In calm lies strength. How often in your life have you come across this saying? Yet in this rather clichéd-sounding phrase there is a big spark of truth, especially when it comes to your evening routine. What your evening routine looks like is entirely up to you. Just know one thing: creating a fixed evening routine will help you refill your energy reserves and unfold your full potential.
To help you build a fixed evening routine, our nutritionist has written down 7 habits that should help you slow down in the evening.
Why is a good evening routine important?
A fixed evening routine helps us wind down and fully recharge our energy reserves. More precisely, a set evening routine promotes restful sleep and makes us more productive during the following waking hours. As we already explained in detail in our previous blog post on "The effect of sleep on your body", good sleep is the be-all and end-all for a high energy level the next day. All the more shocking, then, that according to DAK, 80% of employees in Germany said in 2017 that they suffer from sleep problems. And the trend is even rising! The problem often lies in too much stress. The body is, as the saying goes, under power, and switching off before bed usually doesn't work.
If we expose our brain to stress stimuli in the evening too, the stress hormone cortisol keeps being released. Watching TV as a supposed relaxation programme, for example, is in truth quite a big effort for our brain. If we also watch a film that triggers strong emotions and really stirs us up, the likelihood of trouble falling asleep rises even more. Even though cortisol basically serves as a protective function of the body, a constant or too high concentration of cortisol in the body can contribute to high blood pressure, heart problems, insomnia and a weakened immune system. Which in turn makes us more susceptible to illness.
That makes it all the more important to reduce stress stimuli in the evening and to use the time to process the impressions of the day and sort your thoughts.
What can a good evening routine do for you?
Fixed habits in the evening can help empty your head and bring the merry-go-round of thoughts that has been picking up speed all day to a standstill. Your routines are there to help you sort your thoughts, process the experiences of the day and gain some distance from it. Ultimately, the idea is to encourage the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, so that you sink into restful sleep. Your melatonin level peaks between 10 and 11 pm, which makes this window perfect for falling asleep.
7 tips for a perfect evening routine
How you shape your evening routine can depend a lot on your character, your preferences and your hobbies. Some people find calm in a yoga session, others dive into creative projects and others still pick up the cooking spoon in the evening to unwind. How you design your evening routine is entirely up to you. But we would still like to give you a few valuable tips.
1. Go into flight mode
All day long, push notifications, Instagram & co. rob us of valuable time and soak up our concentration. That should stop in the evening at the latest. The constant noise from the outside world means we hardly have to deal with our own thoughts. But in the evening at the latest, that matters. We should use the time to process our impressions of the day. Sadly, that doesn't work when Instagram pulls us into its undertow.
So in the evening, switch your phone to flight mode or at least put it in another room. That way you won't risk losing yourself in Instagram again!
2. Leave the TV off
Did you know that the average German spends about 250 minutes a day watching TV? A 2016 Statista study also showed that 75% of adults in Germany spend their evenings in front of the television. That fact also helps explain the high number of people with sleep problems. Even if it feels like an evening on the couch with your favourite series relaxes us, unfortunately it doesn't. Watching TV exposes us to even more stimuli and means we have to process even more impressions.
Instead of losing yourself in your next series marathon, we'd rather recommend picking up a good book. Unlike with TV, you can dive completely into the story, spark your imagination and clear your head. While we tend to fiddle around on our phones while watching TV, with a good book there is only you and the story.
3. Cooking, drawing & co.
Cooking, drawing or other creative tasks demand our full attention. While we're busy with these activities, we don't risk multitasking our way through 5 other things on our to-do list. That can help your head empty out in the evening. A nice side effect of cooking in the evening is that you can prepare a healthy lunch for your next lunch break.
If you're still looking for a few tasty vegan recipes, we recommend taking a look at our guides. Here you'll find plenty of delicious recipes for every season. Healthy, easy to prepare and simply tasty!
4. To-do list
To-do lists are a great invention. They help you sort your thoughts and structure your next day. Take 5 minutes in the evening to write down your tasks for the next day. If there are too many, prioritise. Seeing your tasks on a sheet of paper can help you relax. You no longer have to worry at night about forgetting important tasks the next day. They're on your list, waiting for you to tick them off.
5. Yoga in the evening
Breathe in, breathe out, and flow through the individual sequences feeling relaxed. A round of yoga in the evening is a great way to find inner calm. Just 20 minutes can help you empty your head and focus on your centre. We've also summed up how to build your yoga routine in a blog post.
In the evening especially, your Shavasana, the final relaxation, can last a little longer. You can also use it as a lead-in to your evening meditation. By the way, we've packed some great yoga and meditation videos into our app, so you can get started right away.
6. Body care
Besides to-do lists, yoga, cooking and reading, we also count looking after your body as part of a good evening routine. Our body has to perform all day long, so it's time to give something back. With our frank Self-Care Bundle we give you everything you need for your new self-care routine. While the oil pulling oil and the dry brushes are perfect for your morning routine, in the evening you can treat yourself to a relaxing bath with a bath bomb made from organic-certified shea butter, almond oil and lavender.
Besides a relaxing bath, moisturising every day can also be part of your evening routine. That way you make sure your skin gets enough moisture.
7. Ginger shots instead of wine & co.
For many of us, a glass of wine or beer is part of a perfect end to the working day. But have you ever tried a ginger shot instead of a glass of wine? Unlike wine, fixed routines like drinking a ginger shot in the evening can have a positive influence on your immune system.
Our ginger shot Lavender Skies with a hint of lavender and ashwagandha makes for a perfect wind-down in the evening. You can take it on its own or combine it with our two shots Wake Up Call with turmeric and echinacea and Fast Lane with guarana and mate for your optimal shot cleanse. The shot cleanse also combines perfectly with your juice cleanse.
Conclusion: why you should create a fixed evening routine
As you now know, a fixed evening routine can have a positive effect on your energy level. It helps you wind down in the evening and sink into restful sleep. But your evening routine is like all new habits: they need time to settle in. As described in our blog post Bad Habits, there are 3 rules for your new habit. 1. It has to be clearly defined, 2. It has to be easy to put into practice, 3. It has to be obvious. Take the time to spell out your new habits. What should your evening look like in future?
At first it will take a bit of effort to stick to the new habits. But over time they settle in, and your evening routine will run on its own.
