Lazy Girl Does "The Minimalist Challenge" - Day 22
Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
As someone who lives with terribly fun insomnia, I can tell you that I am the BEST at creating relaxing bedtime routines. I could create a routine for anybody to follow and guarantee that they’ll be the most relaxed they’ll ever be before heading off into their Nodland. I’ve perfected the art of the bubble bath. I’ve tasted most of the best herbal teas. I’ve got my ‘calm’ music playlist at the ready. I’ve got twinkly fairy lights to put me in a bedtime mood. I could go on.
But what’s the point of going on? Because as magical as all these things are, they just do not work.
If the end goal of a ‘relaxing bedtime routine’ is to be asleep… well, HA! Jokes on the Minimalist Challenge because MY BODY DOESN’T RESPOND TO THAT SHIT! I can’t be a relaxed bunny, all ready in my pyjamas, smelling of lavender and listening to Jimi Hendrix’s sweet tones and then my brain starts to twitch. And all of a sudden I’m thinking. Thinking about the perfect reply to a message I’ve been putting off. I’m thinking of a new poems that I just HAVE to get down. I’m thinking of scenarios to things that will never happen but that I wish would. THIS the never ending COMPLETELY UN-RELAXING routine that I end up following at bedtime.
For the sake of this daily task. I’ll write down my bedtime routine for tonight.
Make tea (green)
Take off clothes
Put on pyjamas
Find glasses
Put on glasses
Find book
Put book down
Make bed
Lose book
Find book again
Get into bed
Find that laptop is under pillow
Forget all about book
Open laptop
Look at Facebook
Realise this isn’t relaxing so close Facebook
Wait for Game of Thrones to load
Realise that it probably won’t
Open a word document
Start writing this blog post
What!? Writing is relaxing for me
Especially when I get to talk about myself
Which I’ve been doing A LOT of recently
Oh DAMN MY TEA!
Okay, okay. So I realise this isn’t quite “relaxing”. But hey! It’s all about honesty and stuff. For me, relaxing at bedtime means not forcing being relaxed, that just gives my brain more of a reason to go “NO!” later. I just do what I feel like. And today I feel like drinking tepid tea and watching the buffering screen for Game of Thrones.
Night all!
BYE X