My Night Time Unwind

Light a Candle: Candles are my thing. If I could I would light about twenty candles a day. But I have a boyfriend which gets anxiety over just one candle being lit for two seconds, and I have kids that are still a tad bit clumsy- so I must be very cautious about them. It honestly doesn't even have to be the nighttime for me to be in the mood to light up a candle or two, but it is usually the only time where I can have time to myself, and the candle can be on without me worrying about it being knocked down or blown out. It has become such a staple in my routine that I do it without much thought. Then there are nights when I realize my candle is just about finished, and I feel incomplete without it being in my routine for the night. It is kind of like my goodbye to the day! I am very fond of light scents that can soothe, and refresh the space.  Currently, I am using the DW Homes- Lavender and Chamomile ($7.99 at TJ Maxx)

Read a good book: with positivity to end my night on a good note. Whether it is a book, poetry, or some notes I have written in a journal. I always make sure I read something good before bed to keep my spirit and my mind in good head space. I have a really hard time falling asleep if I go to bed thinking about something I am worried about, or something that hit a nerve during my busy day. You should never try falling asleep while in a bad head space because I feel like it wakes me up in a bad headspace. Negativity stays where you keep it, until you decide to let it out, and abandon it elsewhere. So I try to block all the bad thoughts, bad experiences from the day - whether it be the kids giving me a hard time, or the feeling of being overwhelmed which I am sure most of us mommas feel on a regular. End your day on a positive note so you can wake up feeling ready to conquer the world again! Currently, I am reading Mindful Evening By David Dillard ($10.19 on Amazon). A simple book I can read a page a night. Perfect for moms who don't have the energy to read for hours in.



Worship/ Slow Steady Music: I usually stick to my worship music because I am Christian, and it really does comfort my stress and puts me in a good place. It is the way most of my days start and end. But not everyone listens to that so I would also say that slow and steady music like Erykah Badu, Sade, Maxwell, or even John Mayer. Now I must say this isn't something I do every single night because I am not a huge fan of noise during my downtime. I remember when I was younger silence scared me, and I didn't understand the necessity for it in our lives. I didn't realize the growth it can give you. Now I need to have silence in my life, even if it is just for 15 minutes so that I can realign my soul to my body. I love the sound of silence, its one of my favorite sounds. I can sit in dark silence by myself for quite some time. It helps me feel at peace, and it has taught me so much about myself and the person I am daily growing to be. Silence has taught me how to love myself unconditionally, and it has taught me to not be anxious in thought. It has created a better mental state for me, and truly makes me happy just spending time with myself. Background noise at the end of the night for me used to be a way to block out all the chaos I was dealing with, or as a distraction to focus on instead of my thoughts... but now that I have learned to be honest and not too hard on myself I can enjoy silence as a friend I look forward to meeting. So if I have any background noise happening it is definitely something to keep me grounded, and lifted. Not something out of boredom, or distraction. Currently Listening to "At The Cross" By Chris Tomlin (Pandora App)


Enjoy a Bath: I wish I could take baths all the time. But the way my mom life is set up, it's not quite possible just yet. I have to get both kids to bed - and though my oldest goes to sleep really easily. my youngest still has a bit of a hard time some nights. So when that rare time that they both go to bed early happens I like to take advantage and switch up the regular showers for a nice warm bath in the tub. It's another chance for me to enjoy some silence while I soak in all my thoughts, and all my growth. I enjoy letting my thoughts flow in the bath because it can get real, and I feel like I'm stripping my soul. I have learned to enjoy my thoughts, instead of weighing myself down with bad thoughts. I love bath bombs because not only are they really cool to watch how they fizzle and change the color of the water, but they smell great and really moisturize your body. I always come out with my skin feeling silky smooth. The scent also stays on my body for a fairly long time. Currently using the Intergalactic Bath Bomb ($7.95 at LUSH)


Drink some Tea: Depending on my mood, I will choose between some wine, or tonight it was hot tea. I try to stick to tea, especially during the week since I am the one that takes my oldest to school in the AM, and I have to be up super early to get everything ready for his day. But here and there you gotta treat yourself. Tea has many benefits as I am sure you know of already, and it warms up your body to help the restlessness of the day. It can help you feel more relaxed and ready to snooze. My all-time favorite has to be Peppermint because it is a good stomach settler to help you sleep better, but the Tension Tamer one is a really good one as well. Currently drinking Celestial Seasonings- Tension Tamer.

How do you unwind at the end of the night?
Let me know in the comments, and share with me some of your favorite nighttime rituals that help you de-stress!