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Self Care, Stress, Weekend

Make Time to Enjoy Your Life Even During the Busy Work Week

August 10, 2018 By Robyn 14 Comments

Hello, friends! It’s Hannah here, one of the RLRD interns back with another blog post for you. This month, as I thought about what could be a good topic to reflect upon, I came back to the phrase that I trust most when it comes to writing: “write about what you know”. Soooo, that is what we shall do!

As some of you might already know, I’ll be a senior (a fifth year, actually – so like a super senior) in college at Northeastern this year. Along with the majority of people I know at school, I’m doing five years because of the co-op program. It’s a program where students get an opportunity to apply to jobs and work full-time in a field that they hope to go into one day (and oftentimes, a field that they’re already studying in undergrad). Right now, I’m at my third co-op job, and I have grown beyond thankful for Northeastern’s cooperative education program…and I promise you, no one’s paying me to say that. It’s taught me so much about what I’m interested in, what I have no interest in, and what I aspire to do post-grad. I’m currently working at a hospital in Cambridge on the medical/surgical unit. I’ve been working full-time there for only six weeks, yet I’ve already learned so much about the medical field and patient care; it’s making me excited for a future as a healthcare practitioner down the road.

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My hours are that of a typical 8-4(ish) day job, and the beauty of the co-op program is that it lets us practice being real adults while still being in college: I go to bed at a decent hour, wake up early, commute to work, stay at work all day, commute home, and then…alas, freedom. Yes, there are many adulting things to do, such as laundry, dishes, make dinner, pack food for work the next day, but for six months, I am so thankful to have normal adult chores to do and no homework to accomplish after a long day. No studying for tests, no getting grades back, no projects, no graded assignments, no writing papers. I am very appreciative of this break from school, and because of that, I’ve been trying to capitalize on this free time after work as much as possible. Even though I know it’s temporary, it’s so so sweet.

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Sometimes, it can be difficult to appreciate these little pockets of after work freedom. I can easily get swept up in a slew of random house chores, or I’ll sit on my phone and let the evening slip away from me before I can enjoy it…and I’m only 22! I don’t have any children or other humans to take care of aside from myself — and if it’s tough for me at times, I cannot even imagine what it’s like to have little human beings who rely on you. I know I cannot speak to that scenario, and I won’t try to because I have zero clue what it’s like to be a parent. I give my mom & dad, and any other moms and dads and guardians out there, tremendous credit. Having to work full-time and then come home to take care of kiddos…you are genuine super humans. And to my mom & dad — thank YOU so much for everything you’ve done and continue to do for me, even though you were probably really tired and just wanted to watch TV and not cook/clean after work. I love you BIG time.

Anyways….what I wanted to say was that I’m starting to figure out little ways to appreciate the after work freedom, and I’ll share them with you here. I know they may not be feasible for every person, but maybe some of these will resonate. As a side note, for transparency…I’m currently at the campus library to work on some GRE studying and grad school applications (on a Wednesday night at 8:30PM). So of course, we all can’t have fun every single night of the work week (though that’d be awesome) but we can appreciate the fun times when they come around. Okay, onward!

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Plan a simple activity. Last week, my roommates and I decided it would be fun to go to a nearby beach for an evening picnic. We packed up a cooler full of snacks such as chips + guac, dried fruit, hummus + crackers, blueberries, and a salad with a fun dressing. We drove to the beach, which was only a few miles away, and camped out on a picnic blanket. It was such an easy, simple thing to do after we all got out of work/classes, and it really did make the rest of the week go by faster.

Be reasonable with timing. My friends and I do enjoy a fun night out from time to time. The only little issue with this, for me, is if I stay up too late on a Thursday, I am SO tired for work on Friday! And being tired for work, and not being able to think my best or do my best work are no-go’s. I don’t like it one bit. Being tired is alright because sometimes late nights are well-worth it, and also the occasional bad night’s sleep is just a part of being human (for sure in this heat), but if they can be prevented, I’d prefer to do that. Especially on weeknights! Last Thursday, one of my friends & I got Sweetgreen salads for dinner and saw Mamma Mia 2. The movie was great, I got to bed at a reasonable hour, and in the early morning I was up and ready to go to work. The best part of this was that we still got to do something fun on a weeknight, but we didn’t let it impede our sleep too much. And we all know just how important those precious hours of sleep are.

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Capitalize on your weekends. One of my favorite parts of not being a full-time student right now is not needing to dedicate a significant amount of time to studying on the weekends. I’ve come to appreciate my weekends this summer more than any other, considering in past summers I’ve been in fast-paced, two month long courses with tests every two weeks and quizzes every Monday/Wednesday. I love planning to do at least one fun activity each weekend with people I love. This past weekend, I drove my friends & I down to Rhode Island, where we made s’mores, went shopping in Newport, did laundry (YAY), and went to the beach in Charlestown. It was a perfect little weekend getaway that left me feeling refreshed and ready to go into work on Monday morning. This coming weekend, I’m excited to be visiting my family down in Connecticut. I have no plans other than to sit in the sunshine, read my book, eat, and hang with the fam. Maybe I’ll book myself a massage! Sidenote: I know some of you reading this might be full-time employees and part-time students (or vice-versa), and I am genuinely so impressed with you and give you all of the credit in the world. That is HARD. I know it is. But I believe in you!

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Pick a night to care extra for yourself. I do love spending time with my people. They lift me up! But sometimes after a busy crazy work day, I need to just take care of me and not go running around doing fun activities. I’m grateful for the freedom I have after work that allows me to pick a random night of the week and do this. Whether it’s going to yoga, watching a recording of the Bachelorette in my room, reading a good book, or getting an extra hour of sleep or two, a night like this always recharges me and makes me feel ten times more alive for the rest of the work week.

