We all need a relaxing evening routine. A lot of people I know tend to keep working till before they go to bed, but that is honestly the worst thing a person could do. In the evening, a person tends to have a lot of pent up stress and anxiety that they would need to get rid of. Relaxing is important, and giving time to yourself does not mean that you are lazy and don’t want to work. It is not good to go to bed when you’re anxious, not physically, and neither mentally. You do not need to have an over the top evening routine. Even the simplest things can be effective to helping you sleep better. So without further ado, here’s 11 things you can do to have a relaxing evening routine and sleep better.
1. Make a to-do list for the next day
Making a to-do list for the next day is one of the best things you can start with. The mind has a funny way of operating, and often it inevitably makes us think about all the stuff we need to do the next day the minute our head hits the pillow. That’s why it’s good to avoid that by channeling it on paper. It helps you not worry about all of the things you need to do, and it also saves you some time from having to do it the next day, helping you better with your time management.
2. Take a relaxing bath or shower
I love taking my time whenever I’m washing up. (Trying to waste minimal water, of course). Relaxing baths or showers help you unwind and relax, remove stress, and often bring about positive thoughts. After making a to-do list, taking a relaxing shower is what I like to start my evening routine with. It’s the time where I truly can be alone with myself and think properly. If you are a bath person, take a bubble bath or a salt bath and allow yourself to relax. (If this is the option you’re choosing, however, make sure to save up the bath’s water and use it to flush the toilet instead, minimising water waste.) If you are more of a shower person, you can just take a hot shower using essential oils. Essential oils are calming in their nature, and having your shower smell like your favourite scents is a great way to start your evening.
3. Put on a face mask
Of course, putting on a face mask is not something that should be done everyday. But I love putting on a face mask every Sunday evening. (And no, I am not talking about the medical masks.) Not only do face masks help your skin, but they also help you relax. You are taking care of yourself, which is something that your body will be extremely grateful for. Put on a face mask and lie down, give yourself the chance to breathe and let all of the stress and anxiety escape your body. That would be the perfect way to start your evening routine.
4. Sip on some tea
Sipping on your favourite tea in the evening is one of the best ways you can relax. I am personally not a tea person, but I love taking a warm mug of chamomile tea at night. You do not need to be a huge tea fan to include this in your evening routine. If you are not so crazy about chamomile or any other tea, you can just make your own mix. Personally, I like making my own lemon tea with honey by squeezing a lemon, mixing in some honey and adding hot water. Not only does it help with detox and strengthens my immune system, but it also helps me wind down after a stressful day. (Interested in the recipe? Get it here)
5. Write in your journal
On my bullet journal I have made a gratitude spread. A page where I’m able to reflect on my day, and see what I am grateful for. Filling that in for the day always makes me feel more positive about things, and it lets me see the positive things going on in my life rather than the negatives. When I’ve had a bad day and have no idea what to write, I just think of something motivational which I would like to say to myself and put it down. Not only will that help you on that day, but you could also go back and flip through the pages in the future, helping yourself then too. Reflecting on your day is one of the best ways you can end it. See what things you could have done or said better, things which made your day great, and maybe even things which made your day not so great. The important thing is that you learn from your day.
6. Think positive (Happy thoughts)
We tend to overthink whenever we find ourselves alone in the dark on our beds. We think about all the things we need to do the next day, and all of the things that went wrong during that same day. Most of the time, people think about things that they should have done or said, leaving them with a terrible feeling. That’s why it’s best to shut those thoughts down by thinking about positive things. Think about nice things that happened in your day, or just nice things in general. Think about something you are excited to do the next day or that same week, or even just thinking about a great movie you watched and relive moments from it. Whatever you think about, make sure that it makes you happy and it does not effect your mood in a bad way. Happy thoughts help you sleep better, and sometimes even lead to nice dreams.
7. Avoid social media
Not only are electronics bad before you go to bed, but coming across some type of news might stress you out. Whenever I used to go on social media before bed, I would always end up coming across the news of somebody dying or some bad news regarding the pandemic. That type of news is not going to help you sleep any better, and that’s exactly why I started avoiding social media at least an hour before bed. Use the time you would normally spend on social media on yourself instead. It’s better to watch a funny movie than scrolling down instagram or facebook.
8. Read a book
I personally love to read a couple of chapters before going to bed. Books help you escape momentarily, and make you overthink less. While you’re reading, you don’t have much time to think, making it perfect to allow your mind to relax. Reading a book is a lot better than reading a news article which might rile you up or upset you and keep you thinking. It reduces stress and makes you feel calmer. There’s a reason why most of us used to go to sleep when our parents read us a bedtime story when we were younger. There’s no reason why you should not read yourself one.
9. Dim the lights
Don’t turn them off, but if instead of bright lights you have a table side lamp, switch that on instead. It helps set the mood, and allows your body to wind down. Dimming the lights makes your body realise that it’s soon bedtime, making it tired enough to go to sleep when the time comes to get to bed. Personally, I use my bedside lamp, but you might also have the option to dim your lights. Some people even leave their twinkle lights on instead.
