While most people focus on creating powerful morning habits, productive moms realize what you do in the evening is just as important.
Cultivating a healthy mindset for a new day is often connected to how we ended the day before.
Just think about it.
Did you stumble through your evening just to make it to bed exhausted, worn out, and numb from the day? Have you ever started your day feeling like you’re already behind? Or, in true mom fashion, frantically rushed through your house just trying to get you and the kids out the door?
If you said yes, then friend, you are in excellent company.
Before we go any further, it’s important to note I am talking about your evening habits, not your evening routine.
So what’s the difference you ask?
A habit is an ACTION we often do in a regular and repeated way. A routine is a way of doing an action in a particular ORDER. A ROUTINE is made of several HABITS.
That’s why your habits matter, especially when you want to create a healthy mindset.
Whether we choose a consistent bedtime routine or exercise in the evening, we need to know what habits help or hinder us from cultivating a healthy mindset.
If we could start implementing one healthy habit each evening, imagine how you would feel every day. Imagine how you could develop a healthy mindset. Wouldn’t it be worth it to try?
Sounds appealing, right?
(A bonus of cultivating positive habits each evening means that if you are a night owl, like me, you can do a significant portion of your prep the night before). Here are three evening habits worth developing.
Bedtime Routine #1: Evaluate your day
We undervalue the importance of preparing in the evening and plunging forward into the next day without taking any time to reflect on our emotions, thoughts, and action. Using a journal to evaluate your day before you go to bed is a great way to assess your day. You can jot down your thoughts, create bullet lists, brain dump, or even write a note encouraging yourself. Often, I use gratitude logs to help me keep my focus, especially on hard days.
A few guided questions to ask yourself:
- What were my wins from the day?
- What can I improve for tomorrow?
- What do I need to stop?
- Did I focus on who/what matters?
- How was I distracted today?
- Where does God want me to focus my time?
Bedtime Habit #2: Unplug
As a momma, I have had spent my fair share of late nights up watching tv so that I could enjoy a few quiet moments alone. But I paid for every single one! Creating intentional time to unplug from your day is one essential element to creating evening habits for a healthy mindset. Set a time to switch off your electronics and limit outside interactions with people. I know it seems harmless to scroll a few moments on your phone, but don’t. If you are going to be up, consider picking up a book or a journal in place of your phone.
For my creative night owls, unplugging can be a challenge. Your brain wants to be on when it is time to shut down. No worries, a timer is your best friend. Set a specific time for your creative process then disconnect. Even a creative brain needs time to rest and recover.
Bedtime Routine #3: Take care of your mental health
Juggling a home, kids, and possibly a career can be exhausting some days, especially when the world is pushing you too do more, give more, hustle more. That’s why it is essential we take time each night to wind down and properly take care of our mental health. Taking care of your mental health does not need to be complicated or time-consuming.
Along with prayer and spending time in God’s word, there are additional ways we can tend to our mental health:
- Meditation
- Yoga/stretching
- Reading
- Listen to music
- Say no
- Ask for help
- Connect with others
- Laugh
So, what are your evening habits? If you could start with just one habit today, where would you start? Your evening habits become a part of your evening routine. Remember, like any habit, creating evening habits to cultivate a healthy mindset take time. Your brain will need time to adjust to new habits. Start with the one habit that will have the most impact for you, thus creating a ripple effect in your home.
I want to hear from you. What evening habits work for YOU?
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