Evening Wind-Down
Phone away, tidy for tomorrow, shower, stretch, and read yourself to sleep.
5 time blocks, 45 minutes in total.
Time blocks
- Phone away: 5 min
Put it on charge in another room - Tidy for tomorrow: 10 min
Clothes out, bag packed, kitchen clear - Shower: 10 min
Warm water, lights low if you can - Stretch: 5 min
Slow and easy. Hips, hamstrings, shoulders - Read in bed: 15 min
Paper if possible, until your eyes get heavy
About this routine
An evening wind down routine is mostly about the order things happen in. This one runs 45 minutes, starting with the phone and ending with a book.
The first 5 minutes put the phone on charge in another room, which is the step everything after it depends on. Then 10 minutes tidying for tomorrow, clothes out and bag packed, followed by a 10 minute shower with the lights low if you can manage it.
The last part is 5 minutes of slow stretching through hips, hamstrings and shoulders, then 15 minutes reading in bed until your eyes get heavy. Paper is better than a screen here. A routine timer helps the wind down actually finish rather than drift.
Why this routine works
- Gets the phone out of the bedroom before anything else
- Removes tomorrow morning's small decisions tonight
- Uses a warm shower and stretching to slow the body down
- Ends with reading rather than a screen
FAQ
What is a good evening wind down routine?
Phone out of the room, a quick tidy for tomorrow, a shower, some slow stretching, then reading in bed. This version takes 45 minutes.
When should you start winding down for bed?
About an hour before you want to be asleep. This routine is set to start at 9pm and takes 45 minutes.
Is it better to read on paper before bed?
Paper avoids the screen, which is why this routine puts the phone in another room at the start.