In partnership with ELEMIS, we spoke to three AllBright members about how they use their night-time routines to ensure they thrive the next day.
With the lines between work and home more blurred than ever before, we all understand the importance of taking time out at the end of the day. Whether it’s a walk in our local park or an hour on our yoga mat, practising self-care in the evening is essential to protecting our mental and physical wellbeing, while allowing us to show up as our best selves the following morning.
In a time where we’ve all had our resilience tested, luxury skincare brand ELEMIS knows your skin deserves a boost, too. That’s why the team has launched the new , offering a potent hit of overnight restoration, all while you sleep. The result? You wake up with skin that’s refreshed, revived and ready for anything the day has in store.
Here, we speak to three AllBright members to find out how they use their down time to supercharge productivity and resilience when they need it most.
Tobi Asare is the founder of My Bump Pay, an online platform that was birthed to help women smash the glass ceiling - with a baby on the way and beyond. Tobi’s mission is to help women everywhere feel confident about their careers, life goals and motherhood. My Night-Time Routine
Soon after I put the kids to bed at around 7pm, I will take off my make-up – to avoid the dreaded mishap of falling asleep with it on! - and change into a comfy pair of pyjamas. I always take time to follow my night-time skincare routine, which Dija Ayodele, a wonderful skin health specialist, helped me to tailor specifically to my skin type. Next, I have dinner with my husband and then continue to do a few more hours of work before finally winding down at about 10.30pm.
From here onwards, I get quite serious about relaxing for the evening, although I’m terrible at switching off devices. I think about what I want to wear the next day and make a list on my Trello app of important things I‘d like to achieve. This may make you laugh, but the one thing that guarantees me a good night sleep is using my BBHugme pregnancy pillow. I’m not pregnant - I had my last child at the end of 2019! - but I honestly cannot sleep without it.
How I Unwind
After a long day, I will often order in and catch up on one of my favourite shows. In the past, I would have probably booked myself into a Psycle class but since having children, the logistics of getting to one in the evening are a bit more difficult!
Instead, I find it really therapeutic to catch up with my husband. He’s brilliant at challenging me in a positive way and helping me to reflect meaningfully on life lessons. On the really tough days, I’ll write down what I have struggled with that day but also what my hopes, desires, dreams and goals are. As a woman of faith, I will often pray and that really helps me feel at peace.
How I Use My Down Time To Build Resilience
Over the years, I’ve learnt to take things less personally. Instead of using my down time to worry about challenges that have arisen during the day, I use that time to come up with actions for the next morning that can help combat the challenge. This will sometimes involve consulting my handy Trello app to break the problem down into chunks, which allows me to see which bits I can tackle easily, which elements can be outsourced to someone more skilled in that area, or which bits are completely out of my control and I should therefore stop worrying about! This technique has been a game changer for me and has really allowed me to be more creative in my approach to My Bump Pay this year.
My Self-Care Rituals
I’m a much better mother, wife, leader and friend when I have had a bit of time out to do something I love. When things build up, I’m the type of person that must step away, otherwise I can see my productivity, effectiveness and sanity wain in all areas of life. As women, I feel that so many of us are natural fixers - we want to fix everything for those around us - so I find it hard sometimes, but my husband is amazing at forcing me to take time out.
"Instead of using my down time to worry about challenges that have arisen during the day, I use that time to come up with actions for the next morning that can help combat the challenge."
An evening ritual that I swear by is wrapping my hair, a technique popular with women with Afro hair. It’s an absolute must and saves me having to restyle my hair in the morning, so it's just something that has been ingrained in me that I’ve done for years. As soon as my hair is wrapped and covered in my silk head wrap, I know I can finally relax and fall asleep peacefully.
How Time Out Benefits Me – At Work And Home
I get to connect with so many amazing women with My Bump Pay, and I’m often involved in helping them unpack what can sometimes be very personal situations as they tackle working motherhood. I find that using my downtime helps me gain clarity and perspective to help add value to my community, which ultimately helps them overcome situations positively. Personally, using downtime really helps me to be a well-rounded person, be it at work or at home. I find it lifts my spirits and I’m able to operate at my happiest and my best.
Switching Off : My Top Tips
I am one of those individuals who struggles to switch off, but 2020 has taught me the importance of doing so; so here is what I’ve learnt.
1. Book A ‘Duracell Day’
I used to work for a fantastic innovation consultancy where we were encouraged to book one Duracell day a quarter, typically at the end of a client engagement. A Duracell day was outside of your annual leave and the idea was that everyone knew that it was your day of rest. So now I’ve taken that approach into my own personal life and regularly book Duracell days into my calendar, and all my family know it’s my day off to do the things that I love. Get it into the diary and make sure everyone who needs to know the date is aware not to disturb you, allowing you to enjoy your time off.
2. Don’t Be Afraid To Get Help
I’ve learnt to strategically outsource, which has helped a lot with sharing the load. I have an incredible Virtual Assistant, who has been a key addition to My Bump Pay, and I also rope in additional help around the house when things get incredibly hectic! When the washing basket piles up, we use laundry app services to help us manage the load. Speaking up and reaching out for help has made an invaluable difference to my productivity and peace of mind.
3. Get Moving For Your Mental And Physical Health
I’ve found that upping my exercise has been pivotal to helping me switch off and stay sane. Like so many in 2020, I’ve discovered the incredible world of home fitness technology. It’s never been easier to roll out of bed and get moving, even if it’s just 10 minutes. I’ve used some brilliant apps and my favourite by far is the Peloton app - you don’t even need the bike to be able to make the most of the service! Getting your body moving everyday will really help to lift your mood, focus and, of course, boost your general health. It’s been a total saviour for me over the past year.
