Wellness Practices To Elevate Your Evening
A curated list to implement into your routine: focusing on health, stress relief and sleep quality
Daily Movement — Find a movement you actually love and prioritise it. Even if it is only for ten minutes, your body will thank you. Also, movement done outside around sunset helps set your circadian rhythm. The natural light of sunrises and sunsets help trigger the hormones that wake you up and help you sleep.
Do Not Disturb — The setting exists for a reason, use it. At some point we all need to disconnect, unwind and take a moment for ourself, so make it a priority each evening and turn it on when you can.
Dry brush — Exfoliates and stimulates blood circulation, opens detox pathways to promote lymphatic drainage and remove toxins from the body. If you workout in the afternoon, dry brushing before exercise can enhance these benefits, otherwise do this pre-shower. Start at the hands and feet, stroking upwards with small, circular motions towards the heart. For the stomach, brush downwards.
Scalp Massage — Increases the blood circulation, reduces tension and removes product build up, all promoting hair growth and thickness.
Skincare — According to vogue, less is more. You never needed a fifteen step skincare routine, even though I do adore the look of chic cabinet stocked with skincare. Learn your skin type, recognise what works for you and keep it simple.
Essentials: Cleanser, Exfoliant, Moisturiser
Products worth your attention: Toner, Hydrating Serums, Retinol, Vitamin C, Eye Cream
Gua Sha — Releases tension, promotes lymphatic drainage, improves circulation, reduce puffiness and sculpts the face.
Moisturise — Hydrate and nourish the skin after every shower. Moisturising every evening helps protect the skin barrier, avoid dryness and can prevent aging. The beautiful thing about having skincare rituals is that they force you to take a moment for yourself each day and be present.
Avoid blue light — The night shift feature in phone settings adjusts the brightness, changing to a warmer tone. Dare I say this actually works. If you are focused on improving your circadian rhythm and sleep schedule, setting this feature to turn on each evening will help your body wind down.
Clean your space — Always end the evening with a clean space. Never leave mess for tomorrow. Simple but makes the difference.
Gentle stretches — Taking a few moments to gently stretch the body can reduce muscle tension, lower cortisol levels, and activate the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. We all know basic stretches but if you were to prioritise anything, search for a few posture realignment stretches. Simply lying on the floor will decompress the spine.
Legs up the wall — putting your legs up against a wall can help calm the nervous system, promote lymphatic drainage and stimulate circulation. This again activates the parasympathetic nervous system which can aid digestion and lead to better sleep quality.
Unplug — No social media between 9pm and 9am.
Warm Water — If you are focused on supporting gut health and digestion, drink warm water at night and in the morning. Simply drinking warm water an hour or two before bed helps stimulate digestion, circulation, and of course hydrate the body. Adding herbal teas works well too and can be very beneficial in other aspects depending on what type you prefer.
Journal — Do what works for you, but for anyone wanting inspiration, simply writing one beautiful thing that happened at the end of each day can be. This effortless task helps practise gratitude, and trains the brain to search for the good, even on bad days. Otherwise, whatever is on your mind, write it down. Stresses, thoughts, to-do lists, anything. Put it on paper and out of your mind.
Consistent Sleep Schedule — The body needs routine, so this is essential. Setting a bedtime reinforces your circadian rhythm and ensures proper quality sleep.
Love Always,
Ella