When things get messy, busy, hectic or stressful during the day, most of us think to ourselves “I can’t wait for this day to finally be over!”
Stress and a sudden feeling of overwhelm most of the time come unexpectedly. That is one of the reasons why I am such a huge believer in rituals and routines. Both morning and nighttime.
I love both the very beginning and the end of the day because I find them both incredibly peaceful. Those morning and nighttime rituals are keys to my keeping my sanity when everything else seems to get out of control. For a lot of us, nighttime/bedtime is the only time of day we get just for ourselves, too. The time where the distractions and the noise die down for a while- which makes it an excellent opportunity for a few self-care rituals.
NIGHTTIME SELF-CARE RITUALS
1. BRAIN DUMPING
If there has been a lot going on during your day, come bedtime you might find yourself feeling like your brain just will.not.stop. You worry, you play out different scenarios in your head, you overthink and the next thing you know, it’s 3 am and you’re thinking whether you should even bother trying to fall asleep if you have to be up in 2.5 hours. Even if it only happens once in a while, it can mess up with your sleep cycle and leave you feeling tired, weak and grumpy for days and it can take days for your body and cortisol levels to readjust.
On days when stress seems to get the best of you, do yourself a favor and do some solid brain dumping before you start to unwind for the night. Brain dumping is pretty much exactly what it sounds like; it’s you, writing down everything that is on your mind, everything that weighs you down or stresses you out. It can also be one of your nighttime self-care rituals. Think of it as untangling your brain or using a real-life pensieve- the upside to brain dumping is that it doesn’t require advanced wizardry. When you have all these thoughts, plans, goals, responsibilities and other things running through your head, it’s hard to put them all in order while they’re freely floating through your head. Once you write it all down on paper, they have no place else to go. Everything is right in front of you. You can look at everything you wrote down, identify what creates stress, create a plan and process everything that is on your mind.
2. MEDITATION
The more you think you don’t need it, the greater the chances that you can benefit from it. Meditation can be incredibly healing, it can help you clear your head, it can teach you to slow down, relieve stress, sleep better and improve your overall wellbeing. Nowadays there are so many wonderful guided meditation apps out there like Calm, Headspace or the Mindfulness App– there really is no excuse for not trying it.
3. GET COMFY
Once I have my PJs on, I am done for the day. We previously talked about the importance of unwinding and letting your body know that it’s time to for bed (this means lights out, no working + no electronics in bed, among other things). It’s all in the power of habit and training your body to recognize that certain rituals and habits mean that you’re about to get some zzzzs. While it might sound a bit silly and probably obvious, getting comfortable before going to bed is just one of those triggers that will let your body know that it’s time to get rest.
Hey, I love a good old baggy shirt I’ve had for ages as much as the next girl, but there is just something about getting into a soft, fresh, comfortable set of (preferably matching) PJs that just makes me go “aahhhhh!” the minute I put it on. Nice, comfortable sleepwear shouldn’t be reserved exclusively for Christmas mornings. Do some gentle stretching right before you go to bed, make sure that the temperature in your bedroom isn’t too high (crack those windows open if the weather allows it) and get your body ready for some good-quality sleep.
4. HYPNOTHERAPY
Okay, hear me out. No need to roll your eyes and tell me that ain’t nobody got time for that. Why? Because there’s an app for that. I’ve been using clinical hypnotherapy apps from Andrew Johnson since I was in college, pretty much every.single.night. I’ve suffered from chronic insomnia for a very long time before finally getting my sleep patterns under control. This doesn’t mean that sleep is something I no longer struggle with, but it does mean that I have developed skills, techniques, and tools that help me deal with occasional sleeplessness.
One of those tools are apps like Deep Sleep, Stress-Free or Positivity with Andrew Johnson. These audio apps use clinical hypnotherapy to help you relax, manage stress, create a more positive outlook and, most importantly, fall asleep without tossing and turning. Other than my email, these are some of the most-used apps that I currently have on my phone. They also give you an option where you can end with falling asleep or “waking up” which is cool when you also want to use them during the day. Whenever I feel so exhausted or mentally drained that I can’t fall asleep (yup, being “too tired to sleep” can be a thing if you struggle with adrenal fatigue- stress elevates adrenaline and cortisol levels which increase your alertness) I always listen to one of the hypnotherapy audios before reaching for my sleep medication. 9 out of 10 times I’m asleep within 10 minutes and a huge bonus is that I don’t get any nightmares or other side-effects like I do whenever I use medication.
5. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR NIGHTTIME BEAUTY ROUTINE
This is the one time where a little multitasking is totally okay. Taking a bath to unwind after a long day? Read a few chapters of an inspiring book. Taking a quick shower? Imagine the stress of the day washing away- forgive yourself for things that didn’t go as planned and let the stress go, visualize it leaving your body. Listen to an audiobook. While you’re brushing your teeth you can make a mental gratitude list and think of some of the good and nice things that happened to you during the day.
