Routine

As an adult, sleep is an essential medicine for our bones.

At night, I have the hardest time winding down. It began in my childhood, my parents never had us on a sleep schedule or bedtime so to speak, like the norms. I’ve always crashed wherever, whenever, whether it was the couch or my parents bed, I was never in my own bed. I had a huge fear of the dark which has carried into my adulthood. Yes, that’s correct, I still have a fear of the dark. Total blackness actually keeps my mind racing more than relaxing. My heart will actually beat out of my chest and anxiety will surface.

Which is why it is so important to start young, and start your children on a routine so they are accustomed as thriving full functioning adults.

Working a full-time job, serving in ministry, and making time for friends/relationships are all things I prioritize as well, but how to keep all your ducks in a row spiritually, mentally and physically can be quite challenging. Year after year mistakes are made, and we learn from them. That’s what leads to growth. How would we know to fix something if we didn’t screw it up first. right? I honor the challenges. Which is why this year is one for the books! I’m already off to a great start regarding this topic of “sleep” and ready to share my secret, or remedy in hopes to pass it along to others.

Get on a routine

1. Don’t overwork yourself:

Whether it’s work, or play-time, money and fun isn’t everything. My yoga instructor once said, “Your body is the only place you get to live in” and that resonated with me. It really hit home because after all the years I’ve overworked myself, what is the point of working if it all effects longevity, or if you can’t operate at your full potential.

So, I pumped the breaks. I make sure my nights are free and my days off are MY days off. A complete open schedule for solitude.

2. Diffuse Essential oil:

Sleep will always be my biggest downfall physically. So, I hopped on the essential oils train.

After a hot shower, I moisturize and then diffuse my favorite, frankincense oil.

I actually use frankincense for a multi-use of things, but this specific oil is an overall wellness oil. Expensive, but worth it. Frankincense is a sedative and releases calming properties to eliminate anxiety. It is an immunity booster and acts as a pain reliever as well. Despite its anti-cancer remedies and a hundred other benefits, this oil leaves you feeling rejuvenated in the morning! So, what a package duo to have a good nights sleep and to feel energized in the morning. When diffusing or using any essential oil, only pure oils are recommended for guarantee of full benefits.

3. Tiddy up:

Now this, is probably one of the most over-looked but important point for any householder. Even though this point should be prioritized before 1 and 2, we can never guarantee a perfect organized home all the time, especially if you have children in the home. So, this point comes right after the shower when I diffuse the oil.

Before I hop into bed, I tiddy up the place. Just a last minute clean up.

It has been scientifically proven that we can become sleep deprived due to disorganization of your room. We already have a million things that keep us up at night regarding the agenda of tomorrow and a messy atmosphere can really add to the anxious aura. Putting away the laundry, or at least prepping it for the next day and picking up any last minute clutter on the rug can release a lot of tension, for me- it’s all the cat toys, or out of place shoes or clutter on the coffee table.

Once, I get the place to a decent vibe, I hop into bed and I’m able to exhale into a slumber!

The goal to having a happy sleep is within us. Our mind, body and soul all work around each other to keep the ship moving. How we take care of it daily is so important. Of course, diet and exercise can play a huge factor in our health and rest but for me I wanted to really narrow down to a night-routine to give this year a great start.

I hope this was a bit of an encouragement to you and motivates you to come up with your own night routine. Each one of us know our bodies best. I had to dig deep down and dissect what we’re the missing elements in my daily living. I knew, I needed structure and that I battle anxiety, so for me organization, aromatherapy and having time off which means “saying no” and not taking on too much were three big changes that I needed to add.

What are your three?

Thanks for reading, and happy 2022!

You’ve got this!