5 Steps to a Better Evening Routine

There are almost 500 million search results for morning routines. And about 200 million for an evening routine.

Yes, I looked it up on Google.

Although 200 million search results are still a lot, the morning routine usually gets the spotlight. So today, I will shine some light on the evening routine.

I will share five steps to help you create a routine that will help you form some great habits and keep you on track.

Shall we get started?

Why an Evening Routine is Important

But before we jump in, let’s examine why you need an evening routine to begin with.

Based on the Google search results, people are more interested in morning routines. But don’t let that fool you—an evening routine is just as important.

Even with a morning ritual, you may still struggle to have a productive day. This is where your evening routine shines. I look at an evening routine as one piece to an overall system. Each useful on its own, but when you use them together, they become a powerhouse.

An evening routine helps you to reflect, unwind, and prepare for the upcoming day. How you spend your evenings can make or break your mornings, so keep your morning routine, but consider creating an evening routine as well.

And keep in mind, there is no one-size-fits-all plan you can copy and apply to your life. You will need to design a routine specific to you.

How to Build A Better Evening Routine

1. Identify Your Current Routine

Believe it or not, you already have a routine through your current habits.

We form habits through a three-step process called the habit loop. There’s a cue that signals our brain to let a behavior unfold. Then our body sends another signal to our brain to help it remember that behavior.

Each small task we perform becomes a habit, and when done continuously, those habits turn into routines. And before you know it, those tasks become second nature to you.

For instance, your evening routine after work may look like this:

Check the mailbox
Change out of your work clothes
Prepare and eat dinner
Call a friend
Watch TV
Brush your teeth
Go to Bed

While we may have routines, many of them work against us. If your current habits move you further from your goals, it may be time to create a more effective routine. And to design a better evening routine, you need to identify your current one.

Write down your activities—from the time you stop working to when you go to bed.

Doing this will help you see how you manage your time, and it will serve as a blueprint for your evening routine.

2. Figure out your why

Now you got an idea of what your current routine looks like, the next step is to decide why you want to change it.

Identifying your values, passions, and goals can help you figure out why you want to change your current evening routine.

And once you figure out your why, you can create habits, systems, and routines to help you align with those same values, goals, and passions.

It’s a win-win.

Here are some examples:

Live a more meaningful life
Feel happier
Have more freedom
Be more productive

No matter your reason for improving your routine, the most important thing is to make sure it works for you.

When you try to follow another person’s routine, you are less likely to stick to it. But when you create a routine tailored to your needs, it becomes more attainable.

Now that you identified your routine, discovered your reason, it’s time to edit your current routine.

We will discuss this further in the third step.

Let’s go.

3. Adjust Your Current Routine

As you review your current evening routine, you may notice some unhealthy habits.

Now, I am not a fan of breaking bad habits. Yes, do something about them, but cutting them out cold turkey just never seem to work. I much prefer to substitute unhealthy habits for more positive ones.

With that said, once you have pinpointed your unhealthy habits, find some equivalent healthy habits that will help you work on your goals.

After reviewing your current evening routine, you may have discovered that you spend 1.5 hours on social media, another 2 hours watching TV, and another hour on YouTube.

Instead of avoiding electronics, decrease the time you spend on them and use the extra time to work on something that is meaningful to you.

Better yet, you can use that time in the evenings to pre-prep breakfast, pack your lunch, and pick out your clothes for the next day. And use your newfound time in the morning to work on your goals.

You can also listen to a Podcast or YouTube video while you prepare for the next day.

Now that you’ve identified your current habits, discovered your reason, and made adjustments, it is time to create your routine.

Are you ready?

4. Creating a Routine

In this step, you will combine the previous steps and create a framework. This framework will be the blueprint for your evening routine.

I like to grab a piece of paper and create a rough draft of my routine.

Here are some things to consider:

Determine the time between the end of your workday and bedtime.
Identify your non-negotiable activities, like dinner, family time, or tidying your space.
Identify the negotiable activities, like scrolling through social media, attending certain social events, or deep cleaning your house.
Cut, eliminate, and replace the negotiable activities with your more meaningful goals.

You may end up with a list of essential tasks, meaningful goals, and maybe a few less than important activities. Now it is time for you to create a schedule.

Take each task and list the time you would like to perform them. Then, add each task to your calendar and put your new evening routine into practice.

Will you follow your routine all the time? Nope. Is this your be-all-end-all evening routine? Of course not.

