My Simple Night Routine for a Productive Day
In the spirit of new habits, I want to share my night routine. No matter how my day goes, completing my night routine eases my anxiety, ensures I end the day on a good note and on my own terms, and helps me tap into the practice of being my best self through discipline and mindfulness. Even though I’m a night owl, I keep a simple night routine that can be replicated regardless of where I am, how tired I am, or if I have limited time. Before I jump into my routine, I want to share a few tips for how you can build your own morning routine, as well as what helps you stay consistent.
how to create a consistent night routine
Differentiate your wind down routine from your night routine. Your night routine is something you can complete simply, no matter how tired you are or how late you stay out. Keep this simple, and you can always add extra steps to your wind down routine, which you can do earlier in the evening.
Start earlier while you figure it out. Your night routine serves to end your day on a good note, not extend it to the point that you’re going to be extra tired in the morning. While you’re still figuring out your groove, aim to start your night routine a few minutes earlier than you need to. Give yourself wiggle room so you’re not rushing or staying up past your bedtime; as you get more efficient and it becomes more habitual, you can push it back or lean into the extra few minutes in bed.
Keep it simple. You want this to be so simple it becomes autopilot; having too long of a list decreases the chances that you’ll be able to replicate it day in and day out.
Give yourself a few weeks to get into a groove. Practice makes perfect, and it makes sense you won’t hit every step while you’re still building the habit. Show yourself grave, and prioritize getting enough sleep over integrating a handful of new habits all at once.
Have an “extra” list you can add on when you have more time, such as on the weekends. You may not have time for your entire ideal routine each day, but you can find a compromise by doing some of those extra things on the weekend or nights when you have more time. You may not have the time or energy to write in a journal each night, but can save it for the weekends when you have more leeway.
my night routine for a productive day
Drink a cup of peppermint tea and go over tomorrow’s schedule. I used to have a hard time falling asleep at night, so I try to stop eating my 8pm and avoid drinking lots of water after 10. To signal to my brain that the night is winding down, I’ll have a cup of peppermint tea, and go over the next day’s schedule. I’m a big fan of time-blocking, so I make sure the next day has flow to it, and that I can get everything done in the allotted time.
Set up tomorrow’s necessities. I’ll lay out tomorrow’s outfit, workout stuff, charge my laptop, and prep my bag with anything I might need, like paperwork for a meeting, filling my water bottle, or setting snacks aside.
Tidy up the house and prep the dogs’ breakfast for tomorrow. Clearing any visible clutter, cleaning countertops, and putting things away sets the scene for a more peaceful tomorrow, so I make a point to do this every evening. Tidying nightly also prevents things from piling up, which cuts down my cleaning time throughout the week. My dogs eat a homemade breakfast, so I prep that the night before since they’re not the most patient in the mornings.
Shower. I need to shower nightly in order to feel clean and cozy; it’s my way of mentally washing off the day, too. Sometimes I’ll add lavender essential oil to the corner of the shower or keep my bathroom diffuser on.
Complete my night skincare routine and brush my teeth. This is my biggest form of self-care; you can view my full morning skincare routine here.
Get into bed and read until I get tired. I try to not get into bed until it’s officially bedtime; being strict about this creates a little cue for my body that it’s almost time to sleep. I avoid screens in bed as often as possible, and try to read a book instead.
Lights out by 12:30. Falling asleep has gotten much easier once I started sticking to a routine, and I’m grateful that I don’t toss and turn like I used to. To stick to my routine, I turn my lights out by 12:30, and tend to fall asleep shortly thereafter.