Your evening routine plays a huge role in how well you sleep and it puts an end cap on your day. It is just as important as your morning routine. A good and well thought out routine to end your day puts a positive spin on even the worst days!
What is an evening routine?
An evening routine is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a routine that you follow every evening. It can be very short and simple or very long and elaborate. Maybe it also varies depending on the day. Weekdays and weekends can look different.
In short though, it is a routine that you follow generally each night, whether you realize it or not. Most of us have an evening routine without intentionally creating one. But the benefits to crafting your own are immeasurable!
A few steps might include:
- skin care
- shower
- listening to a podcast
- journaling
- reading
- prayer or meditation
- shower
- herbal tea
- a favorite show
It all depends what you like your evenings to look like. Crafting a routine to serve your lifestyle can be a gamechanger!
Why have an evening routine?
For starters, an evening routine prepares your mind and body for sleep. Carefully chosen steps allow you to wind down so that you feel relaxed and ready to settle into bed for a peaceful sleep.
A good routine also helps in putting positive “period” on the end of your day. Even if it was the worst day, a good routine in the evening can help turn it around. It is something to look forward to after a tough day. It is a time where you are able to take care of yourself and focus on you, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
And last, but not least, a routine keeps you grounded.
You could be traveling, had a chaotic day, or a lazy day, but a routine in the evening will reset you and bring you back to yourself.
Let’s jump into habits to elevate it:
Habit 1: Enhance your surroundings.
There are several ways to enhance your surroundings. The keyword is enhance. You don’t need to change anything about your routine, but you are simply adding to it. Think about your senses. Sight, sound, and smell being the main ones. What are some ways you can add to the atmosphere?
This may be things like adding candles to your nightstand and lighting them when you’re settling down to read. If you’re worried about falling asleep with the candles lit, try a diffuser next to your bed instead. Pick relaxing scents like lavender or eucalyptus.
You could also use a linen spray to keep your sheets smelling fresh.
Or maybe you want to add soothing music in the background while you shower. You could also listen to a motivational podcast if that’s more your jam. A shower speaker elevates your whole shower experience.
I’d also highly recommend dimming the lights around you as much as you can. This goes for the main living area, the bathroom, and the bedroom. It signals to your mind that it’s time to wind down.
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Habit 2: Wear real pajamas or a lounge set.
As someone who always used to wear big shirts and sweatpants, I can affirm that upgrading to a pajama set or loungewear set in the evening elevates the experience.
Even if you are the only one who will ever see your pajamas, wearing a set that you picked out and love is a whole new level of respect for yourself. It says that you deserve to be both comfortable and dressed in a way that feels intentional, rather than default.
Experiment with different fabrics, like silk or cotton, to see what is most comfortable. I love light silky sets in the summer and heavier cotton sets in the winter. Currently I’ve been loving the Aerie Real Soft collection.
I also love having a fluffy robe! Pretty much no one ever sees the robe but it’s so comfortable and adds an element of luxury to the evening after my shower.
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Habit 3: Begin and end your routine at the same time every day.
Beginning and ending your routine at roughly the same time is another habit that screams self respect. It is a soft form of discipline but also a form of self love. It is setting aside time for yourself that you deserve. By starting and finishing around the same time, you also get yourself into bed at what we can hope is a reasonable hour.
And sticking to the same times is the whole point of a routine. It wires your body clock to know when it’s time to start settling down for the night.
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Habit 4: Eliminate screens from your routine.
To the very best of your ability, try to completely eliminate screens from your evening routine. This might mean your actual “evening routine” begins after you watch your night time show. Just so that there is time between watching television and going to sleep. Placing a gap between the screen time and sleep allows you to get back into your own energy and headspace before going to sleep.
And the phone! There is nothing wrong at all with using the phone to listen to a podcast, some music, or even some ASMR before bed, but keep all of the other apps closed. I promise it will make a massive difference in your mood, your sleep quality, and your level of relaxation in bed.
It’s tough at first, but building the habit of setting your phone aside at night will drastically elevate your routine and your mental health. Try switching to a book if you can’t sleep.
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Habit 5: Foster gratitude.
Adding in gratitude to your routine is not an additional step (unless you want it to be). Instead, it is a habit that you you can build in throughout your routine. Start noticing things to be thankful for as you go through your routine. Maybe you’re extra grateful for hot water or for the feel of your mattress.
If you like to pray or meditate, it can be a perfect time to list a few things in your day that you felt very thankful for. Start with listing just one thing, and notice how easy it is to find other things!
Over time, this habit will bleed over into your everyday life beyond your evening routine.
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Habit 6: Pretend you’re filming for content, or in a movie.
This is one of my favorite habits! It’s not necessarily something you have to do every night or at all. But it’s a really fun way to elevate and romanticize your evening.
When you pretend that you are filming or being filmed, notice how you take your time with each step of your routine. It forces you to slow down and appreciate the different products and tasks that you get to complete.
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Habit 7: Avoid snacking too close to sleeping.
Eating too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep. This was a hard habit for me to implement because snacking was actually a part of my routine, but I shifted this habit to earlier in the evening.
I aim to have no food about an hour before bedtime. If I’m really feeling like I need something, I’ll have herbal tea (chamomile tea is best for sleep) and a few crackers.
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Final Thoughts:
Your routine is what you make it – build in one or all of these habits to elevate it. Quality sleep is SO important for our health and elevating your evening routine plays a major role in your sleep.
It doesn’t have to be boring or feel like a chore; add as much fun to it as you can. The more parts you love about your routine, the more enjoyable it will be. You deserve to look forward to it every day!
I hope you found value here and thank you for reading! <3
