My Evening Routine!
Happy Wednesday friends! How has your week been so far? It’s been a steady work week so I’m not complaining. It’s been made much better with perfecting my evening routine. I thought I would pop in and share a bit of what I do every night to wind down. Sleep is super important for me. Especially since I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off most days! Sleep is an important part of recovery and although there is conflicting information on the amount of sleep everyone needs, I like to stick to 7 or 8 hours of quality sleep each night. Here’s a bit of my evening routine!
Evening Routine: Foam Rolling
I LOVE to foam roll. It’s a weird fascination of mine but I absolutely love it. Since most mornings, I have to do a quick stretch session before getting ready for work, I take the time to really get into foam rolling in the evenings. I work in some deep stretching as well. Depending on what my day was like, sometimes I’ll set on my favorite YouTube news channel or an episode of Law and Order SVU and get to rolling! I try to stretch and roll for at least 20 minutes or the duration of the episode.
Evening Routine: Sleepy Tea
While I’m foam rolling, I’ll boil some water and make a cup of tea. I tend to let it cool just a bit before plopping down on the couch and drinking it. I am currently in love with Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra. It has a subtle flavor and I love being able to have a few sips while I continue to wind down for the day. By the time I’m done with the cup, I’m fighting hard to keep my eyes open! It may be the placebo effect but a cup of tea is always so nice to have at the end of the day.
Evening Routine: Turn Off Technology
This can be two fold. I know some people that have banned all technology from their bedrooms. Others completely cut off all devices after a certain time. I have a new phone with a cool feature that filters all blue light coming off your screen. I also have my phone set to auto detect lighting around me so it tends to dim on its own. Work calls and checking emails can keep your head spinning so I set “Do No Disturb” times from the evening into the mornings. Honestly, it can all wait and there is no need to stress and lose sleep over it.
Evening Routine: Set Out Clothes/Coffee
I am a huge believer in being prepared. Obviously, I also like to sleep in as late as possible. This little habit started when I didn’t want to wake my husband up. I would pick my workout clothes and set everything out in the guest bathroom. As soon as my alarm went off, I would roll out of bed and go into the guest bathroom to change. Now I sleep in later and change quickly before hopping onto a live class on my Peloton. It works though because I have no excuse since I’m already prepared! For my long runs, I’ve also got into the habit of setting out the toaster with my bagel and peanut butter next to it as well and setting up my coffee pot. I just walk into the kitchen and press a few buttons before letting the dog out. It saves minutes but it definitely saves my sanity!
What about you? Do you have an evening routine that sets you up for a good night’s sleep? I’d love to hear about it.
Especially on the technology front, do you keep your phone in your bedroom?
