Why Create a Nighttime Routine?
In a life that’s full of hustling, we could all use a routine that helps us wind down in the evening. A nighttime routine can help you:
- Unwind, and process the day
- Improve your sleep, which will boost your energy levels and productivity overall
- Plan for the next day, leaving you with a greater sense of calm
What to Include in a Nighttime Routine
Most of us are pretty busy, and don’t have a the time for a long routine, so here are some ideas that are effective, but don’t need to take long.
- Put on calming music while you go through the rest of your routine
- Dim the lights
- Drink a cup of tea
- Turn off electronics
- Journal your thoughts for five minutes
- Spend time on any relaxing hobby you enjoy for a few minutes (reading, puzzles, crocheting, doodling, playing an instrument, or whatever else you enjoy)
- Plan the next day in your bullet journal
- Stretch for five minutes
- Lay out clothes for yourself and/or your children
- Pack bags/briefcases for the next day
- Prepare lunches for the next day
- Take a warm bath
- Skincare
- Simply sit and daydream
Pick and choose habits from this list, or feel free to come up with your own!
Tips to help you stick to your routine:
- Start small. Jumping into a detailed two-hour routine will probably work for a few days and then fizzle out. When starting to build a new routine, choose one new habit – an easy one that doesn’t take too much effort. After some time, add another small step to your routine. Build it up from there.
- Set a regular bedtime. Starting and ending your routine more or less around the same time will help create consistency.
- Go slow. Don’t rush through it or try to cram in more than feels right. This is the time of day for slowing down.
- Allow for flexibility. Instead of treating your routine like strict rules to follow in the exact same way every day, think if it more like a template to fall back on. If it looks a little different each night, that’s okay. It if ends a little later than you wanted, that’s okay too.
- Put your routine down on paper. Write down your routine in your bullet journal so you can refer to it (especially when you’re first getting started). You can choose to include a specific routine, or a list of wind-down ideas that you can choose from. Here is an example to help inspire you to set up a nighttime routine in your bullet journal:
