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I’ve hated Sunday night ever since I was a child, especially if I’d had an amazing weekend. We’ve all had that gut wrenching feeling when Sunday night falls and you realize you have to go to work or school tomorrow. Is it just me, or does Sunday feel like the shortest day of the week?
That’s why having a Sunday night routine is so necessary to ease you into Monday.
Trust me, once you have a set routine to stick to Mondays won’t feel so daunting!
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WHAT IS A NIGHT ROUTINE?
A night routine is basically all the things you do before you go to bed, and it can start whenever you like and include whatever habits or rituals you choose. Whether it be reading a book, taking a bubble bath or planning the upcoming week.
Now I know it may sound like a burden, particularly if you’ve had a sh*t day and all you want to do is relax. But your night routine doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.
WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE A SUNDAY NIGHT ROUTINE?
At the moment you may not have a Sunday night routine, you probably let your day and night flow. Although that may seem great and allows you to live freely, having a night routine holds more value than you may think!
Your Sunday ends and all you want to do is wind down, but your mind is still going at 100mph, you’re in a state of worry and anticipation for the upcoming week. That’s why a scheduled will routine will help you release some of that stress to help you ease smoothly into Monday.
Here are a just a few benefits of having a Sunday night routine:
- You’ll be well-rested and wake up feeling more energised
- You can plan and approach the week productively
- Mornings will feel a lot easier and less daunting
HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT SUNDAY NIGHT ROUTINE
Creating a night routine may seem time-consuming, but it doesn’t haven’t to be. Try these tips to help you create a routine that suits you.
- BE REALISTIC – Your routine doesn’t have to be complicated or perfect, it can be simple, as long as it suits your lifestyle and realistically there will be days where you don’t follow your night routine, and that’s fine as sometimes life will get in the way.
- BE CONSISTENT – Once you’ve found a routine that works for you, be consistent and stick to it. If you have to miss a night, that’s fine, just get back to it the following night. Creating a night routine will only be useful if you’re consistent, and once you’ve seen the positive impact it has on your week, it will be something you look forward to.
If you need some ideas to get your routine started, check out the following things you can incorporate into your routine.
THINGS YOU CAN ADD TO YOUR SUNDAY NIGHT ROUTINE
Creating a night routine doesn’t have to be difficult, I like to break my routine into two parts so it doesn’t feel like one long drag.
Part one is everything I like to do before 7pm, which is basically preparation for my week and things that lead into me winding down and going to sleep. Part two is more so centred around relaxation and self care.
Of course you don’t have to take this approach for your night routine, but it can make things a little easier.
Okay, with all that being said, here are some realistic things that you can add to your Sunday night routine.
PART 1 – BEFORE 7PM
STAY HYDRATED
Stay hydrated throughout the day as not drinking enough water can contribute to you feeling more tired and sluggish. Keep sipping throughout the day but don’t drink too much water immediately before you go to bed, it’ll prevent you having to get up in the night to pee.
NO CAFFEINE OR ALCOHOL AFTER 4PM
Caffeine is a stimulant that keeps you awake and takes a while to wear off. According to experts, it can take 8 hours for the effects to wear off. Avoid that late afternoon coffee or that cheeky bar of chocolate in the evening so you can get a good night’s rest and wake up feeling refreshed.
TIDY UP
Being in a clean environment will help you feel relaxed and help declutter your mind. Do your washing, vacuuming, and get the dishes out of the way to avoid everything piling up. To make things even easier, invest in a Roomba, which is a robot vacuum. Honestly, they are the best thing ever if you hate vacuuming.
You can also take time to throw things away that you no longer need. If you have clutter in your bedroom, get rid of it. Where you wake up is one of the first things that can set the tone for your day.
DO YOUR NAILS AND HAIR
If you want fresh nails for the upcoming week, get them out of the way earlier in your day so you don’t have to worry about them smudging because you had no time to let them dry properly. Similarly, wash and or style your hair on Sunday night, so you have one less thing to worry about in the morning.
MEAL PREP FOR THE WEEK
Coming home and having to cook dinner is so annoying, especially after a trying day, all you really want to do is kick your feet up and relax. Instead, you stand in front of the fridge confused and hungry, trying your best to find something healthy and resist ordering Uber eats.
So eliminate all that stress and prep your meals for the week on Sunday. Plan out your meals for the week, hit the shops for your ingredients and get to cooking. If you’re not the best cook, invest in a cookbook, go on YouTube or hit up good old Google and find some simple recipes that are easy to prepare.
To take it to the next level, invest in some containers, an air fryer and even a rice cooker to make the process quicker and more efficient. If prepping for the entire week is a bit too much, you can also meal prep for a few days at a time or have your lunch prepped to take to work.
