The Power of the Evening Routine
When my life is chaotic and overwhelming, I have found that having an evening routine helps to ground me and get me back on track.
I have to admit I was skeptical when I first heard about routines many years ago. However, after taking the time to figure out what tasks were most important to me to do each evening and developing a simple routine to do those tasks, I realized just how powerful having an evening routine can be.
In the process of creating a routine, I discovered an interesting face. A lot of people think routines are restrictive and don’t allow for spontaneity. Actually, though, a routine is just a guide to help you accomplish certain tasks. It can be as simple as just a couple of steps to something more complex.
Personally, I like to keep my routines as simple as possible. However, you may find you need to accomplish more before you go to bed to feel fully prepared for the next day.
When I follow the evening routine I’ve created for myself I have found that it prepares me for the next day, helps me to sleep better, creates a peaceful mood in my home, keeps the house cleaner, and helps me to stay organized.
I can hear you now…you wondering how in the world an evening routine can do all of that for me.
Let me share how a routine helps me to conquer the chaos.
It prepares me for the next day.
When I look over my schedule for the next day the night before, I can begin thinking through my day and anticipate any challenges that may arise.
It helps me to sleep better.
Once I’ve assessed my schedule for the next day, I can put it out of my mind knowing I have a plan for the next day. I sleep so much better when I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to do tomorrow.
It creates a peaceful mood in my home.
My evening routine helps me to stay peaceful and in return allows my peaceful mood to spread through our home. When I’ve not followed through with my routine, I end up being stressed. That ends up affecting my whole family.
It keeps the house cleaner.
Picking things up before I go to bed helps me to stay on top of keeping my house clean. When everything is in its place, I have to spend less time cleaning later.
It helps me to stay organized.
When I pick up and put things away, I am able to keep my home more organized. Just 5 minutes in the evening to put everything in its place can save a ton of time on busy mornings when everyone is trying to find what they need for the day.
Right now my evening routine is super simple. While I don’t always get started on my routine at the time I’d like to every night, I do try to get through all of it. As I mentioned above, my life is so much less overwhelming and chaotic when I do.
This is what my evening routine looks like now. I’ve included times as a guide to help me stay focused to get everything done.
9:00 run dishwasher, take medicine, check my calendar for next day, thaw meat for dinner if needed, pick up and put things away
9:20 take off makeup, dress for bed, decide what to wear the next day
9:30 read, journal
10:00 lights out
What about you? Do you have an evening routine? If not, what’s holding you back?