Unplug and Refresh: Evening Rituals for Renewed Energy
Evening
Rituals
Transform Your Evenings: Simple Habits to Restore and Recharge
The Magic of Sunset
Sunset is a magical moment. The time when the rays of the sun subside and give way to the night. But just as this process doesn’t happen suddenly in our day-to-day life, we shouldn’t abruptly transition from our workday to sleep without a phase of recovery and change. So, let’s call it our personal sunset—a time for evening rituals that help us recharge.
On this occasion, I found it a little more difficult to find references from other authors on evening rituals. It seems that experts have focused more on morning routines than on disconnection routines. However, from the little I found, I offer a brief analysis and summary that I hope will be of interest. So, let's talk about evening rituals for recharging at the end of the day.
I’ve classified evening rituals into four types of time, which are not mutually exclusive. Therefore, by doing one activity, you can achieve more than one type of time at once:
Social Time
Pleasurable Time
Relaxation Time
Organizational Time
Social Time:
Social time includes activities you do with others, but activities not related to your productive work time. Even when you do activities with coworkers, they are truly disconnection activities when they don’t involve responsibilities or work goals.
For example, going out for dinner with a client wouldn’t count as a disconnection activity because your goal during that dinner is likely tied to sales and/or customer service. It doesn’t matter if it’s after work hours or if it’s a social event. However, going out for dinner or having drinks with that same client or with coworkers could be a disconnection activity, as long as you talk about personal topics or non-work-related subjects and there are no business objectives to meet.
Family and Social Life:
Social time extends beyond the workgroup. Of course, it’s also about moments with your friends and family.
It doesn’t necessarily mean going out to places of entertainment. For example, having dinner with your spouse and children or with your parents is social time. Also, doing homework with your children, going out to chat with a friend you haven’t seen in a while, or having guests over at home. Similarly, playing or having fun with your children, friends, or partner. There are countless different activities that fall into this category, but they depend on your lifestyle, preferences, and family unit. Still, all of them are valid. What do they have in common? 1) You’re not doing them alone; it’s a time of interaction, and 2) You’re not fulfilling work-related objectives.
Pleasurable Time:
As part of evening rituals, it’s recommended that during this transition from productive activity to rest, you do things that are enjoyable to you. For example, it could be a hobby, a sport, a class, reading, listening to music, playing an instrument, or watching TV. You can do this alone or with others. The important thing is that it’s something you like, something that entertains you and allows you to laugh
Relaxation Time:
The personal sunset is a time to relax both your body and mind. It’s also a time to release tension, forget problems, and pause any frustrations you had during the day. Here, evening rituals can help you reach a state of relaxation.
How do you achieve relaxation? Well, once again, it depends on your tastes and even the specific circumstances of the day. No matter how you achieve it, it’s necessary to seek mental peace and physical rest.
For some, relaxation may involve exercising or practicing a sport. For others, it could be meditation. And for some, it could be having a glass of wine with their partner or telling their children a story. In any case, it involves letting go of the mind and body, releasing the problems and worries of work.
Organizational Time:
The end of the day is also a good time to reflect on the goals of the day, review what has been accomplished, replan what’s pending, and prepare for restful sleep and the next day. Incorporating organizational time as part of your evening rituals can bring peace and set you up for success.
Personally, I prefer to do this review right after the workday ends and before moving on to any of the other times. This way, I allow myself to celebrate the day’s achievements and have clarity for the next day. It also gives me peace of mind and is an excellent way to begin disconnecting.
Tidying and cleaning my workspace is part of this routine. When I turn off my computer, I organize my small space. This helps me find a more pleasant and welcoming space the next morning and saves me time when starting tasks the next day.
Personal Organization
Organizational time goes beyond work activities. It’s also helpful to take some time in the late afternoon to organize the house, the children’s tasks, clothes for the next day, the next day’s menu, and review any personal or household errands that need to be added to our agenda for the upcoming days. For example, medical appointments? Do you need to call the plumber? Do you need to go to the supermarket? Taking a few minutes at the end of the day for these evening rituals will help organize your to-do list and get it out of your head. You’ll find it easier to disconnect from work and transition to your social, family, and relaxation times.