my gentle and realistic night-time routine

for less stress, more calm

Dec 12, 2025

Hi friend,

I’ve been a little stressed lately. Even though work has been slowing down, somehow my brain still feels like it’s opening twelve tabs at once. I’m grateful that I get to be out of the city for a month (avoiding the long work commute) and working from home until the new year, but even with the slower pace, my body has been like… that’s not enough, we need to recover for real.

Honestly, I’ve been dealing with some slight gut imbalances, nothing too dramatic, just the little signs that my body is overwhelmed: the extra bloating, breakouts, random fatigue and just stress hitting harder than usual.

So I’ve been trying to take that seriously too, and actually support myself instead of ignoring it until it gets worse.

It’s so important we listen to our bodies, so I’ve been trying to build a night routine that feels good.

I wanted to share it with you in case you need ideas during what can feel like a stressful time of the year.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how underrated a night-time routine is when it comes to actual rest and stress relief.

My gentle night-time routine (lately):

Light stretching
I’m half-way through the [solidcore] solidays challenge and light stretching releases any tension that built up in my hips and shoulders (areas where stress often settles).

Chamomile tea with honey + cinnamon
This has become my little night-time anchor. The chamomile itself helps me de-stress. It’s also just nice to have a little routine of making something warm and slow at the end of the day.

Reading
With my tea, usually I’ll read a Substack that I’ve saved earlier in the week or a few pages of the Bible. Nothing too mentally intense, just something grounding that pulls me out of my type-A brain and back into myself.

My Hatch alarm
My routine in the app automatically turns on a dishwasher sound at 9 p.m (which, I know, does not sound relaxing lol, but it’s my version of white noise). It’s become my gentle cue that the day is officially winding down.

Putting my phone on DND and away from reach
Transparently, my phone used to be on DND 24/7, but I realized I was missing important calls/texts (shocker lol). Now I have a rule on my iPhone that automatically turns DND on at around 8 p.m. This is the hardest step because I love a good Tiktok doom scroll, but it’s also the one my nervous system thanks me for the most.

I know none of this is aesthetic or perfect, but it’s made my nights feel a little softer and I hope it can do the same for you.

wishing you the calmest night, always.