The evening should be the best part of the day for many of us. If you work a traditional 9-5 or spend a lot of the day running around keeping the household running smoothly, then that point as the afternoon fades off into nighttime should feel like a much-needed hug. A good dinner, a guilty pleasure on the TV, and a few hours of uninterrupted peace is all many of us need in the middle of the week.
Then why is it that, when the evenings do come, we suddenly feel pinned down by thoughts of the day, of tomorrow, of what we’ve forgotten or could have forgotten, what we need to remember tomorrow – what we could forget tomorrow – and, of course, all those far-fetched ‘what if’ scenarios that keep us from getting a single moment’s true peace.
A lot of us struggle with this. As soon as there’s enough space to relax, we fill that space with everything but relaxing.
It’s not the kind of thing you can just wish away, unfortunately – and definitely don’t make the mistake of thinking that you need to work harder or achieve more in the daylight hours in order to ‘earn’ your relaxation.
All it comes down to is how you build a routine around that relaxation, so you can finally send the signal to your brain that it’s time to chill.
Tip 1: Disconnect
If you feel like your brain is running at exactly the same level that it was running at all day, look down. If you see your phone in your hand, then that’s the most likely culprit by far.
You see, we have our daily demands, and then we have the other daily demands – AKA, the internet, which is never satisfied, finished, or ready to rest. If you spend your day on and off the internet, or texting, or watching content, and then continue to do the same thing into the simple evenings, how is your brain supposed to recognise that the time of day (and the demands) have changed?
It sounds like tripe advice that gets rolled out every time relaxation is raised as an issue, but it really does work. Try going a week without constantly looking at your phone when you’re on the sofa, and you’ll notice a difference.
It’s also great for your sleep, since the reduction in blue light exposure makes it easier for your body to produce melatonin.
Tip 2: Explore herbal options
A cup of camomile tea, a few drops of lavender oil on your cushion, a neroli scented candle – all these things can promote a sense of relaxation if you’re finding that it doesn’t come naturally from within. Everyone is different, so this may take a bit of trial and error, but introducing herbal supplements, scents, or other aids that you’re not exposed to throughout the rest of the day can signal that it’s really time to stop rushing around.
You can also buy HHC in the UK, which some people claim helps in the evenings.
Tip 3: Don’t just default to the TV
We all love to catch up on a binge-worthy series in the evenings, but just because it’s worthy of a binge doesn’t mean you should be doing that every night. When we’re relaxing, it’s good practice to let our brains process the day – without ruminating on it – and to unwind over low-demand activities. Reading, adult colouring, smalltalk with your partner…they’re all great alternatives to just defaulting to the TV.
And, once again, they help you to reduce your blue light exposure. A win win!