24 Evening Routine Ideas You Can Try Tonight

The beauty of an evening routine is that it can start at the end of your workday (if you work a typical 9-5) and then you can compile things. Plus, a solid evening routine can shape your mornings before they even start, so even if you don’t have a morning routine, you’ll feel refreshed and energized.

You might know why an evening routine matters – but what should yours look like? In this post we explore evening routine ideas that you can try out or stack on top of other habits. It’s unlikely that all of these ideas will work for you, but I hope that one or two make its way into rotation for better rest.

We also wanted to mention that some activities and ideas that are better suited for evening routines than morning ones. We’ll get into that shortly.

At the End of Your Workday

An evening routine starts with wrapping up your day in a way that feels complete, so that your body can shift into the next phase of the day. Here are some things to improve the way you wrap up your work days.

1. Make a list of what you want to get done tomorrow

Jot down all your ideas (I still love paper for this), and let the brain dump help you sort through what needs to get done and what you’d like to get done. It’s a good way to capture any lingering items from meetings and conversations too. Once you have your list, see when and where it can slot into the next day. This can be an informal process, or you can plan to take a time blocking approach.

2. Create a shutdown ritual

During the pandemic when my coworkers and I all began working from home full-time, we traded some ideas on shutdown rituals to demarcate the time. One of my coworkers said that he set an alarm and right after 5 p.m., he’d go for a walk with his daughter to wrap up the day and get into a groove for the rest of his evening. By establishing a shutdown ritual, you can divide your time and space naturally.

3. Clean off your desk

Gretchen Rubin has a great adage: “Outer order, inner calm.” I have a tendency to let my desk get a bit too messy. Next thing you know, I have piles of notebooks, pens, snail mail, toys, and random tchotchkes and barely any room to work. One small change I’d like to make is doing a 5-minute tidy everyday.

4. Charge devices and accessories

If you use peripherals and accessories like keyboards, trackpads, a mouse, headphones, etc., go ahead and get things charging overnight so that the next morning goes smoothly. I always end up not realizing my trackpad is about to run out of juice right before I need it!

During Your Evening Hours

For most people, the evening hours can offer more time than you think. If you’re looking for small ways to change your evenings for the better, introducing one or more of these ideas can shift your focus away from technology and onto things that fill your cup.

5. Go for a walk and watch the sun set

I touched on this in the shutdown ritual idea, but one of the best ways to separate the evening from your day is to take a walk. It doesn’t have to be long, but it can provide some much needed fresh air and a break from screens. Plus, if you’re lucky, you can catch a great sunset.

6. Prep your coffee, tea, or next day’s meals tonight

Whether you tend to rush out the door in the morning or you take a leisurely ramp-up, it can be useful to get ready the night before. Grind your beans, pull out your tea steeper. Pack up or set aside some containers or snacks for tomorrow’s meals.

7. Stretch, foam roll, or do yoga

We’re not big fans of adrenaline-inducing evening workouts like Dr. Huberman is. Instead, you’ll find us winding down for the night with some light stretching, foam rolling, or restorative yoga to calm our minds and bodies before bed. One small change I’ve been making is using a 10-minute Peloton stretching workout as a transition from the day to the evening.

8. Run your dishwasher (or, wash your dishes)

I always try to run my dishwasher at night when there aren’t any other resources also using water (like the shower), plus to minimize any noise. If you’re not a dishwasher fan, set yourself up for future success by clearing your sink of dirty dishes and cups tonight.

9. Fold and put away laundry

I’m terrible about this – I will often start a load of laundry, get it line dried or into the dryer, and then it sits there for a day or more. I plan to write about this in more detail at some point, but I’m trying to consistently close the loop. The laundry isn’t done until the entire cycle is complete: wash, dry, fold, put away.

10. Lay out tomorrow’s outfit(s)

This might sound counter to the previous point, but picking out tomorrow’s outfit and workout clothes can help reduce decision fatigue tomorrow. (Plus if you can’t find the shirt you really want to wear, you’ll have more time to launder it!)

