The Easiest Nighttime Ritual That Works Every Time

As a mom, wife and success-driven woman, I can say that I thrive on routine and rituals in all aspects of my life. I need my schedule and my routine or I feel so off-kilter and kind of crazy. I feel overwhelmed and out of my element. That’s why I like everything to happen the same way at bedtime. With four kids, a husband and a house, we need our schedule to make bedtime work, and that’s because our ritual is good for the kids and for us. So what I’m going to do is share with you the schedule of rituals we have each night that make our nights so simple and so enjoyable; perfect for relaxing, unwinding and regrouping so that we can tackle the following day with vigor and strength.

Have a System

We start with dinner. We cook, we eat and we clean. Then it’s bath time. Then it’s pajamas, bottles, teeth, stories, bed. We say prayers and give kisses to all four kids, put them in their respective bedrooms, close the doors and sigh with relief that that long two hours of dealing with our house and kids so that everyone is clean and happy and together is over. It’s usually about 7:30 at this point and we go take a shower.

Relieve Yourself

One of the best things you can do at this point to calm down and relax is take a long, hot shower. The water washing over you can really make you feel good – and clean. A great shower product such as Aveeno skin relief shower gel or some other muscle relieving, relaxing, rejuvenating body wash, scrub or oil is going to help with this cause. You’re going to feel the relief.

Light Candles

Do you have candles that are soothing and smell amazing? If you do, light them. The smell is going to take you somewhere great. It’s going to make you feel at home, relaxed and ready to enjoy some peace and quiet while everyone else is asleep. Make sure the lights are dim or off and sit back with a glass of wine or tea or whatever works for you.

Do What you Want

Depending on the night, my husband and I will either pour the wine and head out onto our back deck to sit by a fire and watch the stars, listen to the peace and quiet and visit with one another or we will sit on the couch, turn on Netflix or check our DVR for something amazing to watch. That few hours of relaxation helps to make every night amazing.

Photo by Giuseppe Cacace/Getty Images