9 Evening Habits that Will Change Your Life

Sarah J. Wooten, DVM, CVJ
Apr 15
3 min read

A good day often starts the night before.

One thing that I have recently become obsessed with is doing what I can in the present moment to make life easier and more beautiful for my future self. I do this by being proactive. Yes - mentally I am in still in the present moment, but in the present moment I act in such as way as to be kind to my future self.

Clothes need to be folded? I fold them now so later me is grateful is and has free time.

Body needs to be exercised in the morning? I set out everything the night before so that morning me doesn't have excuses and everything is easier.

Lots to do in the week? I print out a calendar and fill it in now so that all that later me has to to is follow the plan.

One of the most effective changes I made to my life was develop evening habits that support the highest expression of me. Habits are everything. Your life is the outpicturing of your habits. What do your habits say about you? How do they influence how you spend your life?

Habits = Patterns = Neural Connections that either support or detract from your well-being. Habits are so important that I wrote a whole other blog on the subject. You can read it here.

What happens in our day is influenced by what we do the night before, and improving your evening habits can be an easy and effective way to transform your life for the better.

Here are 8 positive evening habits to try:

Reduce stress by ending your workday with a shutdown ritual (you can read more about this concept here). Separating your life and work is key to wellbeing.
Define what tomorrow's productivity will look like by journaling at the end of the day. Use the 3:3:3 Rule:
1. 3 hours on your most important project
2. 3 shorter tasks
3. 3 maintenance activities
Journal at least 1 beautiful life moment from the day. A case you managed perfectly, a cherished moment with your child or partner, a gorgeous sunset. Gratitude programs a mindset of success.
Do the dishes. Dirty dishes spill into other areas of your life. It will calm your mind to go to bed with a clean kitchen, and your tomorrow-self will thank you.
Lay out stuff you need for breakfast the night before (with the exception of perishable items). It makes it easier to get in good nutrition first thing. I started doing this a year ago and it has transformed my family's morning routine.
Lay out your clothes for the next day. Do you see a pattern? You are being kind and intentional to the future version of you, making it easier for them to have a successful day. How nice of you!
Charge your phone out of reach. It will force you to get out of bed to turn off the alarm, and it will make it less likely that you will be in your scrolls till 11 p.m.
When you get into bed, practice breathwork for a few minutes. I like 4:7:8 breathing - correctly performed it will calm your nervous system and help you fall asleep faster. Going to bed at the same time every night will also help.