With everything that’s going on in the world right now, there has never been a more important time to look after ourselves: both physically and mentally. So, if you’re stuck in self-isolation and feeling like you need a little more ‘zen’ in your life, how about making a new evening self care routine? It will help you to relax, give you that all important me-time and even improve your sleep when you do then go to bed.
What Makes a Good Self Care Routine?
Well ultimately your evening self care routine should be something you look forward to. It’s your time at the end of the day where you can finally take time out for yourself.
Before you start it, you should make sure you’ve finished work completely (no sneaky email checking ‘out of hours!’)
You should also try to reduce any distractions – calls, texts, family members interrupting.
We love them of course, but this is our time to just have to ourselves. It’s important for our wellbeing. So we’ve got to grab it whilst we can!
Things To Include In Your Evening Self Care Routine:
The best part of your evening self care routine is that it’s totally shaped by you.
You craft it exactly how you wish. How long should it be? Well that depends how long you’ve got!
Realistically, if you want to be able to sustain it every single day, I would say 30 – 60 minutes is a pretty good shout.
That’s manageable for most of us right? And it then gets you in the right state before bed.
So what to include? Here’s some suggestions to get those ideas flowing…
1) Go For a Walk
Stride out any of the day’s stresses and get a clear head before bed. It doesn’t have to be fast or long. Just a little 10/ 15 minute stroll works wonders.
And if it’s dark or cold outside, no problem – just wrap up and take a torch. It really helps with your well-being. Trust me!
2) Have a Little Pamper
There’s nothing like taking your makeup off at the end of the day and getting into some freshly washed pyjamas.
Use clean beauty brands to give that face a good scrub, cleanse, tone, moisture and then slip into your comfies before continuing the rest of your evening self care routine.
If you want to go one step further, as a little weekly treat – add in a face mask. It will get your skin GLOWING!
Then of course you may like to tan, do a manicure, maybe a hair mask – not every day or every week, but as a treat!
3) Have a Hot Bath
This might be something you want to make part of your daily routine if -for example- you prefer showering in the night instead of the morning.
Or, if a bath is more for you, maybe make this more of a weekly treat – with some bath bombs, bath salts and rosemary hair rinse (to really get your locks growing long and thick!)
Having a bath on the evening is pretty handy however. That way you’re not overloading and you’ll truly appreciate bath time when it comes!
4) Listen To A Podcast
You could do this earlier whilst you walk, or with your feet up at home. It could be on a topic that interests you, something you want to learn about, or something lighthearted – to bring a smile to your face!
Another nice alternative is an audiobook. I don’t know about you but this kind of takes me back to story-time as a little girl.
Regardless, it’s great to be able to just switch off and listen, without even needing to hold up that book or concentrate on reading.
I’d definitely recommend audiobook’s if you’ve not yet given them a try.
This then leads me onto my next suggestion…
5) Have A Good Read
Reading is always a great option. You can really escape reality for a little while when you get lost in a good book! There’s nothing better is there?
Reading also cuts down on screen-time and actually helps you sleep. So you might like to shift this to your bedtime routine.
Or get comfy on the sofa a little earlier, with a few nibbles and a nice hot chocolate to go with it… perfect!
6) Journal Your Day
Allow yourself some time at the end of the day to put your thoughts down on paper and reflect.
You might like to write about the things that have happened, what you’ve been up to, what you’re thankful for or anything on your mind.
It’s a great activity to add into your evening self care routine, because it helps with stress and is actually very therapeutic.
Give it a try, even if this is a new area for you. You may well be surprised!
7) Do Some Yoga
If it’s your thing, a short yoga session is a great activity to add into your evening self care routine. Youtube is an absolute gem for this if you’d like something that’s guided. Take this 12 Minute Evening Yoga Wind Down class for example…
Helpful right? Ooommmmm. Yep, I feel better already!
8) Try Meditation
Meditation is also good. In fact, here’s 12 science-based benefits of meditation if you don’t believe me. Meditation helps with stress, anxiety, many aspects of your mind and your emotions.
It’s one of our top relaxation techniques for a reason!
There are heaps of guided meditations for beginners on platforms like Youtube for you too.
You might also like to try deep breathing relaxation exercises alongside it, if they aren’t already included. Either way, you will feel oh-so zen afterwards… guaranteed!
9) Watch Your Favourite TV Show
Don’t typically think of tv as self-care?
Well if you struggle to find the time in the day to watch your favourite shows, then actually – being able to put your feet up and watch them on an evening is actually a bit of a treat!
You don’t want to watch so much that you get hooked and end up staying up all night binge-watching.
Just enough to help you wind down and – again – get lost in another world for a little while!
10) Grab a Soothing Cup of Herbal or Fruit Tea
Last but not least, it’s time for some tea!
There are actually different herbal teas out there that help with stress, anxiety and insomnia, which is why you’ll never go too far wrong by including these in your evening routine.
The Finishing Touches
By now your evening self care routine should start to be coming together pretty nicely. A few things we don’t want to miss out however?
- Candles: Candles are always a good idea. Not only does it make the lighting gentle, but aren’t they just relaxing to look at? Set the tone my friends. Let’s get those gentle flames burning!
- Music: Never underestimate the power of music! Incorporate some calming tones into your evening self care routine to up the feelings of ‘zen.’
- Scents: Aromatherapy actually has a lot of benefits. Play around with different fragrances. You can find ones that are calming, good for anxiety, supportive of sleep, the options are endless.
So there we have it! You’re all set to create your very own evening self care routine.
One extra point worth mentioning? After this, you want to get yourself to bed.
Try to stick to a bed time. It will get you into a pattern with your sleeping and make it easier to sleep. For more tips on sleeping, click here.
I’d also love to hear what your evening self care routine is so feel free to pop this in the comments box at the bottom of this post.
Extra suggestions are welcomed too! Sharing is caring after all.
If you enjoyed this post, I definitely recommend our 30 Days Self Care Challenge. It will help to keep you sane with everything that’s going on in the world right now! Click here to give it a read.
Stay safe and well!
Love,
Ell_xx
