Morning routines are a fantastic way to develop good habits, practice self-care, and transition into the day ahead. But what about evening routines? While most people’s mornings tend to start at the same time of day, the day’s end for a person can vary due to social outings and other tasks and activities. Whether you’re out late often or not, establishing some sort of evening routine can be beneficial to you. Even if you have a separate, longer routine for the nights that you stay in, creating these habits can help you in the long run. Here’s what an evening routine can do for you:
It creates a transition from being awake to falling asleep.
You may think that this is as simple as going to bed at the same time every night, but I’ve found it to be more than just that. By having a list of things that I do to get ready for bed, my mind now associates this list of activities with going to bed. When I started an evening routine, I didn’t create a set time for going to bed, but no matter what, I would become tired after going through all of it. Personally, I’ve been falling asleep faster than I have in the past, so I’m not spending time trying to do so!
It prepares you for the next day.
Having an evening routine puts me in the mindset that I have to be ready for a big day tomorrow. Maybe a “big day” is really just an average day at work or school, or even a day off, but establishing an evening routine tells me that I need to do what I can now so I feel awake and refreshed in the morning. A morning routine can do this for you too, but if you didn’t sleep well the night before, it can be difficult to achieve the same effect.
It helps you batch habits that you want to accomplish.
I’m currently tracking daily habits that I want to make sure I do every day in my bullet journal. That includes taking my vitamins, journaling, and reading. In the past, I had to leave these things to whenever I was open to doing so, which led to repeatedly being unable to do these things every day. But by batching these habits as a part of my evening routine, I was able to set aside personal time to complete them and develop good habits.
It’s an effective way to adopt and practice self-care regularly.
There’s a lot that we need to do to get ready for bed. Those things typically involve hygiene and mental care, which overlap in many ways that we can practice self-care. We may be quick to do some of these things before we go to bed, but if we put more time and care into them, it can be extremely beneficial. For instance, using aromatherapy as you’re getting ready for bed can make the process more enjoyable to you.
It’s a time when you’re less likely to be rushed or disrupted.
When you wake up, you only have so much time to get ready. But at night, you won’t have any interruptions. For this reason, I like to put more into my evening routine than in my morning routine. I used to read in the morning, but I found myself constantly worrying about losing track of time. Now I save structured activities for the morning and flexible activities for the evening.
How to Create an Evening Routine that Works for You
You may have seen or read about other people’s evening routines, the routines of the successful, and other ideas. However, routines are not one-size-fits-all! It’s up to you to determine what will work best for you and help you to achieve your goals. Here’s a few questions to ask yourself when developing your evening routine.
What am I looking to achieve by developing an evening routine?
Is it so you’re more refreshed for work or school? Is it to help you wake up earlier? Or maybe even to force yourself to relax? The answers to this question will help you determine what you need to do in order to have a successful evening routine. If you want to wake up early, you may opt to start your routine earlier. And if you want to relax, you may have a longer routine and incorporate activities that you know will help you relax.
What are some things that I want to get into the habit of doing?
Having a routine gives you a set time to complete these tasks. Do you want to make sure you’re reading everyday? Or maybe you want to be off your phone after 9:30? Do you want to wake up to a tidy house every morning? Incorporate these things into your evening routine as an effective way of being productive with your habits and goals.
How will I maintain my routine on nights I’m out late?
This can be one of the hardest parts about maintaining an evening routine. If you’re aware of this and have a plan, you can help yourself in keeping your routine a habit. Figure out how often you’re out late, how late, and what you will do when you’re back late. Having a separate routine, although shorter than the one for nights you stay in, can help keep you accountable.
Are you stuck for ideas on how to craft your evening routine? Check out my list of ideas below and see how they align with your goals!
What do you do before getting ready for bed? Let me know below.
Sincerely,
Julie Anna
