Do you struggle to wind down your day at a reasonable time in the evening or to get up in the morning when your alarm sounds? Like so many of us, you could benefit from building a nightly self-care routine.
Building the ultimate nightly self-care routine is easily at the top of my list of wellness goals. And while it isn't so much about what I do during my routine actually getting to the routine is the daily goal I want to reach. It's all about the practice.
If your day is any level of busy like so many other professional women you probably also add motherhood and day-to-day adulting responsibilities to your daily list of musts. Nighttime is when it's at to hit whatever button you need to in order to close out your day on a high note.
Have you ever woken up right before your alarm goes off feeling refreshed and ready for the day? I have! And it's pure bliss for a night owl like myself. Waking up feeling rested and restored is also an even bigger win for getting your morning started right.
Choose what
adds value to
and for your time.
So what exactly does building the ultimate self-care night routine look like for you???? I'm glad we're discussing this and hope you're leaning in because I'm here to share!
Decide when your bedtime is and how much time you'll need leading up to it.
I know - a least favorite topic but super important to get this part figured out first. Knowing when you're going to climb into bed ready for sleep is the first important decision you'll need to make. What do you want to do before getting in bed? What do you need to do before getting in bed?
Your non-negotiables might look something like:
work clothes for tomorrow
skin care routine
shower
journaling/reading
sleepy time tea and/or playlist to set the mood
I've worked from home for years but contrary to popular belief I just can't do it in my pjs!
I may not have the energy to do all of those things that I listed one or more nights out of the week but the beauty of my practice is I'm going to choose at least my skin care and playlist to do every night of the week. It's where I seek to do better instead of more. And it's my constant.
Get your to-do lists out of the way early.
The later it gets in the evening the less likely you are to get to-do list musts safely checked off your list. Truth be told it gets easier and easier to forget what you need to get done as the day goes on and you're inundated with other things that come up which may or may not be within your control.
Choose what adds value to and for your time. For example, it's probably easier to schedule your bills during a quiet break in your day than when you're distracted by any other number of things that likely won't be within your control later in the day.
Choose Better, Not More
Do you confuse better with more? Have you set more expectations for yourself with no means to reach them? In other words, are you overwhelmed, overextended, and feeling like you're getting nowhere???? I am too!
Adding more to your plate isn't necessarily better no matter how well-intentioned. The fear that we need to do it all or it doesn't count is what stops the practice before it starts. And you can choose to focus and re-focus wherever you feel the need to start. Focus on creating better experiences rather than all of the experiences for yourself.
You're on an ever-evolving wellness journey. As you choose to focus on the change you seek to make, your environments change and you adapt, it's inevitable that the way you care for yourself will change. It's up to you to have your practice in place no matter where the journey takes you.