10. Light a scented candle
Just like dimming the lights, lighting up a scented candle can help you set the mood and create an atmosphere. Surrounding yourself with your favourite scent will help you relax, and could make you feel a lot more positive. The most important thing is that you turn it off before going to sleep to avoid any fire accidents. Personally, I prefer using my essential oil diffuser as it surrounds my entire room with the smell of my choice. But I know that most people prefer using a candle, which is honestly as effective.
11. Stick to your routine
Being consistent is important. It helps your mind know that it’s almost time for bed, helping you sleep better and relax more. If you’ve found the routine that is right for you, it will help you go to bed with a more positive mind. It will also help you get up in a better mood the next morning, allowing you to be more productive.
Final thoughts
Make sure that your relaxing evening routine is the right one for you. Just because your friends or some content creators have a certain evening routine does not mean that you should have the same one. Every person is different, which is exactly why everybody’s relaxing evening routine is different. See what works for you and what doesn’t, and create your own comfortable evening routine. Give your mind and body a break by allowing yourself to sleep better. 
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An evening routine gives you something to look forward to at the end of the day to wind down, release stress, relax before bed, and prepare your body for a restful night’s sleep. When we sleep better we feel better overall. It can be easy to feel that we have to create this elaborate evening routine, but really it can be something as simple as putting your phone away and lighting your favorite candle so you can relax before bed. Here are 14 evening routine ideas to relax before bed. What is one thing you can implement tonight? Remember: it’s the small changes that add up over time for biggest results.
1. Turn Off Electronics
One evening routine idea is to turn off electronics. The blue light from electronics can alter the body’s circadian rhythm tricking you into thinking it’s daytime. This affects your melatonin production — your sleep hormone. We’re also on information overload from our day, emails, marketing messaging, etc. Give your brain a break and put away electronics at least one hour before bed so that you can relax before bed, not feel wired.
2. Turn Down the Lights
Another evening routine idea is to turn down the lights. Aim to dim your lighting at least an hour before bed, if not longer. Low light signals to your body to begin producing melatonin, your sleep hormone, so your body can start winding down. Avoid bright overhead lights. Lamps are great for dim mood lighting or use the dimmer switch if you have one. Lighting candles is another great low light option so you can relax before bed.
3. Take a Bath with Epsom Salts
Baths are a great way to relax before bed and melt away stress from the day. Epsom salts are actually magnesium salts (not sodium salt like we use for food). Magnesium helps to relax muscles. If you are tense from the day then this is a great way to unwind. In as little as 15 minutes you’ll get all the relaxing benefits and is a great evening routine idea!
4. Take a Hot Shower with Essential Oils
If baths aren’t your thing or you don’t have a bath tub, a hot shower works just as well as another evening routine idea. Make this time relaxing and enjoyable. Use your favorite soaps and skincare products. You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the floor of the shower to have the scent steam and diffuse during your shower. Let the hot water relax any tension from the day so you can relax before bed.
5. Set the Mood
Set up your space in a way that is relaxing and enjoyable to you. That can mean lighting candles, playing your favorite music, having a cup of herbal tea, diffusing essential oils, reading a good book, or watching an episode of your favorite show. Make this a ritual that you look forward to at the end of your night to wind down from your day.
6. Establish a Nighttime Skincare Routine
Another evening routine idea is to establish a nighttime skincare routine. It’s important to wash off makeup or simply cleanse your skin at the end of the day. This can include removing makeup, cleansing the skin with a gentle cleanser, using a toner, and nighttime moisturizer or face oil. You can also add in a weekly face mask to exfoliate dead skin + leave your skin fresh and smooth. My favorite products are Osmia Organics — the scents are soothing and help me relax before bed.
7. Drink a Cup of Herbal Tea
Drinking a cup of herbal tea is another great evening routine idea. Caffeine-free herbal teas are a great way to unwind at the end of the day. Try chamomile, lavender, holy basil, lemon balm, or passion flower. These teas can help to relax the body and make you sleepy so you’re ready for bed. Some may even help to reduce stress and anxiety that can interfere with falling asleep.
free happy hormone meal plan:
8. Do Gentle Yoga or Stretching
Try doing gentle yoga or stretching as another evening routine idea. Gentle yoga and stretching are great ways to relieve stress and tension at the end of a long day, especially if you’re sitting at your desk for most of it. Try adding deep breathing to your stretching routine. This will get your body ready for a restful night sleep + improve your overall quality of sleep. Yin or restorative yoga are great options to relax before bed. Try a 20-minute video on YouTube or Glo.
9. Meditate
Meditation is a great evening routine idea. Even a short 3-5 minute meditation is a great way to clear out any stuck energy from the day. Meditation allows your brain to calm down and enter a state where theta waves are predominant. When we are awake and alert our brain has beta waves. Alpha waves bridge beta to theta. Theta waves are where we experience deep relaxation. Try the app Insight Timer. There are some great meditations for sleep that can help you to relax before bed.
