Have you mastered a night time self-care regime? How do you prepare for a good night’s rest? I have a few self-care rituals that I have to do every night to make my following morning run smooth and peaceful. I have absolutely no energy in the morning, (much more of a night owl than a morning bird) so anything that I can do at night to make the morning run easier I will do.
Not going to lie to you all, so many days I find myself putting self-care on the back burner. Many days are filled with grueling tasks that I simply do not make the time for some much-needed self-care. And I know I am not alone in this. Sometimes we put our own needs on hold, and we need to stop. Pencil in every night some time for self-care. Even it is only ten minutes’ worth of self-care. It counts.
So many of us are go, go, go all day and our only time for a breather is when we finally crash onto our beds. Our days are filled with so many tasks that sometimes we forget to pencil in time for ourselves.
I encourage YOU to create a self-care routine that benefits you.
Incorporate activities that make you feel balanced and whole. The kindest thing we can do for ourselves and our bodies is to practice self-care. The key to self-care is doing something YOU enjoy.
Since the majority of us are currently tied down into our homes, because of this crazy virus that has swept down on everyone, I say we attempt to make the best of it. Master your nighttime routine. We have been granted the gift of time (kind of). Enjoy the little things! Life is moving a lot slower now, and so are you. That is not a bad thing. Embrace the daily activities that we all take for granted. Sit back and really enjoy that cup of tea. Read that book that has been shoved in a drawer for years. Really listen to the lyrics when you play a song. Do something that makes your soul stir with happiness.
As I said earlier I am not a morning bird! That whole saying ‘early bird gets the worm’… can kiss my ass. Mornings are rough!
Make your mornings a little easier and incorporate some of my personal favorite night time self-care rituals! Take time for yourself every night, and do something that you love and enjoy. You deserve it!
Shall we dive into my list?
Meditate
Deep breaths. Inhale and exhale. Unwind and get rid of all the stress you have been carrying throughout your day.
If mediation is something you struggle with (like me), I found that the Calm app really provides the aid that I need to follow through with my mediation.
If you have a diffuser put in some drops of your lavender essential oil and inhale that calming scent!
I bought a diffuser about two years ago and I love it. I keep it in the bedroom, and a couple of nights a week before bed I will put lavender and on guard essential oils in it. If you are looking for a diffuser that won’t take up much space, can be moved around easily, and most importantly will last, this is the diffuser that I purchased years ago.
Meditate and stretch it out, ladies and gentlemen! Practice some yoga poses before bed, or just stretch out your body. Release that tension and shake it off. This is a great way to prepare your body for rest and have a good night’s sleep.
Read a Story
As always my favorite self-care treatment. I always say if you aren’t a book lover you just haven’t found the right story to hook and reel you in. When I was in high school I had an amazing English teacher who would start the first 20 minutes of her class by having quiet time and every student had to be reading a book of their choice. Were most students dreaded that time, I was always looking forward to it. I remember being so busy with my school work and sports that sometimes that 20 minutes would be the only time I had a chance to read. If you are thinking ‘what a nerd!’ you are not wrong. I absolutely adore novels, and I am constantly on the lookout for a great story.
There is something so peaceful and exciting to me in escaping into a fantasy world. If you need any book recommendations, please read one of my many articles HERE.
Happy reading! I hope you find a few stories that you love. Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite book or a recommendation for me!
I believe reading is a lovely version of self-care and encourage you all to start implementing into your self-care regime.
I shall leave this lovely poem here. To inspire you all to read. Even if you aren’t a fan of books, I hope you can appreciate it.
I Opened a Book, Julia Donaldson
I opened a book and in I strode.
Now nobody can find me
I’ve left my chair, my house, my road,
My town and my world behind me.
I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring,
I’ve swallowed the magic potion.
I’ve fought with a dragon, dined with a king
And dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends.
I shared their tears and laughter
And followed their road with its bumps and bends
To the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came.
The cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
But I have a book inside me
Isn’t that just lovely?
Prep Your Coffee
I always thank God that I did this the night before. The best part of my mornings is my cup of coffee. You will be thanking yourself in the morning when all you have to do is click that magical button to brew the coffee without prepping anything!
Take an Evening Stroll
I’m not going to write about all the health benefits that come from simply walking, because I am sure you all know. Take time to go for a quick 20-minute walk around your neighborhood. Breathe in that fresh air and clear your head. Nature is one of life’s best natural medicines.
Clean
I dread when I wake up in the morning and go turn on my coffee maker and find dishes in the sink. It is one of the worst things in the world! You will thank yourself in the morning when you are rushing out of the house that you tidied up the night before. Trust me! I do not know if cleaning could be classified as a self-care activity, but sometimes blasting loud music while cleaning up can be a great stress reliever. Anyone else feels this way?
Cleaning up your space is a great way to unwind. When I finish tidying up everything for the night, I finally feel that I can allow myself to relax and unwind.
Take Care of your body
The argument of showering at night or in the morning is one that everyone has had. I am a strong advocate for showering at night. I thoroughly enjoy going to bed knowing I am clean. Also, I have struggled with acne since I was a teenager, and I feel that just washing my face does not properly remove my makeup. I need to shower!
Take a bubble bath, apply that face mask, lather your skin in moisturizer, and so on and so on. There are so many great therapeutic treatments that can benefit your body that you can do in the comfort of your own home! I absolutely love my Kiehls Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Mask and look forward to every Tuesday and Saturday night when I apply it. If you are looking for a face mask that hydrates your skin and leaves it soft without any redness, I can not stop recommending this!
Journal
This has recently become a new hobby of mine. Since we have been in quarantine I find myself feeling claustrophobic, stressed, and worried. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions, and because of this, I decided to finally put that journal on my bookshelf to good use. Some nights I simply write one to two sentences, and other days I write pages. It feels great to put words on paper and let everything out in a healthy way, as opposed to sometimes shouting (in a loving way) at my poor husband.
I tend to write about how I’m feeling, updates on life, and just simple thoughts that I have.
My journal entry the other day was simply ‘The two baby birds have not left the nest yet. I wonder what I should do with the bird’s nest on my front porch when the mama and baby bird leave? Will she come back if I leave it for her?”
Some great muses to jumpstart your writing are:
- How are you feeling?
- What does your happy ending look like?
- What is a happy memory that sticks out to you?
- Do you feel that you have outgrown something in your life?
- What is bothering you?
Write away everyone! Get lost in your own words.
Spot of Tea
I have to have a cup of tea every night. My night can not be considered peaceful unless I have a cup of tea in my hands. Tea soothes the soul. My go-to is green tea because I swear green tea has so many health benefits. Another one of my absolute favorites is Good Earth, Sweet & Spicy. If you love cinnamon, you will love this! It does not disappoint, and a little plus is that they have quotes on each teabag that always puts a smile on my face.
Have a cup of tea and simply relax on your couch.
Do you already have a nighttime self-care routine that you love? Do you spot any similarities or differences between ours?
I shall leave you all with this lovely quote,
“You have two homes,
Earth & your body.
Take care of them.”