Mom's evening routine: 12 tips for less stress and more calm
Are you a busy mom who’s finding it hard to wind down at night? Are you craving less stress and more calm once the kids are in bed? Let’s bring more peace into your night time with these good evening routine ideas.
Written by Nadine Stille
Are you looking forward to when the kids are in bed so you can get some relaxing downtime? But once they are tugged away, you’re having a tough time to unwind, switch off from all the things that happened throughout your long, busy day, and you keep thinking about the massive to-do list awaiting you tomorrow?
A well-structured evening routine can transform night-time chaos into calm for you.
This blog will provide 12 actionable tips you can pick from to create a good evening routine that helps busy moms like you reduce stress, create a sense of calm, and set themselves up for a successful day ahead.
Read on to learn about the benefits of a good evening routine. You’ll also discover how these simple ideas for a good evening routine can make your night-time a more calm and peaceful experience for you.
Why have a consistent good evening routine?
You may have heard about a good morning routine to set yourself up for a productive day ahead, but an evening routine in addition to or instead of a morning routine (which can be a bit more challenging when you have younger children) can make all the difference too.
Just like you may have established a routine for your kids, create a regular sequence of activities that you follow every evening, such as having dinner, reading a book, and then brushing teeth.
Winding down with a consistent evening routine helps signal your brain that it’s time to calm down, making it easier for you to transition from the hustle of the day to a calmer, restful state. This can improve your overall sleep quality and reduce anxiety and stressors about the following day.
How to go from Chaos to Calm:
Using all the evening routine tips listed here might mean that it’s the best routine for nighttime for you but it’s actually not an exhaustive list nor does it mean you’ll need to try out everything.
Get the most out of your night time routine by picking and choosing from the twelve tips that resonate most with you and structure your evening routine in a way that makes most sense for your unique circumstance. When in doubt, go with an ‘ease and flow’ - approach.
While you’re going through the list, reflect:
Which evening routine tip sounds fun and something you’d like to try out?
Which idea will have the most impact on your evening routine and get you to feel less stressed, more calm, as well as set up for the next day?
Which small adjustments can I start with, try out, and likely sustain?
Make sure you read the ‘Why’ section for each tip as this might just have the reason you need to get started.
With this approach in mind, let’s dive into ‘Mom's evening routine: 12 tips for less stress and more calm’.
Set the Stage for a Calm Evening
1. Declutter and Tidy Up (Just a Little)
Tip: Spend 10 minutes each evening tidying up common areas like the kitchen and living room, and even your bedroom. If you opt to do this earlier in the evening, you might get your kids involved too by setting a timer to gamify the experience slightly. Here’s how to do it.
Why?: A clutter-free environment promotes a sense of calm and reduces stress, creating a more relaxing atmosphere for bedtime to improve your sleep. It also helps prevent waking up to a chaotic home, which can boost your mood. (Source)
2. Set your own Time Out
Tip: Set a consistent boundary and time limit for when you’ll start your stress-free, calming time out. If you need to catch up on work, pay bills, or work on a project, make sure you set a specific time to stop. For example, decide that at 8pm, you’ll shift from tasks to relaxation mode.
Why?: Setting a clear boundary helps prevent the evening from being overtaken by endless tasks, and you can prioritize your own wind-down time. In addition, it’ll reduce your mental fatigue, help you disengage from the day’s stresses, and ensure you have a dedicated time to recharge.
Prepare For Tomorrow
3. Plan Tomorrow’s Priorities
Tip: Before bed, jot down the top 3 tasks you want to accomplish the next day and set clear priorities. Take it a step further and also set clear intentions - like how do you want to feel and be the next day? Maybe even include a positive affirmation or mantra for extra motivation the following morning.
Why?: Planning ahead reduces decision fatigue in the morning and helps you start the day with a clear focus, improving productivity and reducing your stress.
4. Choose Next Day’s Outfit
Tip: Lay out clothes for yourself (let your kids do the same) and consider your plans, schedule, priorities, your comfort, and weather conditions. You can also opt for a backup outfit that ensures you’re prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. (For more on outfit choices, see tip 4 here.)
