I finished the Hemingway house. It was a lot of fun. Many many books. I also caught my cat mid yawn in one pic. The instructions for the lights are incorrect and you have to figure out for yourself where two of them go.
TL;DR evening routines are amazing, what's yours?
I feel like I've stumbled upon the most tranquil period of my life. I have this solid evening routine and I live by it. I really feel like it is the key to my peace.
I was a hoarder. I had an off site storage unit. One day I decided that the cost of the unit wasn't worth the value of the stuff so I went in with purpose. Instead of trying to decide what to let go of I opened each box and decided what to keep, if anything. I went through my house just as critically. I zoned it out. Behind the front door, under the bed, under the sink, top of the closet, misc drawer, wardrobe. You get it. I took a reasonable amount of time. I set a goal to complete that small area and I was successful each time. If I felt like taking on another area then I would, if not, I didn't. I'm my own boss. After I got that done I hired a professional cleaner to come get everything back into shape.
On weekends and sometimes before work I batch cook meals. Mainly breakfast sandwiches, and ground beef and chicken for dinners. While I was purging I used this time to attack an area.
During the work week I wake up naturally at 7am (for context it's 5.5 hours until work). I spend this time running errands or making/going to Dr appointments. I also use this time to prep dinner.
12:30-9pm I work from home. I have dinner during work. I make simple quick meals if I haven't slow cooked something. I use a 6 cup black and Decker rice cooker and mix veggies, pasta or rice, precooked meat and seasonings. I also usually run a load of laundry during work if needed.
9pm-10pm - 4 hrs until bed - I reset the house by clearing all surfaces and returning things to their homes. If something new has come in I decide right then if it has a home with me or needs to live somewhere else. I put away the load of laundry I did.
10pm shower time. I wear actual pajamas now and I get them ready before the shower. I set the lights in my bedroom to soft indirect light. Do a little skin care routine.
11pm-1am I relax. I light intense, journal, read, I have a couple little hobbies I can do from bed. I usually fall asleep by 11:30 but if I'm still awake by 1 I know I've got to pull out some tricks to get to sleep. (I'm recovering from surgery right now so I'm a little off schedule tonight.)
I don't have to wake up to an alarm. I don't have to stress about any mess. I set myself up for success by sticking to it. I feel great showering every day. I struggled with that for a long time while I was deep in depression. I change out of my pajamas even though I don't have to for work. It feels good to mark the start and end of my work day in that small way.
Do you have an evening routine? What works for you? What's your main obstacle?