FINISH OUTSTANDING TASKS ON YOUR TO-DO LIST
If you find tasks still lingering on your to-do list, get them finished so you don’t have to carry them into a new week. This could be something as simple as returning packages or finishing up a project. Getting those things out of the way will relieve some pressure and give you more time to get things done in your upcoming week.
GET SOME FRESH AIR
Although you may have had a hectic week and all you want to do is curl up on the sofa, try to get some fresh air to clear your head. You can go for a 15-minute walk around the park or go out and do some window shopping just to get out. We spend most of our time indoors in front of a screen which isn’t very healthy, so relax your eyes and your mind and appreciate nature.
PART 2 – 1-2 HOURS BEFORE BED
PLAN YOUR OUTFITS FOR THE WEEK
To save yourself from rushing every morning and throwing on anything that you can find, plan your outfits for the week, press and hang them up.
Having your outfits prepared for the week will not only save you time in morning but will also help you put more thought into your outfits, so you can look and feel your best every day!
NIGHTTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE
Taking care of your skin at night not only makes you look better, but is also a chance to take some time to pamper yourself.
During the day, our skin is exposed to a bunch of environmental factors, product buildup, dirt, and oil. Having a nighttime skincare routine allows your skin to breathe, rejuvenate and repair itself, and having a clean canvas before you go to sleep is key.
If you’re not a skincare freak like me, here is a simple nighttime skincare routine you can follow.
- Take off your makeup – Start by removing your makeup with a gentle micellar water, cleansing oil or cleansing milk that won’t leave your skin feeling dry or stripped.
- Cleanse – Cleanse your face and neck, using a gentle and hydrating cleanser to remove all remaining dirt and makeup.
- Tone – This is an optional step as many people feel toners aren’t necessary, but they are supposed to help restore and balance your skins PH level.
- Serum – Serums are amazing as there are so many to address specific skin concerns and maintain the appearance of your skin. I have really dry skin so I swear by hyaluronic acid for hydration and niacinamide which helps reduce the appearance of blemishes.
- Moisturise – Use a hydrating night cream that will keep your skin hydrated throughout the night without clogging your pores.
- Eye Cream – The skin around our eyes is the thinnest and easiest to wrinkle, so use an eye cream that promotes hydration and prevents wrinkles.
- Lip Balm – I’m not sure if this is something everyone does at night, but for me it’s a must! Using a nourishing lip balm prevents you from waking up with chapped lips.
MEDITATE, JOURNAL OR READ A BOOK
If you find it hard to switch off before bed, find something calming to help clear your mind before you go to sleep. I love to journal or read a few pages of a book because it forces me to wind down and turn off my screens.
READ MORE >>> 10 Best Personal Growth Books to Read in 2021
TURN OFF SCREENS ATLEAST 1 HOUR BEFORE BED
Devices such as phones, laptops and TV’s give off blue light, which according to the sleep foundation “has been shown to reduce or delay the natural production of melatonin in the evening and decrease feelings of sleepiness.”
I know this is hard, as a lot of us use our phones for work or as an alarm clock, but it’s something I suggest everyone tries. Making your bedroom a screen free zone will make such a difference to your quality of sleep.
HOW TO STICK TO YOUR NIGHT ROUTINE
Creating a night routine may seem daunting and to be honest, it is hard at first, but it definitely gets easier. When I started my night routine; I found it difficult to stick to because I was so used to letting my night play out organically. But as soon as I became consistent, I noticed such a difference in how much better I felt each morning.
Sticking to any routine takes discipline, but if you have a positive outlook it will feel like less of a chore. If you tailor your night routines to you, you can add in things that will help you be more productive but also include things you will look forward to doing every Sunday night.
If you find it hard sticking to a routine, here are a few things that will help:
PLAN YOUR ROUTINE
What do you want your routine to include? What outcome would you like from having a night routine? How much time are you willing to commit it?
Having a plan will make it easier to stick with your routine, and after a while it’ll become second nature.
DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU
Everyone can’t have the same night routine; it has to be centred around you and your lifestyle. My night routine as a single person would be very different to someone married with children.
But also, don’t feel pressured to add things in because you’ve seen it in a blog post or heard that Kim Kardashian does it. Think about what will make you thrive and do that!
SET REMINDERS
If you’re like me and have the memory of a goldfish, set reminders for the different parts of your routine that you may forget. For example, when I worked 9-5, I had reminders set to remind me to prepare my outfits for the week, look at my schedule and a prompt to turn off my screens.
FINAL THOUGHTS …
It’s hard to introduce healthy habits and create new routines, as it takes a lot of discipline and willpower. However, if you stick it out, it will soon become second nature. Once you start and stick to a Sunday night routine, you’ll see how much it positively impacts your life, especially when paired with a killer morning routine.
I hope you found these tips useful. What are some things you do in your Sunday night routine?
I love this thank you it will get me motivated
Thank you so much, I’m glad it helped! 🙂