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We’re all familiar with how important a night-time routine can be for our well-being and quality of sleep. Whatever helps you wind down for the evening is a tick in my books; whether that’s Yoga, a warm bath or rocking out to Metallica. It’s each to their own as far as I’m concerned as it’s important to be more mindful with your self and not just follow the crowd for the sake of it.
BUT (and there’s always a but isn’t there?) I’m far too familiar as well with how hard it can be to effectively wind down in the evenings. I swear there is just SO MUCH GOING ON all the damn time. It’s a wonder any of us get any sleep at all sometimes.
And especially now, with the added stress of the pandemic, our health, our loved ones health, potential furlough or unemployment as well as the doom and gloom on the news every single day of our lives. Phew. I’m exhausted just thinking about it all to be honest.
So today I want to share with you some self care tips which will be perfect additions to your night-time routine or things you can incorporate into your evening to help you wind down for the day, relax, switch off and just give yourself a well deserved bit of TLC. Because we all need that right now, don’t we?
6 self care tips perfect to incorporate into your bedtime routine:
Get the heck off of social media
Right, I’m going to be mean and serious for a second here. Because this is IMPORTANT. Social media can be the absolute devil at the moment. And don’t get me wrong, I freaking LOVE social media. But right now, in the midst of a pandemic and when everyone’s emotions and opinions are heightened, it’s time to GTFO.
I don’t mean ditching it completely. Where else would we get our weekly dose of memes and blogging drama? But now is a time to limit social media usage. And evening is THE TIME to do that. You don’t want to be trying to wind down whilst at the same time worrying about that conspiracy theory about dogs actually being spies for the government you’ve just read.
Incorporate Evening Primrose Oil into your routine
I’m very partial to a vitamin or supplement and have found huge benefits of incorporating a selection of them into my diet and routine. I use multi-vitamins and take cod liver oil to help make sure I’m getting plenty of Omega 3 fats DHA and EPA but now I’m also adding an evening primrose oil into the mix – I was recommended this to add to my beauty routine.
Efamol Evening Primrose Oil has been shown in a survey to support beautifully smooth and nourished looking skin. It contains Vitamin E which helps protect cells from oxidative stress, which can be caused by sunlight and natural processes including ageing. Efamol have completed a study with 77 participants that found the following results:
- 82% agree that Efamol Evening primrose oil supports beautifully smooth and nourished looking skin
- 85% feel happier with their skin
- 82% feel more confident with their skin
- 72% feel skin is firmer
- 87% feel their skin is less dry
- 85% skin feels softer
- 84% skin feels smoother
Those are some pretty great results, huh? As someone who’s never been particularly happy with their skin and is also suffering from acne and breakouts right now, this product showed up at the exact right time for me. Each bottle contains 90 capsules and is recommended to take 6 per day when first starting. They come in these beautiful bottles as well so the packaging is a firm thumbs up from me.
Another great thing about this brand is that these capsules are suitable for women at any time of the month, which is clearly stated on the box. I’m enjoying incorporating these into my routine and it’s very likely I’ll do a more detailed progress post on Instagram a little later in the year.
Although these capsules might not directly help you wind down in the evening, they’re an incredible addition to your skincare routine. And skincare is definitely something that at least helps ME wind down in the evening before bed. There’s nothing quite like giving yourself that 10/15 minutes of TLC time to focus on your skin.
(This survey was conducted using Efamol Evening Primrose Oil on 77 parIcipants, they were all asked to complete a skin perception survey before and after a 3 month period of taking the recommended introductory dosage of Evening Primrose Oil between September 2020 – November 2020.)
Limit screen time
Yes I know you’ve heard this one before but I thought I’d mention it anyway, just to stay relevant. But honestly, it’s not a coincidence that everyone is recommending you to limit your screen time. It like, actually helps. I don’t know about you but I work from a screen all day, every day. Sometimes I am so sick of staring at a screen I could quite happily lob my laptop out of the window.
I’ve taken to reading a LOT and also listening to podcasts in the evening. Two great activities which can help you wind down as well as keeping you away from that dreaded blue light (more on that in a sec!). Need some book recommendations? Check out my top reads of 2020!
Alter your phones blue light settings
This one has been a GAME CHANGER and only something I actually realised was a “thing” until this year. Blue light from screens is the enemy. We get natural blue light from the sun every day. However it’s the artificial blue light from screens which royally f**** us up. Because as you know, the sun sets every day. Yet our brains and bodies are kept wired, awake and alert by all this artificial blue light coming from our devices, way past sunset.
There’s a setting on iPhones (sorry Android users) which mimics the sunset and adjusts the blue light on your phone to fade away gradually as the sun is setting. You’ll notice a more yellow / orange tinge to your screen between the hours of sunrise and sunset when blue light has been taken away. It’s literally amazing.
Have a bath (if you can) or an evening shower
Over lockdown 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 (and inevitable 4.0 and 5.0 – coming soon), my bath times have been such a saving grace for me. They’ve sometimes been the ONLY time during the day where I’ve been alone and been able to grab some peace and quiet. So if you have a bath, DO NOT skimp out on the perfect bath time.
Bath bombs, bubbles, candles, water safe crystals, books, music, a Martini, chocolate – you name it. I’ve had some of the most relaxing and needed baths and they’ve seriously helped me wind down in the evening. This time of year is even better, as it’s usually so chilly.
Give yourself some alone time
I’ve struggled with the lack of alone time a lot during these lockdowns. As an introvert, being around people 24/7, all of whom are doing different things, making different noises etc, really stresses me out and makes me incredibly agitated. It got so bad in lockdown 1.0 that I actually started to disassociate. Alone time is incredibly important.
But it can be hard. We all know that. So take what you can get and try and prioritise at least 10 minutes of alone time every evening to help you wind down. If a bath isn’t an option, then perhaps just spend a bit of extra time on your skincare. Or moisturise with a candle lit and some soft music playing.
