stress? Sometimes self-care involves deciding what you will NOT do.
LATER IN EVENING
*Now it’s time to just sit and relax. I might watch some TV with my husband or I read while he watches TV. Other “sitting” tasks might include “sending love out into the world” (see the morning routine post for info) by calling or writing a note to or even just texting a friend or family member. Another great evening tip is to add to a gratitude journal. Just list 3-5 things for which you are grateful.
Occasionally I’ll do some kind of computer work, but I try to turn off all screens about an hour before bedtime. (I have heard the suggestion to turn off all screens after dark or by 9 p.m. The point is to set some rule for yourself about turning off screens to ensure better sleep for yourself.)
*Sip a mug of hot tea. Any flavor you enjoy is fine, but make sure it is decaffeinated.
*Put your phone on airplane mode or turn off notifications so that you are “unreachable” and not distracted by your phone.
*Take a bath or shower before getting ready for bed. You also might add Epsom salts (for muscle relaxing properties) or a tiny bit of essential oil.
*Lay out your clothes/outfit for the next day, which helps reduce decision fatigue the following morning.
*Do a few yoga poses to relax and let your body know that it’s time to go to bed. Yoga with Adriene on YouTube is a great resource for bedtime yoga routines. (Yes, it’s using a screen, but once you learn one of her routines, you can do the routine while just listening to her instruction.) Some of the best bedtime poses: standing forward bend, seated spinal twist, legs up the wall pose, and corpse pose.
BEDTIME
*Read – something that relaxes you. This is different for everyone, but here is what I avoid: any kind of crime story, mysteries, or self-help books! I don’t want to be scared or looking for clues or worrying about what I need to change about myself right before I go to sleep. Find the reading that soothes and relaxes you.
*Sometimes I listen to the Relax Melodies app or the sleep meditations on the Headspace app.
*Set your alarm for your wake-up time, but try to choose a gentle alarm sound. One of the best tips I’ve heard is to keep your alarm a few feet from your bed. That discourages hitting the snooze button since you have to get out of bed to stop the alarm. It sounds simple, but it really works!
*Turn off the lights in time to get at least seven hours of sleep. Or more! While many experts recommend going to bed and getting up at the same times every day, I do not always follow that advice. When I am extra tired from a busy week, I might go to bed earlier and get more than seven hours of sleep. Listen to your body, but aim for seven hours of sleep every night.
A quality evening routine will help you to wind down and get quality sleep, knowing that you are ready for the next day. Try some of these tips and let me know how they work for you!