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It’s hard to get in a self care routine. Working a 9-5 & trying to launch an online business or blog is tough, stressful & time consuming, It is so easy to get rolled up in and lost in your work that you forget about yourself.
So here’s my challenge to you: Practice at least 1 self care ritual every night for a week and see how it makes you feel. I believe that following these self care rituals or starting your own as a way to own bedtime is the perfect way to get a great night’s rest and wake up ready to take on the day!
BEFORE BED
Shower
This may seem simple, but for me it sets the mood for my night. Cleaning the day off in relaxing warm water is a great way to wind down without being too time consuming like with taking a bath (not that there is anything wrong with that if you have the time!). I love exfoliating, experimenting with new body washes & post-shower moisturizing,
Remove Your Makeup
Nothing feels better than having clean & refreshed skin right before heading to bed. Nothing feels worse than waking up with your mascara clumped together and eyeliner running down your face.
I use my Clarisonic (you can get one here) every night to wash off makeup. I know this seems pricey, but I have been using the same one for over 5 years & it leaves skin feeling so clean, fresh and the perfect canvas for relaxing night serums & oils. I then use Peter Thomas Roth’s serum & Sunday Reiley’s Luna oil. The face oil smells amazing and is calming on the skin + anti-aging properties.
Low Key Mood Music
Setting my nights to music is a self care must for me. I find it relaxing and gives me a sort-of soundtrack for the night. My fave playlist to turn on is my Self Care Mood Music playlist on Spotify. You can listen or follow here (I update the music regularly!).
Yoga
Bedtime yoga is something new I have been doing and is quickly becoming my favorite thing. Stretching the day away not only feels great, but works sore & tired muscles allowing for flexibility and limits injury when you are working out. My favorite sequence is here, this cute moon salutation here or just make up your own sequence by performing a couple of your favorite moves 3-5 times in a row.
Make a cup of tea
Peppermint tea right before bed is so relaxing. It is hydrating, delicious, calms my belly & helps to calm my mind. I typically keep it plain or I add a spoonful of nut milk – sugar will keep me up so I’ll drink it unsweetened (still delicious!). My favorite brand is here but really any good tea brand will have an excellent peppermint option.
RIGHT BEFORE CRAWLING INTO BED
Turn on the essential oil diffuser
I LOVE using essential oils to help relax me before bed. I found this super stylish diffuser on Amazon & bought a couple of oils like lavender, good night & tea tree oils. You can also dot the oils on your wrist & neck but I typically use them only in the diffuser.
Put away all electronics
This is the hardest one for me. I’ll check on emails, blog messages, Instagram & Facebook and then repeat this several times for hours (even when nothing new has come through). Please tell me I’m not the only one who does this?
Setting a time for myself to shut down is a great way to set a bed time & turn off my mind from social media. The smallest things can get us into a ‘scroll hole’ and keep us up until all hours. Just try it out and I swear it will make such a difference in your nightly routine.
Pick up a book
I don’t find books as distracting as social media mostly because they have set stop points in way of chapters. I usually will give myself 3-5 chapters of a book and set another hard stop time so as to not keep myself up & try to finish a really enthralling book. Try to stick to self care or marketing related books-I learned the hard way that reading a Stephen King novel might not be the best bet for bedtime reading! But find what works best for you!
These are my favorite self care books of the moment:
— Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World by William H. McRaven (get a copy here)
— Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (get your copy here)
— Blessed by Less: Clearing Your Life of Clutter by Living Lightly by Susan V. Vogt (get your copy here)
— The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: Living a Good Life by Mark Manson (get your copy here)
— The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō (get your copy here)
Set your alarm
Nothing gets me off my game like when I sleep in late because I forgot to set an alarm. Making sure you’re all set for the start of a new day is such an easy step that will leave your mind at ease.
Turn the lights down low
Setting mood lighting for reading and then eventually bed is a great way to relax, enjoy your book and essential oils.
And there you have it! These are my rituals that I do to make time for myself. I don’t do every single one every night, but I do try and go with what I’m feeling at the moment. Do you have a nightly ritual that helps you relax? Let me know in the comments below!
Turning off all the electronics is crucial! I am like you – not you’re not alone!! So the moment I actually switch my iphone of is a great relief! Lately I have made a habit of reading a book too to calm my mind down and distract it from work and also meditating afterwards. Then I sleep like a baby 🙂
Yay glad I’m not alone! 🙂 I wish I was a better at meditating. I find I get antsy so yoga was my next best choice.
I definitely notice a difference when I turn off my electronics…I’m just terrible about sticking to a hard time to switch off! Some nights I also end up reading too late when I get to an exciting part in my book, but at least that’s better than a neverending rabbit hole on the internet.
Exactly. I can definitely get lost in books but I’ll get into a scroll hole on social and lose my whole night!