[251] Creating an Evening Wind-Down Routine That Prepares You for Success

If your evenings feel like chaos—dishes everywhere, kids bouncing off the walls, and your brain completely fried—you’re not alone. I’ve been there too, and in this episode, I’m sharing the evening wind down routine that helped me shift from total disaster zone to calm and collected.

Evening routines aren’t just for doing more—they’re for setting the tone for the next day. In this episode, I break down what makes a great wind down routine, why it doesn’t have to be long or complicated, and how to customize it for your season of motherhood. Whether you’ve got toddlers, teens, or you work shift hours, you’ll find realistic tips to help you recharge and finally feel ready for the next day.

Key Takeaways:

1. Evening routines set the tone for tomorrow—it’s less about doing more and more about unwinding with intention.
2. A good wind down routine should be flexible, short, calming, and include something just for you—even if it’s just five minutes.
3. There’s no perfect routine—your routine should evolve based on your life season, energy level, and needs.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Book: Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

Want to feel more in control and less chaotic at the end of the day? Start your own simple wind down routine today and tag me on Instagram @realhappymom to let me know what you're trying!

Transcript

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I wanted to come by and share with you how to create a evening, wind down routine that prepares you for a successful day. Because I know that being a busy working mom that you are, it can be draining and you just want to feel more in control. So I want to share with you how I went from feeling like things were a disaster zone because the kids are wired and the dishes are piling up and I'm so tired I can't even think straight to actually having a wind down routine that actually is calming and prepares me for success. So, um, I want this for you. I hope that you stick to the end of this episode because I know that it will help you too as well. So the reason why I think it's so important for us to focus on. This evening routine because honestly, moms tend to focus on morning routines a whole lot. You'll see a lot of things, especially online about um, morning routines and how to have a successful one. And yes, I do believe in having a really great morning routine, but. Evenings is when you set the tone for the day. The evenings is when you actually prepare for it the next day, and I really believe that having an evening routine in particular, a wind down routine will help you set the tone to have an even better morning routine. So think of this evening routine as like closing the loop for the day. It's gonna help you with clearing out the stress and helping you to wind out mentally and physically so you can close out the day and be ready for the next one. And I'll be honest with you, a good evening routine isn't about doing more because a lot of times we think of evening routine as like doing all of these things, um, like I said, to prepare you for the next day. But it's really not about doing more, it's about ending the day with more intention so you can wake up ready for the next day. So if you've been struggling to get consistent or you feel like evenings are just pure chaos, I want to invite you to go ahead, grab your notebook, or just listen up while you're phone close so you can get some tips to help you with your evening routine. I see you if you're drained after work, dinner, kids homework and bath time. You just wanna collapse on the couch and or just crawl into bed and just be done with it. And I'll be honest with you, I know that. Decision fatigue kicks in because you're like, I know I should prep for tomorrow, but I just can't.'cause you're just mentally done. Or maybe it is the bedtime battles with the kids, they're delaying going to bed and throwing your routine off and it turns into this whole production with all of the tantrums, the Stallings, and. Multiple tuck-ins because the kids just don't want to go to bed, which just leaves you frustrated and just behind schedule. And by the time that it's time for you to finally have some time, all you wanna do is just go to sleep. Or maybe it's that you're just overwhelmed by everything that's left undone, whether it be the piles of laundry, the dishes, the unread emails, the permission slips, all of those things. It can really just make it feel like there's no end at sight. And so what's the point of our routine? But I tell you, there is a point. Sometimes it's the moms that get stuck scrolling or get into the Netflix chat because I know how easy it is to get on Instagram and just think like, oh, I'm just gonna watch one or two, and next thing you know, a few minutes turns into hours and you're zoning out and it's hard to stop once you start. And then maybe you might even feeling like you're not knowing what to even include in a routine. You're not sure what actually counts as well. Wind down, maybe you don't even know what to include in routine. You're not even sure what actually counts as wind down. And you're just feeling like maybe this is just another rigid checklist that you just need to check off, um, something that's not really flexible or doable for your life. Well, I will tell you that there are some things that you can do to have a really great wind down routine, and so I wanna walk you through some of the key elements of a good wind down routine. Number one. Having a good wind down routine is one that is predictable and flexible. Okay. This routine should be helpful for you. Um, and consistent that helps your brain recognize like, okay, it is time to wind down. It's time to get ready for bed. It shouldn't feel rigid, um, or feel like it's something that's like really hard to do. And I will tell you, you can swap. Things out or swap steps out to shorten it. Especially on those nights that are really tough. Like I said, when the kids just don't wanna go to sleep and they are just taking forever to calm themselves down, think of this routine as more so of a rhythm, not a necessarily a rule book. Okay. Number two, you wanna make it short and sweet. A good routine does not need to be long. A lot of times when I say routines, I can see moms just thinking