I feel like my mind is constantly going a million miles an hour. The lists of things that need to get done make it really hard for me to turn my mind off at night. Which, in turn, makes getting to bed really difficult. Ever gone to bed and just run through lists of to dos and couldn’t get to sleep? That used to be me all the time.
That is until I set and stuck to a night time routine. Shocking, a routine and set of steps helped the type a ocd person calm down, I know.
Since putting this system in place, I have been able to get to sleep much quicker and that anxiety list that used to race through my head is no longer there. So, I wanted to share it with y’all in case you are experiencing something similar and want help finding a way to tall asleep easier.
I like to think about it as treating my mind, body and soul. I know cheesy, but just hear me out.
Mind
This was the biggest issue for me. I am the queen of overthinking and making lists upon lists in my brain of things that need to get done. Since this was the main thing preventing me from relaxing at night, I knew this was the first thing I had to address when making this change.
So, instead of making the lists in my head, I put them down on paper. This has shifted as my schedule has become much less structured to actually planning my next day out in detail. I will sit down for a few minutes, look at the things I want to get done for the next day, and fill out an hour by hour breakdown for the next day. I also at this time set my alarm for the morning so that it is a set up and ready to go the next morning.
This seems excessive to some, but what I have found is that it really makes the long lists I used to make every night in my head disappear. So, it really feels like my mind is relaxed after setting all of this up.
Body
After my lists are done and my mind is calmed(hopefully), I move on to my nightly skincare routine. If you have been following me on Instagram, I am sure that by now you are aware of my love for my skincare mini fridge. And this is when it comes in clutch!
My skincare routine is probably more intense than others. I like to do at least 5 steps, and sometimes up to 10. While things like double cleansing and face masks may seem excessive to some, personally I find it all very calming.
Making sure that all of the dirt, grime and day is washed off of my face and instead treating my skin with some nourishing serums and moisturizers only helps with my mind shift. Also, it’s also just a good way to take care of myself. I mean come on, face masks are nice a relaxing right!
Soul
After I finish with my skincare and all of that, I then like to end my day by doing something relaxing that I truly enjoy. Usually, I will curl up in bed with my latest cross stitch or a book or a show and just take 30 minutes to just focus on it.
One thing I try to do during this time is to not use my phone. At times this can feel impossible, especially if I am reading a book on my Scribd app. But overall I find not having the blue light around right before I go to sleep helpful in the falling asleep process.
I know this is hard, but my iPhone has a night mode on it, so automatically at 10pm it changes its light to help reduce the harsh lights. Gotta love a feature you can set and forget!
It took me a while to get to these steps, but overall I feel so much better at night now that I have them! Winding down after being on and super Type A all-day like me was hard. Hopefully by sharing some of the ways that I have found to calm my mind can help you develop your own night time routine!
Do you have anything you have to do at night? Let me know in the comments section below.
