This blog's topic builds on last blog’s series, "Building a Life We Love", with a focus on "A Healthy Foundational Evening Routine". A good day begins the night before. Evenings offer a valuable opportunity to optimize our sleep and set the stage for a successful tomorrow. The habits we establish during this time signal the brain that bedtime is approaching, helping the mind and body wind down. This is not only essential for better-quality sleep but also leaves us feeling refreshed the next morning, enhancing our mental and physical well-being.
"Tired minds don't plan well. Sleep first, plan later."
There are many ways to build a healthy evening routine. Here are five tips to get started:
Pick Your Bedtime - How often have you gone to bed wishing you’d turned in earlier? To set yourself up for success, aim for eight hours of sleep each night. Start by working backward from the time you actually need to wake up, factoring in what you want or need to do in the morning. Do you want to journal? Go for a walk? Remember to factor in the time it takes for you to fall asleep, along with any wind-down activities you do to relax beforehand. It’s a simple concept, but I’ve found myself caught in the cycle of staying up late and ending up with only 6–7 hours of sleep countless times.
Tidy Up the Night Before - Tidying up the night before allows you to start the next day feeling refreshed and unburdened by leftover messes. It helps you move forward without being pulled back into yesterday’s tasks. Focus on quick, manageable chores that take 5–15 minutes, like washing dirty dishes, clearing counters, taking out the trash, or charging electronics for the day ahead.
Make Things Easier for Tomorrow's You - What do you need or want to do tomorrow morning? Whether it’s going to the gym, taking a walk, remembering your multivitamins, or reading for half an hour, you can simplify your morning by preparing the night before. Lay out your exercise clothes, set out your multivitamins, and place the book you want to read in an easily visible spot. This practice ties into building good habits—making it easier to start by reducing barriers. When everything is ready and waiting for you, you’ll spend less time deciding what to do, allowing for a smoother, more efficient start to your day.
Take Back Your Time - How often do you find yourself zoning out in the evenings—collapsing on the couch, mindlessly scrolling on your phone, or turning on the TV—simply because you're tired? While it’s easy to fall into these habits, they don’t always leave us feeling recharged. What if, instead, we chose activities that truly restore us? A quick walk, a calming yoga session, reading a good book, or listening to an audiobook can make a world of difference. The next time you catch yourself defaulting to "zoning out," try swapping it for something intentional—and pay attention to how it shifts your energy and mood.
Charge Your Phone Outside the Bedroom - Did you know the blue light from your phone can suppress melatonin production by 50% in adults, making it harder to stay asleep? This disruption often leads to fragmented rest and a lower chance of achieving deep, quality sleep. Keeping your phone out of the bedroom eliminates this issue and helps you avoid the temptation of late-night scrolling—making it easier to stick to a consistent, restful bedtime routine.
By incorporating some of these elements into your evening routine, you can set the foundation for a balanced, intentional, and fulfilling day tomorrow.
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