This is the last part of a collaborative series between YoRipe & Weavve Home. Click here to read the first part on Morning Routines & here for the second on Afternoon Routines!
The close of each day is just as important as the start, thus evening routines are necessary to wrap up our day well, and ultimately, help us transition to a great night’s sleep. It’s one of the important things that you can do for yourself. After a hectic day, it’s good to unwind, focus on what matters, and move towards a state of relaxation.
We’ve gathered a few tips you can incorporate into your evening routine for a happier, more refreshed morning:
Rest & Relax Foods
Did you know that some food and drinks have properties that can help you rest and relax after a long hard day’s work? It’s TRUE!
Unwinding and de-stressing after a long day are among the most important key factors to help you get a good night’s sleep.
So we’re here to help give you a couple of tips on eating habits and foods that you can eat to help you relax:
1. Skip the Big Dinner Meal
Try to avoid eating big dinner meals 2-3 hours before bed as this can lead to discomfort and indigestion.
2. Sleepy Time Foods
Research has found that certain nutrients in food can help to promote relaxation and even sleep. Below is a list of some foods that can:
- Bananas: Magnesium, potassium & tryptophan in bananas can help relax over stressed muscles and stimulate production of sleep-promoting hormones.
- Almonds: Almonds are great sources of magnesium and protein that help promote both sleep and muscle relaxation and maintain stable blood sugar levels.
- Warm Milk/Fortified Dairy products: Calcium in milk or dairy products can also help with tryptophan production to help promote sleep!
- Brown rice, wholegrain cereals, beans, leafy vegetables: Complex carbs in these foods helps to increase tryptophan levels that promote sleep
- Protein: Helps to maintain stable blood sugar level while sleeping and switch the body from alert adrenaline cycle to rest-and-digest mode.
- Turmeric: Turmeric can help protect against oxidative damage and sleep deprivation.
Here’s a recipe to help you unwind after a long day’s work: Golden Turmeric Milk by Ginger and Cilantro
Do Something You Enjoy
After a long day at work, it is important to slow down and decompress by switching to an activity which can help relax and take your mind off the day’s stresses.
This could be in the form of watching your favourite shows, pursuing a hobby, reading a book or taking up an online course to gain new knowledge. Sometimes the human brain doesn't crave a break; it just wants a change of pace.
Regardless of what activity you choose to do, the hours in the evening is yours to spend doing whatever that sparks joy!
It is, however, a good practice to power down about an hour before sleeping. The blue light emitted from electronics can interrupt the release of melatonin, causing you to stay awake. Swap out your phone for a good book or listen to a podcast as you begin to relax.
By rewarding yourself for your hard work and investing in your rest and recovery, it will pay dividends in your performance and productivity with time.
Reflect & Journal
Benjamin Franklin shared a way that he approached his evening routine. At the end of each day, he would ask himself this, "What good have I done today?"
Reflect on the positive impacts and little successes of your day. Viewing what went well and what could have been better from this perspective can tune your mind into a more positive and fulfilled one.
This simple habit will allow you to take a step back, cultivate a greater sense of self-awareness around your strengths, and think more deeply about how you spend your time in relation to your long term goals.
Good Sleep Environment
Make your bedroom a sleep oasis and a sanctuary for relaxation!
1. Keep your room cool, dark, comfortable, and free from external noises that might disrupt your sleep.
2. Whether you work from home or not, it’s good to keep work out from your bedroom. Leave it to be a place for relaxation and sleep. When your brain learns to form such a spatial association, the quality of your sleep will inevitably improve.
3. As we spend one-third of our lives in bed, it is also crucial to invest in comfortable and quality bedding that can directly improve your overall health with more rested sleep. Your pillow or your mattress should give you the support you need and not cause stiffness or numbness the next morning. Good quality sheets can also tremendously improve your sleep quality. Weavve’s 100% Tencel lyocell sheets are cool to the touch, silky soft, extremely breathable and moisture wicking - perfect for humid tropical nights!
4. Sweat, oil and dust may make our bed an easy home to bacteria and dust mites! It is good to maintain bedroom hygiene by changing out your sheets once every 2 weeks, and clean your mattresses or pillow around twice a year.
Weavve’s 100% Tencel Sheets in Midnight
By adopting a regular evening routine, you can slowly but surely train your body and mind to unwind ready for bed – the key towards a healthier daily sleep cycle and more refreshed morning. No two evening routines are the same, so find what works best for you and make it a consistent habit!
This article is part of a 3 Part series done in collaboration with YoRipe / Weavve Home.
About YoRipe: YoRipe is Singapore’s First personalised cooking & grocery app, with 20,000+ registered users and 1,500+ recipes from Asian fusion, Western, Baking and Desserts and much more. We strive to provide everyone a one stop cooking experience from shopping list to table!
Download our app here to check out our recipes and shop smarter with our grocery list.
YoRipe is also having a Stay-at-Home Grocery Basket, where we deliver fresh ingredients and recipes made by local chefs straight to your home! Find out more and order now via this link.
About Weavve Home: Weavve Home is a direct to consumer home and living brand in Singapore. We design our own products, produce directly from factories, and cut out middlemen and physical retailers, bringing great quality products to our customers at great value.
Experience the finest threads and thoughtful design with Weavve’s luxuriously soft 100% Cotton & Tencel™ Bed Linen at weavvehome.com. Apply “weavve10off” to enjoy 10% off your first order.
