As much as I love morning routines, I love night routines. Creating habits that get your body ready for bed (this may sound crazy), really helps me get ready to settle down to get a good night’s sleep. Throughout the past few months, I’ve consistently talked about how I build my morning routines, but today we’re flipping the switch. Here’s how to build your perfect night routine.
Step 1: Wrap up work, and create a to-do list
For me, I’ve been working remotely. When you work, eat, sleep, and sometimes workout in the same area, I find my body getting confused. In the evenings I like to carry out specific routines to help my body switch from one task (like work) to another (like getting ready for bed).
The first thing that I like to do is to wrap up work. Before I log offline, I write out my to-do list for the next day. That way I ensure that I don’t leave any to-dos off the table and I go into the next day with a fresh state of mind.
Step 2: Do one thing that makes you happy
Along with that, factor in at least one thing that makes you happy. That could be a workout, reading, or working on a side hustle that you’re passionate about. For me, that means working on my blog, youtube channel, reading an inspiring book, or working out (depending on the day).
If I don’t make time for something that makes me happy, I end up wasting away my evening. Before I know it I get off work, end up watching TV, and find myself in bed shortly after.
Step 3: Follow through with arrangements you *want* to
It can be hard to say no to extra tasks, events, or gatherings during the week. Depending on the goals you set for yourself, or events that you don’t want to go to, it may turn your after-work activities into a chore. The bottom line is if you don’t really want to go, and if it doesn’t benefit you, don’t go/don’t do it.
I set a rule for myself ~ this rule is that I don’t do extra activities during the week. I do this mainly because it throws me off my routines. On the weekends, I end up waking up at 5 am in hopes to check off my side hustle to-dos so I have some time for fun activities.
Step 4: Learn something new and challenge yourself
Now, if you have time, learn something new. I love to listen to podcasts, youtube videos, or read books. Podcasts and youtube videos are especially nice when you’re wanting to do other tasks. For instance, while you clean your room, you could also be learning something new via a podcast.
To treat myself after work, I will watch a youtube video while I put away laundry. As putting away laundry isn’t my favorite thing, this turns my habit upside down. I find myself wanting to put away my laundry just to watch a fun video while doing so.
Step 5: Figure out when, and how, to wind down
Some people may be able to hop into bed and go right to sleep. Others may have a harder time doing so. If you have trouble getting to sleep, take the extra steps to get your body into the spirit of going to sleep.
For me, I like to wear myself out with a workout (normally in the evening). After working out, I shower and dry brush. Taking a warm shower puts me to sleep on its own, so this works perfectly for me! Then, I get into bed to wind down. Staying off your phone may help you get better acclimated as well (even though I’m horrible at following through with this)!
Step 6: Keep it as consistent as you can
This can be the hard part, but also the most beneficial. Keep it consistent. The key to building habits is consistently showing up for yourself. Even on days you really don’t want to, just showing up could make worlds of a difference.
After ready Atomic Habits by James Clear, it changed my whole outlook on habit building. Aside from the strong benefits of creating good habits and cutting bad ones, you understand the value of showing up for yourself even on your bad days. James says he may not show up for one habit every day, but he sure as heck doesn’t skip it for two days in a row.
My current, and favorite, night routine
Now, I’ve hinted towards my own night routine throughout this post. If you’re wanting to see what goes on in a typical night for me, keep on reading.
Round up work + write my to-dos for tomorrow
Like I said above, before I wrap up work, I will write out the next days to-dos. I do like to do this for my side hustles and my full-time job. But, I normally write out side hustle to-dos later in the night since I check off additional tasks during the evenings.
Workout the second I get offline
I tell myself to workout the second I get off work. That way, I don’t have time to talk myself out of it. Once the screen goes black, I get my workout clothes on and smash a home workout. Normally, this gives my brain a little reboot before jumping right into my side hustle work.
Check off a few tasks on my side hustle to-do list
Once my workout’s complete, I see what additional tasks I need to get done for my side hustles. This could mean creating blog outlines, writing blogs, editing blogs, or working on video editing for my youtube channel. Whatever that may be, I get it done a this time!
Dry brush, shower, skincare, + brush my teeth
Since I sit practically all day working on the computer, I like to dry brush to get my lymph system going. If you guys want a full tutorial on how to do this, leave it in the comments below and I would love to share it with y’all! After I dry brush, I shower, do my skincare routine, and brush my teeth.
Wrap up in bed with a book or watch TV
After I’m sparky clean and refreshed, I climb into bed. I will either work on my laptop a little more, check social media, or watch something on youtube or Netflix. I don’t suggest this habit since additional screen time can keep you up later. But, this seems to work for me and I’ve probably been doing it for way too long.
Regardless if I meant to or not, I have always done a nighttime routine similar to this. Night routines help me get in a mindset of sleep and ensure I get what I need to do done while factoring in things that make me happy. I hope you’re able to find one that works for you too!
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