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If you’re struggling through every day, feel burned out, and find it hard to switch off and recharge properly, it’s crucial to look for ways to make healthy changes.
What can have a significant impact is implementing a self-care-focused nightly routine and working out how to relax and sleep better at night. Making such changes can have a myriad of positive effects on your mind and body.
Upgrade Your Bedroom
To get adequate rest, you require a bedroom suited to sleep. If you have an old bed, upgrade to a new supportive frame and a comfortable, quality mattress that will help your body to relax and sleep deeply. It pays to purchase a sustainable mattress made from low-chemical, breathable fabrics that help to keep dust mites and other allergens at bay.
You’ll also want to use soft bedding made from natural fibers and a pillow that suits the way you sleep (i.e., side, back, or stomach). Plus, ensure your bedroom is dark enough that you won’t get woken up too early every morning by sunlight.
Switch Off Devices and Turn Down Lights
As you start to get ready for bed, switch off devices. Put your smartphone and tablet, laptop, and other devices on silent and away for the night. The work or messages that are there late at night will still be waiting for you the next morning, after all.
Don’t watch TV right before bed, either, as the stimulation of the content and the noise and blue light can affect your sleep quality. It’s also sensible to start turning down lights in the hour or two before you plan to go to sleep. This signals to your brain and body that rest is imminent, and you need to start settling for the night.
Have a Bath or Shower
Another good way to unwind and give yourself some downtime is to take a nice bath or shower before bed. For many people, this is a way to decompress and have some time just to themselves, with no other people or distractions around.
Look for ways to add nice scents to this ritual, too, so you can engage your senses. For example, use shower gel or soap you love the aroma of or burn a sweet-smelling candle while you bathe.
Prep for the Next Morning
If you’re someone who struggles to get their mind to turn off when they hop into bed, you’ll probably benefit from doing ten or 20 minutes’ preparation for the next day before you turn in. Getting your papers or desk ready for whatever you need to do first thing and writing up a to-do list can stop your subconscious mind from worrying you’ve forgotten something crucial.
You might also want to prepare some breakfast or get lunch ready for the next day. You could plan the work outfit you’ll dress in the following morning or set out your gym gear so it’s easy to slip into as soon as you wake up. Whatever you need to do to feel more prepared for the day ahead will help you switch off and rest more deeply.
Do Some Calming Activities
An excellent self-care task to engage in each night before bed is journaling. Free-write for a few pages to get the day’s “stuff” out of your head and onto the page, or write a daily gratitude list. Journaling makes most people feel calmer and more centered, which is the state of mind you want before bed.
Plus, you might like to do some reading. Use this time to get into a book you love or to learn something new. Also, it pays to meditate or simply breathe deeply before bed to slow your system and reconnect with your inner self. Similarly, stretching, yoga, and related activities help to get out any kinks in your muscles and reduce the likelihood that you’ll twinge something in your sleep.
Follow a Beauty Routine
You can also use the time before bed to look after your skin. Follow a beauty routine that deep cleans and moisturizes the largest organ of the body and makes you feel good at the same time. Apply creams to your face, neck, décolletage, arms, legs, etc., to promote suppleness and cleanliness. Like the rest of the body, our skin works to repair while we sleep, so it pays to help it do that job.
You might like to try some of these tips or even all of them to discover what works best for you. Take steps to look after yourself with this kind of self-care routine, and you should start seeing changes for the better in no time.
