Morning routines aren’t the only thing you need to set yourself up for a great day. My evening routine is also essential to making sure I’m ready for action. It’s been tweaked a bit over time, but here are the main steps I do on most evenings:
- Wear my blue-light blocking orange sunglasses for an hour or more before bed. These are ugly, but I think they work. The idea is to put them on as soon as the sun goes down, and I try to do just that.
- Take a shower before bed. It’s just something I like doing. I have a friend in Singapore who swears she won’t get into her bed without showering. I’m not that intense, but it’s a nice idea.
- Spray Magnesium oil on the bottom of my feet. Magnesium helps with sleep, so this is a great step.
- Put Peace and Calming essential oil on my shoulders. I love this essential oil, and got hooked on it when my friend Crystal wrote on her blog about using it. I asked her about and she sent me some!
- Apply Night Night Balm on my hands. My friend Lara has used this forever, and when we spent a year traveling the world she brought it along.
- Light a candle while I read. A fun, ritual thing. I also love buying candles, this is a chance to use them.
So there you have it. It’s not super fancy, but I do think it works to help me sleep better, and wake up more rested.
Do you do anything special at night to set you up for the day? I’m always looking for new ideas!
That’s nice stuff. I don’t have any night time routines, but it’s not like I haven’t thought of any. When I was getting foot massages every time I was in the airport in Philadelphia (which I loved), this one time the guy said to me that I should wrap my feet in a warm towel every night before I went to bed. It would not only relax me but my feet would be warm, since in the winter my feet are usually cold when I go to bed.
I did try it once… but it just didn’t feel like it did during the massage and I didn’t know what to do with the wet towel when I was finished. Isn’t that a shame? lol
I typically have been trying to update skills in evenings as I feel as though I’m constantly trying to upgrade my career. It’s been slow which is frustrating. I do drink a chamomile tea every night before bed. I think it helps.
Love your routine. Having taught a time management course, the one cure to poor sleep is planning the next day. Nothing more than looking at a sheet of paper and writing down the important tasks for tomorrow.
Shower before bed has been explained as the most important thing to do so you know who, er, what you are sleeping with. Hair absorbs the air, and your pillow will brush off this and smear it on your face. Yuck.
My weird thing is looking at myself in the mirror to ensure that I can look at myself at the end of my day. It was hard at first, but I found it guided me during the day to do good, so that I could look at myself in the mirror.
I cook for the family.
Its creative and helps to switch of work
Than we enjoy dinner together
and the kids, tell the stories of there day.
Cleaning kitchen is a real routin
Than I set the liddle tools for the day.
When the kids are in the bed,
I spend an hour or more building radio cotrolled sail planes
in my hobby room
I call it my time
Key in place
Charge Mobile
Check next days shedule for the clock setting
I hate chaos in the morning
No full fledged night time routine. I do like to take a few moments when everything is turned off (lights, computers,etc.) and go stand outside and look at the night sky. See if I can see stars ( a constellation or two)or a bright planet (never really sure which one is which)or the moon and what phase it is in. If it is cloudy and raining then just listen to the rain for a bit. At home or on the road I find it a nice way to wrap the day.
I enjoy an evening walk at the end of the day.
A nice hot shower most evenings and sit down and enjoy a glass of wine
and read my scripture readings for the next day.
I like your idea of the candle. I think I am going to add that to my routine but will probably use a battery operated on in case I fall asleep.
Dear Claire, I added this for the last few years as my , u may say very late evening routine. This is because i reach home around eight o’ clock after my office which is 70 km away from my home. well i celebrate the earth hour every evening from nine to ten o’ clock with my family. They adore this restful earth-hour. And i feel completely at peace with them and nature.
Please tell me what the “earth hour” is?!
Claire, can you Claire-ify (ha!) the reading by candlelight piece? Are you reading a real book, a Kindle white, or on a tablet of some sort? There’s lot of research associated with reading by tablet at night as being bad — but it’s the best way and time for me to read (while wifey is sleeping). Wondering… -chris
Hi Chris! It’s by candlelight, usually with a real book, but sometimes a Kindle white. I feel like I’ve never quite understood if the Kindle white has the bluelight of an ipad or not, but oh well;(