305: Creating an Evening Routine with Emily Ley

·32 min·3 clips

Emily Freeman confesses her difficulty with evening routines to organizational expert Emily Ley, who wrote a book on finding peace at night.

["Emily P. Freeman introduces the episode by framing it for those struggling with decision fatigue and evening routines.", "She welcomes guest Emily Ley, founder of Simplified, a brand of planners and organizational tools for busy women.", "Ley is also the author of books like 'Grace, Not Perfection' and her newest, 'Near in the Night,' a collection of evening meditations.", "Freeman admits her own difficulty with evening routines, especially since her kids are older and her mornings are more predictable.", "Ley describes her current season as 'peak crazy evening' with three kids in multiple sports, making routines challenging.", "She reveals her key practice: taking a bath every night around the same time to physically calm her body and brain.", "Ley emphasizes lowering lights and doing this ritual before family evening tasks, as she's an early bird who goes to bed soon after her kids.", "She shares a childhood memory of her mother performing 'turndown service'\u2014turning down beds and lighting lamps\u2014which made her feel loved.", "Ley now does this for her children and herself, noting her daughter has started doing it for her, showing the legacy's impact.", "The discussion shifts to Ley's past lack of sleep prioritization, working until 3 AM while building Simplified, leading to burnout.", "She explains how setting alarms and discipline helped her adopt better habits, especially after health issues in 2017.", "Ley talks about writing 'Near in the Night' during the pandemic, when uncertainty led her to seek truths she 'knows for sure.'", "She recounts a moment on her back porch in Pensacola, hearing God say 'I have not forgotten about you' through the sunrise.", "This became a foundational truth for her book, focusing on biblical and lived experiences that provide comfort.", "Freeman asks how writing the book changed Ley, who notes it highlighted God's presence in changing details and her own evolution.", "Ley discusses turning 40 and how priorities shifted, with God being in every worry and detail.", "She frames evening routines as a 'toolbox,' trying practices like meditation (which didn't work) and journaling (which did).", "Ley lists journaling to-dos, baths, and tucking in kids as soothing activities that quiet her brain.", "Freeman reflects that rhythms of life can change, and the episode offers a 'wide table' of options for listeners.", "In closing, Ley shares her 'next right thing' is a season of quiet before a book deadline, contrary to her nature to power through.", "She reads a blessing from her book for those feeling lonely at night, emphasizing God's love and self-care practices.", "Freeman promotes Ley's book and resources, and offers a free 10-minute evening routine checklist on her website.", "The episode ends with a reminder from Arianna Huffington about the importance of sleep for a joyful life."]

As heard by us

A grounded conversation about making bedtime a practice of care and discernment.

Episode 305 follows Emily Lay as she steps away from running on fumes and toward a more deliberate evening rhythm. Her routine is simple but concrete: a nine o'clock bedtime, phone alarms, and a clearer point at which the computer gets closed.

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Why you'd press play

You might need a nine o'clock bedtime, a phone alarm, and permission to let the day end.

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