Today’s podcast episode is such a great episode. My dear friend Kayla Short from www.shortpresents.com joins me to talk about night routines and why we think they are the new morning routines – or at least should be! 😉
I feel compelled to tell you that the milkshake in this photo was consumed by yours truly after this photoshoot was finished, haha. For some reason, nobody else wanted to drink a milkshake with their breakfast. Go figure, haha.
Kayla is just as sweet in real life as she appears online, and we’ve often joked that the two of us share a brain, which is why I knew a podcast episode with her would be wonderful. I’ll be honest, we get a little off track and dive down a wellness rabbit hole but I think you’ll take away so much from this episode it’s one not to be missed, so grab yourself a snack, get comfy and hit play!
Night Routines are the *NEW* Morning Routines with Kayla Short
Show Notes
Self-care is the OPPOSITE of Selfish episode
Kayla’s night routine starts at 2 pm when she cuts off her caffeine intake because she is so susceptible to it, if she drinks caffeine later in the day she knows she won’t be able to go to sleep and sleep is LIFE.
Because our jobs are crazy and our days are all over the place having a nighttime routine gives a semblance of sanity.
We both enjoy having baths using Epsom salts and swear by our essential oils (Kayla loves Saje and Suzi tends to go for doTerra but also uses Saje products).
Comfy pj’s and robe and slippers or socks are key for getting in that “chill out” mode.
Kayla’s favorite part of her night routine is her skincare. She removes her contacts then moves into skin care, removing makeup and stripping away the day then cleanses and moisturizes. Some days she makes it more of an event than others can spend a long time chilling out and taking care of her skin.
Kayla likes not having a TV in her room, while Suzi does have one but rarely watches it before bed.
Choose your alarm clock wisely. Kayla loves her alarm clock that gradually gets louder while Suzi uses an alarm on her iPod
Both Kayla and Suzi swear eye masks to bed to block out light and sleep in rooms that are a bit cooler.
Because of the light electronic devices emit, both Suzi and Kayla try to stay off their phones for an hour or more before bed but use the night shift feature on their phones for times when they need to be on their phones later.
Life tip: When your phone needs to be charged – so do you do!
When out at an event or with people, take the photos or capture the moments you want/need to capture but don’t live on your phone.
Savor the moment – experience it as it’s happening
You never know when those people you are with will no longer be around. Don’t waste your time scrolling Instagram when you could be connecting with loved ones.
Another good reason to stay off your phone before bed is mindset related. If you find yourself looking at posts and images that make you feel bad about yourself, you are going to take that to bed with you. Instead, look for positive images so you go to bed with a better mindset. When you read or see something before bed your mind will go over it while you’re asleep.
The lights from electronic devices mess with your circadian rhythm and release dopamine – which gives you more energy, ack!
You need to be your wellness advocate and find those boundaries for yourself
The aspects of a morning routine that are often talked about can easily be flipped into your nighttime routine. Things like journalling, morning pages, a to-do list brain dump, etc.
Keeping a gratitude journal and a future gratitude journal helps you keep your goals in the forefront of your mind.
Products other mentioned:
some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links, these links do not change the price you pay but will allow me to earn a few cents should you make a purchase.
Chamomile and Sleepytime teas
This Works spray (full size) (travel size)
Meditations:
My favourite yoga nidras for sleep
If you’d rather listen to me here is one of my yoga nidras:
and if you’d like to try a body scan here is one of mine:
If you would like to gain access to the audio files for these meditations as well as many more, you can get them as well as 8 weeks of yoga videos in my Yoga for Stress & Anxiety program.
