Self Care: Nightly Routine

Having a nightly routine will help prepare you for the next day, help you create positive behaviors and habits, as well as help you get to bed on time to ensure you get enough sleep. Your personally established routine does not have to have hard core regimens with a lot of habits in it to be considered a good one, yet it should be something you can overall keep. 

First, find out what time you need to be in bed by considering what time you need to wake up, and what the recommended amounts of hours of sleep you need for your age group.

 

Alternatively, you can use the calculator on startsleeping.org to calculate the approximate best time to go to sleep and wake up based on an average sleep cycle of 90 minutes. This will help ensure that you sleep at least 5 sleep cycles, and wake up at the end of your sleeping cycle, rather than get interrupted during REM sleep, thus making you feel more relaxed in the morning. 

https://startsleeping.org/sleep-calculator/ 

 

Second, consider what nightly routines you would like to implement, and how much time each will take you to do. Then, set a wind down alarm to give yourself enough time to accomplish them before your bedtime; gradually limiting screen time. Here are some nightly habits you can implement into your nightly routine. Start with implementing three routines, and then gradually adding more as you feel appropriate.

 

1.    Take time to "Mise en place" (10min)

·     Clean up and organize your environment (bedroom, workspace, kitchen) to help reset your living space for the next day, putting everything in its place, aka “mise en place.”

2.    Hydrate yourself  (5 min)

·     Drink a warm beverage, or cup of lemon water. 

3.    Brush your teeth (5 min)

·     If needed, this is also a good time to shower. 

4.    Exercise (30 min)

·     Follow along to a yoga/stretching exercise video, or perhaps go for a walk. 

5.    Reflect on the day passed (10 min)

·     List 3 things you are grateful for and/or have achieved, as well as what you would like to improve moving forward. 

·     Reflect on what kind of person you would like to be, and how you would like to feel the next day. That way, you are more like a regulating thermostat, rather than a reactive thermometer just responding to your environment.

·     Gain awareness of yourself and determine what your values and priorities are to help you visualize your ideal self, and start transforming your life to reflect your dream.

·     Read/say positive affirmations out loud, and set an intention of how you want to rise.

 ·     Journal, write, draw, read, pray/meditate.

6.    Plan and prepare for the next day (10 min)

·     List 3 things you would like to achieve tomorrow, and consider what goal will create a “Celebratory moment” when you look back at the end of the day and say, “yes, today was a great day.”

·     Help cut down on decision making by choosing and setting out tomorrow’s daily outfit, workout clothes, filling your water bottle, charging your headphones, and packing your bag if you will be going somewhere the next day.

 

7.    Get ready for bed (5 min) 

·     Put on your pajamas and fluffy socks

·     Say good night to your family, and set the alarm for the next day. Ensure your room is pitch black to assist your body in further relaxing and getting into a sleeping mode. 

What nightly routines do you have for yourself? 

Photo source: soundoasis.com

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