Even if you’ve had somewhat of a bad day, there’s always something to feel grateful for- we just tend to pay more attention to the “stressful” or “bad” things, than we do to the good and positive ones. The more you pay attention to the “good” the more you will begin to notice it. Even on those shitty days where you are so mentally exhausted that you feel like you got run over by a train once you finally crawl to bed.
Taking a little time out just for yourself doesn’t have to involve anything complicated. It is, however, very important to look out for not just your physical wellbeing, but also for your mental wellbeing.
Practicing self-care, taking a little break when you need to and listening to your body and your own needs is the best thing you can do to avoid a sudden burnout, breakdown or overwhelm. It’s important to be there for others; your family, your friends- but it’s even more important that you be there and show up for yourself.
24 Comments
Jen Lawrence
September 13, 2018 at 8:29 amGreat advice as always. I’m going to check out some of those apps.
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 16, 2018 at 12:21 pmThank you, Jen!
BlushandPearls
September 13, 2018 at 8:36 amOk, I’m really interested in trying that Deep Sleep app. Sounds interesting!
Angela at Blush & Pearls
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 16, 2018 at 12:21 pmIt’s been a life-saver for me over the last couple of years!
Jodie
September 13, 2018 at 9:41 amMeditation really works to relax me and help me unwind. I love the sound of hypnotherapy, that’s one to explore for sure!
Jodie // jodieloue.com
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 16, 2018 at 12:22 pmI didn’t believe that the hypnotherapy apps would work until I tried them, now I use them all the time.
Candice @ NatalyaAmour
September 13, 2018 at 2:16 pmThanks so much for sharing your tips
Candice | NatalyaAmour.com
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 16, 2018 at 12:22 pmThanks for reading, Candice!
Michaela
September 14, 2018 at 11:29 amI am subscribed to a lot of ASMR Youtubers and some of their roleplay videos are super relaxing and exactly what I need to fall asleep at night!
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 16, 2018 at 12:26 pmThat sounds so interesting! Looks like I’ve been missing out on one of the YT’s biggest trends- so great that they’ve been helping you out!
Linda Libra Loca
September 15, 2018 at 10:27 amNight time is the time that I stuff the most when things get hectic, I cram everything in there until I can barely keep my eyes open and then crash. Not healthy, and makes me feel pretty bad after around a week, which is always a reminder to free some time to actually unwind. In my case with an extensive skincare routine.
Anne – Linda, Libra, Loca
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 16, 2018 at 12:35 pmAt least you don’t struggle with falling asleep on those days, hah! An extensive skincare routine is definitely one of the best ways to unwind at night, especially for us, beauty lovers.
Paula | Lifestyle Gleam
Linda Libra Loca
September 16, 2018 at 3:54 pmI haven't struggled with falling asleep ever since I had kids. The second I get the chance to, I sleep. I wouldn’t market kids as cure for insomnia though…
Danielle Alexa
September 15, 2018 at 11:49 amI am going to have to start going some of these, my nighttime routine has been awful at the moment!
Danielle xx
https://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 16, 2018 at 12:39 pmThose little rituals can really make a difference in managing your stress levels.
Lisa Autumn
September 16, 2018 at 2:39 amNight time selfceare is always so important to me…
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 16, 2018 at 12:41 pmSo happy to hear that, mine definitely helps to keep me sane when I’m too stressed.
Erika // Justletterperfect
September 16, 2018 at 11:31 amThese tips are awesome! I wholly agree that having a bedtime ritual/routine is essential. My routine varies a bit, depending on what I’m into at the moment, but the things that always stay are putting a few drops of lavender oil in my oil diffuser, writing in my gratitude journal, and reading in the light of my salt lamp. Then I actually listen to an audiobook to fall asleep, so my mind is focused on the story instead of something embarrassing I did last month. ;)
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 16, 2018 at 12:42 pmThank you, Erika! I can totally relate to that, haha! If I don’t keep busy or distracted and just lie there in bed, my mind tends to suddenly remind me of every stupid/embarrassing moment that happened to me since 1999 haha! Glad I’m not the only one this happens to!
Mes Voyages à Paris
October 6, 2018 at 10:48 amAmazing skin care babe!
xx
Mónica Sors
MES VOYAGES `A PARIS
NEW POST: FEELING THE MAGIC… NYFW
Andrea Mazzola
September 18, 2018 at 10:39 pmLove this! I had no idea that guided meditation apps exist- I’ll have to check that out!
http://expeditiontoeuphoria.com
Paula @ lifestylegleam.com
September 19, 2018 at 11:06 pmThanks, Andrea!
Kate & Co
September 21, 2018 at 4:07 amLove this article, I live by mindfulness and find it such a useful way to switch off from the chaos of the day and calm before bed.
Thank you for sharing!
Love, Kate x
http://www.kate-and-co.co.uk
Natalie Redman
October 1, 2018 at 11:12 amI need to make the most of pampering myself in the evening, don’t do it often enough and I have so many products that I need to use!
http://www.upyourvlog.com