Meditation – Well of Joy

Creating a self-care evening routine is the foundation for a peaceful evening and waking up refreshed, without a worry in your mind. Having a self-care evening routine helps you create a calming environment so you can relax, fall asleep faster and sleep soundly through the night. Since I was young I've had trouble sleeping. I would spend hours tossing and turning in the dark before sneaking a book and flashlight into bed with me. Fast-forward to today, and I'm still doing the same thing. After I get into bed, I'll end up lying awake, my mind bouncing around like a kangaroo. Then I end up giving in to the call of my phone and scrolling on Pinterest for another hour or two before finally falling asleep. Sound familiar? When you do this you prolong the time it takes to get to sleep, miss out on valuable hours of snoozing time and, lessen the quality of your sleep overall. So what's the solution? I've found it's very helpful to create a night-time self-care routine. An evening routine signals your body it's time to rest and helps you to clear your mind for deeper sleep and a more blissful morning. Poor sleep is a problem that affects many of us, but committing to a simple evening self-care routine can turn that around. I'll share the different elements I use in my evening routine to clear my mind and cue my body that it's time for rest. Along the way, I'll also talk about some habits that are getting in the way of the rejuvenating nights' sleep you deserve. How to Create Your Self-Care Evening Routine These activities and tips are all designed to help you release any tension you might be carrying from your day. They will guide your body, mind, and soul into a restful place. Simply choose a few that work for you and build your perfect self-care evening routine. Set a Time to Stop Working With a lot of us working from home these days, it can be hard to disconnect fully from our jobs. Set a time to step away from your laptop and let your brain know it's okay to take a rest. Create Your To-Do List One thing I find helps me to really relax in the evening is writing a to-do list for the next day. Something about getting all those ideas out onto a list helps me feel better about leaving them aside for the day, knowing that I can pick them up tomorrow. Write in Your Journal Journaling is another habit that can give you peace of mind and create a little distance from your day. At the end of the day, try grabbing a notebook and penning out the things that are sticking in your mind. Something about getting your thoughts on paper really helps to clear your head. Think of it like doing your Morning Pages at night. If you haven't tried Morning Pages yet you can check How to Do You Morning Pages: A Daily Self-Care Journal Routine here! Turn Down the Lights Try to set a time when you dim your lights, or even turn them off completely and light a few candles. (Just remember to blow them out!)You can also get these cute, battery-powered candles. They give the same cozy, evening ambiance, without having to worry about burning your house down. Creating a dim environment helps send signals to our brain that it's is time for sleep. Say ‘Goodbye’ to Late-Night Screen Binges Pick a time to turn off your cell phone, laptop, and TV and stick to it. The bright, blue light from the phone screen tells your brain that it's daytime and to stay awake. Not to mention the constant stimulation keeps you in overthinking mode long after the screen goes off. So turn off your phone, t.v. and/or laptop at least an hour before bedtime and let your brain get ready to rest. >>Read more about why it's time to ditch your late-night cell phone habit here No More Late-Night Snacking When you eat late at night you are telling your body to keep creating energy, especially if you choose to eat anything heavy with carbohydrates or sugar. You are also starting a new digestion process that requires large amounts of energy from your body and can disrupt the quality of your sleep. Stop eating two to four hours before bedtime. This allows your body time to complete its digestion processes before bed and gives you have a more restful night. Invest in Cozy Pajamas After traveling in warm countries the past couple of years, where I didn't need PJs, I finally invested in some cozy pajamas. Sooo worth it. Slipping into my pj's every night gives me something to look forward to after I set my work aside and helps me get into the cozy evening vibe. Make Yourself an Evening Tea Brewing yourself a steaming, warm cup of relaxing tea is a simple act of self-care that can go a long way. My go-to's are valerian root, lavender, and chamomile. Each has medicinal properties that act as natural sleep remedies to help you fall asleep faster and improve your quality of sleep. >>You can read more about the 6 best teas for a good night's sleep here. Evening Affirmations Evening affirmations can be a powerful way to set the day aside and head to bed stress- free. Sit in a comfortable position and repeat an affirmation that resonates with you, allowing the energy of those words to fill you. Feel into how you would feel if the affirmation we're true, and allow that feeling to grow in your heart. Some self-care evening affirmations to get started with might be: -I release the day. -I surrender any heaviness from stress, fear, anger, or resentment. -I forgive myself. -I give myself permission to fully relax into a good night's sleep. -I am in harmony with the universe. Or try making up your own. Don't overthink it and let your heart's desires flow into an affirmation that is aligned with you. Practice Gratitude Practicing gratitude helps you to remember all the little things in your day that went right. As humans, we sometimes fixate on the things that could have gone better, and ignore all the beautiful small, moments that brought us joy. Tuning into gratitude guides you into a place of peace, and helps you relax for a better night's sleep. Try repeating the affirmation “I am grateful for today” or simply “Thank you” and see what comes to you. You can also write a list of what you#re grateful for in your journal. Try to name specific things and avoid being too general. Meditation Before you head to bed, take a few final minutes to rest in stillness. Meditation can increase melatonin, reduce heart rate, relieve anxiety and so much more. It's a self-care practice that is beneficial for the body, mind, and, soul. >>If you're looking for some guidance, try this guided meditation for sleep from Headspace. Breathing Exercise for Sleep Once you're snuggled up in bed try the 4-7-8 breathing exercise to keep your mind clear and help you fall asleep quickly. The 4-7-8 breathing technique goes like this: breath in for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. This breathing technique helps you fall asleep fast and keep those anxious evening thoughts at bay. Read more about the 4-7-8 breathing technique at Medicalnewstoday.com. Remember that, above all, the most important thing is to plan a routine and commit to it! You can create the perfect evening self-care routine, but it won't help you sleep or improve your morning if you don't stick with it. I hope I shared some ideas that will help in creating an evening self-care routine that's perfect for you. Thank you for being here, Rebecca