My Evening Routine (and why you should have one too)

My morning routine is pretty structured. I get up, and the whole thing goes on autopilot. On the other hand, My evening routine is much more free-flowing. Some nights I have some things to check off my to-do list so I spend some quality time with my laptop. Other times, Jesse is home, and we linger over dinner and talk.

It doesn’t matter if your evening routine I structured or free-flowing. The point is to find the things you need to do each night to set yourself up for a restful sleep and an excellent start to tomorrow morning.

There are a few things that are on my must-do list each day after work:

Get a bit of outside time.

I spend most of my days trapped in a near windowless building. So when I finally get home, I like to spend at least 15 minutes outside. I may take the dog for a walk, or I might spend time weeding the garden. If the day was particularly rough, I might lay in the grass under the tree with my dog.

I do this even on the coldest days of winter. It is more important than ever on days when the temp doesn’t get above 0.

Clean Kitchen

The kitchen room we spend the most time, and it is also the room I spend the most time cleaning. After supper, I pack up the leftovers for lunches, pack the dishwasher. and wipe down the tables and counters. And most importantly, set up the coffee pot for the next morning.

Brain Dump and Relaxation Time

Once the kitchen is clean, and any other pending tasks are complete, I take some time to unwind. I might journal (a new habit I am trying out), I might make some tea and chat with my husband. I might drink a beer and watch a couple of episodes of Parks and Rec.

The key is to relax.

I keep a post-it nearby, so I can write down any tasks or ideas that pop up, so I can write them down before I lose the thread.

Go to bed on-time.

I am pretty strict on my bedtime (during the week, anyhow). And since I get up at 4:30 am, that means I try to be upstairs getting into bed by 9. I read for a bit or listen to a sleep story, but my goal is to be asleep by 9:30.

My evening routine is simple, straight-forward, and to the point. But it sets me up for a restful night’s sleep and gives me a jump on the next day.

Do you have an evening routine? What is on your list?