How do you wind down from the day?

Looking for sober recs/practices to build routine around

Question

How do you wind down from the day?

Looking for sober recs/practices to build routine around

GK · Answer

Workout — Every. Single. Day.: The time between work and dinner is the ONLY time of day for ME (on weekends, it’s first thing in the morning). 4 days of strength training and 3 days of active recovery (yoga + zumba/dance). It keeps me sane, healthy, and I don’t have to feel guilty about eating chocolate.

Emilie Bienvenew · Answer

Working out like it’s the ’80s: step aerobics: Go against the latest fitness trends and give step aerobics a try! It’s cardio, strength training and choreography all in one — and it gives your memory a serious workout too.

Find a small, friendly group where everyone helps each other out, and most importantly, have fun!

Karen Fischer · Answer

Sudoku: I have a free Sudoku app that I really enjoy. I'm now on the Master level!

Sarah Beck · Answer

Entire nighttime routine in the shower: I can't go to bed unless my feet are out-of-the-shower warm. And a daily pleasure is doing the whole night time routine in there - floss, brush, take off makeup, wash my face. Why do this on cold, dry ground when you could do it in a warm waterfall? Good living, important night time wind down routine.

JaperMoon · Answer

Watching a movie over the course of a few nights: Don’t settle for TV just because movies are long.

Enjoy a movie over two, three, or even four nights.

You can season your popcorn differently each night!

Ena · Answer

Taking a shower right after work: Taking a shower and changing into pjs or comfy clothes upon arriving home from work is how I know the day is done and I can relax. It refreshes and resets me for a cozy evening at home - it does everything we wish an after-work drink would do

Lizbeth · Answer

I've got a 'one line a day' journal. I'm not allowed to be mad at myself if i miss a day.: One sentence a day? I can do that most days. A colleague is on her seventh year of doing this. I'm on month nine

Lulu Lefferts · Answer

Knitting to jolt diffuse mode thinking: Diffuse mode thinking happens when your brain is relaxed enough to feel free to make subconscious connections. Knitting requires the exact amount of focus to keep my brain from spinning but it is a focus that is concerned with muscle memory rather than word processing. I knit many times throughout the day to rebuild and rewind.

Catherine Davis · Answer

Eating candy in the bathtub: A moment of peace made sweeter.

pino · Answer

reading: my favorite way to wind down. puts me to sleep sometimes

Savannah Spoor · Answer

20 minute candle: A 20-minute candle to settle into the evening, to transition from day to night

Evan McAvenia · Answer

stretching in the evening!: feels great! only takes a few minutes!

Sarah C · Answer

Balance app: Creates personalized meditation plans for you based on your needs and comfort level. Also a great library of one-off "Singles" for specific moods and activities. The guide's voice is very calming. The Sleep ones are fantastic.

JV · Answer

Maine Cabin Masters: If you watch enough MCM, you start to believe 1. You could renovate a cabin in Maine, 2. Chase and Ashley are not real-life brother and sister, but fictional characters in an actual home improvement sitcom. These two hosts and their woodworking pals do not have camera ready quality, they do everything to save a buck—and since this is an honest recommendation, Ashley’s designs are an absolute head scratcher—but in the end, it’s a warm bath of DIY content, and we have grown to love them all.

Soph · Answer

Medcursor Foot Massager with Heat: Foot massages on demand are a right

clownmommy · Answer

dancing as hard as possible: whenever i feel not so nice i do this and it immediately makes me feel 100000x better. do i look like one of those inflatable car wash tube guys the whole time? yes, thats the point. i’m leaving it all on the dance floor (my living room). at the end of a good session im gasping for air but im also feeling truly alive

Kate H. · Answer

Reading a spicy fiction book: I am serious all day and do adult things. I want to exert no mental effort. Reading some hot garbage transports me, gets my eyes sleepy, and winds my brain down.

blakely · Answer

Cabin Nine 20 Minute Candle Set: Use these candles as a mindful timer for your favorite rituals and activities. It's a gentle, tactile way to hold yourself accountable to do the things you want to do! Especially the pleasurable, enjoyable things like crafting, sewing, baking, stretching, knitting, drawing, reading, writing... all of the things that are (For some reason?) harder to do than the "important" life to-do's.

Some of my fav ways to use these candles are

to read a book

to free-write in my journal

to meditate

to write a substack post when I have writers block

to do a living room tidy up

to call a friend

to stretch (I hate stretching! but if I light the candle, im stretching for 20 minutes!!)

chiarabelle · Answer

NY Magazine Crosswords: Print out a Matt Gaffney NY Magazine crossword puzzle. Clip on clipboard and get a mechanical pencil. Sit sideways on couch with fuzzy blanket. Try not to cheat but it's OK to phone-a-friend (or text).

