Having a wind-down routine as part of your daily self care practice supports your sleep pillar and sets you up for success the next day. It’s normal to consider a wind-down routine for children, but adults can also benefit from making this a daily ritual. If you lead a busy life, it is often difficult to do this, but then you struggle to get the proper rest you need. You then feel exhausted and feel like you are playing catch-up all day. Sound familiar? By incorporating a few key habits into your wind-down routine, you can improve your quality of life.
What Is A Wind-Down Routine?
A wind-down routine is an intention to tell your mind and body to slow down. It helps calm your nervous system so that you can get the best sleep possible. Sleep is important to help your mind and body rest and recharge. A good night of sleep will help you tackle the following day with more ease. Poor sleep affects how your mind and body feel the next day. It causes you to feel more stressed and anxious. Decision-making becomes harder, and you are less productive.
By creating a wind-down routine, you give yourself a better chance of having a good day. You need to make the right choices based on what works for your mind and body. These are normally tasks or exercises that help calm you down. People who incorporate a wind-down routine into their self care practice can start to notice the effects fairly quickly. Like any other tool, start with a few things and add to it. Once you experience the benefits of a wind-down routine, it’ll make it harder to neglect. And on the days that you are unable to do it, you will notice the difference.
Reflection & Considerations
A wind-down routine does not need to be complicated, but it does require some body awareness. If this is new to you, try to observe how your mind and body feel after a few days of trying this. Most likely, you will feel a little more calmness, perhaps even being able to get to sleep more easily. If not, perhaps add a few other things and see if that does the trick.
Start by identifying things that relax you. This can be hard if you are constantly running on fumes or have too much to do in a day. In that case, it may need to be trial and error for a few weeks. But ultimately, you need to make a decision on when your bedtime will be. Yes, bedtime. Even as adults, we need to have consistency on when we go to bed. This will make a huge difference in how we handle daily stressors. Your mind and body will thank you for this. Bedtime has to be decided on based on how many hours of sleep you need and what time you need to be up in the morning. How much sleep you need changes with age, and with your particular needs. On average, most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep.
Your wind-down routine should start about an hour before your bedtime. Some people even go as far as two hours. Aim for an hour, and adjust according to your needs.
5 Wind-Down Routine Categories To Consider
Below are some categories to consider when creating your wind-down routine. The stimulus in your environment can impact your ability to relax so taking your senses into consideration makes this easier to tackle. Daily stressors and your never ending responsibilities can weigh heavily on you and can affect your ability to disconnect. Identifying what those are and having a method with which to park things can help you prioritize your self care. Food intake and hydration are key to our overall health, but identifying when to make the cutoff is important as well. The behaviour of taking care of your body and connecting with your mind will also allow you to bring calm over your thoughts and feelings.
Adjust your environment
Start by looking at the environment of your bedroom. This is something that you would need to prepare in advance to make the most out of your bedtime. Is it conducive to calm? In other words, is your bed comfortable? Can you adjust the temperature of the room? Usually cooler is more relaxing. Does your bedroom have dimmable lighting? If part of your wind-down routine is outside of your bedroom, can you control the lighting there too? Try to adjust the lighting to be softer, mimicking sun down. This tells your brain that the day cycle is coming to an end. One final way to adjust your environment is through the use of scent. Is there a scent that you find calming? Lavender is often used by people, but everyone’s preferences vary. You can use a diffuser to release the smell in the room prior to bedtime.
Address stressors & tasks
Often our sleep is interrupted by racing thoughts. By confronting the challenges of the day and taking stock of what you need to accomplish the following day, you can free up headspace for calm. Journaling at the end of the day can help you offload any bad feelings you experienced and it can boost your positivity by focusing on what you are grateful for. By crossing off things from your to-do list, you can recognize what you accomplished in the day. Next, review what you need to do the next day. This helps you park those thoughts and free up space to relax.
Key to addressing stressors is knowing what is in your control. And number one for a wind-down routine is eliminating digital stimulus. Turning off screen time is vital as it affects your circadian rhythm and can expose you to harmful or stressful messages via the plethora of social channels you use. From news stories to work emails, none of it has a place in your wind-down routine.
Pass on the midnight snack
After dinner, you may still need a snack, but keep it light. Some people like to limit their water intake post dinner to reduce how many times you have to get up during the night to use the washroom, but don’t stop hydrating if you are not at your daily intake goal. Keep an eye on it, and perhaps it can help you optimize when you get your water intake during the daytime hours. Some people like to wind-down with a cup of warm herbal tea. Use caution to limit caffeine during the evening hours as it will compromise your ability to sleep.
Hygiene
Part of the wind-down routine needs to include hygiene. At the very least, ensure you have a chance to cleanse your face, especially if you use make-up or heavy creams like sunscreen. By cleansing your pores, your skin will thank you. Then make sure you are taking care of your oral health. Brush after your last meal and floss. Some people also shower or take a bath before bedtime, but some prefer to leave it for their morning routine. Figure out what timing is best for your lifestyle.
Slow down activities
Then, make conscious decisions about how to wind-down your mind and your body. Some people like to read or listen to relaxing music. Not everyone can, so this may be trial and error for you. The body can benefit greatly from light stretching or yoga as part of your wind-down routine. Even a few minutes can help slow your body down. If you prefer a different approach, progressive muscle relaxation can be done once you are in bed.
Some people can easily meditate, and it can help relax your mind and body. If you are new to the practice, there are plenty of videos and apps available for guided meditations. And finally, breathing. Everyone can learn basic breathing exercises. By focusing on slowing down your breath, you send a signal to your mind and nervous system to calm down. Whether in bed or just before bed, incorporating some breathing exercises can be the final element to your wind-down routine.
Gift yourself a wind-down routine!
A nightly wind-down routine is a ritual to optimize your sleep. By calming your mind and your body, you can leave the troubles of the day behind, and prime yourself to tackle the challenges of the day ahead. Much like children, adults benefit from having a designated bedtime which triggers the start of the wind-down routine. By knowing how much sleep you need, you can figure out the timing to implement for your schedule. By prioritizing this wind-down routine, you also prioritize a key self care pillar of sleep, and you reduce your overall stress. Consistency is key.
IMAGE CREDIT: Unsplash | Oc Gonzalez.