Today I’m talking about nighttime routines. Having any kind of routine makes me feel SO grown up. One might assume that being married with kids makes me feel grown up, but no, it’s the routines! I have found that the key to a nice, calm morning, is a good nighttime routine.
People toss around the phrase “nighttime routine” a lot, but what does it actually mean? A nighttime routine is a list of things done every night, without fail, in order to have a successful morning.
Long gone are the days that I could fritter away my evening then fall asleep on the couch. I vaguely remember a time when that lifestyle worked, but with a family and a household to maintain, that kind of schedule just isn’t going to work.
The older I get the more I appreciate a peaceful home. Both visually peaceful (a place for everything and everything in its place) & physically peaceful (being able to hear the second hand on the clock). Ironically, a peaceful home takes work. This was a tough for me to wrap my mind around. How am I supposed to be peaceful and rested if I am constantly having to do things? Turns out, as with most things in life, a little bit of work adds up to big results.
I have listed the things I do Every. Single. Night as my nighttime routine. In doing so, my mornings have become dramatically less chaotic. If you haven’t read the post about my typical morning, please do so! You will completely understand why SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE!
Warning: At first glance, this looks like a lot. It really does. Especially if you are exhausted from working all day, but I promise you, once you get the hang of it, it will become so routine that it takes no time at all. You may even start to enjoy the process of putting yourself to bed each night.
My Nighttime Routine:
Clean the kitchen. I don’t know about you, but the kitchen is the hub of our home. Everything takes place in or around the kitchen. Our house is semi open-concept, so you can see it from several different rooms. If the kitchen is messy, the whole house feels messy. I take the time after dinner to do the dishes, wipe off the counters, and get everything put away before you plop on the couch (assuming your kids actually let you sit on the couch for more than 5 minutes).
Besides, what is better than waking up to a clean kitchen?
Skincare Routine. Skincare is so trendy right now, and for good reason – you only get one face! If you don’t have any sort of routine, don’t fret! Start simple! Wash your face and apply a nice moisturizer every night before you go to bed (and don’t forget when you wake up too!).
When it comes to skincare, I follow the wise words of Caroline Hirons religiously. Let me just tell you, my skincare routine has become one of my favorite parts of the day. I can almost hear my skin thanking me.
Pick out your clothes for the next day. I never really understood how picking out clothes the night before could possibly save so much time in the morning. Like, how does picking out which pair of black leggings I am going to wear really save me any time? I am here to tell you that it does (bonus points if you get the clothes for the kids picked out too!).
Somehow knowing exactly what I am going to be doing the next day saves so much time. It requires zero thought. Better yet, I don’t end up with a pile of clothes that “didn’t look right” with no time to hang them back up.
Set your gym bag by the door ready to go: The gym has become an important part of keeping my mental health strong. Having shoes, socks, sports bra, t-shirt, & shorts ready to go ensures that I will actually make it to the gym. If it is convenient to tell myself “eh, I’ll just go tomorrow” then I will. This also applies to briefcase, backpack, etc.
Tomorrow’s List. I jot down all the things on my “to-do” list for tomorrow. This helps take it off of my mind while I sleep. It’s like my mind knows I wrote it down, so it doesn’t have to worry about forgetting it. Trust me, this works
Gratitude List. I take a moment to think about the good things that happened throughout the day. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, practice gratitude! Doing so TRANSFORMS your mind. Read more about the importance of gratitude here.
Read. I take a few minutes to read. This isn’t a big commitment, it’s just a few pages each night. This is a much healthier way to quiet my mind than watching TV. You will be amazed at how many books you can get through even if you only read 10-15 minutes each night.
I hope this list gives you a few ideas to implement into your own nighttime routine. A nighttime routine is a game changer! You will sleep so much better if you go to bed knowing that everything that needs to be done for tomorrow is done.
Until next time,
Julie
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