Rachel Jacobson · Answer

Meditations for Sleep (Waking Up): Most of these are versions of yoga nidra, a body scan practice that puts you in a state of conscious relaxation between waking and sleeping— I fall asleep in the middle most of the time! I like this Waking up playlist, guided meditations by Jayasāra and Jitindriyā, Buddhist monk sisters with especially soothing voices.

GK ✨ · Answer

Embroidery 🪡: I’ve recently started embroidery and it’s really therapeutic. It doesn’t have to be anything complicated and they often sell pre-made kits at local craft stores.

I’ve also seen people making embroidery journals - stitching a small symbol to signify something they did or encountered during the day.

There are kid friendly ones too.

Amu Killada · Answer

Plan Your Relaxation: If you want to intentionally relax without falling into the trap of binge-watching, you need to decide how you want to relax before the evening starts.

Otherwise, your brain will naturally choose the path of least resistance which is usually opening Netflix or scrolling endlessly.

The practice I’ve started is really simple: every day, I write down one or two things I want to do after work. Then, when the evening comes, I don’t have to figure out what to do. I just look at my notebook and do what I already decided.

It’s a small thing, but giving your brain a direction makes it so much easier to spend your free time intentionally.

Amy · Answer

Evening stretches: I love these evening stretches from Matty on Peloton. For me, it must be Matty. They’re gentle, and not too long. One of these before bed and I sleep so well.

Zoe · Answer

Watching Star Trek: The Next Generation: This became my comfort watch after giving birth to my first son. There’s nothing like falling asleep to the mesmerizing hum of the warp core 😌

devan · Answer

Papillon back massager: I get these episodes where I have knots and tension everywhere and it gives me headaches and tummy aches, but I’m also a recluse so not always up for a massage. Please get this. I use it from my lower back to the back of my skull and sometimes lay on top of it and fall asleep.  It’s not an exact science but when you learn to roll it over the right places it can bring a tear to your eye.

Oleg K · Answer

A quiet, repetitive book: It doesn't have to be "Meditations from the Mat" (though that's a nice one). For me, right now, it's reading a chapter of the manga "What Did You Eat Yesterday". But it also doesn't have to be that book, since the reasons that make it a nice off-ramp to the day are generalizable:

1) The chapters are short, 
2) They're fairly calm, hardly any conflict, 
3) They follow a recognizable pattern, 
4) The characters are conscientious and kind to each other, 
5) Since there are many volumes, I can expect that I'll keep getting a little variety, 
6) There's no inside or outside pressure to finish or read faster, 
7) It's low-tech and quiet, the pages are black-and-white, 
8) It's free because I order the books from the library,
9) And finally, I gently forward to it!

Jamie · Answer

a good old fashioned stroll: with my baby bestie and NO earbuds. i love my little neighborhood sounds!

Rachel G · Answer

Podcasts and color by number: I like to put on a podcast and work on a color by number picture.  It’s a nice way to wind down that isn’t looking at a screen and uses my hands. Plus I feel creative but not too creative, haha - after work I’m not keen on making a lot more decisions so having the colors picked for me is perfect.

Sophie Consults · Answer

Legs up the wall: Good for your fascia, good for your mind, good for your heart!

Gabi · Answer

Flowart Dot By Letter: Super relaxing and no set up or clean up. Mindless and repetitive but creates beautiful results.

Jess · Answer

After-work pajamas: After I get home, I change out of my work clothes and into these comfy, cute pajamas for relaxation. It helps me separate Work Jess and Home Jess, and it's a nice little ritual!

Eric F · Answer

Casual gardening while my cat wanders around the yard 🌱🐈‍⬛: To wind down after a day of work, I’ll put on a podcast, go outside, and let my cat explore (supervised) while I pull weeds, water, prune, say hi to neighbors, etc. It’s nice to get some fresh air, check out all the local animals and bugs, and make a little yard progress.

Dylan · Answer

Ginger Hot Chocolate: my current obsession now it's officially WINTER in my part of the world.

hot chocolate (or cacao) with ground ginger powder for a warming zingy treat. other spices like cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne pepper could also be yum additions if you're feeling a little risky and frisky. you could even add a tsp of coconut oil or maybe some protein powder if that's your vibe!

combine with milk of your choice and whisk in a small pot on the stove until warm and frothy. YUM.

Dylan · Answer

Gentle Habits Grounded Incense: Not just a clever name, this actually makes me feel grounded. i've tried to branch out by testing the other scents in this range but i can't go past this one. It's cosy and warming and not too overpowering for my sensitive snout!

would like to buy this holder to pair with them. I currently have this one, which I adore the look of, but i have to sit it in a dish to catch the ashes.

Gentle Habits even have custom playlists to accompany each of their incense and perfume oil scents. So cute :)

Dylan · Answer

Organic India Tulsi Ashwagandha Tea: to calm your farm

Dylan · Answer

Giving your cat 500 forehead kisses: i don't make the rules, this is just a legal requirement in my house.