Best Evening Routine to Serve You Daily!
You may be a person who is overwhelmed, tired and feeling burned out; however, it is possible to change to a confident, thriving, and inspired person; this will not happen overnight; however, if you start prioritising yourself first, you will see changes.
Wouldn’t it be nice to close each day in a way that serves you the best instead of just going to bed exhausted? You have not allowed your body and mind to switch off, and therefore when you do go to bed, you are not sleepy, or you fall asleep on the couch watching TV. You are foggy from this and when you go to bed to sleep, it is too difficult to fall asleep, as now you had broken sleep.
The evening routine allows our brain to distinguish the day from the night, clear our mind and body of the day’s stresses and fall asleep peacefully.
The bedtime routine is essential for kids and just as necessary for adults. Are you trying to do everything for everyone and wondering how you will find 30 – 60 minutes to have an evening routine for yourself? Read below, and this could assist you!
If this is not your goal, I would not recommend you read any further. However, if this interest you, please continue to read.
Thank you
Thank you so much for returning after I have taken a planned four weeks from my blogs due to the following reasons:
I have completed ten blogs this year, which is a wonderful achievement; thank you too all the people who have read this; I so appreciate this. The fact you welcome me in your homes each Sunday means so much to me! I took a four-week break from my blogging to give myself some wellness for the first two weeks, and for the second 2 weeks, I want to spend quality time with my kids over the school holidays.
I do have a full-time job, with two kids with my hubby under 10; life is busy. Doing the blogs has been delightful for me; however, this takes some time out of my schedule, which has been great as I re-learn my material. At this stage, I need to look after my health and what I crave most. I will be back to blogging on the 16th of April 2023!
Then I needed to take another week off from my blog as I was told on Thursday, 13th of April, that I have shingles in my right eye; I have been in pain since the day after my birthday, the 10th of April, a feeling of a knife poking my eye due to my illness. So grateful for my family and friends that were there to support me. Thank you 😊
I have decided that I cannot complete my blog on the timeframe of 16th of April and therefore I had to move this to the 23rd of April. I so appreciate everyone's support and for taking your precious time to read this and wait for me to feel better to come back to my passion.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 😊
Introduction
Your evening routine is just as important as your morning routine. It is essential to wind down, organise your day ahead, and reduce screen time and lights in your home. The time you dedicate to the evening routine will depend on you; however, anything from 15 to 60 minutes would be beneficial. The most crucial factor here is prioritising your evening routine for how you will feel the best, and the result will be peaceful and restful sleep. Which in turn will assist you in the morning for your new day!
There are so many reasons that having good quality sleep each evening. These include improving your brain performance, mood, and health, so there is less chance of diseases. Calm your mind and body is essential whether you go to school, work, or general life. Also, getting along with someone is much easier when you are both well-rested.
For example, think of a parent who gets up every two hours for the baby, their days are more difficult for the first couple of months, and parents of infants are exhausted. Of course, this feeling is not forever; however, for the people who do not have an infant to look after and can have the option of having a good night's sleep, this is your superpower, don't waste this precious time binging on Netflix or Disney etc. or just scrolling on your phone to past the time.
The shows will still be there tomorrow, and your social media feeds will be there tomorrow too. You should be in control of your time, don't allow technology to control your time.
What is an Evening Routine?
An evening routine is a set of activities you perform in the same or similar order each evening from 15 minutes to 60 minutes before bed. Various items can be enjoyed at this time to enhance your evening and support you for a restful night sleep and an amazing next day.
Ideally, eat your last meal at least 3 hours before bedtime, as food takes time to digest and eating late will make it much harder for you to get restful sleep. For example, if your bedtime is 10 pm, have your dinner completed by 7 pm, then no snacking after this. Ideally, you want at least 30-60 minutes of no technology time, including TV.
Questions and Reflections:
If this is something that you are thinking of implementing for your evenings, there are a few questions that you need to ask yourself:
- What time can I go to bed? (Ideally, you want to have at least a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep). Do the maths for your time?
