OPTED Magazine

When is the right time to transition from “being in the moment” of the present day and moving on to preparing for the next?  For those that aspire to live in the present, this is one of life’s eternal questions.  No matter your outlook on life, an evening routine is essential for the purposes of planning and living a quality lifestyle.

The typical evening varies for everyone based on scheduling and the day of the week, but the hour before bedtime should include a regular routine to calm the senses and prepare you for the day ahead.  Aside from your regular grooming routine and family schedule, here are the top five tasks that your evening routine should include:

1. Review the landscape of tomorrow’s day – looking over tomorrow’s schedule on your calendar will inform you of the necessary prep work for your evening, as well as some of the tasks below.  If you have after-work engagements, a day off, or a crucial business meeting, the mental and physical preparation for tomorrow could be drastically different.  Look over your schedule, note the weather, and determine the conditions for tomorrow’s day.
2. Pack your bags — make sure everything you need for tomorrow is ready and waiting to leave with you in the morning.  That means all your work papers, pack your brown bag lunch, and have lists or coupons if you’ve scheduled errands.
3. Select your outfit — this also means literally everything that makes your outfit.  If something requires washing or ironing, take care of it now and avoid the morning rush.  Lay out your shoes (both of them), accessories and clothing.  There is nothing worse than finding out the morning of a big interview or presentation that none of your appropriate work attire is presentable.
4. Time to unwind — rushing through a  series of tasks or jumping into bed with a dozen things running through your head is not a recipe for good sleep.  Make time for unwinding and include 5 minutes of stretching to ease your tense muscles, a hot bubble bath and/or 10 or 15 minutes of a good book.

What are your evening strategies for preparing yourself for the upcoming day?  Share them in the comments!

If you liked this post, you might like::

1. Free day of the week clothing tags
2. Batch tasks to save time and achieve maximum efficiency
3. How to simplify and regroup after your day derails
4. Completing essential tasks on your to do list first
5. Create a necessities box for moving