10. Practice Deep Breathing
Another evening routine idea is to practice deep breathing. We may not even be aware of how shallow our breathing can get throughout the day, especially if we are tense, stressed, and running around. Deep belly breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system — think the opposite of fight-or-flight. Breathe in for a count of 5 filling up your lungs, breathing into your belly, chest rising, and out for a count of 5. Repeat and notice how your body feels. This is a great way to relax before bed.
11. Read a Book
Reading a book is another evening routine idea. Read a chapter of a good book before bed. This helps shift your mind away from anything that came up during the day and gives you some time to yourself to just be. If you’re not a big reader then try getting an inspirational book or book of poems or quotes and each night before bed flip to a random page and read the message that’s there for you.
12. Set Boundaries around Evening Activities
This is an important evening routine idea. When we learn we don’t have to say yes to every single thing that comes along it is so freeing. We don’t have to, nor should we, have to do it all. We’re already doing enough. Figure out what you need and what will work in your schedule and practice saying no when something doesn’t align. This is such an important part of radical self care.
13. Journal and Reflect on the Day
A great evening routine idea to end the day is to journal and reflect. This doesn’t have to be long or elaborate. Get a notebook and jot down either: a few things that happened during the day, two things that went well, two things that could improve tomorrow, do a brain dump of worries circulating your head, a high, a low, and a hope for tomorrow, or three things you’re grateful for. It’s great to set a tone of gratitude before falling asleep.
14. Draw Cards from a Card Deck
A final evening routine idea is to draw cards from a card deck. I love card decks and the messages they contain. A fun thing to do before bed is to draw a card and see what message it has for you. You can ask the deck a question about something going on, for guidance, or the meaning of a particular situation. Doreen Virtue has great decks that are available on Amazon! 
- Take a Shower or Have a Bath
- Wear Your Most Comfortable Clothes
- Pick Your Spot
- Prepare Food
- Drink Something Warm and Soothing
- Make Use of Warm Lighting
- Listen to Music
- Have a Movie Marathon
- Catch up on Your Reading
- Spend Time with Your Loved One
1 Take a Shower or Have a Bath
To start off your evening, take a shower or have a bath. Imagine all the stress, worries, and troubles go down the drain along with the physical impurities. There is no need to rush. Take as much time as you want to wash your hair, to soap your body, and to rinse off all traces of the day or week that has passed.
2 Wear Your Most Comfortable Clothes
After drying yourself off, select clothes that you can comfortably lounge in. It could be an oversized shirt, your well-loved pajamas, sweat shirt and pants, or even just your underwear.
3 Pick Your Spot
Decide where in your house you want to do your relaxing. You can be in your living room, lounging on your couch. Or you can also be snuggled up in bed.
4 Prepare Food
Sometimes, there is no comfort like the kind you get from food. There are so many food choices you can make for your relaxing night. You should still try to keep your intake moderate and on the healthy side. But of course, that is not to say that you can’t have your cake and ice cream. Just make sure that you don’t binge or overeat.
5 Drink Something Warm and Soothing
On nights when I just want to relax, I find that it helps to drink something warm and soothing. I enjoy hot chocolate or caffeine-free tea best. You can also opt to drink warm milk. I don’t recommend that you drink coffee because you might have a hard time falling asleep. Some people still have trouble sleeping even when they drink decaf coffee. Just know what works for you.
6 Make Use of Warm Lighting
Giving your home a warm ambiance is easy if you make use of lighting. If you have a dimmer, take advantage of it. You can also light candles but make sure that you blow them out at the end of the night. Lamps are also easy ways to create warm lighting in your home.
7 Listen to Music
Music can greatly affect our mood and energy levels. Some people feel relaxed by the sound of nature. Others like slow rock, rhythm and blues, or jazz. Other people like classical or baroque music. There are some people who prefer something different like punk, trip hop, grunge, or alternative. The music you pick really depends on your taste.
8 Have a Movie Marathon
Like music, your pick of movies depends on the genre you enjoy. Your movie marathon can have a theme or you can just watch whatever you find interesting.
9 Catch up on Your Reading
If movies aren’t your thing, then you can always catch up on your reading. You can use this time to finally finish a book you started to read. Your cozy and relaxing night can also be the perfect time to start reading a new book.
10 Spend Time with Your Loved One
You should use this night to bond and become intimate with him. In this busy world, we have to take advantage of every chance we get to strengthen our ties with those we love. You can play video games or board games with him, have dinner, watch a movie, or just have a conversation; you can do anything you want with him. A cozy and relaxing night spent at home is something that everyone should experience once in a while. Even those who enjoy partying can use a quiet night in the comfort of their own homes. Life is too short to deny ourselves these simple pleasures. Why not indulge once in a while? Top image source: data.whicdn.com Please rate this article ☆☆☆☆☆ Comments Popular Related Recent
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