- How long can I have for my evening routine when I have other priorities to complete? This can vary from day to day if you prefer.
- What do I crave the most? If you do this, will you feel happy?
8 Ideas for an Amazing Evening Routine!
They do not all need to be done daily!
- Setting the environment
- A quick tidying of your home, including your room.
- Wind-Down
- Plan for tomorrow
- Prepare your clothes for tomorrow regarding what you are doing.
- Turn off your phone or put it in another room.
- Read a book or listen to one.
- Mentally set your intention for the day ahead.
1. Setting the environment
I invite you to have fewer lights on in the home in the evening, as this will affect the melatonin in your body, which is vital for a good night's sleep. Exposure to light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that influences circadian rhythms.
In the bedroom and living space, you could diffuse some essential oils for a couple of hours before bed is ideal, creating a calming ambience.
For example, the following are great for bedtime:
· Lavender
· Lavender Peace
· Frankincense
· Juniper Berry
· Roman Chamomile
· Cedarwood
· Marjoram
· Sandalwood
· Vetiver
Room temperature is very important for good quality sleep; it should not be too cold or warm, a comfortable temperature. Plus, the room should be dark as well.
2. A quick tidying of your home, including your room.
Who wouldn’t be excited to start their day in a clean home? Or would you prefer a messy one instead?
Another way to wake up, have a clear head, and be ready to start your day is to ensure a quick clean-up around your home the night before. Things like dirty dishes, a messy kitchen, putting away clothes and tidying up generally will impact how you feel the next day.
3. Wind-Down
Ask yourself this question, what makes you feel calm?
Then do this; whether 5 - 30 minutes, you can do what is best for you.
For example, you could have the following, however not limited to:
- Short meditation practice
- Grateful journal
- Journaling
- Stretching
- Yoga
- Anything that will help you wind- down.
- Warm Bath
- Give yourself a massage.
If you like to read more about self-care, check out another blog of mine:
4. Plan for tomorrow
Could you write down a list of no more than three things to do for the next day? If you achieve this, you will be happy and grateful.
The items don’t need to be big things; I say three things because if you make a list of 10-20 things, and then when you wake up in the morning, you will feel already overwhelmed even before you start your day. So, if your list is only three things, then if you can complete them, you can choose to add something else if you like.
5. Prepare your clothes for tomorrow regarding what you are doing.
It could be getting your active gear ready as you exercise in the morning; this simple task will motivate you to exercise in the morning, as when you wake up, you can quickly change into your gear and start doing what you like.
We all have the procrastination of not today mental chatter in our head; I'll do it tomorrow; take the procrastination out of the equation.
Have those clothes ready; this will reduce mental fatigue in the morning. Did you know that our mind has over 35,000 decisions to make a day? So why burden it further by making another decision about what to wear? If you can make that decision today for tomorrow, why not.
The same can be applied to your work/daytime clothes as well!
If you like to read more about mental fatigue, check out another blog of mine:
6. Turn off your phone or put it in another room.
Phone calls, emails and social media can always wait for the next day; having time away from your phone is excellent for you. Being disturbed by your phone when you are sleeping is not helping you get good quality sleep. If you like to have a productive day the next day, having a good night's sleep is crucial. Also, if you sleep well, you are more likely to deal with any communication positively and happily in person or online the next day.
7. Read a book or listen to one.
Did you know that reading before bed can reduce stress?
Reading will strengthen your mind; a more robust cognitive function can help reduce mental chatter, elevating you to a peaceful state of relaxation.
Whether you like to read a chapter of your book, ten pages or 30 minutes, it doesn't matter.
Ask yourself what you can read before you go to bed.
Of course, the other option of listening to a book is good too; however, for me, a physical book is better and will aid in supporting me in getting a restful night's sleep.
The choice is yours.
8. Mentally set your intention for the day ahead.
I invite you to do a 3–5 minutes thinking process of your perfect day through your mind for tomorrow. Of course, not saying tomorrow or any day will be perfect; however, doing this small mental rehearsal of your day will make you feel much more confident about the day ahead.
