The night routine activities that helped my anxiety and got me to bed
As long as I can remember, I have been a night owl, which partly is also because of my sleeping disorder, but more so since I always enjoyed the quietness of the night. Everyone is alseep and I am the most creative. I am writing this after 10 pm! Even when it won’t be posted at this time.
I come from a toxic family, and now, just living alone, you learn a few new routines. A quiet evening is really important; it can help you a lot. So there are a few essentials that kept me calm and made my evening successful.
A peaceful and calm evening can even improve your sleep, and that comes from a person who has had sleep problems since I was born. The benefits are immediate.
1. A calm dinner and watching something fun
This is my favourite tradition, and I even started this when I was still living with my family. I loved it so much! It was one thing I looked forward to the entire day, just making myself something nice to eat, maybe sometimes some take-out.
I light some candles, make it all cozy, and it is me time. For this time, I have the rule of what to watch: Fun and something that I don’t have to use my brain for. It really is an eating and fun time.
I know some people say you shouldn’t eat and watch TV, but I have struggled with an eating disorder for the past eleven years. Eating while getting my mind to do something it enjoys helps me a lot. Listen to your body, you can figure out what you need the most.
Most of the time I watch a Let’s Play, but sometimes I watch some reading vlogs or book related youtube videos, maybe even a vlog. It’s just whatever I want at the moment, having my meal and some entertainment. Not to worry or think about anything else, except spending some peaceful time doing what I love.
2. Do something I want to do
Do I want to practice some digital art? I will. Or rather write a little? I could do that.
It’s literally my free time, letting myself be drawn to what I want to do at this time. It’s important for me that I am not forcing myself to do something I don’t want to. Of course, something small may come up, but not every time.
I can do whatever I want, and I encourage you to try this. It takes the stress away; there are so many hobbies you can try out. I also have a post with 10 hobby ideas, and more to come in the future.
Relaxing your mind is as important as relaxing your physical body; it goes hand in hand. A quiet mind is better for you, especially if you are dealing with anxiety. Forcing you to do something that will stress you, so close to going to sleep, will only give you a harder time.
Listen to yourself, I love to ask myself:
What am I in the mood for?
It will always lead you to the answer. Maybe you want to play some games, or rather spend time away from a screen. I am not here to say what is right or wrong. I love to write in the evening or teach myself a bit more digital art. But sometimes, like now, when I have a pain-by-numbers that needs to be done, I like to spend the time painting.
Sometimes I also decide at this time to just watch a movie, I love to have little movie dates with myself. Mostly on Saturday!
3. Herbal tea
Now, I am a tea girl, and I love it! I could drink it every second of the day, even when I am also a coffee person in the morning. Don’t drink caffeine at night, as it can cause the symptoms to increase.
I love to drink peppermint tea in the evening; it’s good for you. It’s one of my favourtie tea. When I wake up the next morning, I always feel so light and good! It helps with a lot of benefits like digestion, bloating, and headaches. It also helps with sleep, and can have benefits if you are sick. It helps with nausea, motion sickness, and even sinus relief.
I could honestly write an entire post about different herbal teas and how they can help you! They are a strong part of my daily rituals. You can also drink other teas at night, just a few would be:
Chamomile tea
Lavander tea
Magnolia Bark.
Passionflower
These are just four examples, but you can even tie it together with your hobby, which you chose to do. It relaxes you even more.
4. Read
Now I didn’t write this into section two since reading is a nonnegotiable; I like to read in the evening before bed. Maybe not right before bed, but it is something I just got myself as a habit.
That is why it got its own section. For me, it’s important to spend some time doing what I love most in life. I am reading a fiction book currently, but I let my mood decide what book to read, although I have one fiction and one non-fiction book, so I can switch depending on what I am in the mood for reading.
I like to read close to when I get to bed, but not immediately when, because I am sure we all know the ‘One chapter’ sentences that make five out of the one we said we will read. So, I like to give myself some time in case this happens.
It works the best for me, I can always read longer but still have more time till my time to sleep, yet we all know the occasional nights we stay awake longer for the book that has us wanting to know more.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
5. Skin care and shower
Sometimes I have to admit, most of the time I do my shower before having dinner, but on some days it might be after, and since it’s the same topic of self-care, I put them together.
I stopped rushing my skincare and shower; it’s a slow-down time for me too now, I love it. It’s some me time before bed, my skin care, I almost do every night right before I go to bed, it signals my brain we are on our way to sleep.
Sometimes, I like to listen to gentle music or just be with my thoughts. Spend some time taking deep breaths while I do it, to help me relax even further. I always love to go to bed when I am completely fresh with my skin care.
My evening skin care routine is longer than my morning routine, since I am more motivated to do it in the evening, and my evenings are calm, so I enjoy it more!
6. Do a little tidying
It’s a practice that keeps my future me the next morning happy; it doesn’t have to be long or much. I have the same list every evening:
Put all the trash that is left away
Get the mug in the sink
Tidy things where they belong
Place blankets where they belong
It can be five minutes; I just do the same things every night, which makes my life easier in the morning. Who wants to go into their living room and see you didn’t put the wrapping from the cookie you ate away yesterday?
This is something I do right before I go to bed, tidying for five to ten minutes, maybe on some days it’s even less. Help your future self a bit out with this, you will be thankful the next day!
These things help me a lot in the evening. I focus on peacefulness and calmness. That doesn’t mean I don’t have some days where I have to do something that is out of what I normally do.
My evenings are focused on creativity and not something that has my brain working so much that I can’t sleep. Normally, I like to do creative writing in the evening, since it calms me down, and I like to write my post here throughout the day. But today it’s a day when I was so motivated to switch it up a little.
I am all for listening to your body and mind, what it craves, as this will always help you the most in any part!
xx
Lena
