#down-time

Thor: Where's father? Did you kill him?

Loki: I swear, I left him right here.

Thor: Right here on the sidewalk? Or right there, where the building that's being demolished? Great planning.

Loki: How was I supposed to know? Can't see into the future. I'm not a witch.

Thor: Then why do you dress like one?

Loki: Hey.

Thor: I can't believe you're alive. I saw you die. I mourned you, I cried for you.

My absolute favorite flower: The Tiger Rose. I hardly see them anywhere, so I assume they’re pretty rare.

My ritual went as scheduled (nothing extraordinary to report) then I went into the office. When I got home, I had dinner with hubby, did my FB Live video, and took the night off. I don’t regret it one bit. It was well needed and deserved. On the upside I got a lot done at the office and it was a pretty great day overall. You can’t beat a great day.

  [mailerlite_form form_id=19]

  Stress and sleep are strange bedfellows. The more stressed we are, the less likely we are to sleep well. But then the worst we sleep the more likely we are to develop anxiety, stress and even depression. A cruel cycle indeed; it’s all quite unfair! What can be done to break this cycle? Well, below I’m going to let you in my top tips on how to get more sleep and reduce your stress levels.

  This post was written by Sarah, view bio below.

    Get into A Routine

  Regularity is probably the most important thing anyone can do to help improve their sleep. The human mind craves routine. Doing the same thing at the same time helps the brain build associations and with its shortcuts.

  Go to bed at the same time every day, get up at the same time. Whether it is the weekday or the weekend, try and keep to the same time. Note, your body doesn’t care about weekends, Saturday is nothing more than a social construct. You will soon find your brain knows what time sleep should be and will start to prepare for it.

  The same principle lays behind a having a good pre-bed wind-down routine. Avoiding screens in the hour before bed will help your overstimulated brain slow down. Replacing any activity that involves even the remotest possibility of stress with low key, relaxing things instead will do wonders.

  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

  So, that means no more tax returns, flight booking or attempting to help your son with their math homework before bed. Instead, why not slow down, read a book, listen to some music, or even take a nice hot bath.

  For other ideas on what makes a great pre-bed routine, plus a host of other tips on how to improve your odds of a good night’s kip, check out the Sleep Advisor blogroll.

    Take A Nice Hot Bath

  Speaking of baths, AH! What is more relaxing than soaking into the bubbles and having a nice long bath before bed? A lot of people swear by it, Oprah Winfrey for one. If it is good enough for the queen of daytime, it’s good enough for us!

  Pre-bed bath enthusiasts often claim it’s the toasty warmth of a good soak that lulls them to sleep. Well, they are partially right. Having a hot bath before bed is great for inducing sleepy times but not for the reason they think.

    When you have a hot bath, a process known as vasodilation takes place, this is where the blood rushes to the skin. Hence why you get rosy cheeks. When you then step out of your nice warm bath all this heat at the surface of your body is transferred to the cold air around, and you experience a massive thermal dump, and your core temperature plummets. It’s this cooling effect that is incredibly soporific.

  Having a hot bath, or an ice-cold shower will have a similar impact. It’s just a hot bath is a far more pleasurable experience. Both are ways to help you de-stress at the end of a long day and get your body and mind in a good place for sleep time.

    Calm That Monkey Mind

One method to calm that chattering voice in your head at night is to take up a little meditation. And no, before you ask, meditation is not just for monks and hippies. Though, these two groups do seem pretty relaxed!

  Everyone can benefit from the effects of a little meditation. It’s free and requires nothing but a place to sit. To genuinely feel the benefit it does, however, require the commitment of at least 15 minutes each day.

  It might sound dramatic but meditation over time essentially works by reprogramming our brain.

I know that sounds outlandish, the brain scans substantiate such claims.

  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

  Daily sessions of simply sitting and observing whatever images and ideas that float through our mind’s eye, help us realize how futile it is to worry about every little thought. This helps to free us from negative patterns of thoughts, reduce anxieties and de-stress. Find a quiet corner and give it a go.

  Well there you go – three simple and completely free (if you don’t count bath salts) ways reduce your stress levels and help improve your odds of a great night’s rest. A little unsure, well, why not give them a whirl. What’s the worst thing that can happen? You miss a bit of sleep!

  [mailerlite_form form_id=34]

  Author Bio:

    Hi there, my name’s Sarah, and I’m a sleep addict. I simply can’t get enough of the good stuff. When I’m not lying in bed dreaming (mainly of Chris Hemsworth) I spend the better part of every day researching and writing about sleep. I genuinely believe the world would be a happy, healthier, and even safer place to live if we all took sleep a little bit more seriously. Sweet dreams!

  Want to guest post for Jihi Elephant? Learn more here. 

    (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Today my body told me to slow the f*ck down and take a down day, but I’m stubborn. I dragged myself out of bed at around ten this morning, spent over an hour meditating, took a nap on the couch, had some coffee. By one, I was back at the computer dealing with some email and answering my texts and PMs. I shuffled some paperwork, shredded the shred pile. I washed the rugs in the kitchen. I told the exceptional spouse that I was going to vacuum and mop the kitchen floor, but I just couldn’t muster the energy to deal with it. I spent a lot of time nursing a sinus headache (it’s SPRING, and my allergies are going crazy) and finding ways to not get anything accomplished.

Then I did my cleansing meditation early and told myself I would be in bed by ten. But ten rolled around and I still had blog posts to catch up on and readings to do (which I still have to do after I’m done here.)  I think today was an illustration of the stark reality of my situation and why I need to start picking which masters I’m going to serve.  My body and mind need REST. If I don’t want my body to break down and start rebelling, I need to be more mindful of my time and how I spend it. No tarot or sigils today. I couldn’t be bothered.

Self-Love is so good. Not only is it essential to feel comfortable and happy in your own skin, but it’s essential to build confidence in all areas of your life. There are endless ways to practice self-love, but here are 10 of my favorite self-love practices (in no specific order, of course).

  This post may contain affiliate links…

  [mailerlite_form form_id=10]

    Meditate

Meditation. For some…

How to Create the Most Relaxing Bathroom

Creating a relaxing bathroom design is essential if you enjoy unwinding in the tub after a long day at work. The last thing you want is a bathing space that is not fit for relaxation. This post will provide a few hints and tips for the most relaxing bathroom.

[mailerlite_form form_id=10]

Lighting

Most people find the lights in their bathroom to be too bright when they sit down to relax in the tub.