A Normal Day: My Daily Routine To Stay Motivated At Home

Right now, millions of people around the world are living a very different day-to-day life as expected. Many are working from home, home and out of work, staying with parents, with their children 24/7 or working extra hours. When spending more time at home in quarantine, it is really easy to slip into a groundhog day style routine of late lay ins, repetitive activities, afternoon naps (if you’re lucky), snacking, bedtime – and repeat. It’s draining!

Although I am currently working part from home and part from the office, I had a weeks annual leave last week. For a few days off, I let my daily routine slip completely. I ended up feeling lethargic, irritable, and just not knowing what to do with myself really. That’s when I realised the power of my normal daily routine for keeping me energetic, motivated and with a positive mindset. So here it is, my normal day – well as normal as being forced to stay at home due to a global pandemic can be! A daily routine to get you out of a repetitive slump and instead enjoying every day.

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A Normal Day: My Daily Routine To Stay Motivated At Home

Morning

On a normal week day I wake up between 6.30am and 7am (half an hour earlier when driving to the office), when my Fitbit Versa (buy on Amazon) senses I am in a light sleep and will wake up without that groggy feeling.

On the bed or floor beside it, I do some basic yoga stretches to loosen my neck and back muscles which have become knotted during sleep. These exercises include neck rolls, cats and cows, puppy pose and finally child’s pose.

I Immediately hit the shower to wake me up and mentally prepare myself to start a new day, before completing my morning skincare routine and cleaning my teeth. For my skincare routine, read: 10 Tips for Clearer Skin.

After the usual taming of my wild bedhead, quick application of basic make up and putting on the days outfit (active wear if at home), I have half an hour spare.

I start this half an hour with a relaxing cup of tea and a mindfulness session on the Headspace App. Followed by breakfast and obligatory morning television to catch up on the news. After this roughly 20 minutes of news, I make a point of turning off the TV and avoiding news outlets for the rest of the working day. It’s then time to head to work or move to my home office.

At the weekend, I naturally wake up around 7am. Although it can be very tempting to try and fall back to sleep, I have learnt too much sleep makes me feel groggy and lethargic for the whole day. But I often read in bed for up to an hour before starting my usual morning routine.

Afternoon

If I’m at home, I use my lunch break to exercise. For me, this is the key to staying motivated, focussed and energised throughout the whole day. Around 11.30 I treat myself to a yummy protein shake made up of Tropeaka protein powder, milk, water, half a banana, ice and chia seeds.

About 12pm I either go for a brisk walk, or complete that days exercise in my 8 week exercise plan (Sarah’s Day Sweat It To Shred It). Something to get my heart rate up, with some upbeat music to give me a much needed midday mood boost.

Now we cannot go out in the evening, these longer hours of daylight can make the afternoon into evening feel particularly long! For my own mental health, I like to avoid a 5 hour stretch in front of the TV. So I find an activity to do after work hours, such as write a blog post (I’m writing this very post on a Thursday evening), play a game or try a new recipe. For more activities, read my post: Fun Activities For Adults To Do When Stuck At Home.

I have to admit, I have gotten into the habit of enjoying daily luxurious bubble baths with lavender bath salts (read my post: How To Make Relaxing Lavender Bath Salts) to pass the time and relax before bed.

Evening

I’m not going to lie to you girls, when it comes to bed time, I’m a grandma. 9.30pm and I’m falling asleep – most nights anyway. But a good nights sleep is a major factor in keeping me energised and motivated throughout the day. For my top tips to fall and stay asleep, read my post: Tips For A Good Nights Sleep.

Even if i’m super sleepy, I try and make an effort to follow my bedtime routine. After completing my evening skincare routine, I climb into bed sprayed with lavender pillow spray (buy on Amazon). If I’m totally brain dead, I listen to a mindfullness bedtime session on the Headspace app or a story on the Sleepy podcast. If I am still pretty awake, I read in bed. Most importantly I stay away from TV a while before falling asleep, or I will have a night of poor quality sleep and feel exhausted the next day.