Surviving the week: My essential self-care routines + rituals
In this post I’m sharing some of the ways I’ve built supportive routines into my week to help me get through anything.
It’s inevitable that life gets busy and things fall by the wayside at times but these routines have been some of the most consistent aspects of my life and I really believe it’s why I feel so calm with everything I have going on at any one time.
Now, of course these are what have been helpful for ME specifically, and you might not resonate with some of them, but if you are looking for some ideas to create your own supportive routines in your life, you may want to try some of these ideas and see if they work for you.
It’s also important to remember there are seasons where some routines are more important that others and it will also depend on where you are in your life and what you value at the time as this will inform what you place your priority on.
Sometimes I find it’s helpful to get an insight into someone else’s week and I always enjoy knowing how other people run their days.
Here is a typical week for me and the current routines I have in my life at the moment: 👉🏻 👉🏻
Morning routine ☀️
Wake early between 4-5am
I like to wake early these days because in late 2022 I made a choice to flip my most productive hours to the morning. I get my best work done while the house is quiet and I find I need the mental space to build a business.
Lemon water + Herbal tea
I’ve been drinking warm water with a squeeze of lemon in it for the best part of 20 years now and I believe it’s what’s kept my skin so clear all that time. Lemon in water also supports your kidneys plus it’s a really nice way to wake your body up, rather than by drinking coffee or black tea straight off the bat.
I’ll then make a cup of herbal tea (usually green or lemon + ginger tea) and sit down at my desk for next hour or so before my family wakes up.
Family time + breakfast
Once everyone wakes up, I put my laptop away and we all have breakfast, get our bags/lunches packed, have showers and navigate all those usual things to get ready for the day. Henry, my eldest son, is now pretty self-sufficient in the mornings so we only have to get Jake, my youngest, ready for the day.
Skin care routine
I also always do my skin care routine when I shower and I don’t miss a day unless I’m very sick or there’s an emergency. I’ve looked after my skin for many years now so it’s no bother at all to fit it in.
Daily routine 🚀
Morning commute
I like to listen to a podcast 🎧 or watch a lesson on a course I might be taking while I’m on the train.
I used to always watch Netflix but I found that I felt better about the day when I wasn’t hooked into a show. I now choose to watch or listen to something that’s of more value to me and save watching TV for a few nights a week when I really want to mentally decompress.
Coffee with work colleagues
Easily one of my favourite parts of the work day is going to grab a quick coffee once I get to work.
We head down to a local coffee shop and grab our favourite drink to take back to work. I love to use that time to connect with them (many who are now really close friends) and it gives me a good morning boost. I only drink decaf or 1/2 strength coffee since having kids these days because I’m really sensitive to the caffeine now, but I love it all the same.
Power up/close down routine 💻
Each morning once I’ve grabbed my coffee, I’ll spend 15-20 minutes going through the tasks I have on for the day, checking my emails and setting up a plan for what I need to achieve. I normally decide specifically when I’m going to do particular tasks (depending on their complexity) and will also look at the meetings or other commitments I have on that day.
I usually do my challenging things between 10am-12pm because that’s when my brain engages the most at work so I’ll save that time to really focus.
The first hour or so at work is spent:
getting my emails in shape
pulling out any action items
replying to emails that only need a quick response
checking the relevant inboxes I have to for other people and actioning anything that can be done in 5 mins or less.
The quick momentum gets me into a good frame of mind.
In the afternoons, I’ll usually deal with the rest of the day’s tasks that don’t require a lot of brainpower and do any follow ups I need to to keep tasks moving.
By about 4pm, my brain is done for the day and I stop actively taking on anything new unless urgent, and instead, wrap up any lingering tasks.
I’ll use the next 30-45 mins or so to look at what I have on the next day and work out a bit of an action plan, plus transfer any tasks over that didn’t get done so that the next morning I mostly only have to deal with what’s come in overnight.
Lunch time exercise 👟
About 5 years ago, a good friend at work suggested we workout together at lunch time because I was struggling to find a time in the day to get my exercise in and it’s been the best thing for my energy levels in the afternoon. I used to feel so tired come 2pm and now I don’t get that energy crash anymore.
Keeping strict work boundaries
One thing I’m passionate about is working hard during work hours and logging off on time more often than not. In the corporate world especially, there is a massive capacity for your work to creep into your personal life and if you don’t set firm boundaries with it, you can burn out very quickly.
I also don’t believe that working extra hours means you get any more done, it just means you haven’t been the most efficient with your time.
Parkinson’s law states that work expands to fill the time you have allocated and I have noticed that when people are given more time, they just take extra-long to do something.
I have many thoughts on this!
I also find that by the time my work day is up, I cannot fathom doing extra work because my brain is too tired to process anything well by 5pm, so the work I’d do would not be up to the quality I’d expect of myself anyway.
Evening routine 🌙
Time outside with kids while they play
Easily one of my favourite parts of the day, I love to come home from work and get my feet in the grass to ground myself.
My boys will usually spend a good 30-45 mins jumping on the trampoline (or wrestling!) while I tend to our garden. It’s a nice way to disconnect from work and Andrew is usually inside making dinner and listening to a podcast during this time so I try to enjoy the afternoon light as it fades.
Dinner (no phones)
We always have dinner together and there’s a no-tech blanket rule in our house unless it’s a very special occasion where we will all watch a movie together.
We use this time to talk about our days, find out what our children have enjoyed at school + daycare, and generally connect as a family. I grew up in a house where we had family meals together and I believe it’s one of the strongest family rituals you can have to stay close as a family.
Ticking off any house jobs ✔️
After dinner I’ll quickly vacuum or Hizero our floors, put away the clean washing and Andrew will tidy up the kitchen. These three things make me feel like the day is complete and I can finally start winding down.
Plus there’s something very satisfying about having clean floors and I find it cathartic!
Connect with the kids - Put them to bed and read a story
Once everything is cleaned up and the boys are showered, I’ll read Jake a bunch of stories and put him to bed. Henry likes to draw or read after dinner so this is our quiet time where we connect with both the kids one on one.
Catch up with Andrew
I then spend a bit of time catching up on the day with Andrew as this is about the only time we don’t get interrupted by the kids chatter!
Journalling about a particular mindset topic or issue I’m grappling with or listen to a meditation before bed ✍🏻
I tried journalling and meditation in the mornings but I found I would get too sleepy and I didn’t feel any of the benefits. I now do this before bed at night about half of the week, and the other half I might just watch some Netflix or read a book.
Skin care routine + herbal tea 🍵
I’ll then do my skin care and make a tea ready to wind down before bed. I like my house to have a calming vibe at the end of the night and this is part of creating that nurturing space for myself.
Weekly routines…
Planning and weekly review 🗓
Every week (usually on a Saturday morning) I go to my local coffee shop and take my laptop, planner + notebook and plan out my week. I put in all the commitments I have, any action I need to take on my goals, create my social media content plan and schedule in my rest/free time.
I firmly believe that without planning your week, you are at the mercy of everyone else’s agenda and will always end up feeling like you have no control over your life.
Gym - strength training
I like to go to the gym a couple of times a week and build my strength which has really dropped off since having Jake.
Cleaning our house + any projects we may have going on
The weekends are generally spent doing any errands and typical family things which include cleaning plus any maintenance jobs required for the house.
Since we have been renovating, this will usually include things like building gardens and painting from the (long) list of jobs we have!
Spending time with friends or family adventures
A couple of times a month I also try and schedule in catch ups with my close friends for coffee and we also plan a family adventure day. Since creating a bucket list at the start of 2023, we’ve been working on getting out more and seeing the places we’ve planned on visiting for years!
Life admin and digital declutter 🖥
I usually spend about 15-30 mins once or twice a week and clear out my personal inbox, pay bills and respond to emails or things for the kids school. By regularly staying on top of it I don’t find life admin or digital clutter to get too overwhelming.
Rest/downtime (without guilt) 🌿
My favourite thing to do is spend time in my garden, get some sunshine and have my feet in the grass on a Sunday afternoon.
I will intentionally put this time in my calendar as rest/downtime to make sure it doesn’t get eroded by running around doing jobs and I find this is an incredibly grounding practice. My head is much calmer afterwards and the sun does me good after being in the office all week!
So there you have it, a typical week and the routines I currently have that keep me feeling good in my life!
Would love to hear how you run your week!
Valli x
PS I also fit my business in and around all of that but I will save that for another post!
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out the rest of my blog for more helpful topics 😊.
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