Focusing on what you want throughout the day and how you will feel will allow for a positive mindset.
How does this make you feel if your day turns out as anticipated?
Top Quotes
“Your evening routine is completely dictated by the quality of your daily structure.” Brendon Burchard
“Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.” Doug Firebaugh
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. “John C. Maxwell.
“Schedules are meant to HELP, not Hinder. Create them with YOUR LIFESTYLE in mind.” Chrissy Halton.
“A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.” William Shakespeare
“Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” Thomas Dekker
“You must decide where you are going in the evening, if you intend to leave early in the morning.” Malian Proverb
“The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine”. Mike Murdoch
“If you have good habits, time becomes your ally. All you need is patience.” James Clear
“Three meals plus bedtime make four sure blessings each day.” Mason Cooley
“Good night, sleep tight, may your dreams take you on a wonderful flight”. Kate Summers
“The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep. E. Joseph Cossman
Conclusion
Think of sleep to a human body as fuel is to a car. Ideally, 7-8 hours of sleep each evening is crucial to keep up each person's efficiency and quality of work. These days, rest has become a precious commodity. But unfortunately, people do not value sleep and say things like I sleep when I am dead or I am too busy, to sleep for 7-8 hours, which is incorrect.
Imagine your car; if you didn't get the car service and didn't fill up the fuel when the tank is low, the car won't work, as human we keep pushing and expecting ourselves to be and feel a certain way; however not giving our body and mind the rest we so crave.
Here are 2 examples of evening routines:
Monday evening, you could implement something like this, for example, for 30 minutes for an evening routine:
- Quickly tidy up your home, including your room – 5 minutes.
- Wind-Down – meditation 5 minutes
- Plan for tomorrow- 3 Minutes
- Prepare your clothes for tomorrow regarding what you are doing -2 minutes.
- Read a book or listen to one- 10 minutes.
- Mentally set your intention for the day ahead -5 minutes.
On Tuesday evening, for example, is your work-from-home day, and you have 60 minutes here:
- Quickly tidy up your home, including your room- 5 minutes.
- Wind-Down- Bath 25 minutes
- Plan for tomorrow- 3 minutes
- Prepare your clothes for tomorrow regarding what you are doing- 2 minutes.
- Read a book or listen to one- 15 minutes.
- Mentally set your intention for the day ahead- 5 minutes.
Could you implement an evening routine- how long are you available in the evening on weekdays and weekends? Which items do you want to try? I invite you to make a list, schedule it, and try it for a week and see if this serves you. Make this a smooth process that will fill you up, not drain you!
I so enjoy writing this blog, this is my eleven blogs; after taking the last five weeks off from my blogs, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing this.
Connect with me:
Web: www.muktisantos.com
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Facebook community: www.facebook.com/groups/501973713803012
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A Free 30-minute coaching call:
The above link is a FREE coaching call I can provide to assist you. I support busy mothers trying to meet you where you are at from possibility feeling:
· overwhelmed,
· tired,
· burnt-out
To feeling:
· confident,
· thriving,
· empowered,
· inspired
by learning to find consistency and flexibility with their wellness goals without adding more to their list.
I hope this blog was useful and you found something that you could implement into your evening!
Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions; I love interacting with the community.
A new blog coming out on the 30th of April 2023 is about a book summary of Captivate by Vanessa Van Edwards; learning people skills can change your life and allow you to have more confidence, and charisma in all your interactions. I have been listening to the book for the past few weeks and have found this book is amazing!
Look after your health, as without this; there is really nothing else. Your health should be your priority each day. Yes, your family and friends are important too. However, how can you look after them if you cannot look after yourself?
Try out an evening routine and see how this will make you feel! Please share on social!
Until next week stay healthy!
For the kids returning to school this week, I hope they all have a lovely first week back to term 2!
Have a beautiful week!
With Lots of Love
😊 Mukti
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