After dinner, adopting healthy habits can help reduce stress and improve mental health. Experts highlighted three simple practices that can make a difference in their night routine.
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18/08/2026
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Aafter a long day of work, there is nothing better than going to the couch – or to bed – and watching a series. Although this is a valid choice, it is important to remember that the routine after dinner is very important.
On the subject, nutritionists highlighted three habits after dinner that can improve mental health.
Habits after dinner to improve mental health
1. Include movement
The habit that all experts agreed to? Make some kind of light move after dinner.
“ Whether taking a walk on the street, tending the garden or doing a few minutes of stretching at home, light movement after dinner can help free physical tension and mental stress accumulated throughout the day,” noted coach Jessica Dean.
This highlights that moving after dinner helps prevent the fall of energy after meal, regulating blood sugar and helping the brain to produce “chemical substances that promote well-being”, such as dopamine.
Nutritionist Kalyn True says it can also help sleep better and improve digestion, having positive effects on mental health.
Tips:
– Even a 10-minute walk after dinner can help balance blood sugar and help in digestion;
– Do light exercise. Intense training after dinner can actually make your sleep worse.
Routine to relax
While relaxing may seem the most natural thing to do after dinner, an adequate relaxation routine can benefit your mental health.
Nutritionist Jenny Beth Kroplin suggests listening to relaxing music, reducing the intensity of the lights and limiting the time spent in front of the screens, something that can help redefine the nervous system, reduce stress hormones and relieve tension and anxiety.
Relaxing and screenless activities, such as reading, meditation, writing in a diary, light walks and manual work, can help prepare you for a good night's sleep and signaling your body and mind that it's time to turn off.
Tips:
– Drinking a cup of tea is one of the best ways to relax. Chamomile and lemon are great options;
– A hot bath from 60 to 90 minutes after dinner can help to relax and recharge energies, notes Kroplin.
Planning
In more busy weeks, when your list of tasks seems endless, quick planning at the end of each night can facilitate sleep and improve your mental state the next day.
Tip:
– Have a diary dedicated to your evening outbursts, adding information whenever one of these urgent thoughts arises. This will help you feel more relaxed.