You made it through the day. You answered emails, tackled deadlines, helped your kids, and somehow managed to get something to eat (hopefully). Now it’s evening and you finally have some time for yourself – except somehow, you just don’t.
That’s because instead of relaxing, you’re scrolling through your phone, doing just one more thing for work, or bingeing something on Netflix you probably won’t even remember tomorrow. And before you know it, it’s midnight, and instead of feeling recharged and refreshed, you’re exhausted and wondering where the time went.
If that sounds familiar and your standard evening is a blur of wasted hours, it’s time to take them back – you deserve evenings that actually help you unwind, recharge, and enjoy life, and right now, that’s probably not what you’re getting. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to reclaim your evenings with no guilt or stress but much better sleep and more relaxation. Read on to find out more.
Stop Letting Work Take Over
We should start this list with the biggest offender you’ve probably got to deal with – work. If your typical evening is constantly hijacked by after-hours emails, messages, or additional tasks that apparently can’t wait, it’s time to set some very important boundaries right away.
Unless you work in emergency services or something equally as important, that email can definitely wait until morning, can’t it? And because work will never stop giving you things to do, you’ve got to be the one who draws the line – and makes it a very obvious one at the same time.
If you work from home, it’s a good idea to create a shutdown ritual which could include closing your laptop, turning off notifications, or even leaving the house for a couple of minutes to get some fresh air before entering again as though you’ve just got home from an outside office. All these things can help separate work from home. And if you work from an office, leave on time – the world isn’t going to end if you don’t check your inbox after your contracted hours are up.
Make Dinner An Event
After a long day, cooking can feel like one more thing on the to-do list, and not something you’re particularly looking forward to. But what if dinner wasn’t just about eating? What if it was a way to really slow down, enjoy the process, and perhaps have a little fun at the same time? That would be a great way to reclaim your evening in the way you want to.
So instead of rushing through it, you could play some music, try a new recipe, light a candle, pour a glass of wine – you could even pretend you’re a contestant on a cooking programme or the head chef of a busy kitchen in a famous restaurant. Have fun with it and do what you need to do to enjoy the experience, and it’ll make all the difference.
And if cooking really isn’t your thing, that’s fine too. You could order food in, meal prep in advance, or make something really simple but totally tasty. The point is to enjoy it and not get stressed about it and not just want to get it over with. It’s a little shift, but it could be everything.
Get Off Your Phone
We all know we spend far too much time on our phones, but it’s so easy to just keep scrolling, and falling into various rabbit holes about this thing or that one seems to happen automatically these days when access to information (and, sadly, misinformation) is so easy.
If you know you want to stop doing this kind of thing, especially if it’s taking up all your time when you could be having a nice, relaxing evening and make the most of your downtime, then try setting a timer so you can have just half an hour of screen-free time every evening. You can use that time to read, take a walk, do stretches, or just process your thoughts while looking at the view. The fact is your brain needs a break from all that constant stimulation, and unplugging just for a little while is going to benefit you massively.
Some tips to help you if you’re having trouble putting the phone down include leaving it in a different room or turning the screen to greyscale mode – once you start scrolling social media in black and white, you’ll soon decide to give it a miss.
Try Natural Ways To Relax
If stress and anxiety are making it impossible to unwind, it might be time to explore some natural ways to calm your nervous system. For example, many people find plenty of relief through meditation, aromatherapy, or herbal teas, but others are turning to different options, and one idea that’s becoming popular for those who need it is medical marijuana. This could work for you, and it’s been recognised as having a lot of potential for helping with relaxation, anxiety, sleep issues… the list goes on.
As you can see, there’s no end of ways to help yourself relax more if you need a little extra push, and whether you work it out yourself with some trial and error (what works for one person might not work for the next) or you speak to medical professionals, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting help and advice and making the most of the results you’ll get when you hit on the right process.
Try Different Entertainment
TV and online streaming services are great and everything, but if you’re zoning out in front of the screen every night, maybe it’s not the best thing for you – you might actually be missing out on better ways to unwind.
What if instead of binge-watching another forgettable series, you tried something different? You could listen to music that calms you (or that inspires you, depending on what you’re looking for), or maybe you could start listening to a podcast or audiobook. Or what about trying puzzles, journaling, sketching… In other words, do things that allow your brain to slow down and don’t overstimulate it.
We’re not saying you have to totally give up TV, but if you can also mix in some activities that make you feel recharged instead of just numb and exhausted, that could be a much better way forward, and evenings will be a lot more enjoyable.