My Evening Routine as a Therapist + Helpful Tips

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Your day packed with therapy sessions is over. You’re feeling accomplished and grateful for your job—but also exhausted. You’ve just helped support a handful of clients, and now it’s time to support yourself with a self-care-filled evening routine. If you’re wondering what you should incorporate into your nightly routine as a therapist, I’ve got you covered. Here is my evening routine, which I try to partake in every workday—and even every non-workday—to keep me happy and well-rested. Let’s go through the routine! 

• Wrap-up therapy sessions by 6. This is around the time that typical corporate jobs begin to wind down, so there’s no reason yours should have to be any different! If you’ve ever worked late, you know that it can feel draining and overwhelming. Try to schedule your sessions so they don’t go past 6 pm often. Then, you’ll have time to wrap up for the day and focus on you time or family time. 

• Take notes between sessions or before dinner. Please don’t make the mistake of leaving all your session/client notes until the very end of the day. Try to take notes between sessions, if time permits. This is when the session is freshest in your mind. If you can’t take notes between sessions, try to take the remaining notes after you wrap up at 6 pm, but before dinner. This way, you can fully put work away for the day and focus on your personal life. Another option is to take notes during the session. I personally love this. You can write important statements from clients to come back to later on. I’ll even collaborate with the client on the note to review the session to see what they gained from our time together. I like to use SimplePractice for practice management and think you will too. Try it free for 30 days and get a $200 credit after subscribing.
• Have dinner without phones. Whether you share your dinnertime with your partner or your family, or you eat alone, try to make this a phone-free time. This can give your mind a break from the constant stimulation of technology and time to connect with your loved ones or reflect on your day on your own.

• Spend time with family. Whether it’s playing a board game, watching a movie, or just lounging and talking together, time with family is a way to spend your time which you’ll never regret. Our family is big on movies and documentaries. 

• Journal to process the day. After spending time with family, I like to have some time to myself for self-reflection. Lots of thoughts and feelings can come up in therapy sessions, even if you’re the therapist, not the client. Some days are harder than others, but there is a reason for self-reflection each and every day. Even if the journal entry is only a few sentences, it can be a nice way to wind down and process your day. 

• Do a nightly reset of the house. It’s tempting to leave tedious activities like unloading the dishwasher or putting things back in their place for the following day, but I find that doing these chores before bed leaves the house in a better place for tomorrow. Now, you won’t have to wake up to a messy environment or leave tasks to pile up for future you! If you have littles, prepping their lunches the night before is a huge stress saver. 

• Do your skincare and unwind. Taking good care of your skin is so important! A simple routine of cleansing, toning, and moisturizing only takes about 5 minutes and has amazing benefits. Your skin will feel nourished and healthy, and it’s a relaxing process, too. You can even throw in a face mask or fancy serum some nights when you’re craving a bit of extra care.
• Try hard not to scroll on your phone. Read, instead. Although it can feel relaxing and fun to scroll through social media and watch youtube videos before bed, being on your phone right before you sleep can keep you awake for longer and lessen your sleep quality. Not to mention that being on screens and being around blue light stimulates your brain and makes it harder to fall asleep. Instead of being on your phone, try reading a book of your choosing. This can be equally as entertaining, but won’t keep you up well into the night!

Some items that make a huge difference in my evening routine include…

• Micellar Water: I use this in my skincare routine to take off my makeup. It works super well on stubborn eyeliner and mascara and comes in a huge bottle for a good price. I’d highly recommend it! Even if you aren’t wearing makeup, this is great for quickly cleaning your skin and making it feel more refreshed. 

• Kindle: I absolutely love reading on my Kindle before bed and bringing it with me if I ever want to read on the go. It’s much thinner and lighter than an actual book, but doesn’t hurt my eyes because its screen mimics a book’s pages. There are countless books you can download on Kindle—some are even free! If reading isn’t your thing, consider a calming podcast or audiobook. 

• Purifying Face Cleanser: This face cleanser helps to wash away any impurities the micellar water may have missed. Washing my face with this purifying cleanser is such a refreshing yet relaxing experience—exactly what I need before bed!

• Lounge Top: This is one of the comfiest shirts I own, and I often wear it while lounging after sessions, or even to bed as pajamas! It is super soft. 
• Mindfulness Journal: I love to practice mindfulness, even when I’m unwinding before bed. This journal, with specific prompts and spaces to reflect, is the perfect way to do this. 

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading about my evening routine as a therapist. Hopefully, you gained some tips and tricks that you will incorporate into your own night routine or learned about some products to try out.  Happy resting!

To discuss how therapy could help you during this season of your life, please contact me or schedule your free 15-minute consultation.

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