A Day in the Life of a Wellness Entrepreneur
When you are taking care of others for a living, you have to learn to take the best care of yourself that you can! Before becoming a massage therapist, yoga teacher and entrepreneur, my health was usually on the back burner. I had an active lifestyle, but I wasn't consciously considering how to best care for my body, mind and spirit.
I realized pretty quickly, however, that if I wanted to do this wellness work long term, I was going to have to learn to fill my cup first so that I could keep filling the wellness cup of others! Here's a peek in to my day and how I manage to stay well while holding space for others.
7-8am- Wake up and think grateful thoughts.
I am so bad at waking up early y'all. I've tried for years to be that 5am person but I finally said to hell with that and started following my own internal clock which wants to wake between 7-8 consistently. One of the best things I've learned is that following our own unique circadian rhythm makes for easier days. It's easier to wake up, to motivate and to get to sleep at night. Once my eyes open I try to list 3 things I'm grateful for before I actually get out of bed. I used to keep a gratitude journal but now it's such an ingrained habit I just think about them and try to really put that thought and feeling together before I start the day. I did a lot of research at one time around gratitude and it's one of the easiest ways to start to change your thought patterns and feel happier in your life.
8-10am - Stretch, drink lemon water, meditate, breakfast!
5 out of 7 mornings a week I do yoga and meditation. I try to give myself a full hour to practice and be present in my body and mind. It helps me ground myself, stretch out muscles and focus my mind for the day ahead. I always give myself a couple days off a week because I find I burn out if I try to do something 6 or 7 times a week. I usually take a morning walk on the days I am not doing yoga so that I can get gentle exercise. In the winter I will also throw in some Ayurveda practices such as abhyanga, a type of self massage, to help me stay well and beat the cold, dry winter air.
Breakfast is my 2nd favorite meal of the day (brunch being my first) so suffice it to say I pretty much go all out every morning. I make myself fancy espresso drinks, waffles, pancakes, yogurt parfaits and many items you would normally see on a restaurant brunch menu. What might be a weekend splurge for you, is probably my weekday norm and I NEVER skip it. In terms of energy and focus, I can't function without it.
10am-7pm: Work, Second Breakfast then lunch then dinner
If you haven't realized it yet, I love to eat. Second breakfast is often around noon and lunch is around 3 or 4. I often work late and long days so I'll also throw in dinner around 7:30. I love what I do but working as much as I do requires sustained nutrition, stretching and sometimes naps or yoga nidra between clients, emails, phone calls and getting my books and marketing done. I keep half hour blocks between sessions so I can take care of my body and mind and not feel rushed. When I am rushed, that energy sneaks it's way in to sessions and no one wants to feel that during their massage or yoga session.
8pm-11pm Play Music, Video games, Watch Comedy, Read, Bedtime
Once I'm done at the office I'm ready to do something non work related. It's so important for me in order to stay energetic and not burn out. I play music and practice in the band I joined 4 years ago. I love video games and often play with my family. We are obsessed with Fortnite, Destiny 2, Overcooked and all the old school Nintendo games. I live far from family and I love that we get to have hang out time while playing games! I also love watching comedy and am always on the lookout for new stand up acts (who are your favorites?! I am living for Russel Peters right now). I am a voracious reader and enjoy history, fiction, poetry and self help books (surprise surprise!). I try to be in bed by 11pm and no later than midnight as I am one of those 7-8 hours of sleep people. Without it I'm a groggy, cranky human.
I hope this little insight in to my day will encourage you to find a balance that works for you if you don't have one. I never put pressure on myself and my schedule definitely changes seasonally as I always try to listen to my body and what it most needs each day. I find that is the secret sauce to having a nurturing daily routine that keeps you happy, healthy and sane! What do you do in your daily routine that helps you feel like your best self?