That takes us to the last step—adjusting your new routine.

5. Adjust Your New Routine

You can read articles and watch countless YouTube Videos on the perfect evening routine, but you have to take action to see if it works for you. So take your newly designed evening routine and take it for a test drive.

Do you need to adjust your tasks? Is there something you did not like? Did an activity not work for you?

Remove the activities that did not help you and add some other ones. As life demands change, so will your routines. Treat your evening routine as a lifelong journey, not a destination.

I am a big fan of trackers, planners, and templates and create one for almost every area of my life.

Tracking your progress is not only beneficial for your overall journey, but your success as well. So I encourage you to write it all down.

Now that you have gone through all the steps down, I want to give you some ideas for your evening routine.

Things to Include in Your Evening Routine

Leave Work on Time

When you work long hours, it is easy for your work to control your life. It’s even more difficult for solopreneurs or anyone working from home.

Having an unhealthy balance between our work and life can lead to stress, anxiety, unfulfillment.

Set clear boundaries between your work and personal life. Have a set cut-off time where you wrap up your workday and unplug from your computer.

This action will then set your evening routine in motion.

Remember, tomorrow is another day. It makes no sense to burn yourself out doing something you can complete the next day.

Close out the current day and plan the next

Closing out my day and planning for the next is, by far, my favorite tasks in my evening routine. Not because this activity is fun, although I love a good plan, it’s the massive impact it has on my following day.

Have you ever attempted to find one browser tab in a sea of dozens? I have—and fail almost every time. After spending an obscene amount of time searching, I give up, close them all out, and open a new window.

This is how I usually feel when I work long hours, rush to bed, and wing it the next day. However, I am more productive and happier when I unwind and have a clear idea of my tasks for the upcoming day.

Review your daily schedule and to-do list:

Check off completed items
Make note of uncompleted tasks

Then create a schedule for the upcoming day and include:

3 key tasks (list them separately from your other tasks)
Other essential items
Uncompleted tasks from the current day
Important reminders

I use a daily planner to plan out my day. You can grab your free copy and a guide below:

Eat an Early Dinner

Eating a late meal can lead to higher blood pressure, increased blood sugar, and weight gain.

Besides those health issues, late-night eating can cause poor sleep patterns. And when you don’t get quality sleep, you’re less likely to have a productive day.

From the moment you take a bite of food, your body is working to process it. Eating an early dinner will give your body time to digest properly.

There is no single answer to how early you need to eat—some experts say 2-3 hours before bed, others recommend 4-5. The key is to pay attention to your body—recognize your fullness and hunger cues, as well as your mood and energy levels when you wake up in the morning.

Tidy up your space

A cluttered space can lead to stress, anxiety, and helplessness.

You’re the freshest in the morning because your brain has yet to process the many thoughts, conversations, and events you encounter throughout day. Use this to your advantage—use your precious morning hours to complete your most meaningful tasks. Handle the less important items further into the day.

Tidy up your workspace, kitchen, and living area. Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes and focus on the areas that would affect your mornings the most.

My office space is in my living room, so I focus on tidying up my desk area, living room, and kitchen. I can head to the kitchen to start breakfast or start working right away. By spending a couple of minutes tidying up my space in the evening, I have created a healthy habit that helps set a positive tone for the morning and the entire day.

Unwind

Have you ever snuggled up in bed only to stare at the ceiling five minutes later?

I experience the same problem when I work all day and jump right into bed. Although I need to rest, I can never shut my brain off to go to sleep.

When you work long hours or spend hours on the screen, your brain becomes too wired, which can screw up your sleep cycle.

Instead of watching TV until the wee hours, spending hours on social media, or working to exhaustion, dedicate a portion of your evening to relax.

Try not to spend this time doing more laborious tasks, like tidying up or cooking dinner. Instead, choose activities that will be less taxing on your body and mind.

You can read and sip a cup of tea, set up your daily planner, stretch or meditate, or work on your self-care night routine.

I usually try to stop working by 7 pm, so I can give myself ample time to plan for the next day, work on my self-care, and read before bed.

No matter what you decide to do during your unwinding time, it should help you balance, structure, and organize your life.

Your turn

No matter how great your morning routine is working for you, never underestimate the positive impact an evening routine can have on your life.

What is your current evening routine? Share below.

5 Steps to a Better Evening Routine

Why an Evening Routine is Important