Self-care has recently become more important in my life than ever before. Throughout my college years, I have suffered from anxiety and stress, but I never expected it to take a physical toll on my body. I learned I need to acquire new lifestyle changes to manage stress. My self-care night routine still isn’t perfect, but it helps relieve stress and anxiety if you are one to suffer from it too.
- Take a Hot Shower or Bath
There is something so therapeutic when applying heat to your body. Just absorbing the heat from a warm bath or hot shower does wonders for your mental health. Not only are you extremely relaxed, but it’s also a space for your mind to drift and focus on things you wouldn’t normally have the time to think about during the day. So, I usually start my self-care night routine with either a hot bath or shower depending on my mood for the day.
- Back or Neck Massage
Next, I either ask someone for a back or neck massage or I use deep tissue kneading sports recovery massagers for neck, back and shoulders (which I ordered through Amazon.) It really helps to have a neck/back massage to relieve the tension and stress from your muscles throughout the day. It’s especially relaxing if you do this after taking the hot shower or bath since you will already be fully relaxed.
- Drink Tea
Tea used to never be a drink I was fond of until I learned to love it. Drinking decaffeinated tea before bed is so relaxing and warm. It also makes a great remedy for neutralizing the stomach and making you sleep more comfortably. It’s also fun to experiment with different flavors or different benefits. For example, I recently tried butterfly tea, and it’s supposed to improve skin and hair health. So not only do I fall asleep feeling relaxed, but I wake up in the morning with a butterfly tea glow on my skin. It’s definitely a great remedy to add to your self-care night routine.
- Watch My Favorite Shows or Read My Favorite Books
We can all agree watching our favorite TV shows or reading our favorite books before bed are such great stress reliever methods. I personally enjoy watching comedies so I binge watch a few episodes of “New Girl,” “The Office,” “Parks and Rec,” “Community,” “Schitt’s Creek” or “Friends” to give me a good laugh before bed. The reason I suggest doing this is because watching our favorite TV shows or reading a good book is something we may enjoy and don’t make enough time for throughout the day. It’s a great way to finish the day off in a happy and relaxed mood to begin the next day feeling refreshed and motivated.
- Pray/Meditate/Music to Fall Asleep
The last thing on my nightly self care checklist is to pray or meditate to music. This personally helps me fall right into a deep, comfortable sleep. Meditation was something that took me a while to get into, but once I found what type of meditation worked best for me, it’s been a great method to fall asleep feeling relaxed. Listen to some of your favorite tunes and drift off to sleep. I promise it will feel super soothing and help you sleep comfortably all night long.
This nightly self-care routine has proven to be a great stress reliever for me. Everyone is different and may find stress relief in their own way, but before I found what worked best for me, I took the advice from others to test out the waters. This routine has been working wonders for me, and I hope this could inspire you to find your best self-care night routine to feel stress free! Self-care is so important and can be most satisfying when it’s done at night to take the weight off of your shoulders from the day. Good luck!