end your day with you: September's Best You Challenge

Queen, every day should start and end with the most important person in your life: YOU! That's why this month's #BestYouChallenge is to start an evening self-care routine.

Whether you've had a long day of stress and anxiety or you're having the best day in your life, it's always a good idea to spend some time reflecting on your day and loving yourself before heading off to bed.

3 REASONS YOU SHOULD START AN EVENING ROUTINE

An Evening Routine will Help you Sleep Better

A few months ago for May's Best You Challenge, we started our morning routines. A morning routine gives you a head start. It allows you the extra time to completely wake up, re-center yourself, and set your intentions for the rest of the day. It makes you feel like a Bad Ass Queen because by the time you get to work, you've already accomplished so much.

An evening routine is the exact opposite of that. It allows you to unwind after your day and slowly start turning your brain off. Minimalist Focus states that: "A good night’s sleep is an essential condition for a successful morning and a productive day.". Practicing an evening routine will allow you to put a period on your day; effectively easing your mind and, in turn, giving you a deeper and more enjoyable night of sleep.

Things like putting your phone away, watching some mindless tv for thirty minutes, listening to nature sounds, and reading will amplify this benefit.

An Evening Routine will Aid with Productivity

It's a a proven fact that setting goals and tracking your progress can help alleviate stress, induce confidence, and help you stay on track towards reaching success. Setting your goals and intentions the night before gives you that extra boost of confidence to wake up and hit the ground running.

Take the guessing out of your schedule for the day by setting your to-do list, intentions, and goals the night before. That way, when you wake up, all you have to do is put your clothes on and get to work...after your morning routine of course.

Other things you can do to boost this benefit are: set your clothes out for the next day, pack your bag and place everything you'll need to take with you by the door, and picking out your gym clothes and setting them next to your bed (if working out is apart of your morning routine).

An Evening Routine Helps You Unwind from Your Day

Had a long day on your feet? Add a apple cider vinegar foot bath to your evening routine. Spend the day in an environment that's so loud you can't hear your own thoughts? Spend 20 minutes in complete silence every night. Do you work with people who have you contemplating jail, run yourself a nice relaxing spa bath every night.

Get creative with it. This is your time to do what you need to do to unwind and relax. Whatever makes you happy, do that. Whatever brings you peace, do more of that. Every day. Not just once in a blue moon. You deserve to be happy EVERY SINGLE DAY. Find something you can do daily that will bring a smile to your face.

WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE

To complete this month's challenge, the goal is to choose three tasks and complete them every night before bed. Bonus points if you complete your routine and go to bed at the same time every single night. Your three tasks should be:

1. Something that'll help you sleep better

2. Something that'll bring you peace & joy

3. Something that'll make the next day more productive

HOW TO JOIN THE CHALLENGE

The challenge will begin on September 10th and run through the end of the month . On the 10th, I will post the challenge's cover photo on Instagram. To join the challenge, send me a DM saying: "I'm In". Then make sure you check in weekly for accountability and the chance to win free giveaways! As always, follow along with my progress in our Instagram stories.

So Queens, what do you say? Who will you end your day with?

-Queen Maree