Evening routine ideas to reduce stress and create calm
Evenings can be chaotic for mums, from dinner prep, bedtime struggles, to finishing off chores, evenings can be exhausting. However, having an evening routine can turn your evening from chaotic to calm.
We’ve all heard of morning routines, but evening routines are just as important, as they can minimise stress, improve your sleep, and set you up for a smoother, more organised morning.
This post explores why evening routines are important, and provides some evening routine ideas that you can try, that will make your evenings less stressful, and set you up for a more organised, and smoother day ahead.
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Why evening routines are important
Here are some reasons why routines are important, especially for busy mums:
- They automate decisions – having an evening routine allows you to do certain things the same way each night, reducing the number of decisions you have to make.
- They create a sense of calm – if part of your evening routine is planning for the day ahead, you end the day feel calmer and less overwhelmed.
- You save time – evening routines that help you be more organised, or get things done ahead of time, means you don’t spend time doing things last minute.
- They allow you to reset at the end of the night, so you wake up feeling calmer
Evening routine ideas
When it comes to evening routines, every mum’s evening routine will look different, as all mums have different aged kids, and different needs.
Also, it’s good to remember that you can change your evening routine at any time, because a routine that works now, may not work as your kids get older, or your needs change.
Below are some evening routine ideas that you can pick and choose from, until you find routines that work for you.
Prepare for the next day
Preparing for the next day is one of my favourite evening routines, as it helps me to feel more organised, and less stressed about the day ahead.
Some things you can do to prepare for the next day include:
- Laying out your kid’s clothes, which is a daily habit I do, as it means I don’t have to search for their clothes the next morning
- Looking at your family calendar, or your personal calendar for the next day, to see what appointments, school activities, or tasks you can prepare for ahead of time
- Packing things into your kid’s lunchboxes that don’t need refrigeration
- Placing keys, school bags, and school essentials by the front door
- Preparing breakfast ingredients like cutting up fruit, or putting cereal containers on the kitchen counter
- Setting the table for breakfast, or looking for breakfast ideas you may like to try
- Putting a load of laundry into the washing machine and setting a timer, so the load’s ready when you need it
- Starting a weekly planning routine so you get your most important things done
Do a speed clean
It can be hard to find time during the day to clean, so doing a speed clean at the end of the day is a great way to quickly get on top of any cleaning tasks you didn’t get around to doing.
Some speed cleaning activities you can do as part of your evening routine include:
- Doing a 5 minute toy tidy up
- Loading the dishwasher
- Removing anything that doesn’t belong in a room before you leave it
- Sweeping
- Vacuuming
- Wiping down kitchen countertops, which contributes towards a clean kitchen for the next day
Practice self-care
Making time for self-care can improve your mood, energy levels, and mental health.
Some self-care ideas for busy mums are:
- Finding a skincare routine that makes you feel relaxed
- Having a bath with Epsom salts, or a hot shower
- Having a massage, I use this back and neck massager at night after a stressful day
- Journaling, these journal prompts may help you get started
- Listening to a podcast
- Painting your nails
- Playing relaxing music
- Putting on a face mask or hair mask
- Reading
- Spending time on a hobby, here are some hobby ideas for mums
- Watching TV
- Writing 3 things you’re grateful for, which you can do in a gratitude journal, or in a note pad
- Yoga
Have a consistent bedtime
Another night routine idea is to have a consistent bedtime, which means going to bed at the same time every night.
Getting enough sleep not only reduces stress, but helps you feel refreshed and ready to tackle the next day.
Some tips for better sleep include:
- Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages before bedtime
- Don’t eat spicy foods, large meals, or drink alcohol in the hours before bedtime
- Try not to look at screens an hour before bed
Evening routine ideas – a recap
Finding evening routine ideas that fit into your busy life takes time, but having these routines brings more peace, organisation, and balance into your life.
Whether it’s planning for the next day, speed cleaning, finding self-care activities that make you feel good, or going to bed at a consistent time, having an evening routine improves the quality of your life.
What evening routine ideas do you think you’ll try first?
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