When the clock hits 5 pm, and our long six-hour day of hard work is over and done with, most of us have one thing on our minds: deep rest. Even if this means that this deep rest will occur after a long drive in the busy-rush hour, or it means running that urgent errand you forgot about the day before – and even if means that tomorrow, we have to repeat this day all over again.
But what if there was something, not a magic spell or a secret fix, but something very similar to them, evening routines. For most of us, our evening routines mean we heat up leftover food, stream four-hour long episodes of Netflix, and maybe have a night-shower? But while all of these are great winding-down recipes, there is a new fix for your evenings that will not only help you relax but will also pave the way for better and more productive mornings the next day!
If you can master these evening routine rituals, we assure you, you will be flexing on everyone [in the best way, of course] at the office the next day:
Check Yourself & Your To-Do List
When the clock strikes 5 pm, end your day with a ritual that will ease things for you the next day at work; whether this involves writing down your tasks for tomorrow morning, scheduling meetings, or reviewing your calendar to avoid congested workdays. If you have over consumed caffeine over the six working hours, clean up your space & maybe leave a high-note for yourself for the next day.
De-clutter
In the first few hours after your workday is over, clean up whatever it is that is causing uncalled for anxiety.
Whether this includes de-cluttering and cleaning the dishes in your kitchen, putting clothes in the washing machine, or even de-cluttering your Mailbox. If you procrastinate this until it gets late, chances are you will leave it to the next day.
Soul Food
On the busiest days, it is often quite hard to cook-up something that is healthy and delicious. Maybe that is why the nearest Mcdonald’s knows your order by heart.
This is why meal prepping is very important – it sets you on a productive high-note for the rest of the week. Healthy and light meals at night have proven to have a great effect on your sleeping patterns. But, it is important to stop the consumption of food at least two hours before bedtime. This means the chocolate-chip cookies on your nightstand are not to be snacked on throughout the night.
Prepare to Stress Less
A golden rule our parents always said is to always plan our outfits ahead because it allows for more leisure mornings without the stress of not finding the wrinkled shirt or the pants in the wash.
Plan your outfits the night before. If this means you are working out before work, put out your gym clothes, and pack up your work clothes. Dress for no stress!
Steam Off the Hard Day
After all, is set and done, get in the shower and let the hot water de-stress and relax your tense muscles from the hard day of work.
Night showers are therapeutic, and especially when they are after a day of agitation and irritation, your muscles need to be loosened up before hitting the bed sheets.
Scroll Through Your Book
Studies have shown that when you leave your phone before bed with a couple of hours, you will most likely have a more secure and sound sleep. Grab the book that has been rusting on your shelf for two months and give it a slow read. If you need something to help you more relaxed, put on some calm, resting music. Spotify has a sleep timer feature, where you set your playlist to a timer where you want your audio to stop. A great way to relax, unwind, and get a good sleep in!
Mastering your evening routine does not happen overnight, there will be days where you can’t do all of these habits. Start to include one day by day, and watch how different your mornings and days will look like. A feeling to look forward to!
