MY AFTER WORK ROUTINE
Hi everyone! Welcome back to The Dairy Free Diaries! Hope you guys had an amazing week. Today’s blog post is all about what I do after work to keep myself sane from 32-hour work weeks on top of studying for the LSAT.
One word- Reflective:
I use this word because right about now is the one-year anniversary from when the COVID pandemic started and completely changed the world as we know it.
I find myself thinking back to what my life looked like a year ago and I am shocked. This past year has been such a growth period for me, physically and mentally. It feels like that person I used to be just one year ago has been long gone for years.
At that point I just wasn’t happy. I felt horrible about myself, lacked confidence, just lost a bunch of friends, and was struggling with my weight.
Mentally and physically, I was done and that is hard to think back about sometimes, but from this low point came major growth I would have never imagined. I started eating healthy, working out, journaling, reading, and putting my energy into the things that served me.
Slowly but surely, I started pulling myself out of the hole. I became much happier and worked on changing the beliefs I used to have to ones that truly served me.
I can’t comprehend into words the amount of joy and happiness I have in the person I am right now and the person I continue to become.
It just goes to show that no matter how low of a point you hit, there is always room to go up. And that road out of the hole is so much greater than you could ever imagine.
AFTER WORK ROUTINE: 6PM-9PM
6pm- get home from work, change into pajamas, take off my makeup, do my skincare routine
Around 6pm is when I usually get home from work. I walk through the doors and immediately go and change into comfy pajamas.
Recently, I have been loving the Victoria’s Secret matching long sleeve and pant cotton pajamas. Then, I take off my makeup with Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Cleansing Solution and cotton rounds.
This makeup remover is so gentle on my skin and works great at removing stubborn product, especially mascara. Then I follow with my skincare routine (check out my whole post dedicated to this).
I cleanse, tone, add a serum, moisturize, and put on a lip treatment for my nighttime skincare and sometimes use an overnight mask (Cocokind has amazing options).
6:15pm- study for the LSAT exam
I am not going to go too in depth in what I am currently studying, but I do want to share my method. After work I find it so hard to concentrate because I usually have already had a long day.
But using my version of the pomodoro method has helped so much. The pomodoro method is a technique for working on something for a specified amount of time, followed with a small break. For after work studying, I will do 15 mins on, with a 5-minute break in between.
6:45pm- eat dinner with the family, no phone from now on
I think that nowadays there is such a disconnect or distractions when it comes to using our phones. And I am trying to spend less time on my phone and more time interacting with others or doing things that make me feel good.
With that being said, I make it a priority to stay off my phone from this time on. I spent the whole work day in front of a screen, so I really want to give my eyes a break.
I have been doing this for a few months now and it has had such a positive impact on my life. I am now focused on the moment instead of being entrenched in what I am consuming on social media.
7:15pm- take my magnesium, pack my work lunch, put out my work and workout outfits for the following day, pack my work bag
I have always been very wary of taking supplements or vitamins, in the fact that I make sure to do a lot of research before deciding to start taking them.
But I have done the research and feel very comfortable with taking magnesium two hours before my bed time. I have experienced much better sleep because of this and will continue to take it.
The brand of magnesium I take is Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate. I suggest to do your own research and decide for yourself if this is something you want to consume. Just because I take it, doesn’t mean that you should as well. After taking magnesium, I start to prep for the next day.
By packing my lunch, work bag, and laying out my outfits, I have a much quicker and calmer morning routine because I don’t have to take the time deciding what to wear. Everything is laid out and ready for me to grab or put on.
7:40pm- self-care time (do a face mask, read a book, hot shower/bath, facetime a friend, etc.)
This is my favorite part of the night. I look forward to this every day, and I suggest you to implement something that makes you excited to do at the beginning and/or end of each day.
Self-care is defined differently by each and every person. It’s about doing the things that make you feel good. For me, self-care varies depending on my mood.
Some days I prefer to pamper myself with a face mask or bath, while other days I might want to spend some time in silence reading in my room.
Whatever it may be, I am making it a priority to take 30 mins each day to take care of myself. And this is a principle that I live by and has done wonders for my well-being.
8:10pm- brush my teeth, gratitude journaling
By this time, I am entering into the wind down part of my night routine. Gratitude journaling has been so transformative for me.
I started this journal at the beginning of this year and have seen major differences in the way I view the world around me. It focuses on writing down what you are grateful for, what went well that day, and how to improve the next day.
By taking the time to do this, it has been fairly easier to find things to be grateful for throughout my day. In addition, I am more aware of what I do each day and how it makes me feel because I am writing it down.
8:15pm- lay in bed and watch an episode of a new show
I try to be in bed a bit before I actually plan on going to bed in order to continue this wind down by getting comfortable.
I have really enjoyed watching an episode each night because it keeps me from binge watching shows until late at night. Right now, I am really enjoying watching Survivor on Amazon Prime, as well as Designated Survivor on Netflix.
These two shows are so different, but they are the perfect shows to watch right before bed.
9pm- lights out, night time meditation, go to bed
After watching tv, I turn the lights off and start a night time meditation. I will usually just look up 5/10-minute ones on YouTube.
Right now, I am enjoying Goodful’s 10 Minute Meditation for Sleep on YouTube. This meditation helps me to relax even further and one I finished it; I am fast asleep within 5 minutes.
