When it comes to self-care, there are plenty of people who feel like it’s just a superficial trend. However, you can’t pour out into others if you’re not pouring into yourself. By creating intentional routines surrounding your own self-care, you’ll be able to support your desire to thrive. If you haven’t already started, consider implementing the self-care night routine. Consider the following five tips to get started.
1. Set a Cut-Off Time
When you’re trying to create a routine, implement boundaries. One of the most popular boundaries people set involves the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature on their phones. After a certain hour of the day, you can set up that feature in order to eliminate accessibility. Your nighttime routine is all about serving yourself. You deserve that time. Also, set boundaries around how late into the evening you’ll eat. If you’re eating late at night, this can lead to indigestion and difficulty falling (and staying) asleep. If you’re going to eat dinner and dessert at 6 pm, don’t eat any more heavy meals after 7 pm.
2. Eliminate Electronics
Electronics are notorious for their ability to negatively impact a person’s ability to sleep well. The blue light that’s emitted from devices signals the brain to stay awake. Whether you choose to shut down your electronics an hour before bed or two hours before bed, create a boundary where they’re eliminated altogether. If you love to scroll through social media apps in your bed, replace the phone with a book. Find a different activity that you can enjoy in your bed that doesn’t alert your brain to stay awake. Take up knitting. Purchase a crossword puzzle book that you can enjoy until you’re ready to fall asleep.
3. Pamper Your Skin
You deserve to pamper your skin. Don’t wait until a spa visit to make it happen.
One of the cardinal rules of skincare is to remove your makeup at the end of the day. Never sleep with makeup on your face. Even if you don’t wear makeup, you don’t want to go to sleep without washing your face. Maintaining a good cleansing routine is important because if those germs sit on your face and pillow, they’ll create a breeding ground for acne and more. This is a missed opportunity to help your skin thrive.
In addition to all of the wonderful oils, serums and cleansers, consider using methods to help you pamper your skin. Give yourself a lymphatic massage as you place moisturizers and serums on your face. Apply patches for under eyes in order to de-puff and brighten those areas. Doing these steps consistently can lead to skin that looks and feels supple, moisturized and toned.
4. Turn Down the Temperature
You don’t need to turn the thermostat down 10 extra degrees in order to cool down your home. Even one or two degrees can make a major difference in the way your room feels. When your bedroom is cooler, you’re more likely to get cozy underneath the covers. When you’re trying to get warm under the covers, you’ll increase your chances of falling asleep faster. Studies also show that sleeping naked with socks on can help you regulate your body temperature and experience deeper rest.
5. Consider Supplements and Tea
There’s nothing quite like a nice cup of warm chamomile tea to soothe the senses. Consider adding a warm beverage to your nighttime routine. Just make sure that your beverage doesn’t contain any caffeine. Choose non-caffeinated beverages like tea, hot water with lemon or hot cocoa. Even a touch of milk or sweet cream can make a difference in making your warm drink taste cozy and delicious. Herbs like chamomile and peppermint are helpful when you’re trying to fall asleep. If you’ve been struggling with falling asleep or staying asleep at night, consider adding a supplement to your routine. There are plenty of sleep supplements on the marketplace. Look for ones that contain ingredients such as melatonin, lemon balm and ashwagandha. If you are taking medication, contact your primary care physician in order to make sure that your supplement won’t negatively interact with it.
There are so many components that make up a good self-care routine. From working out on a daily basis to managing your finances, self-care is all-encompassing. When you focus on a specific area like your nighttime routine, this is a wise decision because sleep is so important. When you practice these tips on a consistent basis, you create the foundation you’ll need in order to experience restorative rest.