In our busy daily lives, we still need to care for ourselves. A self love night routine is a beautiful way to wind down and nourish your wellbeing. You don’t find time, you make time and you deserve to make time for yourself.
Self love is quite simply the love you have for yourself. Unfortunately many of us can relate to the feeling of not loving ourselves. But not loving yourself is a mistake. You will always have you – for as long as you live. Making the relationship you have with yourself a good one will make life a lot easier.
Pamper yourself, treat yourself, and indulge. A self love night routine shouldn’t be something you rush through just to get done. That is the opposite of the purpose! This routine should be used as a way to honor yourself.
With the following steps, you can start developing your own special routine.
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Unplug
Put yourself first by putting your phone away. Put your tablet and laptop away too. By now, we pretty much all know that the blue light from our electronic devices impacts our sleep. Most experts suggest we put them away at least an hour before bed to get the best sleep.
Unplug yourself from your devices and let them recharge – while you also recharge. This will also help remove distractions so you can bring the focus back to yourself. So many times when we are alone, we pick up our phones or we turn on the TV, instead of going inward and listening to our own thoughts.
Cleanse
Your body is your home – and it’s not a rental, so be sure to take care of it.
Upgrade your bath experience with lots of bubbles, oils, Epsom salt, or bath bombs. If you prefer a nice shower, try hanging some eucalyptus above the shower head and playing some soothing music. Candles are also never a bad choice, in my opinion.
Be sure to take care of your oral hygiene, including flossing and brushing your teeth. (It’s not the sexiest thing to talk about, but it’s still very important.)
Gently comb, detangle, and wash your hair. Massage the deep conditioner into your strands and wait a good long time before rinsing it out. Let it air dry, or dry it gently with a microfiber towel. Regular towels tend to be rough on your hair cuticles and can damage it over time.
Be sure to have a soft and comfy robe waiting for you to emerge and spend time deeply moisturizing your skin.
Stretch
Stretch out your muscles. You don’t have to do a full-on yoga routine to reap the benefits of stretching. Basic stretches can help reduce muscle tension and enhance blood flow. Doing slow, purposeful stretches can also help your body feel much more relaxed.
Similarly, you can also use self-massage to relax your body and improve your circulation. To do a proper self massage, you’ll want to add oil to your skin first, so you aren’t pulling at it roughly.
After you give yourself a soothing massage, you can hop into a shower or bath to rinse the oils off. Depending on who you ask, self massage has also been said to improve your skin texture and reduce signs of aging.
Cultivate Calm
Make your space a sanctuary. Your space should be pleasant , somewhere that you actually want to be. Surround yourself with your favorite things.
Make sure you keep your space tidy and organized, clutter will only distract you. A clean space supports a calm mind. You’ll have already stashed away your electronic devices away for the same reason.
Pull out your coziest, comfiest lounge wear and softest blankets. Dim the harsh overhead lights and burn some candles or turn on twinkle lights instead.
Soft background music or white noise can also be useful to drown out any disruptive or annoying sounds from the outside. Really set the mood for your self love night routine.
Aromatherapy is another way to cultivate that feeling of calm. Many scents are known for their soothing effects. This might mean lighting a candle, burning some incense, or using a diffuser. Scents known for being calm include lavender and sandalwood.
Journal
Journaling is an old but profound practice. It’s a way to connect with your thoughts and feelings outside of your head. Your journal should be a private place just for you, where you don’t have to worry about anyone else misunderstanding your words. It should be a place where you can be completely unfiltered.
Journaling at night allows you the opportunity to reflect on your day and release any emotions you are holding onto. It’s a way to shift your mindset into a time of rest and let go of any negativity you may be holding on to.
There are no right or wrong ways to keep a journal. It’s a space for you to use however you see fit. Use your journal to analyze patterns and challenges in your life, or use it to set intentions and goals for the future. If you still don’t know what to write, a great place to start journaling as part of your self love night routine is with these journal prompts for self love.
Meditate
Meditation is a powerful mindfulness practice. You want to sit in a quiet and comfortable space where you can relax and won’t be disturbed. For your self love night routine, this should be a self love meditation.
The purpose of which is to cultivate a healthier relationship with yourself and enhance your overall wellbeing. There are many guided meditations of all kinds available for you to listen to online, though you don’t need one. You can use your meditation to really tune into that inner feeling that self compassion, acceptance, and love.