like, oh no, this is gonna take me all day. But it doesn't have to be long. It can literally take 10 minutes. Or even shorter if you want. Um, if you have 30 minutes, which is plenty, that is great, but aim for something that's low effort, high impact, that doesn't feel like a chore. If it feels like another to-do list, then of course you're not gonna stick with it. Number three is it should include something calming for your body. This could be something like stretching, a warm shower, skincare, or sipping some chamomile tea. Anything that signals to your nervous system that it is safe to relax and physically slowing down, helps your mind to follow this too as well. Number four is including something that clears your mind. This is a really big one for me only because like I said, I have a slight touch of A DHD and it is hard to close the tabs in my brain. So if you can do something like journaling, brain dumping, just writing whatever comes to your head, or even writing out your to-do list for tomorrow, this helps to. Quiet down those thoughts and reduce the anxiety that you may be feeling about the next day. And this also helps with making it easier for you to fall asleep so that your brain isn't spinning and keeping you up longer than what you need to be. Number five is that it includes a small action that helps for tomorrow. Simple things like laying out your clothes for tomorrow, packing lunches for tomorrow, or setting up your coffee for tomorrow is so helpful and so beneficial. I promise your future self will be thanking you and praising you for it. These micro moves or micro steps will help to create a smooth morning and reduce the scramble that you may feel in the morning. And lastly, my last and vinyl one is something that's just for you. This could be reading a book, listening to music, doing a puzzle, or even just coloring a coloring page, something that helps you, feels your cup. And this just reinforces your needs matter too, because you do matter, even if it's just for a few minutes. It doesn't even have to be anything major. Okay. This routine should feel like a gift, not just another task on your to-do list. So I wanna walk you through what a sample routine, evening wind down routine can look like in real life. Um, again, you wanna modify this to make sure that it, it works for you and your life and your season. So this can take 15 to 30 minutes, so. This particular routine. I have tidying up one or two hot spots in the house. These are spots that you see often or have a lot of traffic. Um, the next thing would be to prep for tomorrow by getting clothes, lunches, and writing out a to-do list. And then, um, some screen free wind down, which includes reading, maybe journaling, or doing a skincare routine. And then lastly, something just for you. So you see, it doesn't have to be anything major. Very simple, very easy, but it is gonna be super helpful for you. So I know everyone is in different seasons, so I just wanted to touch really quick on, a couple of different seasons that you may, be going through. so this one is. For moms with toddlers or young kiddos you wanna focus on routines that overlap with your child's bedtime. these wind down times can be a cue to start your own wind downtime. and it helps if you can tag team with your partner, your spouse. So that you can carve out just a few minutes for yourself and then mom with kids that are school age that are a little bit more independent, like my older one. You wanna teach them to start their own evening routines. I know that it. It can be a little bit harder, but the, the quicker that they get to be more independent, the easier it gets for you. So encourage them to have their own independence with things like packing their lunches, laying out their clothes, because it helps free up your time. And this stage actually will help you to reclaim more time for yourself in the evenings. Now mom's with teens. I'm just throwing this out there. I don't have a teenager, but I feel like I do because of the attitudes that's going on here. But mom's with teens, Your kids might be going to bed later, which just means less structure for you. So you want to carve out a wind down routine, um, that's just for yourself, even if the kids are still up. And definitely communicate, um, boundaries with the kiddos. So if they are going to bed a little bit later than you, like, Hey, listen, after nine o'clock, mom needs her quiet time, or whatever time it is. Um. And like I said, definitely lean into. Routines that are gonna help support your sleep and help you to recharge. And for the moms who have shifts or work unpredictable schedules, I see you. Thank you for what you do. Um, I would definitely say create a routine that works for your end of the day. It may not be at night, which is totally fine, but focus on cues that tell your body it's time to relax. this. Routine or rhythm does not necessarily have to be specific to time. You wanna keep your wind down routine flexible so that it's anchored to two or three actions that are gonna help you to calm down. Um, like anything that I mentioned before, as far as like journaling or, um, drinking some tea. And if sleep comes at all times, definitely invest in some good blackout curtains or some white noise or some other calming rituals to help you to have some good rest. So I, I want to encourage you. To let go of the perfect routine. Your routines are going to shift and grow and change as your kids grow and change and as the seasons change. And that's totally fine, that things ebb and flow. But what matters is consistency, not perfection. Even if it's five minutes, that is a win. And I also want to remind you that you want to do what works for you right now. Not worked before or what has worked for others, but work is working for you right now. I just want you to know that having this wind down routine is really essential for you to really set the tone and have an awesome next day. And. I know that a lot of times when we get started with some of these routines, we feel like it has to look a certain way. But just remember, whatever works for you, just start small, build up from there, and I encourage you to share your wind now routine with me. You can share with me on Instagram by tagging me at real happy mom, and definitely check me back here for another full episode. Take care, and with lots of love.