swipe file: evening routine
one that you'll actually stick with
These swipe files are the practices and documents I use regularly to be the leader and caregiver I want to be, and to stay well. I keep the majority of swipe files are behind the paywall (in an effort to protect them from generative AI tools (which essentially steals these and shares it with no attribution), but am lifting it on this one. I’ve priced my Substack as low as the platform will let me, and I hope to earn your upgraded subscription (and am incredibly grateful to the hundreds of you who support this work).
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think it’s harder to establish an evening routine than a morning routine. I’d also argue that an evening routine is more important than a morning one.
For me, sticking with an evening routine takes a lot more discipline than my morning one. I don’t have the external reward of a piping hot latte handed to me at 6 a.m. Instead, I have to be the one to put my phone down at a reasonable hour.
One more scroll through Threads. One more Instagram check. One more scan of my emails.
Before I know it, it’s 9:30. I could’ve read entire chapters of my book instead of losing time and brain cells to the algorithms.
I took my evening routine seriously after moderating this panel on rest and sleep:
An evening routine doesn’t - and shouldn’t - be complicated. Here’s mine:
8:30 p.m: put my phone on the charger in the living room after setting a 3 hour Forest timer. I try to do this earlier (around 7, before we have cozy family time). Once the kids are down at 8, we’ll watch a show or do our own thing for a bit.
9 p.m: I start my bedtime routine—a hot shower and a long skincare routine (I wear my red light mask while I slather this body butter and lock it in with this oil). I brush and floss my teeth, toss out my contacts, and massage in this scalp serum before braiding my hair. I wear a fresh set of these pajamas every night (an indulgence, for sure, but one that helps signal my brain that it’s time to sleep)
9:30 p.m: get in bed, take my evening meds, and start my Hatch sleep routine (below). I read until I can’t focus on the words anymore.
10-10:15 p.m: lights out, and I usually fall asleep quite quickly.
If I’m coming home later from an evening, this is my express version of my evening routine:
I listen to my audiobook or read on the Kindle app on my way home, to get in my reading time.
I start my Forest timer the second I walk in, and immediately put my phone on the charger and tuck it away. I’ll grab a giant tumbler of water and try to sip half of it as I make my way to my room.
A quick shower and bathroom routine (I skip the scalp massage, red light mask, and use this shower salve instead of my body butter & oil routine).
Take my meds, read all of a single page on my Kindle, and I’m usually out.
Am I as rested on these nights? No. Do I prioritize an earlier bedtime the following night? Yes. I try to limit my nights out to 1 a week.
If I’m traveling, my phone is my alarm clock and more in-use in the mornings and evenings. I still put on a Forest app timer as soon as I’m beginning my evening routine, and go through the rest of my routine. Instead of my Hatch, I’ll play an sleep activation to help me wind down.
I’ve shared the following tips in my morning routine swipe file, but will quickly summarize them here with the evening routine in mind:
Be Realistic + Know Your Non-Negotiable: the goal should be a certain number of hours of sleep (at least 7), so start a routine with the goal in mind.
Start with 1: I’m going to be real with you and tell you to start with putting your phone away, and establish that step first.
Try > Ditch > Try Again > Ditch (for now): play around with different steps or rituals. I tried to add evening journaling to my routine, and quickly realized that it wasn’t for me.
Build Upon The Ritual: once you have ‘putting my phone to bed’ down, start adding others.
Keep It Minimal: this isn’t meant to be a long or complicated routine, but a simple one that you stick with. For that matter, no regular routine should be long or complicated (it just sets you up for failure).
I really liked this post from @thatsleepdoc:
some more swipe files to support your regular routines:
