Being intentional is something that can truly alter your life (don’t worry we will chat more about that in a second). And one of the simplest yet most effective ways to have more intentional days is to incorporate intentional habits into your routines. Today we are narrowing it down to creating an intentional evening routine. But I will also be sharing an intentional morning routine soon so stay tune for that!
Before we get into the intentional evening routine I do want to quickly touch on the importance of being intentional so you can really get the why an intentional evening routine is so important.
How being intentional can change your life:
- Being intentional about your time and actions is one of the best ways to ensure you are living an actionable life. A life where you are making constant and thought out efforts to better your life and make your dreams come true.
- Being intentional helps to build up your commitment and self discipline. Which are traits that help you create a better version of yourself and your life.
- The final way I want to touch on, though there is so many more, is that being intentional helps you be present. It is so easy to live in the past or the future and not be grounded in the moment. But being intentional forces you to think about your current day and what is actually happening in the moment! Which is great for your mental health and keeping you grounded.
Now that we have discussed the benefits of being intentional lets get into how to create an intentional evening routine.
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How To Create An Intentional Evening Routine
Ideas for creating an intentional end of the day routine:
Routine Idea 1: Practice daily gratitude
Gratitude is an essential thing for having a more intentional life. It allows you to keep things in perspective and be honest about the positives in your life. Which are so helpful for having more balance in your life.
So if you are lacking that mentality of thankfulness and gratitude then you need to start learning how to! When you are thankful for the things in your life and regularly taking the time to think about your blessings you will feel yourself start to feel more intentional.
One of the best ways to do this is to start doing daily gratitude journaling. This doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment. Just grab a gratitude journal (here’s one that is less than $10) and add it into your night time routine. It should only take about 10 minutes but it can really help you feel more grateful and happier.
Routine Idea 2: Spend 30 minutes before bed off your phone.
Screen time has a lot of negative side effects including stopping you from being intentional with your time and actions.
So before you are going to sleep try and take at least 30 minutes of no screen time.
If this is something you struggle with (as most of us do) then head over to this post to help you learn how to lower your screen time: How To Decrease Screen Time: Phone Addict Edition!
Routine Idea 3: Follow up on your to do list
I live by to do lists and find it so insanely helpful to write to do lists for each day, week, and month. This can be in your planner, on a notebook, or on a note on your phone. Regardless, this habit can help you be intentional about how you spend the time in your day. So make a part of your evening routine to check the to do list and ensure you are sticking to it.
I like to make sub to-do lists as well, like I will do a more vague to-do list for the whole day and then do a list for my work, a list for cleaning, a list for my site, etc.
If you want more details on how to write and really follow your daily to do lists then you need to go check out my detailed guide: How to Make an “Every Day Goals” List.
Routine Idea 4: Practice living in the moment
Living in the moment is a huge part of feeling happier and is a super important habit for living an intentional lifestyle.
When you are constantly thinking about the past or worrying about the future you aren’t going to be feeling as happy as you could be. Start making a conscious effort to live in the moment! And be present with what is going on around you is so essential for living a happy life.
One big way that you can do this is to spend less time on your phone. If you are checking emails and start worrying about work on Monday or looking at Instagram and seeing someone do something fun that you want to do then you aren’t being present.
I recommend starting to commit at least an hour a day to no phone time. This will help you practice starting to be in the moment more! I also have some tips on disconnecting from your phone that you can read here that should help.
Routine Idea 5: Say or write daily affirmations
This is a great way to start being more intentional and aware of your own mind. Affirmations help you be intentional about your thoughts and wrapping up your day with some affirmations is a great thing to add to your evening routine.
Ever since I started doing positive affirmations every day I started really feeling more optimistic about life.
An example of a few positive affirmations you could start saying or writing down are:
- I am proud of my success.
- I believe that I deserve everything amazing that happens to me.
- I’m confident in my ability to make good decisions.
- I am creating my dream life.
- I’m proud of what I will do today.
Routine Idea 6: Meditation
Meditation is an incredible tool for working on becoming more aware and more intentional.
When you are meditating you are alone with your thoughts and focusing 100% of your energy on those thoughts. Which allows you to eliminate distractions and pressures from the rest of the world. Which ultimately can help you see yourself more realistically and become more aware.
I recommend either downloading a meditation app or just searching for videos on YouTube until you find a guided one that works for you as you start meditating. And then grab a yoga/meditation matand start working on meditation and figuring out your true self.
Korra-Shay
If you enjoyed this article on How To Create An Intentional Evening Routine then you probably (hopefully!) will enjoy these articles as well:
- 17 Self Growth Daily Habits To Better Yourself
- Personalized Journals That You Will Love Journaling In
- How To Create Your Best Possible Life
- The Morning Routine To Kick Start Your Days Better
- The Ultimate Long Weekend Self Care Routine
- Self Awareness Activities For Your Personal Growth Journey
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