Dr. Kat Lederle is a Sleep Therapist at Somnia, a business with a simple purpose: to enrich lives through sleep-oriented wellness. Dr. Kat helps clients make the best of their daytime life by overcoming their bad nights and unhelpful sleeping habits. My Night-Time Routine
I don’t believe in routines as such, as they can be rigid and become a source of anxiety if we take them as rules. Instead, I adopt healthy sleep habits that I adapt depending on the situation, meaning that if I can’t do them, that’s fine too! There are three key habits, and these habits are based on sleep science.
1. Keep the lights low in the evening
2. Have dinner early evening
3. Have a regular bedtime. For me, getting ready for bed includes taking off my make-up and mindfully applying my night-time moisturiser. These function as cues for my brain to know that sleep is on its way
How I Unwind
Setting boundaries is hugely important for me to be able to unwind and detach. While cooking dinner I pay attention to my five senses to centre myself into the here and now. I chat to my husband about the experiences of the day, which helps me gain perspective on things and mentally prepare for the next day. That way my mind can settle before I go to bed.
How I Use My Down Time To Build Resilience
Most importantly, I put sleep high up on my list of priorities. Sleep allows the body and mind to restore so I can be the best I can be the next day, physically, mentally and emotionally. I meditate in the morning before I look at my emails, which helps me to ground myself before engaging with the world.
My Self-Care Rituals
Self-care is crucial to me and the work I do. I go for a walk in the evening to signal my brain work is over. Sleep problems are often triggered by stressful events, so making sure that I have some quality me-time is essential. That way I keep clear boundaries, and have time to recharge.
"Setting boundaries is hugely important for me to be able to unwind and detach."
Exercise is a great way for me to practice self-care and to ensure that it doesn’t negatively impact my sleep, I train in the late afternoon. Reading allows me to immerse myself in a different world and to let my mind wander along different paths. It’s an effective opportunity to let go of the day. After particularly intense days, I practice Autogenic Training to help my body and mind let go of any tension I am holding on to.
How Time Out Benefits Me – At Work And Home
Time out benefits me massively. As a sleep therapist, I know first-hand how important ‘me time’ and self-care is - for both my clients and myself.
Switching Off : My Top Tips 1. Take A Look At Your Daytime
Preparing for the night starts the moment you wake up in the morning. Allow your body and mind to slow down for a moment during the day.
2. Spend Time Outdoors
Preferably in the morning! This helps your body clock to stay in tune with the external day
3. Give Yourself Permission To Be As You Are In This Moment
Letting go of the struggle with yourself brings calmness and clarity. That makes it easier to identify how real change can happen.
You can find Dr. Kat over on .
Christina Disler is a Workplace Wellness Consultant based in London. She is the founder of holistic wellness Vancouver-based co-workspace, Werklab and publication, The Werk. Christina's passionate belief is that people in a healthy state of wellbeing are at the core of an optimised, healthy business. My Night-Time Routine
Each night I intentionally aim to create an energetic shift into a “sleepier” state. This triggers my brain and nervous system to start settling and getting ready to go inward. My music changes to an evening playlist, and I light candles and soften the lights.
I drink a cup of chamomile or fennel tea and have a magnesium bath. Sprinkling diluted lavender oil on my pillows, I open the windows a crack as a cooler room has always been my key to having a deep sleep. Then, I wash my face and provide a light facial massage to support relaxation in my jaw before getting into bed.
How I Unwind
I’m a big advocate of journaling to support processing a challenging day. The practice helps create space and separation from the thoughts that take us away from the current moment. We are often preoccupied with pieces of our day and all of a sudden, our 8 hours at work has taken up over 14 hours of our day. By writing out our thoughts, feelings and experiences, we can hold them externally and park them outside of us.
How I Use My Down Time To Build Resilience
Personally, I know that my morning is my ‘on’ time when I can get into a flow and create in a completely different capacity. This means that I have to learn to turn work off unless it’s a big deadline. Time after 7pm is best used to support myself, which can look like laughing and connecting with a girlfriend, or having quiet time and doing ‘vision’ work. Sometimes when I’m feeling off balance the most supportive activity is to open a google document that I have called VISION 2025. It spells out in detail “a day in the life” 5 years from now. Finding a sense of purpose and grounding helps me get beyond the minutiae of the day and what might be bogging me down.
"By writing out our thoughts, feelings and experiences, we can hold them externally and park them outside of us."
My Self-Care Rituals
So often when things become overwhelming, as women, the first thing we drop is our self-care routine. We’ve been conditioned to be in service. I remember a meditation teacher telling me, “we must put our own oxygen mask on first” so I always come back to this reminder. Self-care is self-preservation and our required fuel tank to be in service to others. An evening ritual that is important to me is ending the day by identifying a key positive moment in the day. I’m a vivid dreamer and after intentionally focusing on a moment of good, I tend to have a more rested sleep.
How Time Out Benefits Me – At Work And Home
It is my passionate belief that when we are taking care of ourselves, we produce our best work and can show up in our greatest capacity for others. All elements of life require polarising energies so in order to be productive, we need to retreat and honour a slower time for regeneration.
Switching Off : My Top Tips 1. Develop A Ritual That Helps Create A Shift
A simple cue that tells your body and mind, “I’m shifting gears”. Lighting a candle, changing out of your “day clothes” - anything that can become ceremonial and represent a new state of being.
2. Do An Activity That Will Support You Getting ‘Into Your Body’
Often our thoughts stop us switching off, so I suggest doing any activity that will support you getting into your body. Dance to a song, run a warm or cold bath, give yourself a massage.
3. Three Intentional Breaths
Sometimes the idea of meditation is daunting, especially after the end of a long day. If we can take three breaths, with a slower exhale, we support regulating our nervous system and bringing down our heart rate.