Want Healthier Evening Routines? Try One of These Ideas Tonight
How you spend your evening affects your sleep, mood, and productivity the next day. There are many easy ways to make your evening work for you.
If you’re not sure how to give your evenings the restful upgrade you'd like, here are 11 ideas to get you started.
Quality Time With Loved Ones
Spending quality time with family, friends, partner, or even just your pets brightens your day and mood. It’s very healthy to connect with loved ones, to offload or share some laughs.
A few ideas you can try include reading fun stories to your kids, watching a movie with your partner, or playing board games with friends. Just remember to schedule these activities according to your free time and mood so they support your happiness and well-being instead of burning you out.
Plan Your Next Day
Some people prefer to write a to-do list in the morning for the respective day, and some prefer to do it the night before. Whichever helps you lighten the mental load and makes you feel more relaxed – planning your day is a great habit to integrate into your routine.
Prepare Your Outfit for Next Day
An efficiency hack is to prepare your outfit in advance. By picking out the outfit, shoes, and any accessories, you no longer have to decide on the spot what to wear the next day. This reduces decision fatigue for your future self.
Quick Tidying Up
Sometimes, doing 10 or even 5 minutes of tidying up in the evening is a form of self-care for your future self. That way, you can wake in the morning to a clean environment and focus on the tasks at hand without feeling overwhelmed by outstanding chores.
Check Calendar
Knowing what appointments, tasks, or meetings await the next day helps you handle any necessary preparations. If you need to take a pet to the vet, you’ll know to pick up the pet carrier from the back of the closet. If you have to do groceries, you’ll know to have a shopping list prepared with what’s missing from the fridge, and so on.
Dim the Lights
A simple way to signal to your body that it’s time to wind down is to dim the lights and ensure they’re warm instead of cold blue lights. Using a salt lamp, for instance, is a great way to enjoy the relaxing benefits of dim lights and the health benefits of salty air.
Enjoy Your Hobbies
Early evening is an ideal time to enjoy a hobby that brings you joy and helps you wind down. Whether it’s doodling, playing a video game, board games, chess or anything else, it’s wonderful to prioritize your favorite hobbies at the end of the day. It’s also a great way to socialize and connect with loved ones if it’s a multi-player activity.
Drink Some Relaxing Tea
Drinking a cup of tea a few hours before bed soothes your body and mind and makes for an enjoyable routine as you wind down for the night. Teas like chamomile, calendula, and valerian are popular favorites and promote relaxation and well-being.
Read a Book
If you’re craving mental stimulation, reading your favorite book of the moment a few hours before sleep is another way to wind down while also being educational or entertaining.
This is a great habit if you want to replace watching TV or movies, as the blue light can disrupt your sleep and hormones.
Journaling
Journaling is a great way to decompress and offload all the thoughts, worries, and feelings accumulated throughout the day. You can write in a stream-of-consciousness style by writing down everything that comes to mind or simply write a list of things that are weighing on you.
Meditation or Relaxing Music
After a hectic day, retreating to your bedroom for a peaceful meditation can feel luxurious. All you have to do is get comfy on a bed or couch and listen to a guided meditation or ambient music. A few ideas are soothing ocean waves, birds chirping, nocturnal sounds like crickets, or any other sounds from nature that aid you in falling asleep.