Nighttime Routine Tips to Simplify Life
Do you follow routines to simplify your life?
Do you have intentional routines or ones that have evolved over time?
Do you like the structure of routines or do they stress you out?
I’ll be honest that the thought of night time routines has always stressed me out a little. I don’t always have the same schedule each evening, and so it can be hard to get in a routine. However, when I loosened my definition of what a routine was, I realized that I do have a few things I do regularly to help keep my days running smoothly.
Routines can be helpful because they make regular tasks happen without a ton of thought or effort. Larger projects can be broken down into smaller tasks that start to feel natural and effortless. Routines help us mentally know that we’ve taken care of things, which can also help us clear our minds (great for before bed).
Routines can be very rigid, with hard and fast things you do, the order you do them in, and the exact time you do them. However, routines can be more relaxed in terms of when and how you do them. There may not be a huge method, but the common thread is that you do these actions regularly and often in a way that feels subconscious and natural.
Here are a few ideas for nighttime routines that can help set up your next day for success AND allow you to clear your mind so that you can sleep well.
- Lay out clothes for the next day, or at least mentally plan out what you’re going to wear
- Sort and organize the mail
- Clean off the kitchen counters and kitchen sink
- Set the dishwasher to run overnight
- Map out top priorities for the day
- Write reminders and set the notes near your keys or purse
- Make your lunch (or lay out items you need for prepping in the morning)
- Put away 5 miscellaneous things that are sitting around
- Mentally map out your morning and know what your first obligation is and when you need to be ready for that
Am I consistent each night with all of these things? No, absolutely note. I’m not so organized that I do every one of these things every single night. However, I do a lot of these and am always open to other great tips. Have one? Share it with me in the comments or reach out on social media to share!