Bookending Your Day: The Art of Morning and Evening Routines
In the wellness world, the topic of routines is huge. Unfortunately, establishing routines can be a huge challenge, despite the incredible impact they can have. If you’re struggling to create and maintain routines, try thinking of your routines as bookends, and your day as the books in between. Your books will topple over without bookends, but with the bookends, they’ll stand up without falling.
The same is true with our day-to-day routines. Without a morning and nighttime routine, the lack of structure can lead to chaos and frantic energy. In contrast, creating solid morning and nighttime routines will allow your days to have a set structure, setting yourself up for success.
Additionally, creating these routines allows for some predictability in our lives. Generally speaking, the middle of our day can be unpredictable. Who knows what will happen at work, with our families, what’s for dinner, etc. By creating routines, we’re able to take control of our days by starting and ending our days intentionally.
You might be wondering how to create the perfect routine. The truth is there isn’t a specific formula to the perfect routine because everyone’s life is different in so many ways. That being said, we’ve identified a few elements of routines that could help you become successful:
Morning Routines
Slow down: Your morning routine should ease you into the day. Even if it means setting your alarm for 30 minutes earlier, it’s crucial to avoid starting your day in a rush.
Make time for yourself: Chances are, most of our days are dedicated to others, whether that’s at work, home, or anywhere else that you have commitments. Even if it’s just five minutes, try to set time aside for yourself in the morning.
Prepare your space: I don’t know about you, but when my home is cluttered, my brain feels cluttered. In the mornings, I like to do a quick tidy of my spaces so that they’re clean and ready for the day.
Nighttime Routines
Practice self care: Whether it’s journaling, reading a book, or doing a yoga flow, these daily practices can help you slow down and begin the process of resetting for a new day.
Disconnect: By scrolling on our phones at night, we’re actually tricking our brains into thinking it’s daytime due to the blue light that our phones emit. Shutting down your devices at night will allow your brain to produce melatonin, which causes your brain to properly ease into sleep.
Turn down the lights: Our circadian rhythms are largely dependent on our exposure to light, making it helpful to dim the lights at night. Try shutting off the overhead lights and just use lamps at night.
Keep in mind that your routines don’t have to be fancy – they just have to work. Try not to put pressure on yourself to create the perfect routine, because chances are, they’ll never be perfect! Over time, your routine will change and adapt as your life changes, and that’s okay. Start with small changes to your routines, see how they go, and adjust. Over time, you’ll notice that bookending your day will feel more manageable.
