My Evening Routine

My evening routine is what helps ground me in my daily life, and it's pretty much the only time of day I can be alone and not be pressured by the rush of time.

I get home around 5pm each day from track practice at my high school, and I have a high-protein homemade dinner (my stepmom, Tanya, usually makes it - thanks Tanya!).

After dinner, I almost always have a nice warm epsom salt bath to help soothe my muscles. I always use a bath bomb, but to save them, I cut them up into little pieces and only use one piece per bath. I light a candle and put it on the corner of my bathtub, where people usually put soap bottles and loofahs and such. I turn off the overhead light so the only light is the organic, warm flickering of the candle. I try my very best to either sit in the bath in complete silence, or listen to a documentary or music. Most recently I've been into ancient Canaanite/Israelite history documentaries and 1970s Ethiopian jazz. My baths usually range from 20 to 60 minutes, depending on how tired I am from the weight of the day.

After my bath, I do some basic skincare: I wash my face with water and then I put on moisturizer. I change into my pajamas and put my robe on over it to help me stay warm, as by this time my house is usually pretty chilly. I sit on my couch, in the seat closest to the window and curl up with my laptop. I do my homework and answer emails, then work on my fun stuff - playing video games, working on this website, or talking to my friends. After my eyelids start getting heavy, I go to the bathroom to brush my teeth and occasionally put on moisturizer again (I have extremely, extremely dry skin).

After that, I retire to my bedroom and tuck myself into bed. I go on my phone and then go to bed around 10pm.