Tonight, I'm grateful for my bathtime-to-bedtime routine. This practice has saved me from stress throughout my life and I need it now more than ever before.
We are living in uncertain times and, like most people, I'm dealing with new levels of daily stress from disruptions to my work-life and home-life in ways that I could never have imagined.
Most evenings, I have been finding it difficult to disconnect from emails, work, and overthinking. I don't use drugs or drink alcohol to disconnect which is why I try to focus on positive activities such as cooking healthy food, spending quality time with my daughter, and making time every night for self-care in the bath.
My bathtime-to-bedtime ritual is my cleanse at the end of the day. The ritual of bathing is the best way to wash off the stresses of the day. The good and the bad go down the drain, I sweat, relax and allow my body to create a state of peace. We recently made a Spotify playlist for 23 minutes of listening to tunes that will help clear the mind. These days, this is the only way I go to sleep well.
My bedtime-to-bathtime rituals are not just frilly self-care, they're my favorite recipes for better sleep. I have found that sleep (for better or worse) is the most impactful of my overall health and wellbeing. It's not just about how much sleep I get but the quality of that sleep. Just like food, the quality of your sleep is what will make a positive impact on your health.
HERE IS MY RECIPE FOR BETTER SLEEP TONIGHT:
STEP #1: DISCONNECT
I turn off all my digital devices, tell my family goodnight, and head to the bathroom to run a hot bath. I typically bring a water bottle and/or a cup of hot tea to replenish myself before I bathe and sweat.
STEP #2: SOAK
As the hot water runs into the bath, I choose my bath according to how I'm feeling that day. Recently, I've been choosing Hot Tub for an extra sweat because the stress of the day can leave me feeling run down. I only use a detox bath two or three times a week. On other days, I choose one of our daily ritual baths. I dry brush my skin, light a candle, and climb in the tub for a 20-minute soak.
STEP #3: SWEAT
After the soak, I drain the tub, put on a robe, and wrap myself in a blanket. During this time, I'll focus on a mindfulness practice such as reading, journaling, or meditating as I sweat for an additional 20 minutes.
After the sweat is complete, I'll rinse off and apply my face oil and body oil. Both are specifically formulated to be applied before sleep. Once my pores are opened from the bath, this is the most effective time to apply serums and seal my skin with natural oil blends.
STEP #4: SLEEP
Because we are living in troubling times, I find falling to sleep the hardest part of the day. After the bath a sweat, I'll drink magnesium citrate from Calm in a glass of water and take a CBD supplement from Floyd's of Leadville. This ensures my anxiety stays at bay long enough for me to fall asleep and helps me sleep deeper throughout the night.
I took 325 baths last year, and on the days I didn't bathe, I took a shower and used a 3-in-1 body scrub while practicing deep breathing for 10-15 minutes. I find that whether I bathe or scrub, the time I'm taking to care for myself is the most impactful.
