An evening wind-down

A wind-down is the stretch of evening between the busy part of the day and bed. It does not need to be long or elaborate. A few small steps, repeated on most evenings, are enough to mark the change.

Dim the room

Try turning the lights down a little while before bed. Notice how the room looks with fewer lamps on. The night theme on this site dims the screen too.

Put the day down

If your mind is busy, try writing down whatever is still circling: tasks, worries, things to remember. The Reflect page or a scrap of paper both work. Leave the list there for the morning.

Lying down

Lie on your back or your side, whichever is comfortable. The wind-down scan moves attention slowly from the feet upward, with long pauses. There is no need to relax on purpose. Just notice what is there.

If you are still awake

Sleep is not a task to finish. If you are awake after the scan, notice the weight of the blanket and the sounds in the room. Lying quietly is still rest.

Keeping it yours

The order of these steps matters less than doing a few of them on most evenings. Keep the ones you like and leave the rest.