Being able to accomplish everything you want to do is all about having the right systems in place to set yourself up for success. By implementing a well-thought-out, but quick, mindful evening routine, you can make sure that each day starts and ends on the best note. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through a mindful evening routine you can implement daily to reset your day.
The 5-Minute Reset
The first step in this mindful evening routine is to do a quick reset. Put your dirty dishes in the sink, throw away your trash, fold that blanket, and clean up the crumbs. Take 5 minutes to do a speed round of cleaning that’ll help reset your space. Not only does this help declutter your mind, but it also helps you be productive first thing in the morning. Why? Because a clean space reflects a clear mind. This step in the mindful evening routine is crucial to start your destressing and reset process.
The Brain Dump
Once you’ve taken a few minutes to put things back in their place, your mind is now clear to think about other things. The next step in this mindful evening routine is to create a list of everything on your mind. This relieves the stress of having to remember it all and lets you focus on tasks rather than what all needs to get done. This step in the mindful evening routine should give you a sense of relief.
The Planning Phase
After you complete your brain dump, you can start thinking about what you want to prioritize for the next day. Planning for the next day the night before helps create structure and purpose in your day. You can eliminate a few extra decisions about what needs to get done, which helps you focus on the tasks at hand.
For this step in my mindful evening routine, I usually add three to five of these brain-dump tasks to my to-do list for the next day. This way I know exactly what I want to accomplish tomorrow without the added burden of thinking about what needs to get done. This has been a huge game-changer in my productivity.
The Skincare Routine
Now that you have your mind and environment organized, you can start on your skincare routine. I like to try and refrain from looking at my phone from here on out. I see skincare as a part of my mindful evening routine because it is a practice of self-care. Not only is it relaxing, it feels good, and helps me destress. Your skincare is a mindful practice if done with intention.
The Journal Entry
Now it’s time to get into bed. I love ending my day by writing down a few thoughts. This ritual in the mindful evening routine helps you reflect on the day but also remember the good moments. You can take this in any direction you like, but I like to make it quick by just writing down three happy/good things that happened each day. You can make it more extensive than this in your mindful evening routine, or less.
The Deep Breaths
The last step in this mindful evening routine is to take 5 deep breaths while lying in bed after you have turned off the light. This acts as a very basic form of meditation. Take long inhales, followed by long exhales. You’ll feel your body relax and reduce tension. Try focusing on different areas of the body that you feel tension in with each breath. I usually focus on my temples, eyes, shoulders, lower back, and then my full back.
Final Thoughts
I hope you found this mindful evening routine to be helpful. If you do it right, you’ll find a lot of relief as I did. This routine will help you reset your evening and your day from here on out.
With love,
Aditi <3
Aditi Rani – Figuring Out Life in Your Twenties
*Disclaimer: This is not professional advice. Some links are affiliate. By clicking and/or purchasing, I may receive a commission. It does not alter the price or change your buyer experience.