We’re all familiar with the aftereffects of a long, tiring day. Whether you’re spending your time working at a stressful job, running after your young children, or both; it can often be hard to find yourself some peace when the day is done. Our bodies may feel exhausted, but our minds are still racing; analyzing the day’s events, and planning out tomorrow’s. These mental preoccupations can keep us from truly winding down, while continually increasing our stress levels.
Proper rest and relaxation are crucial ingredients for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, so let’s take a look at a few tasks you can work into your evening routine that will help calm your mind, and give you a much deserved break at the end of the day.
Take A Hot Bath
Our culture is very focused on speed and doing things quickly. In order to truly relax you must do the exact opposite of that. Allowing yourself the time to take a hot bath, as opposed to a quick shower, can work wonders for your mental and physical wellness.
The hot water of a bath will help ease any aches and pains you’ve collected during your day, and the process of cooling down and drying off afterward a bath will provide a natural transition into sleep. Treating your bathwater with natural bath salts will further aid in soothing sore muscles, improving circulation, and even cleaning your skin. Warm, natural salt baths can also help with a wide variety of aches and pains, so make sure to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Meditate
If your mind won’t slow down on its own, you can take some time to focus it with meditation. Clearing the mind and slowing your breath will lower your heart rate, making it easier to settle down, relax, and eventually fall asleep.
Meditation may not come naturally at first, but this doesn’t mean you should immediately give up. Our minds have become conditioned to always be moving forward, always looking for what’s next instead of focusing on what’s happening now. Meditation can train your brain to be more self aware, and appreciative of the present moment. Try creating a soothing playlist to help get you in the right mindset. There are also a number of helpful apps available if you’re looking for a more guided meditation experience.
Use Aromatherapy
Whether you suffer from stress, insomnia, anxiety, or depression, aromatherapy can help put your mind at rest. Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment that uses natural essential oils to calm the nerves, relieve muscle tension, and help you fall asleep.
Lavender is the most popular essential oil when it comes to sleep, but Frankincense and Cedarwood have also all been known to effectively reduce stress, calm anxiety, and help the body relax. Keep in mind that most essential oils are known to be “adaptogens,” which means they adapt to the person who is using them, which in turn may cause their effects to vary from person to person. If you’re unsure where to start, try Way of Will’s Sleep Tight essential oil remedy to naturally put your mind at ease and relax into sleep.
Read A Book
We’ve heard so many times that screen-time before bed is bad for you, but that conversation is usually focused on smartphone and tablet usage. The same goes for movies and television. You may think that you’re able to relax while watching a film or TV show, but engaging your mind with any screen is actually keeping it more awake and more active.
Reading a book is much more meditative in nature and will help focus your mind and clear it of the day’s stresses. It will keep your mind occupied in a way that is both satisfying and relaxing at the same time. Pulling your mind’s focus away from its daily distractions naturally helps it settle down, which will in turn help you fall asleep, no matter how stressful your day was.
Once you’ve worked through your new evening routine, you’ll be physically and mentally prepared to crawl into a cozy bed and peacefully drift off. You will wake to face another day full of new challenges; but this time you’ll be ready for them.
