An ideal work day

Now that I’m working a 9-5 job (or rather, a 9-6 with a required hour for lunch) and not *just freelancing,* I thought I’d share my thoughts on making a weekday great. This post started with my ideas for how to have a good morning before the work day even begins, but now I’ve decided to talk about the whole day! It’s all important.

I’ve broken this post down into categories, with tips and takeaways you can use in your own life. I hope that it can help you not only live intentionally and find beauty in the everyday, but also feel a little more freedom even if you’re tied to a desk between the days of Monday and Friday. All of these things constitute an *ideal* day for me, but more often than not I can only master one part of my routine and often sacrifice another part of my day, due to scheduling or my social calendar or ya know, life happening!

BEFORE WORK

My favorite way to start the day is at 6 am yoga sculpt. I love being awake before anyone else, and just doing the bare minimum before I go out the door and sweat it out in my hot yoga class. Then, I arrive home and have plenty of time to shower and take my time getting ready before I have to be out the door for work. Here are a few things I love to do that make my morning 100 times better…

• Start with a workout
• Shower with music, set the mood for the day (or a podcast, you do you!)
• Make espresso on the stove and enjoy it in one of my souvenir cups from around the world (more on that in a post coming soon on souvenirs/collectibles)
• Eat breakfast while reading
• Smoothie to-go with me to work

AT WORK

I know everyone’s work life and culture is different, but here are a few things anyone can do, no matter what their job is, to really seize the day. (I was going to say make the day go by faster, but I hate when people wish away their time…the point of life is to make the most of it!!!). The following are the goals I set for myself each day, and when I’m able to do them all it’s a good day…

• Start by getting organized (check email, make a to-do list, write in your planner, etc.)
• Say hi to all your work friends and check-in with managers or bosses
• Mid-morning break to refill water bottle, grab fruit for a snack
• Lunchtime for me includes walking outside (we have a beautiful lake by my building) and either working on the blog, reading the latest book on my list, or perusing a magazine for inspiration
• Afternoon espresso break, this is my favorite tradition I’ve borrowed from my time in Italy…a jolt of caffeine to keep me going and a nice mental break (plus it usually involves a short walk to get said espresso, which is always nice)
• End of the day I like to clean my desk, organize for the next day, and check my planner for what’s on the agenda for the evening socially and otherwise

AFTER WORK

During my commute home I’d be lying if I said I didn’t blast my music and scream the lyrics. I always have so much pent up energy! Once I arrive home, I’m usually ravenous for a snack, so I’ll have something to tide me over and then either workout if I haven’t already, or do something with friends. If I’m extra tired, I’ll hang at home and watch a show or go on a leisurely bike ride around the lakes. I like to eat dinner pretty late (like 7:30-8) and then chill or shower if I need to. I always clean my room before bed, and if I’m really on top of things I’ll pack my lunch in advance for tomorrow.

BEDTIME

I have never liked going to bed, so this is something I’ve been working on and cultivating for years. I also suffer from occasional migraines, and having a schedule is something that really helps keep them at bay. So, here is what my night routine looks like, to get me in bed and relaxed at a reasonable time…

• Diffuse essential oils (depending on how I’m feeling, my favorites are peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon, and rosemary)
• Turn off all lights except my blue neon ‘dream’ light and a small light on my bedside table
• Turn my air purifier on (I love sleeping with this noise, and it has a timer so it automatically turns off once I’m asleep)
• Make a cup of nighttime tea (the one from Trader Joe’s is my favorite)
• Brush my teeth, skincare routine, ice roll my face if I’m feeling it
• Journal in bed, read a book, and/or read Italian out loud
• Set alarms then lights out!
• Sweet dreams….

Let me know what makes up your ideal day in the comments below!