The Homemaker’s Evening Routine

Inside: Everything you need to know to create the perfect evening routine just for you. What to include, what to skip, and how long it should take.

Let’s face it: this whole thing sounds a bit too much. Isn’t it easier, at the end of a long day, to relax on the couch, have a drink, and go to bed when you finally can’t keep your eyes open anymore?

Well, no. And here’s why: have you ever had one of those awful days where you couldn’t stop hitting the snooze button and fell behind on everything all day? Chances are, you had a late or stressful evening before that.

So, take 20 minutes every night to care for a few important things before bed. You’ll be glad you did.

Why This is Worth the Trouble

As they say, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives.

An evening routine is a way to tell your brain it’s time to wind down and get ready to sleep in hopes of getting a full night’s rest.

When your mind can rest, you can fall asleep faster and have better sleep quality (yes, that’s a thing).

Finally, this gives you a chance to prepare for tomorrow so tomorrow is a good day.

What Should You Include in a Night Routine?

Your evening routine can begin whenever you want. I like to think of anything after dinner as part of the evening routine. But if you’re more of a night owl, you might have a longer time between dinner and bed.

Here are some ideas on how to end your day smoothly.

1. Tidy the House

There’s nothing worse than waking up to a messy house. Let’s end that once and for all by resetting the house to an acceptable level of neatness every night before bed.

Get the family involved with clean up, especially if the kids are the ones who helped make the mess.

Evening chores are a great way to involve the kids in home management and teaching responsibility. It’s not always fun; you might have to take the time to introduce a chore, but it’s absolutely worth sticking with. Cleaning up the house yourself every night is no fun and not fair.

2. Make a Relaxing/Fun Drink.

A warm cup of tea or cider (or whatever else you might like) gives you something to look forward to.

3. Look at Your Plans For the Next Day.

Pull out your calendar, to-do lists, and meal plan for tomorrow, and make sure there isn’t anything coming you weren’t expecting. Prepare yourself and your mind for what tomorrow might hold. However, don’t stress about the next day.

For any goal or task that did not get checked off, move it to the next available day. Or better yet, scratch it off your list entirely if it’s no longer a priority.

An old-fashioned homemaker trick I use is scheduling my homemaking tasks into themed days, for example, Laundry Day, Kitchen Day, Cleaning Day, etc. Look at what your next day’s tasks are to prepare yourself for tomorrow better.

Related: How to divide your housekeeping into weekly focus days

Remember, this is just a quick glance! You don’t want to linger over your planner and start getting worked up. You’re just reminding yourself of what you’re doing tomorrow.

4. Prep for Your Morning

Once you’ve looked through your schedule, menu, and to-do list, see what you can do ahead of time to help prep for the morning.

• Take the meat out of the freezer for tomorrow’s dinner.
• Start the dishwasher now and unload it first thing in the morning.
• Set your clothes out for the next day.
• Make lunches for tomorrow.
• Set out breakfast dishes.

The possibilities are, in theory, endless. But don’t get stuck on this part. Only prepare for the next day a few minutes before moving on to another step in your evening routine. If these things feel helpful to you, do them.

Whatever can help you shave a few minutes or seconds off a task or goal for tomorrow is time well spent tonight.

5. Turn Off All Devices.

You’ve heard all the warnings about blue light and how it messes with your brain. And whether you believe that or not, being on the phone wastes your free time.

Sometimes, I sneak a peek at social media before setting my phone aside in the evening, but it takes every bit of self-control to put it back down again. So, I try not to look at my phone after starting my evening routine.

If this is hard for you, set screen time limits. It’s really worth the effort to keep yourself off your phone after a certain time of day.

6. Self-care.

Self-care can look different for everyone. Is it reading a book? Watching a show? Going for a walk with your husband? Completing a Bible study? Taking a long bath? Painting your nails? It doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you actually like it. If painting your nails feels like a chore, it’s not self care! Maybe what you’d really like is to watch Downton Abbey and look through an old cookbook. Then that’s what you should do.

Yes, relaxing in bed and watching a TV show you enjoy counts. Don’t make this too hard.

7. Gratitude or Prayer Journal.

Take some time to write down what you’re grateful for. This can be a formal gratitude journal or just a note in your planner.

Don’t necessarily write down the big life things you’re thankful for. Writing down “my children” night after night is not terribly reflective, is it?

Look for more minor things that happened throughout your day to reflect on. Maybe how you drank your coffee before it was cold? A big sibling helped teach a younger sibling a new skill. Think along those lines when doing this.

Or keep track of your prayers with a prayer journal. You can include your blessings and your concerns by writing out your prayers.

Does this sound overwhelming? Try doing just one word for gratitude and one for concerns or requests.

It also helps you remember the good every day. Remember, your days make up your life.

8. Bedtime Routine

Yes, this is slightly different from just the evening routine. We’re talking about actually getting ready for bed.

You know, brushing your teeth and putting on your pajamas.

I know you know how to do this, but try to get in the habit of doing things in the same order every night. It sends that little extra signal to your brain that sleep is coming and helps you to relax.

9. Go to Bed at a Decent Hour.

Benjamin Franklin told us all the benefits of an early bedtime. And as they say, nothing good happens after midnight.

This can sometimes be the most challenging part of a nighttime routine. Turning off the light and not getting distracted by something else.

Those of you who are high achievers may be anxious to finish just one more little task. But a good night’s sleep will help your productivity tomorrow.

Now, hopefully, you’ve put your phone away long ago, and you feel prepped for tomorrow. So rest and relax.

If you do nothing else on this list, set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it. Make it a habit, and it will become easier and easier.

10. Change Things Up.

Lastly, don’t be a slave to your routines. They exist for one purpose: to serve you. They should solve problems, not create more trouble.

So don’t be afraid to change things up, especially if something is no longer working for you. Or if the season of your life has suddenly changed, like the birth of a baby, or you have health concerns, give yourself some grace.

Of course, the only night routine that works is one that you create for yourself. Take a few minutes to make one that helps you unwind from the day and sets you up for success the next day.

I promise you’ll wake up calmer and happier. No snooze button required.

A printable to help you

Download this worksheet and help you work through your ideal routine. Tap on the image and link to the PDF will open up.