Today I would like to share with You another post about everyday life. Some time ago I published a post in which I described my morning routine – today I have for You some inspiration for the evening one! If You want to learn how to plan Your evenings to get better rest or are looking for inspiration to introduce new habits into Your life, I encourage You to read!
- Slow down
The first and most essential step in building a routine that helps You rest is the ability to slow down. The world will always tell You that to be “productive enough” You have to do more and more… I know, as a perfectionist myself, I have struggled with this for many years and I am still working on it! But unfortunately, being constantly on the run, we cannot avoid constant physical and mental tension. Additionally, the ability to slow down and be still is key to building a personal relationship with God. In order for Him to act, You need to give Him space to do so.
2. Make yourself ambient
Taking care of the right “atmosphere” of the evening, which I want to spend without running from one task to another, is extremely important to me. Small things such as: lighting a candle, dimming the light, wrapping yourself in a blanket with tea in your hand or delicate lamps can make a big difference! If You are familiar with the Scandinavian term hygge (which has been gaining popularity around the world for some time), You certainly know what I mean!
3. Turn on “do not disturb” mode
Nowadays, we are flooded with waves of information and notifications from social media. People talk more and more often about how important it is to put the phone away at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Moreover, spending time without social media helps You focus more on the “here and now”. It calms down Your racing thoughts and gives You space to focus on God, Your loved ones, and Yourself.
4. Focus on your breathing
By slowing down Your breathing, You can naturally calm Your body, which unfortunately operates under stress and tension most of the day. More and more often we hear how important breathing is – I personally confirm it and wholeheartedly recommend delving into this topic!
When You feel that Your thoughts are still very chaotic, do a simple breathing exercise (so-called square breathing). Below is a simple diagram of what it should look like.
inhale (1…,2…,3…,4…)
hold the air (1…,2…,3…,4…)
exhale (1…,2…,3…,4…)
hold your breath (1…,2…,3…,4…)
Repeat the sequence for about 2 minutes until you feel calmer.
5. Gratitude list
Gratitude is very powerful, there is no doubt about it.
A simple way that can help You incorporate a gratitude practice into Your evenings is the so-called gratitude list. What is it about?
Take a notebook (preferably a nice one that will motivate you to reach for it) and write down 5-10 things that You experienced last day and for which You are grateful. Incredibly simple, but it really opens Your eyes to the many little miracles that happen every day.
If You don’t know how to start making such a list or would like to learn more about gratitude, I encourage You to read my post “Gratitude: way to complete transformation of your life”: [https://to-see-more.com/gratitude-way-to-complete-transformation-of-your-life/.](https://to-see-more.com/en/gratitude-a-way-to-change-your-life/)
6. Adoration – key word!
If (like me) You are a person who is greatly influenced by music, let yourself be carried away by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who also works through melodies and lyrics: immerse Yourself in the songs of groups such as Hillsong United, Elevation Worship or United Pursuit (these are some of the my favorites)! Pray to the Holy Spirit to open your heart and with the lyrics in front of You, pray with them as much as you need! Once I get into it, I can’t stop even after an hour 😉
If You don’t like this form of praising God, You can of course do it in your own words. Think of all the times when God showed You His goodness and beauty. Glorify Him with your words, praising His greatness. Let Yourself be carried away by His amazing presence.
7. Entrust to Him what is on Your heart
When I experience moments when my heart is filled with anxiety and fear, I try to give it all to Jesus. He died so that we wouldn’t have to carry the burden of our lives alone. Pray with Your own words, entrust to Him what is tormenting Your thoughts, tell Him about every problem You are struggling with, about the joys You experience and how much You need Him in all of this.
Because this is the truth – we are too weak to face it alone, we need Him to enter our hearts and transform them. He will touch us wherever we let Him in. He listens.
8. Listen
Reciprocity is an important element of building any relationship. This truth seems obvious to us in relation to interpersonal relationships, but unfortunately we often forget about it in our relationship with God.
After Your personal prayer, spend time in His Word! Take the Holy Bible in your hand, pray to the Holy Spirit to touch you exactly at this moment and place where You are and open the Bible to a random fragment or focus on a specific Book. For this, I recommend turning to the Gospels, the Letters from the New Testament or the Book of Psalms. My personal “favorites” are hidden there 🙂 The Old Testament is also amazing, but much more difficult to read.
9. Apply His Word to Your situation
If You already have a specific passage, read it several times. Give Yourself space for these words to get deeply into You, into Your current situation, struggles, and what You carry in Your heart right now. If certain verses (or even a single word!) particularly speak to You, write them down in Your notebook along with your thoughts. This way You will be able to come back to them whenever You need.
It may also happen that the passage You are considering does not in any way relate to the moment in which You are now. It may be a Word that You are not yet able to understand at this point in your life, but nothing is lost to God! Maybe in a week, a month, a year or a decade, this Word will bear fruit in You that will transform Your life.
Every prayer and minute spent with God is worth its weight in gold – another thing about which I have no doubt!
10. Be grateful for this time!
Close Your eyes, take a few deep breaths and become grateful for God’s work at this time and for choosing to spend this evening in such an amazing way.
Sit with this feeling for a few moments and calmly, when You are ready, open Your eyes and go to sleep with a calm, joyful heart.
Above, I wrote a version for evenings when I have a lot of time. Unfortunately, we often don’t have the opportunity to spend the entire evening this way, so even if You have 10/20 minutes, You can make a shortened version – the one that suits you best 🙂 For Him, every moment is a huge field for action!
Changing everyday habits can be a real investment in our health, well-being and, above all, in our relationship with God! When I devote my evening to worship, prayer, the Holy Bible and organizing what I am going through in my head and heart, I feel an incredible relief. Not only does time spent this way help me sleep better, but it also helps me start the next day in a great way! I hope You can see how many advantages there are <3
Did You discover any inspiration in my post that you want to implement in Your life? What are Your favorite ways to spend evenings in His presence?
Feel free to share Your thoughts in the comments <3
With love,
Kasia
