A Cozy Night In

Today I had my first cozy night in of the season.  Instead of socializing or studying I took some time to unwind.  I'll be honest, last Thursday and Friday were pretty stressful.  I had academic obligations piling up, my research project ran into more problems than I care to count, a family member is going through serious health issues, and my car was giving me grief.  I see now that all of this isn't so bad, but when all of it was happening at once it was pretty overwhelming.  I decided that I should give myself a night to recuperate.  

I started the night with some yoga.  Whenever I attend a yoga class, I really try to only listen to the needs of my body.  It is hard to shut off my mind for five minutes, let alone an hour, but this really does help.  One of my goals for every practice is to sync my breathing with the moves.  When I'm focusing on my breathing, my thoughts turn into a lovely hum rather than harsh, shrill tones.  I realize this sounds incredibly cheesy, but I wouldn't knock it until you try it.

After yoga I'm in desperate need of a shower.  You would be too if you did an entire song of repeating sun salutations.  After a quick shower, I filled the tub for a bath.  One of my favorite things to do in the colder months is to take baths.  I'm constantly cold so the thought of sitting in hot water for an extended period of time is a dream.  I picked up Lush's Sparkly Pumpkin and crumbled this into the bath.  The spirit of Halloween follows me everywhere- even during bath time.  

A requirement for a cozy night in is a face mask.  Tonight, I opted for a sheet mask since my skin has been a little dehydrated.  I was thoroughly impressed by the Karuna Anti-Oxidant Sheet Mask I picked up a few weeks ago at Sephora.  After keeping the mask on for twenty minutes, my skin felt soft and hydrated.  I also made sure to use this adorable hand cream and put on a lip mask.  I ended my night with a bit of reading and playing Animal Crossing.

Remember, no matter how stressful things may get it's important to take care of yourself.  Do whatever you feel like you need, whether that's a night in, indulging in some decadent food, or talking to someone you trust.

What do you do for your cozy nights in?  Let me know in the comments!

Until next time!

Rachel