If you have a hard time getting into the right headspace to meditate on self love, try sending love to others instead. Think about the important people you love in your life and send them good vibes. Even think about the more frustrating people in your life – send them love too.
Read
There is really no wrong time to read, but it can be a particularly good addition to your self love night routine. As long as you don’t choose something overly stimulating, stressful, and scary of course!
You want to look for books that you enjoy, but you also want what you’re reading before bed to be calming. You could pick up a light novel, self-help book or even try some poetry.
It’s a good way to let go of the stress of the day and start to transition into a relaxing night.
Music
Listening to music can have a powerful effect on your mood. For your self love night routine, you want calming and soothing music, nothing too upbeat.
For night time, you want to consider listening to slower paced songs, maybe even some instrumental only music without vocals. Relaxing classical music can also be an effective way to get yourself in the state of mind for sleep.
Drink Tea
The act of sipping and savoring a warm beverage can have a calming effect. They make specific teas for nights, sometimes called bedtime tea or sleepy time tea. Many teas also contain immune-boosting properties and can help soothe your digestive system. Not to mention, tea is just pretty tasty.
Try experimenting with different varieties – white tea and green tea tend to be a little milder than black or oolong. Some of the best teas for nighttime include chamomile, lavender and peppermint. Try not to add too much sugar to your tea though, as it will make it more stimulating.
Plan
Review your schedule so you’re prepared for what tomorrow holds. Pick out which clothes you’re going to wear tonight to save a ton of time in the morning. Prepare your work bag if you leave for work, or your work area if you work from home.
You know what time you have to wake up in the morning, so count backwards from that. Once you’ve figured out what time you need to get to bed, actually honor that. Be snuggling under those covers and half way to dream land by your chosen time.
If you have a busy day ahead of you, planning the night before is a must. It will greatly increase your productivity and allow you to start the day off on the right foot. Just be realistic with your time and flexible with yourself.
Gratitude
Gratitude is an incredibly powerful act and feeling. It’s about recognizing the good in life, and specifically for our purposes – the good in yourself. Thank yourself for surviving all of the trials and obstacles you’ve experienced along your journey.
It’s time to stop the negative self-talk. All those mean things that you are saying to yourself, would you say those things to someone you love? Well, you are also supposed to be someone you love. Be gentle with yourself.
Love and hate cannot coexist. In the words of the great Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., “Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it.”
Self love is about accepting who you are – inside and out. It’s about forgiving yourself for mistakes you’ve made. We all make mistakes. Those were in the past and you’ve learned from them. Sometimes, we all do stupid or selfish things. But we can also all change and grow. You can change and grow and be better than before.
Affirmations
Don’t discount the powers of your words, remember that you mind is always listening, it hears everything that you think and say. It wants to make what you think true – whether you’re thinking good things or bad things.
There have been studies to show that repeating positive affirmations can help reduce your stress and even activates the reward centers in your brain. Repeating positive affirmations can also help shift your mindset and overcome negative thought patterns.
By taking the time to focus your thoughts on the positive, you’ll find more things to be positive about.
Visualize
Find a quiet cozy spot to sit and close your eyes. Visualize positive and calming scenes or everything happening perfectly for you. Really immerse your visualization, not just picturing the sights, but also imagining the smells and sensations. Engage your imagination.
By visualizing yourself having a good day tomorrow, you can help yourself stay focused and motivated. Visualization is also a key part of manifesting your desires and reinforcing your commitment to making them happen.
If you find it difficult to create images in your mind, there are plenty of guided visualizations online that can immerse you in serene and calming scenes. This should foster a sense of relaxation as well, potentially improving the quality of your sleep.
Being Consistent
Having a consistent night routine can help regulate your body’s internal clock. Having a consistent self love night routine helps make sure that you prioritize yourself.
The idea is to take these different actions and customize them into being your unique and perfect-for-you self love night routine. You can start off by just doing 1 or 2 things to see how they make you feel. Don’t feel pressured to do absolutely everything on this list your very first night.
By performing these self love practices, you are helping to reduce your stress and ultimately improve your sleep quality. Sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your body.
Sleep is the foundation for your health and energy and another reason why a consistent self love night routine can be so beneficial. Can you think of any other soothing self love activities that would be great for a night routine? Let me know in a comment below!
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