If there’s anything better than spending a night watching movies, drinking wine, and kicking back with a good face mask after a long day, we haven’t found it.

But, with the holidays are right around the corner, the barrage of extra obligations to add to our normal to-do lists is coming: planning parties, buying gifts, traveling all over to see family… and the list goes on. So, we thought we’d give you a little, friendly reminder to take care of number one (you!) while you get ready for the busiest time of the year.

Here are a few ideas to breathe some life back into your self care evening routine so you can get that beauty sleep you deserve:

1. Write down tomorrow’s tasks in your planner or a bullet journal

Ever had a good night’s sleep with your to-do list swirling around in your head? We haven’t either. The simple act of writing down what you plan to accomplish the next day can take a huge load off of your shoulders and may even help you sleep better, making it the perfect addition to your self care evening routine. Taking it one step further and scheduling the times you’re going to get your tasks done not only helps you see what you need to do, but also lets you see that it’s totally doable in the amount of time you have in a day.

At the same time, be realistic. Are all of your tasks really important, or could one be moved to another day? When you schedule your to-do’s make sure you schedule in some buffer time to account for those little, unexpected interruptions and so you can take breaks when you need it.

2. Take a minute to be thankful

It’s been scientifically proven that practicing gratitude can improve our lives. If you’re reading this right now, you probably have more to be thankful for than you realize: you have an internet connection and a phone or computer to read it on! Most of the world still doesn’t have these things readily available on a day to day basis.

A Forbes article reported that “grateful people experience fewer aches and pains and they report feeling healthier than other people…” and that “writing in a gratitude journal improves sleep”. If those aren’t good reasons to include a gratitude journal into your self care evening routine, we don’t know what is!

3. Give yourself a mini spa treatment

Maybe you didn’t have time to put a full face of makeup on this morning, or maybe you did but had to work longer than expected and even though you’re home, you can’t relax. Either way, taking ten minutes before bed to give yourself a mini spa treatment with a good face mask, a home pedicure, or a hot bath can help you break up the day and make you wake up tomorrow feeling like a million bucks.

And yes, we know this is easier said than done. What if the kids need you? What if it feels silly? What will your husband think? Honey… don’t overthink it. Everything will be just fine if you take twenty minutes to yourself. In fact, part of taking care of everyone around you is taking care of yourself!

What are your favorite ways to sneak some self care into your day? Help someone else out and share in the comments!