How To Create An Evening Routine For Better Mornings

Want calmer mornings, but your evenings keep getting away from you?

Key Takeaways

  • A simple evening routine can make mornings calmer, smoother, and less stressful.
  • Evening routines work best when you anchor them to bedtime, meals, hygiene, and next-day prep.
  • The right routine depends on your household, your energy, and what matters most to you.
  • Brainstorming, choosing a few realistic steps, and adjusting as needed makes the routine easier to keep.
  • Small, creative changes, like setting out clothes or prepping for tomorrow, can reduce morning friction.

Have you ever noticed the influence your evening routines (or lack there-of) have on the next morning and day?

We all know that getting enough sleep is essential to feeling alert and productive the next day, and especially with busy families, it is not always easy to get to bed or to sleep at your target time.

And just because it is not easy to get to bed at your desired time is no reason to throw up your hands in despair.

As Marie Forleo reminds us: “Everything Is FigureOutable!” So how can you go about figuring out how to design an evening routine that meets your needs and the needs of others in the household?

Why An Evening Routine Helps

~ Your brain loves rhythms and routines! When you have a routine that becomes a habit, your brain no longer needs to use its space and energy to think about what to do next. Many people, including those with ADHD, find routines reduce decision fatigue. For more on how sleep loss affects the body and brain, see the NIH’s guide to sleep deprivation.

~ Better sleep! As the adult, you are likely to get better sleep and maybe more sleep when you know everything is taken care of. And kids thrive on consistency and will likely sleep better as well (with time!)

~ Easier Mornings: Your mornings will run more smoothly: with less friction, stress and trying to find things.

~ The tone of the morning often influences the tone of the day! Have you ever noticed that when the morning doesn’t go well, it feels harder to have a good day? Steve Schwartz, in an article in LifeHacker posits that “if you expect bad things to happen, you are more susceptible to having bad things happen to you. As the cherry on top, negative expectations will also cause you to interpret things in a negative manner. So, even if the rest of your day is average, you won’t see it that way.”

How to build an evening routine that fits your life

How to build an evening routine that fits your life

Evening routine ideas for busy households

Small ways to make mornings easier

If you live alone, it should be easier to craft an evening routine, but it may not be easy to stick to it without the support and accountability of others. After all, who will notice if you spend an extra 30-minutes scrolling through Instagram or getting to the end of that very compelling chapter in your book?

If there are others in your household or you sometimes work into the evening hours, you may get to be very curious and flexible as you design evening routines that meet your needs. And again, it is still figureoutable!

Below are a few targets that will most likely be familiar to you:

  • What is your target time to be in bed. And to actually be asleep?
  • What time do you like to have your evening meal (if you had your druthers!)
  • When do you wish to brush your teeth, wash your face, etc.?
  • Are there lunches or other preparations for the next day that you wish to factor in? Clothing selections?

Using these times as anchors, you can craft an evening routine by using simple math (and a touch of inspiration, inquisitiveness and openness.)

1. First, brainstorm the answers to the questions above for yourself.

2. Next make a list of other things that you would love to do in the evening, even if you have not been successful at doing them yet! After brainstorming, it is helpful to some to list activities under categories like these: Connection, Introspection or alone time, Productive time, Preparing for tomorrow, etc.

Examples: You may wish to journal (I write in a gratitude journal just before I go to bed) to read, to practice an instrument, to meditate, or simply to be able to sip your glass of red wine without watching the clock.

3. Look to your values to guide you in creating the evening routine that is just right for you and yours. Do you value introspective time alone with your thoughts, or do you value connection or family time? There are no wrong answers.

After you are clear on your ideal evening routine, bring your ideas to others in the household if necessary or appropriate. At the very least, let others know of your intentions so they will not be caught off guard and can support you in making your new plan work.

Suggestion: Think outside of the box! When my son Adam was little getting him dressed in the morning felt tedious and time consuming. Since he wore sweatpants and soft shirts to school, it worked for us to let him sleep in the clothes that he would wear the next day. Clearly, this is not a solution for everyone, and it worked swimmingly for us!

Be creative by identifying the challenging issue and then brainstorming solutions. Include the child if there is one and if they are old enough. You’d be amazed at their ideas! Be cautious though of the “automatic no” that some of us parents seem to have been raised or born with. Respect any ideas and look for the gold nuggets underneath the seemingly flawed idea.

Frequently Asked Questions About Evening Routines for Better Mornings

How does an evening routine help your morning?

An evening routine helps your morning by reducing rushed decisions and unfinished tasks. When you prep the night before, you wake up to less stress, fewer distractions, and a calmer start to the day.

What chould be included in a simple evening routine?

A simple evening routine might include your target bedtime, basic self-care, and a few tasks that make the next day easier. For example, you might set out clothes, prep lunch, tidy key items, or spend a few quiet minutes journaling or reading.

How do you create an evening routine that actually fits real life?

Start with a few anchor points, such as dinner, getting ready for bed, and the time you want to be asleep. Then choose only a small number of actions that support your values, energy, and household needs, so the routine feels doable instead of rigid.

What if other people in the house affect your evening routine?

Shared households often need more flexibility, not a perfect plan. It helps to tell others what you’re trying, invite support when needed, and adjust the routine so it works for more than one person.

Does an evening routine have to look the same every night?

A helpful evening routine doesn’t need to be identical every night. In many households, weekend routines will be different from weekend routines. Evening routines work best when they include a few steady habits, plus enough flexibility to match work schedules, family needs, and real life.

Recipe for a lovely evening routine

  • A heap of determination and intention
  • A smidgen of creativity and a smidgen of flexibility
  • A dose of willingness to try, fail and try again.

Next steps:

1. Choose one bedtime anchor tonight, or set out one item for tomorrow morning.

2. If evening clutter makes it harder to settle in at night, my free workshop on the Quiet Weight Of Clutter could offer a calm next step.

Sweet dreams.