By the way, this works well with your kids too. Let them choose their outfit for the next day as part of their bedtime routine.
Why?: This preparation minimizes morning chaos, saves time, and helps you be more intentional with your outfit choices boosting your confidence and comfort levels for the next day.
5. Prep for the Morning: Meals and Bags
Tip: Prepare breakfast or lunch boxes, and pack any necessary bags the night before.
Why?: This will ease the way for a smoother start to the day, reduce the likelihood of forgetting important items, and make you feel more at ease at night.
Further Reading:
Nourish Your Mind And Body To Relax
6. Ease up on Evening Stimulants
Tip: Limit or avoid consuming sugar, alcohol, and caffeine after a specific time in the evening. Opt for healthier alternatives like milk products, almonds, oats, water, or other foods and drinks to have before bed.
Why?: Reducing the intake of stimulants like caffeine and sugar, as well as depressants like alcohol, in the evening can improve sleep quality and help your body wind down naturally. These substances can interfere with your body’s ability to relax, disrupt sleep patterns, and lead to increased restlessness, making it harder to achieve a good night’s rest and a calm evening routine.
7. Unplug from Screens
Tip: This simple activity can be one of the most challenging even though it’ll have a big impact on how calm and relaxed we may feel. Turn off or put aside all electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime and avoid screens during the wind-down period. Consider using an app to restrict access to your phone and getting an ‘old fashioned’ alarm clock instead of using the one on your phone. If you’re reading e-books, do so on a screen without the glare.
Why?: Reducing screen time helps decrease blue light exposure, which can interfere with melatonin production and disrupt sleep. Disconnecting also provides a mental break, helping you unwind more effectively.
8. Include a Relaxing Activity
Tip: Add a calming activity to your night time routine like reading a book, listening to a podcast or audio book, journaling about your day, or having a shower or bath. It doesn’t have to be for long but a mindful, relaxing activity that helps you wind down and switch off from the everyday hustle.
Why?: These activities help relax the mind and body, preparing you for restful sleep. They also provide moments of mom-me-time helping your sense of overall well-being.
FREE Resource:
3-in-1 Nurture Mama mini bundle of calming meditations, positive affirmations, plus a gratitude journal for more calm.
9. Practice Light Stretching or Gentle Yoga
Tip: Incorporate 5-10 minutes of gentle stretching or yoga poses into your evening routine. A few minutes can be quite impactful. See here for stretch options.
Why?: Light stretching or yoga can help release physical tension built up throughout the day, improve your circulation, and help you have better quality sleep (Source).
Set Yourself Up For Quality Sleep
10. Create a Calming Sleep Environment
Tip: Set yourself up for restful sleep by dimming lights, using comfortable bedding, keeping the room cool (max. 68F/ 20C), and minimizing light sources and noise.
Why?: This sleep environment boosts the quality of your sleep, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
11. Set a Consistent Bedtime
Tip: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. You’ve probably been sticking to some sort of routine for your kids already, now it’s time to get it to work for you too and make exceptions where it makes sense.
Why?: Keeping your sleep schedule regulates your body’s internal clock to help you fall asleep faster. It also improves your sleep quality, and helps waking up easier the next day.
12. Wind Down with a Mindfulness or Breathing Exercise
Tip: Practice a short mindfulness exercise or deep breathing routine before bed. This can consist of 4 deep breaths or even a one-minute guided meditation. (Get your free guided meditations as part of Nurture Mama.)
Why?: Mindfulness and deep breathing help reduce stress and anxiety, slow your heart rate, and prepare your mind for restful sleep.
To Sum Up your Good Evening Routine Ideas
Incorporating these simple ideas for a good evening routine will help you reduce stress, transition to more calm, and set the stage for a successful day ahead.
Start with one or two changes, then build up to your ideal evening routine. Small adjustments can lead to significant improvements in your overall well-being.
Remember, you’re learning a new habit!
It might take a bit of time, potential adjustment and tweaks, and granting yourself some grace as you’re moving towards a more relaxing night time routine.
Please share your favorite evening routine tips or comment with which tip you’ll try tonight.
Embrace the calm, Mama!