Motherhood is a beautiful journey filled with love, joy, and countless blessings. But let's be real – it's also incredibly demanding, exhausting, and often leaves little time for self-care. As mothers, we pour our hearts and souls into caring for our families, often neglecting our own needs in the process. However, prioritizing self-care is essential for maintaining our well-being and resilience in the face of life's challenges. One ideal time you can set apart as ME-time is just before bed. You can use this time to engage in activities that allow you to destress and relax. It will also allow you to have a better night's sleep. Getting a good night's sleep improves your immune function and your concentration and productivity the following day. It also affects your mood and social interactions. It is also popularly known to affect your physical appearance. Sleep deprived people often have dark circles or bags under their eyes, red eyes and pre-mature signs of aging on their faces such as fine lines and wrinkles. If you want to wake up energized and ready to take on a brand new day, try this nightly self-care regimen.
1. TAKE A WARM SHOWER OR BATH
Dim the lights and soak for as long as you want in the warm water. You can pamper yourself using your favourite soaps and other cleansing cosmetics. Fragrance the room with your favourite aromatherapy scents that help you calm down and destress. You can also use this time to practise deep breathing. All these things help to relax you and prepare your body for sleep. You will fall asleep faster and have a more restful sleep.
2. TURN OFF ALL TECHNOLOGY
Turn off all technology including your cellphone at least one hour before going to bed. The blue light emitted by your cell phone inhibits the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for your sleep-wake cycle. Also, absorbing and responding to information from devices (texts, graphics, videos, sound, etc.) over stimulates your brain further making it hard to fall asleep soon after.
3. PRACTISE A SKIN CARE ROUTINE
During the day, our skin is exposed to harmful environmental elements such as UV rays from the sun, pollutants and dirt, which if left on the face, contributes to acne, dryness and signs of premature aging such as wrinkles and fine lines. Falling asleep with make-up on also leads to premature aging. A nightly skin care routine is vital to healthy and vibrant skin. Our skin regenerates at night, which makes this the perfect time to treat with any skin issues. Indulge in a skin care routine which not only cleanses the skin but heals and slows signs of aging. Be sure to moisturize your entire body with your favourite lotion to keep your entire body soft and supple.
4. TREAT YOUR HAIR WELL
Having to groom dry, messy, tangled hair while getting ready for work can steal precious time on a busy morning. For this reason a lot of moms, myself included, tend to scrape their hair into a low ponytail and be done with it. However, I have found that with the right night-time routine you can wake up to moist, detangled hair that's easier and faster to style on mornings. Having the right night-time hair care routine can also promote the growth of strong healthy hair. Before you go to bed, brush your hair after applying a moisturizer or other detangling product. Apply essential oils to your scalp and give yourself a scalp massage. The scalp massage will reduce muscle tension and put you in a calmer mood. It also stimulates hair growth. My favourite mix is peppermint and sweet almond oils combined. The peppermint scent is so therapeutic and totally relaxes me while the hydrating and nourishing properties of sweet almond oil helps to lock in moisture. You will be reducing breakage, split ends and healing an itchy scalp. Added to this, moisturized hair is stronger, shinier and healthier. You can then wrap your hair around your head and secure with hair pins if it's straight or braid in twists if curly. Put on a silk hair bonnet so that the moisture does not transfer to the pillow.
5. WRITE IN YOUR JOURNAL
In a quiet place, recount your day and evaluate the experiences you went through. It helps to put things in the proper perspective and bring clarity and sometimes closure to events. Use your journal to also express gratitude. Spend time every night appreciating the blessings in your life. Reflect on your day and focus on what went right, even the smallest things. Allow yourself to feel the positive energy, flow from your thoughts. These feelings will not only help to calm you, but also give you the boost that you need and help weather the storm in tough times. You can also use your journal to write down your goals for the future or reflect on what you've already accomplished. You can also use this time to plan the day ahead so it moves like clockwork tomorrow.
Motherhood is a demanding and rewarding journey that requires immense love, sacrifice, and resilience. However, it's essential for mothers to prioritize self-care and nourish their own well-being amidst the demands of caring for others. By incorporating these self-care techniques into your bedtime routine, you can carve out moments of tranquility and restoration to replenish your body, mind, and spirit. Remember, you deserve moments of rest and rejuvenation, mama. So, embrace these self-care practices with open arms and let them guide you toward greater peace, balance, and vitality on your motherhood journey. Goodnight, sweet dreams, and may you awaken tomorrow feeling refreshed, renewed, and ready to embrace the joys and challenges of a new day.