There’s a Spanish proverb that says, “how beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward.” Whoever said that was never quarantined in their house during a global pandemic!
Whether you did nothing all day long or had one of your busiest days ever, there’s nothing like a relaxing evening to cap off the day. When we allow ourselves the opportunity to relax at night, we have the chance to shake off the worries for the day and prepare for what tomorrow will bring.
They say that one of the best ways to relieve stress and keep anxiety levels down is to have a routine. Routines help take some of the guesswork out of our day, they give us a plan and something to look forward to. Routines, especially the ones that we perform every morning and night, become ritualistic and either prepare us for the day to come or relieve us of the day we’ve had.
Staying up late to binge on Netflix and snacks is fun but it ultimately stresses out our bodies by exposing them to too much blue light and messing up our circadian rhythms.
So, onto the good stuff! Here are our eight nightly routines to help you feel amazing, sleep well, and relieve stress.
Turn on some relaxing music to relieve stress
One of the best ways to relieve stress is put on your favourite music, lay down, and close your eyes. Try not to make it anything that you would want to have a dance party to but, hey, if that helps you relieve stress, go for it! If you need a little inspiration, you can find a curated playlist on YouTube of calming songs.
Do some light exercise
Doing light exercise, like yoga, before bed is one nightly routine that has been proven to help you relax and sleep better. Yoga instills a deep mind-body connection that brings peace to your being. There are many different styles of yoga, some more intense than others, but there are specific flows that you can do to help you relax at night.
Take a luxurious bath
Sometimes there’s just no better way to relax at night than with a warm, bubbly, deliciously scented bath. BathDew™ Flower Power is our favourite product in our nightly routine. It smells of magnolia, roses and orange blossoms with magnesium and natural plant-derived collagen for supple, moisturised skin. Soak your cares away and then watch them all wash down the drain!
Want to know a secret? A study showed that an hour-long bath burns about 140 calories – the same as a brisk 30-minute walk!
Journal
It is often talked about how journaling is one of the best ways to relieve stress. It helps us organise our thoughts and reflect on the day that has past, allowing us to leave it all on paper without having to carry it with us into the next day. Once you are able to get your thoughts and worries down on paper, they are (hopefully) no longer swirling around in your head, allowing you to free your mind and enjoy the night.
Make a cup of tea
Double check to be sure that it’s decaf! We love the brand Mayde Tea and their Relaxation + Sleep collection, where each tea was perfectly curated with one goal in mind. Creator Kate Dalton is a naturopath with a passion for plant-based healing and wellness for the mind, body, and soul.
If cozying up with a hot cup of tea is going to be the only activity in your nightly routine, add in a few deep, lingering breaths for a full-body experience.
Apply a face mask
Face masks are one of the best ways to relax at night and you can combine them with other parts of your nightly routine! Apply a mask like the Calm Wellness Mask while you’re in the bath, sipping your tea, or writing in your journal. Who says relaxation can’t be productive?
The Calm Wellness Mask is formulated with plant-derived ingredients to give you an all-natural glow. It was designed with all skin types in mind, from dry, to oily, to mature, so don’t you go worrying that it’s not for you!
Set intentions and affirmations
You can do this in your journal, in your head, or out loud in the mirror. It doesn’t matter how you set your intentions; the most important thing is that you do it. Setting intentions for relaxation in your nightly routine might look like envisioning how you’re going to sleep while breathing deeply. Reassure yourself that you have everything you need at the present moment in time. You’re exactly where you need to be.
Autogenic Training/weighted blankets
Autogenic training is another relaxation method that focuses on connecting the mind and body for ultimate stress relief. It’s sort of like hypnosis, meditation and muscle relaxation techniques all rolled into one, but it’s something that you can do completely on your own. No pocket watches necessary.
Autogenic training is the process of relaxing your body and imagining yourself sinking into your bed, or whatever it is that you’re lying on, and feeling the sensation of warmth as you sink.
If you have a hard time with creating this feeling in your head, you can always go for a weighted blanket. Weighted blankets range from 2-9kgs and have been shown to reduce symptoms of depression anxiety and insomnia.
And that’s a wrap!
The best way to relieve stress at night will certainly vary from person to person, but the most important thing to do is just find something that feels good and natural to you, and create a nightly routine out of it. Good luck and happy soaking!
Shop the Soak Society range here.
