After a stressful day of classes, work, homework, and all the other day to day expectations you may have, finally getting home can feel like such a relief. You’re likely exhausted and more than ready to change into your favorite pair of sweats, curl under a massive pile of blankets, and scroll social media for the rest of eternity. As awesome as that may sound, there are other things you could be doing with your evenings to decompress from your day and be more refreshed than ever for the week ahead.
When it comes to starting your nightly routine, one of the best things to do is a bit of yoga or some basic stretches. Chances are you spent the majority of your day slouching in a chair trying to pay attention to lectures that leave your muscles tightly wound physically as well as mentally. Using a roller on your back or simply going from upward facing dog to downward dog a few times in an open space is a great way to loosen up, ditch your stress, and bring that pep back into your step.
Another great thing to do before bed is a bit of journaling. Now thanks to great American filmmaking, writing in a diary can feel pretty cheesy but writing down your thoughts and feelings can genuinely help you work through them. Or if not work through them at least understand what they are. When you’re jumping from one thing to the next all day every day, it’s easy to lose touch with yourself. Doing a short nightly check-in is a healthy way to acknowledge your feelings, see how you’re doing, create new goals and give yourself a pat on the back for how hard you’re working. Self-validation is everything! My favorite add-on to this nightly activity is a facemask. Facemasks are typically left on for 10-30 minutes, a perfect span of time to get some words down on paper.
When you’ve finally washed off that charcoal facemask or stripped off that giraffe-face-shaped sheet mask and snuggled up in bed, a great way to shut your brain down and forget about the happenings of the day is to open up a book. Your initial thought may be to turn to social media but not only is the light from your phone unhealthy but its content probably isn’t building you up either. I bet at least one adult in your life has urged you to read a book instead of staring at your phone so why not give it a try? There are millions of books out there so there’s bound to be one for you. Plus, what better way to forget what went on in your day than to enter into the fictional or nonfictional life of someone else’s for a bit? And in the long run, once you get through said book that’s just another item on your list of accomplishments for the year. If it was fantastic, recommend it to a friend and if it wasn’t, revel in the fact that you made it through which is something in itself to be proud of.
A final before bed suggestion would be to pack your bag for the next day and maybe even pick out your outfit. When you wake up the next morning fresh-faced, in touch with your thoughts and emotions, with a packed bag and cute outfit laying out for you, you’ll feel more than ready to take on the day.