Whether you actually work a 9-5, 8-5 or 9-6 job one thing is for certain, at the end of a long day it is so tempting to just come home, order some food and then veg out in front of the television or worse, our phones. I have been working in corporate banking for a couple of decades now and I completely understand having this feeling as I put forth a lot of mental energy throughout the day already and can be quite tired sometimes after the day is done. But at the same time, I did not want to look back on my life to see that I was basically a houseplant after work every night, just sitting in a corner doing nothing until bedtime. I wanted to create an after-work life that would be more enriching and just as luxurious as any other part of my life was. I am a woman who creates her life on purpose and not one to just sit around and wait for something to happen and I wanted an after 9-5 life to reflect that as well. I will of course give the caveat that there are still going to be some days that can be quite more tiring than others and on days like that I will absolutely rest and give my body and mind what it needs, but most days are pretty routine otherwise and do not need this type of care. Otherwise, read below for ideas on how to make your after 9-5 time more enriching.
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Movement
I work most of my day sitting down since I work in a corporate environment, so I recently started going to the gym after work for some interval cardio. I found this to be better than the morning as I can be pretty groggy still after waking up at 5 a.m. and doing this type of workout wasn’t the best for me at that time. So, I started switching it up to after-work and found that the results were so much better. I have more energy in the afternoon and am able to get a better workout in. It also helps to move my body after a long day of sitting. The afternoon workout really helps to give more energy throughout the day as well as getting all of those happy hormones flowing and can help make one feel especially happy in the evenings.
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cook a healthy meal
Dinnertime is a such a great time to provide some enrichment for you in both the physical and mental. And just a quick tip here, plan a menu over the weekend for the workweek ahead to help you not always be wondering “what’s for dinner”. You will know from your planned menu and always have what you need. When it’s time for dinner I turn the lights down low with keeping on just a couple of lamps and under cabinet lights, I will put on my Cooking Playlist from Spotify and enjoy cooking a healthy meal. When it’s during the workweek you don’t want to cook a meal that’s too involved, keep it simple, healthy and on the lighter side. I have set menu that I use for throughout the week that I may switch up occasionally, but this helps keep me on track and makes creating a weekly menu and grocery list simple. Enjoy the process of cooking the meal and enjoy the time to sit down and enjoy dining.
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enjoy a hobby
After eating dinner, cleaning and resetting the kitchen, I will then change into some cozy pajamas and pick a hobby to enjoy for a couple of hours. Some of my favorites to do after work are reading, coloring, or working on a jigsaw puzzle. I will light my favorite scented candles, put in some air pods and listen to my Cozy Playlist on Spotify, curl up in my cozy chair and just relax. Finding a hobby that you will love to do is important here because without something that you are looking forward to doing you will possibly find yourself scrolling through social media night after night. I will not pretend like I have never done this because I have, but with having so many different hobbies that I enjoy, it doesn’t happen very often. Some ideas for hobbies that you may want to explore besides the reading, coloring or jigsaw puzzles mentioned above are knitting, puzzle books like sudoku, painting/drawing, diamond painting, scrapbooking, calligraphy, or crafting like with a cricut machine. I see on socail media as well that some girls are into cozy gaming like Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, so that’s also something you may want to look into, but you basically you want to find something that you look forward to doing every night to wind down.
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indulge in your skincare routine
When it’s almost time for bed I will put away my hobby, snuff the candles and make my way to the bathroom to begin indulging in my skincare routine. Like most things in my life, I create a luxurious experience for my nightly skincare as well. I will put on my Luxury Hotel Vibes Playlist, grab a soft fluffy face towel and start my skincare routine. You want to create your routine based on your skin’s needs and one that will show up for consistently. For me I start off by removing my makeup and doing a quick face clean with BioDerma Micellar Water, then I apply argan oil to my face, then do a full face and neck gua sha. After that I wash my face with Caudalie foaming face wash and then apply a Caudalie Resveratrol Cashmere Creme. Then I apply a Laneige lip mask to my lips and lastly moisturize my hands with OUAI hand lotion. While this process takes a bit of a time investment, the results of my skin the next morning are always worth it. I’ve said this on here before, but I will say it again….so many things in our life simply comes and go such as style, acquaintances, jobs, homes, etc. but our skin is with us for a lifetime and is worth every investment to keep it as healthy as possible.
Love these ideas! I currently find myself scrolling on my phone in front of the tv more than I’d like too. I put together two little bags to easily pull out at night – one with watercolors, a watercolor notebook, paint brush and pencil; and one with a sticker art book, some coloring books and markers. I still don’t do them as much as I like but they are there and ready. And I ALWAYS read before bed. I don’t think I can fall asleep without reading. 😂 Does the Gua sha make a noticeable difference do you think?
I love that you have hobby bag that you can pull out on the nights that you want to do a hobby. It makes it so much easier to jump right in as for sure we may not want to fuss with gathering all of the supplies to do a hobby. Scrolling the phone is a modern-day easy distraction and we are all guilty of this at some time or another, so don’t beat yourself up when you do it. I like the gua sha as for me it seems to help keep my face from looking too puffy the next morning, but like most skincare things in life that’s probably a case-by-case situation, but if you haven’t tried it yet then for sure give a try. But remember, like any other skincare regimen consistency is key.