Morning and evening routines that will make you happy

When it comes to self-care, routines can play a central role. But why bother with a routine and how do they help? A routine is a sequence of different actions that become a habit through frequent repetition. While they are not mandatory, routines can make our lives easier. There is no one-size-fits-all morning or evening routine. Self-care routines are best tailored to the individual. And they should be followed daily until they become a habit. Once we get used to performing certain activities, they become easier to integrate into our lives.

Trying to adopt five new routines at once can be frustrating and overwhelming. To successfully establish a daily self-care routine, it’s good to start with one specific goal. Once you’ve achieved that, you can add another goal.

Actions automatically become routine through constant repetition. But how long does it take? Despite a number of studies on routine, there is no clear-cut answer. Research has shown that we need at least 21 days to establish new habits. But on average, it takes longer – over two months – for a new behaviour to become a habit. More precisely, there is often talk of 66 days, a number with great symbolic power, which itself contains repetition. With self-care routines, quality is more important than quantity. It simply takes time for us to make a new activity a regular part of our life.

Setting your intention in the morning lets you start the day in a more aware, relaxed and productive frame of mind. The first things we do in the morning set the tone for all that follows. So the best way to start the day right is with a morning routine that suits your needs. Don’t worry about trying to follow a ready-made routine straight away. It’s better to expand your personalized routine step by step and adjust it if necessary. We have some suggestions that can help you find your own morning routine.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast: Take the time to sit down and eat a nutritious breakfast. Avoid eating while doing other activities or when you’re on the go. Make preparing your meal a conscious part of your morning routine.
2. Start your morning offline: Resist the temptation to look at your smartphone first thing after waking up. Focus entirely on yourself, without being distracted by your smartphone, laptop, social media or the news. It’s helpful to put your phone in flight mode in the evening or turn it off altogether. You might want to set a regular time when you start consuming digital media.
3. Create a to-do list. A daily to-do list provides orientation and focus. Writing down your goals helps you start your day in a structured way.
4. Get enough sleep: To wake up feeling refreshed and alert, we need enough sleep. How much sleep depends on the person; age also plays a role. To establish a natural sleep rhythm, go to bed and wake up around the same time every day.
5. Start the day energized: To get your body going in the morning, take a few deep breaths or yawn with pleasure. Intensive stretching also helps wake up the body. In doing so, you supply your cells with fresh oxygen and stimulate blood circulation. Try adding some yoga exercises into your morning routine to intensify this effect. A morning walk or jog will also boost your energy. The main thing is that it’s fun and good for you, too!

A morning shower boosts your circulation and wakes you up, especially if you have trouble getting out of bed in the morning. The scent of your shower gel also plays a role in setting the mood for the day: scents help connect the physical with the emotional. Refreshing fragrances with fresh, fruity notes are ideal for energising showers. You’ll find them in our Solid Bars: Start the day with our invigorating blend of warm, zingy ginger and fresh nuances of petitgrain, the essential oil from the leaves of bitter orange. Or feel vibrant and refreshed with our elegant floral blend of geranium and litsea cubeba, the evergreen tropical tree with citrus-scented leaves and flowers. Indulge in a joyful, uplifting treat for body and mind.

Ending the day on a positive note is just as important as starting the day in a good mood. Evening routines can help you leave behind the stress of everyday life and allow your body and mind to rest. A relaxing evening routine is a great way to ease into a good night’s sleep. Cultivating habits that promote restful sleep is also known as good sleep hygiene. Here is some inspiration for your evening routine.

1. Eat light meals in the evening: When your stomach is full, it’s hard to fall asleep because your body is busy with digestion. The last meal of the day should be at least two hours before you go to bed. If that’s not possible, only eat light foods.
2. Schedule me-time: How about dedicating half an hour in the evening to activities that get neglected during the day? Try keeping a gratitude journal or taking a few quiet minutes to reflect on the positive aspects of your day. Ask yourself, “What made me happy today?” or “What am I grateful for?”.
3. Create a calm environment: It’s easier to sleep in a tidy room. Besides giving yourself the space to feel comfortable, it also helps to keep the room temperature at 17 to 22 degrees Celsius and to ensure a dark, quiet sleeping environment.
4. Avoid screen time before bed: The blue light emitted by electronic devices wakes us up. It’s good to put aside your laptop and smartphone at least two hours before sleeping.
5. Switch off through relaxation exercises: Slow, deep breathing lowers the heart rate and blood pressure and has a calming effect on the entire body. You can also try meditation for a similar outcome. Here are some exercises you can incorporate into your evening routine

A warm shower in the evening with soothing scents calms both body and mind so that we can relax. Make your shower a moment of self-care with our Solid Bars. Relax and unwind with our soothing blend of aromatic lavender and woody vetiver, a tropical sweet grass. Or indulge your senses with the scent of sweet ylang ylang and delicate iris. Transform your shower into a relaxing retreat where you can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Discover more self-care tips.

We have over 100 years of experience creating fragrances from purely natural ingredients. Our soothing and luxurious plant-based body cleansing products are now available as solid shower bars with precious 100 percent natural essential oils. Their fragrance unfolds in the shower’s steam to create an experience that indulges the senses.

• A selection of relaxing and refreshing fragrances with 100 percent natural essential oils
• Concentrated formula – the equivalent of up to two 150 ml tubes of Weleda shower gel.
• Cleanses the skin with a plant-based formula and surfactants
• Packaging is plastic-free (except for varnish, glue and ink) and consists of at least 55 percent recycled raw material, making it recyclable
• Biodegradable and vegan formulation 100 percent natural in origin
• Skin compatibility dermatologically tested