5 Mindful Night Routine Ideas to Unwind and Relax
If your current definition of a mindful night routine is looking at your phone or binge-watching Netflix until you fall asleep (it certainly is mine on some days!), keep reading. I find it so easy to delay winding down in the evening until the last minute. This leaves me I am in a massive rush, often noticing I still have a lot to do.
To avoid this, I follow a few minimalist evening habits that leave me with nothing left to do but relax. My night routine lets me develop healthy sleep habits. It is also THE key to sticking up to a morning routine (and stop hitting snooze when you had planned to work out).
I start by closing off the day and solving potential worries for the next, clearing my mind to really unwind and relax. I also love practicing mindfulness at night by adding a bit of meditation and journaling. Keep reading for all my relaxing routine ideas!
Check out the worksheet at the end of the article to build your own relaxing evening routine!
Jump straight to these following sections:
5 mindful bedtime routine ideas to build your own sleep ritual
Why a mindful evening routine should be more than brushing your teeth:
You'll get the best rest of your life: Sleep is one big, over-looked pillar of self-care. I feel so passionate about sleep, not only because it feels so good but also because I have often struggled with sleep. When I don't sleep well I make bad decisions, get annoyed at small things and injure myself when working out. It also impacts my emotional well-being and I can get stressed out more easily. Sleep is also the first to go when we're too busy, stressed or coping with difficult events. I won't list all the consequences of sleep deprivation, but there are many more than just feeling a bit tired the next day. Be also mindful of other issues that could be hidden by poor sleep such as hormonal imbalances. A mindful night routine that works well for you prepares you for a good night of sleep.
You'll wake up feeling 100%: By avoiding all the negative points above, you can wake up energized, get this workout in, and follow the morning routine you always wanted to develop... or just take more time to relax and unwind in the morning and prepare for a stress-free day. No amount of yoga, meditation or journaling can make up for poor sleep. Sleep is a pillar of mental health, so if you're experiencing negative thoughts, anxiety, or brain fog during the day, take a look into your sleep habits.
You'll have a cozy relaxing evening: Don't look further. A good evening routine is an opportunity to chill out and will leave you feeling more connected to yourself and your loved ones.
Check out these 5 mindful bedtime routine ideas to build your own sleep ritual:
So concretely, how do you relax in the evening?
1. Close off the day and prepare the next
I love having a decompression period when I come back home and leave my day at the door. I also try to prepare in advance what I need to do the next day and what I should pack. I love this habit as it gives me time in the morning and peace of mind as I know I've done everything I need to do.
Concretely this could mean reviewing your calendar at the end of your workday, debriefing with your partner or packing your gym clothes.
2. Set up for a relaxing evening
Ideally, your home is a relaxing environment. If not, a relaxing night routine can help! I personally like to dim the lights a few hours before as it shows my body it’s time to sleep.
I also focus on quiet activities such as reading a book, drinking herbal tea or doing stretches when I feel I need extra wind-down time. Find what makes you feel relaxed: maybe it's fuzzy socks, maybe it's listening to music or taking a walk.
3. Have a bedtime
It is the number one thing I hated as a child but I now have a bedtime for weekdays. I can get enough sleep and schedule all my activities before it. I do not have a bedtime during the weekends as prefer to go with the flow.
4. Ten minutes of mindfulness
This is the core of my evening routine: 5 minutes of meditation and 5 minutes of journaling. I'll do it even if I come back super late at night or if I'm sick and cut to 3 minutes of meditation and express journaling. I use the Headspace app and these bedtime journal prompts.
5. Avoid sleep disruptors
One easy thing to do is to avoid blue light (known to disrupt your natural cycles): Turn on the Night Shift on your Phone and download Flux for your computer.
Another one is to find out which foods have an impact on your sleep. For me, that's sugar, caffeine (including chocolate) and alcohol. I found this out by journaling about what I ate when I can't sleep to investigate on what kept me up.
Oh and before I forget, we are ALL trying to keep our phones out of our rooms, so try plugging your phone away from your bed, invest in an old-school clock and turn on Screen Time on your phone to see how much time you are actually spending on it.
These are a few nightly routine ideas that work well for me. I feel I can rely on my minimalist evening routine to bring more mindfulness and relaxation into my life. I sleep better at night and wake up less tired.
Build your own mindful evening habits:
Of course, test and learn to find yours and experiment with what makes you feel good. The evening is such a perfect time to habit-stack, adding small changes on top of already existing habits. You are going to brush your teeth and turn off the lights at some point, right? Add something easy just before or after this. Start small and focus on what works for your unique self!
I hope I've helped you build simple evening habits from these night routine ideas. Check out the worksheet below to build your own and download the free evening routine checklist!
I'd love to hear what works for you: do you have any habits that I don’t include in this mindful routine?
Do you think this article could be useful to someone else? Share it on social or send it to someone who needs this! I’d really appreciate it! ⤵️