A self-care night-time routine is overlooked by so many ladies but the truth is, if you have trouble sleeping or if you want to set yourself up for a productive and successful day, it all starts the night before.
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Have you ever woke up from a terrible night’s sleep and then felt soo lazy and unproductive? I would bet that your routine the previous evening was either non existent or caused you to be more stressed.
Creating a self-care routine can seem daunting and that it’ll take you hours to complete but this just isn’t the case. Your self-care routine can be as long or short as you’d like it to be.
My full night-time routine is around 1 hour long. But this is because I like to take my time and enjoy every moment of it. I actually treat it as an added luxury to my day.
Of course, there are some days when I just want to jump into bed, watch Netflix (or Downton Abbey) and forget about the rest of the world. But even so, I still implement some sort of routine to my evening which usually takes me around 10 minutes instead.
One thing that’s for certain, everytime I fully complete my evening routine, I have such a better night’s sleep and go to bed feeling content and relaxed. In turn I then wake up feeling energised and productive.
If you don’t have a self-care night-time routine yet, I would really encourage you to implement one and really take note of how much better you feel.
The only important thing to remember is the routine has to be your own. You can take inspiration from others (or maybe from me?!) but essentially, it has to be something that is right for you and something you look forward to each and every night, otherwise it’ll become a chore and will have the complete reverse effects.
Your aim should be to destress, relax and prepare for a great night’s sleep
Of course, your evening routine may look different, but below is my current night-time routine which helps me to be calm and realigned ready for the next productive and successful day. I wake up ready to take on the world and achieve my goals!
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My Routine
1. Finish the day
Firstly, my routine is all about finishing the day off. I’ll review my to-do list and complete any ‘2 minute jobs’. I’m not sure where I first heard this, but I was once told that any task which takes 2 minutes or less should be done straight away and not put off.
So, I spend some time completing anything that’s outstanding. This isn’t starting anything big or even anything new. It’s more about doing the things that don’t take much thought or energy. For example, sending a final email or reading through my emails which have come in that day and flagging which ones need my attention the next day.
2. Prepare for tomorrow
Anything which can be done that evening to put me in a better position the next day is done next.
This includes having a quick tidy of the kitchen and my dressing room (everywhere else can wait), filling the kettle for my morning cup of tea and if I’m really on top of my game, putting the washing machine on timer so when I wake up a full wash has already been done – This is such a great way to tick a chore off your to-do list without even thinking about it!
If you’re planning a workout for the next morning, pack your gym bag ahead of time, or lay your clothes out ready to change into them. And, if you’re wanting to be super on top of your game, make your lunchtime salad the night before too. By sorting this the night before, you don’t have to think about what’s for lunch or what to wear for the gym because it’s already sorted for you.
Basically, what you want to do during this time is put as much as you can on auto-pilot. When you first wake up you don’t want any decision-making fatigue or resistance. You want to wake up and be ready to master your day.
The last thing I do here is to write 1-3 important tasks that must be completed the next day. These are things that need to be done and will bring me closer to my goals. This is not to be confused with any ‘busy tasks’.
3. Set the scene
I’m not going to lie, this is my favourite part of my evening routine.
When I stayed at a luxury hotel the house keepers would come to the room later afternoon and pull the sheets back slightly and turn the main lights off. Ever since, I have always done this.
Usually, around 8pm, all main lights are turned off and smaller dimmed lights are turned on. Perhaps it’s all in my head, but it does help to signal that the day is coming to an end and it’s time to relax and unwind.
Even if I don’t do anything else from my routine I will always pull the sheets back slightly to make my bed soo inviting, dim the lights, and put my electric blanket on so it’s cosy and warm for when I get in.
4. It’s all about you
My next step is to take care of myself. I usually start with a hot bath or shower to ease any muscle tension and to just be silent in my own thoughts. We have so many thoughts and feelings each day that it’s nice to just turn off from everything.
After, I’ll complete my skincare routine. If my skin feels dehydrated I’ll use this face mask or if I need a deeper clean / to exfoliate, I’ll use this one instead.
Next, I’ll complete a quick stretching or yoga routine before bed to really relax and let my mind unwind and ignore the noise from the day.
Now, it’s the best part – time to get into bed! My very last thing I do before lights out is to reflect on my day and think about the positives. By reminding myself of all the wins I had that day help me to remain calm and ready for a good nights sleep.
Uually I will write these down so I can re-read my wins for the month or year if one day I’m feeling disheartened. You’ll be so surprised by how many wins you actually forget over time! A win for me is anything and everything from the most basic such as “had a healthy lunch” or “had a nice and relaxing day”, all the way through to achieving a big goal.
5. Gratitude
Next, I’ll write at least 3 things I’m grateful for. Again, this doesn’t have to be anything ground breaking.
Some ideas or prompts can include:
- I am grateful to have a home and a fridge full of tasty food
- I am grateful that my family and friends are healthy and well
- I am grateful to be able to take time for myself
- I am grateful I am fit and healthy
- I am grateful for the sunshine today
6. Reading and sleeping
I usually now fall straight to sleep, but if I feel like it I may read for 20 minutes or so. My usual choice are personal development books. I used to read non-fiction books, but me and my impulsive personality just had to know what happened next so I would end up reading a whole book in a night because I couldn’t wait to find out the ending.
If not, I’ll put some sleeping sounds on for 30-40 minutes while I fall asleep. Apple Music have so many great playlists you can chose from and they really do help you unwind and have a great nights sleep.
And that ladies, is my self-care night-time routine in its fullest. Please let me know if there’s anything you think I should add to my routine or whether you’re planning to start a night-time routine.
