Daily Routines

It doesn’t matter what season it is, opening the blinds or curtains first thing in the morning is the best burst ever! The promise of a brand new day is a very positive and motivating start. I used to wake up before the sunrise. Now that I’m working from home, I get to wake up around 7 and I can honestly say I was feeling more alive when I woke up before the sun!

One of the perks of making your bed as soon as you’re up is to feel the satisfaction of a completed task. The day ahead of you is full of responsibilities and duties, so feeling like you’ve already achieved one is going to make you feel much more energized. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy a neat and tidy bedroom?

Most people enjoy a freshly brewed coffee in the morning but I’m more of a tea girl. Because I prefer a traditional Turkish style brewed tea instead of a cup of hot water and a tea bag, it needs time to get ready for my pleasure. So I prepare my tea before getting into other items on my routine and I get to enjoy it later.

Before the pandemic, my workout routine was like 1 day pilates, 2 days high intensity interval training, 2 days outside jogging and 2 days pool swimming. All types of workouts would be for 30-50 minutes. Of course, this workout routine could not survive 2020. Since I couldn’t not workout, my PT helped me out with some optional workout schedules for home. I normally prefer meditation in the evening but now I have 10-15 minutes after workout as a way of cooling down and let me tell you: feels amazing!

Now that we have started our day with workout, we need a proper breakfast so that we can get on with our day. Remember, just because we burned some calories doesn’t mean we get to eat such food that would give us sugar-rush! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying no pancakes or no waffles but this is routines we are talking about and such food cannot be a part of our routines in order to stay healthy. I do prefer eggs with some cooked veggies accompanied with lots of greens or some oatmeal with almond milk, peanut butter and some fruit if I’m feeling lazy. You can check out the RECIPES for more inspiration for healthy food. 

I know many people who prefer to make their to-do lists in the morning but I do it the night before. This way, I get to have an idea of what my next day would be like. I check it out in the morning for one last time before starting to cross off the items from my list and make the final arrangements accordingly. A personal note here: I prefer to do this over a cup of tea which gives me a little “me time” before all the turmoil starts and makes me feel more in charge rather than feeling obligated.

This might be my favorite part of my routine because I get to spend time on me. My routine includes; taking a shower, brushing my teeth, styling my hair, putting on makeup and finally getting dressed. What I am wearing is of course prepared the night before because I don’t want any drama in the morning that would cause any kind of negativity.

I know how temptatious midnight snacks sound, especially if you prefer an early supper. However, it is very important to stop eating at least 3 hours before bed for digestion purposes. I prefer to eat between 6 pm and 7.30 pm so I would have enough time to digest my dinner. If you feel hungry in between, I recommend a cup of warm milk with some honey (add ginger and/or cinnamon if you like). It would keep your stomach satisfied and help you relax even more before bed time.

I’ve always hated leaving dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Seeing the kitchen as a mess would fill me with negative energy. So I’ve started leaving the kitchen all cleaned up and felt the difference in the mornings immediately. I’ve decide to add the rest of the apartment for even more positivity and it worked. It’s not like I’m fluffing the throw pillows before bed, just clear away whatever doesn’t belong where they are. Going bed without chaos is worth the trouble in the morning, trust me!

I’m a little bit of a control freak, so I do the to-do list in the evenings. This helps me be much more focussed and organized for the next day. I’d like to avoid any kind of chaos in the morning so waking up and knowing I am ready for the day ahead is as relaxing as it could get. There’s always a surprise during the day, sometimes in the morning even before the day starts. Since I already know what I’m required to do, it’s easier to move things around in my list instead of freaking out..

I think it is safe to say this is my favorite part of my evening routine since this part is all about me. There’s nothing more relaxing and satisfying than a bubblebath. I have at least a night every week and I try to do it even more if I have the time. All those salts, bubbles, candles, scents.. It’s a little bit of work to prepare and clean a bubblebath but it’s definitely worth the trouble. With or without a bubblebath, skincare is a must. Let’s face it, we are not getting any younger so we need to accept the fact that our body needs proper attention.

After my body is taken care of, it’s time for my mind. I’ve always loved reading since I was a little girl and I try to read at least 3 to 5 pages every night in order to keep up the habit. I’m not taking about any e-readers here but actual books. In order to appreciate the story, you gotta smell the pages of the book, feel such thrill that your fingers would slide under the page you’re still reading to avoid any interruption while turning the page. You have to let yourself fall into the book so that you would feel as if you are a part of it.

After a long and busy day, it’s finally time to slow down. We already have enough screen time during the day so I do my best to spend my final moments before sleep without any technology. I turn the sleep mode on so that no notification would arouse my interest. Don’t even bother thinking “what if there would be an emergency?” All my family is listed under favorites and whenever they call, my phone would ring even if it’s on `do not disturb` or silenced.

I remember reading an article about healthy sleep should be 7 to 9 hours but I’m a troubled sleeper so I’ve never had the luxury of sleeping for 9 hours. Even so, I do try going to sleep early at night in order to get at least 7 hours in bed. Now that I’m working from home, it changed my sleep routine completely giving me more than enough time to get the 7 hours of sleep our bodies require.