Evening Rest Rituals
Rest Rituals are not my concept, but I have made them a priority--especially when days feel like a slog.
I cannot get into a creative mindset, if my mind is buzzing, my shoulders are tense, and I am frazzled with busyness and household clutter.
And because no one knows how to nurture me other than, well, me, I have made Rest Rituals a priority–-especially on my most harried days.
On those days, when I’m dragging myself through the door after a long day and commute, I take a few minutes to set the scene for my eventual reward: REST.
My evening Rest Rituals:
Get comfortable. Take off my jewelry, put my hair up, change into my house slippers. Sometimes I change clothes or strip down and put on my robe.
Treat myself to hotel-style turndown service. Fold down the sheets, straighten the pillows, and make my bed in the most inviting way possible. In the winter, I switch on a heating pad for my feet.
Tidy my nightstand. This involves straightening the books I’ve picked through the night before, closing the drawer, and generally making it less chaotic.
Light a candle in the bedroom. This is usually something seasonal, and it helps set the stage for rest.
Switch the TV to ambience. YouTube has endless choices for a lovely scene and soft music. I enjoy seasonal ambience like snow or ocean waves. The ambience for sleep is less likely to be interrupted by ads.
Cool down the room. In the winter, I open the patio door and in the summer, I turn down the A/C. A cooler room helps me sleep.
Take a bath or shower. In the winter, a hot bath is a relief for taking the chill from my hands and feet. I turn on the heater, light a candle, dim the lights, and threaten my family within an inch of their lives to stay out. In the summer, a quick shower feels so refreshing to wash the makeup off my face and the day out of my bones.
Elaborate skincare routine. This often feels like a chore. Wiser people would say that I should infuse positive intentions in the process. Sure, but I usually just want to get it done because it’s a barrier in front of downtime. But it’s important to take care of my skin. Here’s the skincare routine I loosely follow.
Even when I’m walking through my bedroom with a laundry basket full of clothes, I enjoy seeing the relaxing space that awaits me as my reward to a good day’s work.
When I finally collapse into bed, I treat myself to guilt-free scrolling, then read a realbook before switching on an audiobook to read me to sleep.
Before I can rest, I need to prepare for my Morning Reset Ritual!
Prep my coffee maker. This is the first thing I switch on to get caffeine in my veins ASAP.
Prep my smoothie. I hate doing this, but loving having done it. I have a green smoothie for breakfast each morning, and it actually tastes really good.
Quick clean the kitchen. Wipe down the counters with an antibacterial wipe, load the dishes into the dishwasher, and remove any clutter.
Related articles you might enjoy: