06:30am - I wake up (snoozing about four or maybe more times…) and start my day. As I’m working from home at the moment, I don’t need to worry about getting the train to work, which has its pros and cons. The pros are that I can get a class or practice in, go for a walk, or do work or personal admin before I really need to be ‘at my desk’. The cons are that I don’t move around or get out of the house as much, and often fail to catch up on the news or important reading on my commute, which I’m finding more and more difficult to do during the day. This is why I aim to do a power or dynamic vinyasa flow class before work starts instead, or barre as it makes me feel like I’ve done something physical and own my day. Sometimes I try 15 minutes of stretching to a video or follow a ‘morning’ type yoga class on Youtube. I’ve had problems with my knees for ages, so if I don’t stretch or at least give some of my physio exercises a go, I really regret it for the rest of the day. 

07:30am - I get super hungry in the morning and can’t go too long before breakfast, which is sometimes why I end up skipping my morning class. I would eat beforehand - but that would mean getting up earlier - and I need to sleep! I’m trying to watch what I eat at the moment because my wedding is later in the year, so I have a protein shake from Form Nutrition (blended with ice and half a banana) or yoghurt with berries. Coffee is a must - it’s hard for me to comprehend a caffeine detox, although I’d probably benefit from one… After I’ve eaten breakfast I shower and get ready for work, which I start around 8am. Sometimes I eat my breakfast while drying my hair or doing my makeup, which saves time, and allows me to spend a little longer doing my stretches etc. Time saving and efficiency are important for me.

11am - Between 8am and 11am I’m usually catching up on work or attending virtual meetings. It would be the same if I was in the office, but I’d get up between meetings and make a coffee every so often. As I don’t do this so much at home, I try to get up and move around - albeit using an alarm so I don’t forget. Without a downward facing dog and child’s pose, my body would be a total mess. I try to do the poses in another room, away from my desk, and grab at least five to ten minutes of stretching time if I can - otherwise I’m grumpy. Getting up also helps me to remember to drink water and grab a snack - I love avocados, crackers, melon, and chocolate for a mid-morning snack. If I was in the office, it would be a croissant - they are my guilty pleasure, especially a cheese and tomato one.

1pm - Typically I take my lunch at 1pm and try to go for a walk. There are also days when I work through lunch and have to grab something I can eat at my desk. Chicken and vegetables feature considerably in my meal planning at the moment, but I also eat a lot of tofu or protein alternatives with veg and noodles, and then an apple (always the pink lady variety) with peanut butter (smooth, not crunchy - controversial!) which I heat in the microwave (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it). If I can take a lunch break, I attempt a few minutes of breathwork and a couple of moves or stretches to offset the sitting I have to do all day. I grit my teeth when I work and don’t always sit in the best position, so working on my neck, jaw and head, even for a little bit, makes all the difference. 

3pm - Surprise, I have a snack and more coffee! But I do also have to move around. It’s pretty well known that between 2pm and 4pm energy levels drop and so does productivity, so this isn’t usually a great time for me work-wise. My goal is to try more meditation to help with concentration and cut back on the sugar, so my blood sugar and energy lows aren’t too drastic. 

6pm - I finish work sometime after 6pm. A few times a week, I go for a run. I’m not very good at doing more than 5k but I’m pretty consistent, and that helps. It’s not so much the cardio that I’m interested in, but an antidote to sitting all day. Plus, I feel very virtuous if I manage to move my frame more than once in a day and then tell everyone about it. 

7pm - 10pm - Normally my partner and I eat supper around 7pm and then watch some TV before we go to bed.  Some days I will do an online yin yoga class or practice sleep-focused or night time yoga, as well as use massage balls or foam rollers to help relieve muscle strain and tension, and destress. My sleep is quite light and easily disturbed, so I find slower forms of yoga and using equipment designed to relieve aches and pains helps me clear my mind. As part of this routine, when I manage it, I always turn the lights off and light scented candles, or have a bath. While this might sound quite ridiculous and indulgent, I really feel myself unwind, and reap the benefits of better sleep even if only completing this ritual two or three times a week.