11. Do something creative, by hand

Crocheting, weaving, needlepoint, cross stitch, and knitting all come to mind as obvious options, but my personal favorite is to work on a jigsaw puzzle while listening to an audiobook. There’s just something about this combination that gets me in flow state and helps me disconnect from the day.

12. Listen to music (ideally something you don’t listen to during the day)

I’ll be honest – I’m not actually the biggest music person. But it’s something I’m trying to work into my routine more because it does change up the experience of everyday life, and I do associate very specific memories in time with music or an album. Right now I’m really into this Nancy Meyers’ Kitchen playlist on Spotify.

30-60 Minutes Before Bed

Right now my evening hours are a little tighter and more structured than they used to be, but I know when the clock hits about 9 p.m. that it’s time to get washed up for bed and start truly winding things down.

13. Wash your face

Granted, this survey was released in 2017 but 54% of people don’t wash their face before bed. Wash your face! This is such a simple way to wash the day off (literally). If you wear makeup, an oil cleanser can help breakdown product. You can also take it up a notch by double cleansing or doing a gentle face massage.

14. Moisturize your face

Another way to take care of yourself and your skin is to moisturize after cleansing. Find the right moisturizer or cream for your face and you’ll benefit from smooth, well-hydrated skin.

15. Try dry brushing

This is actually on my list, as I’ve never used a dry brush. This common Ayurvedic habit can help boost circulation and lymphatic drainage. Pair this with our next evening routine idea for a little luxury.

16. Use body lotion or oil

Following a good session of dry brushing (or just whenever you’re feeling a little dried out), use your good body lotions or body oils. I tend to hoard mine and use them so sparingly, but it doesn’t really make sense. Give your day a little oomph and use the good stuff.

17. Drink a cup of herbal tea or warm water with lemon

There’s something about sipping on a cup of something warm at the end of the night. For me, it’s a cue that I’m done eating for the night and to get a little bit of hydration (but not too much) before bed. I find it very relaxing and soothing, especially in the winter months.

18. Floss

Does anyone like flossing? I doubt it. I don’t even think dentists or dental hygienists enjoy it. But this one-minute habit can make a big difference in your oral and overall physical health, and if you pair it with some more stereotypical self-care habits, it can slot right in.

19. Read

Whether you like to read some motivational self-improvement right before bed or an immersive fictional world, reading can be a great way to relax and disconnect before you head to sleep. I personally love to read fiction or memoir at this time of day, but you may need to experiment (as I have) with what to read. I can read mysteries, but nothing too grisly. And surprisingly, romance novels can be a little hard for me to put down so I generally try not to read them right before bed.

20. Turn down the thermostat

Keeping your ambient temperature between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit can help you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Turn it down a little on the early side so that your home can adjust and hopefully bring the temperature into that ideal range by the time you tuck into bed.

21. Take in the aroma of a relaxing scent

I’m a little stereotypical – there’s nothing quite like the smell of lavender to soothe my senses and come down from a busy day. But if you prefer peppermint, jasmine, citrus, or something else entirely, there are a whole suite of great scents out there that you can try out. There really is something about the transformative aspect of scent.

In Bed

And before you know it, it’s time for bed. The biggest thing is really just turning off your lights and settling in for a night of good sleep, but I include a couple of things that can help with that transition.

22. Meditate

It’s a little cliché but meditation really does clear a nice mental canvas for a good night of rest. I like some of the yoga Nidra ones on Insight Timer, as well as Ross Rayburn’s sleep meditation on the Peloton app, and yes – I generally fall asleep while doing them.

23. Read some more

Yep, more reading! If I don’t do a meditation, I will usually let my eyes grow heavy reading a few pages on my Kindle before switching to an audiobook. I’ve been working my way through the Commissario Brunetti mystery series by Donna Leon by tandem reading Kindle and audio, and I’ll use the sleep timer on the Libby app to stop at the end of a chapter. Since these books aren’t very grisly, I find I sleep well after reading these close to bed.

24. Turn off the lights

This is probably the hardest thing. Sleep discipline requires just that – discipline. Turn out the lights, get comfortable, and get some rest.

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Are any of these ideas part of your nightly routine? Or are there others you’d recommend?