The night is dark and full of ….. relaxation! If you thought I was going to write terrors instead of relaxation, then I know what television show you have watched. G.O.T. Whoop Whoop! For some reason, while watching that show, that sentence got stuck in my head, and I say it now and then to my husband. A bit weird, I know, but I think it is funny!
Seriously, what do your nights look like during the week? Are you bogged down with kid's homework, sports, dinners, and bedtime rituals? Or do you not have kids, and you find yourself stuck in a rut of dinner, television, and work? Even if none of these categories fit you, could you use a pep up of your nighttime routine?
I believe that a healthy, fun, and relaxing nightly routine is essential. Nothing is worse than feeling like you don't want to go home after work or after your day time rituals are complete because it consists of more work and stress.
So, what to do? If you have kids, you likely need to continue most of the items that are on your nightly agenda that pertain to them; however, you can set a new plan for after they go to bed.
If you are married or have a significant other, it is vital to reconnect at the end of your busy day. You need to find things that are relaxing and get your mind off work and other stuff that may stress you out. This is also true as well for single people. Here is a list of things I like to do at night. Some of them are more geared toward couples and others for those who are single. But, most of them you can do with someone or alone.
1. Turn off the television three or more nights a week, especially if it is usually on every night.
2. Turn off your phone after the kids go to bed or at least after 8 pm to give yourself a break.
3. Make time to talk and have a healthy, relaxing conversation.
4. Play a game like cards, a board game, Sudoku, something that gets your mind off all your agenda items.
5. Take a walk, workout, do yoga, or deep stretches.
6. Make it exciting and get your sexy on!
7. Have a glass of wine and turn on some relaxing music.
8. Run a hot bath and soak with candles and music.
9. Read a fun book.
10. Do something creative that has nothing to do with your job. It could be things like cooking, baking, painting, drawing, sewing, woodworking, or photography.
11. Meditate or start learning how to meditate.
12. Drink some relaxing tea like chamomile and lavender to help with your sleep.
13. Dance it out and get funky.
14. Take an online class and learn something new and interesting.
15. Spend some quality time with your pets.
There are so many options to make your nights fun and relaxing. You just have to make it a priority. I challenge you this week to change your nightly routine. Pick one or a few of the suggestions I listed above and put them into action. Try it out for a month and see how it feels to reconnect with your partner and/or to make your nighttime routine more enjoyable.