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And those are my suggestions! They might sound good to you or maybe not. I’d love to hear about some things that help you unwind and enjoy free moments after work? Share in the comments!

I hope you have a happy Friday and an even better weekend.


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Filed Under: Self Care, Stress, Weekend

« Intuitive Eating and Health At Every Size Are Not Anti-Health
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Comments

  1. Rebecca Cooper-Mullin says

    August 10, 2018 at 9:05 am

    Great Suggestions 🙂 So easy to get swept up in the “too tired to move” feeling. Love movie dates, walks to ice cream etc. on a wednesday/thursday!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      August 11, 2018 at 6:27 pm

      I agree! Those things sound so perfect!

      Reply
  2. Abby says

    August 10, 2018 at 9:59 am

    I LOVEEE HeartSoul scrubs!!! You look like you’re ready to take on the world in them!!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      August 11, 2018 at 6:28 pm

      Awww Abby! You’re the sweetest!! THANK YOU <3

      Reply
  3. Elizabeth Ritter says

    August 10, 2018 at 11:03 am

    I love just taking the time to cook a simple dinner and just enjoying my meal slowly and with a glass of wine! I tend to cook bigger amounts of food and eat a lot of leftovers so being able to not meal prep and just enjoy my dinner hot off the stove is so relaxing to me. Also, if I’m feeling stressed, I love a long hot shower before bed. Not having to rush through it is the best!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      August 11, 2018 at 6:29 pm

      I love not having to rush! It really is so calming. Slowly cooking a meal ooohh, I might need to do that this week. Thank you for the tips! xoxo

      Reply
  4. Connie says

    August 10, 2018 at 5:29 pm

    I love this friend! I’m going to need to figure out a new week day and weekend groove soon here with my internship and I love your ideas 🙂 ps looking cute in your scrubs!

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      August 11, 2018 at 6:29 pm

      Thank you so much sweet Connie!

      Reply
  5. SHREYA says

    August 11, 2018 at 7:19 am

    VERY WELL EXPLAINED AND VERY GOOD SUGGESTIONS .THANK YOU IT WILL HELP ME

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      August 11, 2018 at 6:30 pm

      Thank you Shreya!

      Reply
  6. Emily Swanson says

    August 11, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    I hardcore love this post and how much you gals emphasize being intentional about finding time to rest and spend time with family or friend. I love a night in or a night of going out to see a movie with my sisters. Friday nights are my favorite night to do that. 🙂 Thank you for this sweet encouragement. You have a lot of wisdom for a 22 year old.

    Reply
    • Hannah says

      August 11, 2018 at 6:30 pm

      Awww Emily, I appreciate you so much! Love seeing movies with friends/fam. xoxo!

      Reply
  7. tracy says

    August 11, 2018 at 6:40 pm

    Love the puppy pic!!!

    Reply
  8. Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says

    August 14, 2018 at 4:26 pm

    I couldn’t agree with you more: I personally love working life MUCH more than student life when there is always something you could be studying, homework in evenings, etc. I love taking my dog on walks in the evenings after work. Bonus if my husband comes too so we can share about our days!

    Reply

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A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

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🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 two babies are asleep at the same time in their beds (and not on me) for the FIRST TIME IN 7657 DAYS and dear lord I could cry tears of relief straight into this latte and bowl of chocolate chips bc I woke up this morning exhausted and weary and told Nick I didn’t want to parent today 🤣 Not even calling this self care. It’s sanity right now. And even if it lasts 5 minutes it will be 5 minutes of freaking glory. p.s. yes that brick is crooked bc v uneven floors are part of the charmed package of this old house
Learning over and over again in this season that f Learning over and over again in this season that feels unsettled and chaotic and longgggggg that sometimes, you just need the viewpoint of a toddler to remind you that the seemingly insignificant things & moments really are....straight up magical. And that yes, these mundane days are packed full of goodness & beauty if I keep my eyes fixed on what actually matters.
Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, wowww 🤯 Asked at least six people where to find something and their opinion on all the options bc holy decision fatigue. Nursed my newborn on the floor of the paint aisle. And BLESS my new contractor friend Matt I found in the lumber section that pushed my cart around and helped me avoid the mistake of buying exterior wood for some DIY bathroom shelves.
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I’m giving all our bathrooms a DIY makeover and I couldn’t be more of a rookie. So shoutout to all my Lowe’s buddies and YouTube 😜 You’re making this happen.
We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t plan to close on a house 10 weeks after having a baby, but here we are. And we are so, so grateful.  And I’m also terrified. We’ve moved three times and lived in three different states since we got married three years ago. After six years spent living in New York City and Boston, moving back to Charlottesville was really, really hard for me. I cried a lot those first six months because my heart ached for the northeast and for city life. I wanted to pack up and go back to Boston ASAP. It felt so different and so quiet here and at times, very lonely. Even though it felt like the next right step, I second guessed our decision A LOT.
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But here we are 10 months later ready to continue investing in this neighborhood we’ve come to love. And this community of people that have become so dear. Ten months later and it feels so, so right. And although committing to settling down here for a good bit feels really scary to me, it also brings so much peace to know we aren’t moving again anytime soon. We are here to plant and grow. And raise our babies in this house as we make it a home. It’s also really fun to have one of your best friends be your realtor. We love you @kelli.teter.nesting 🤗
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Now, to see if we make it out of this kitchen renovation all in one piece 🤪
my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in ghee with sautéed spinach (also in ghee) and an english muffin with more ghee + some sort of jam on half for that sweet & savory combo. we discovered these local english muffins (from The Bread Basket) and they are doughy and delicious and we are obsessed.
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I’ve found that I need a solid source of protein and lots of fat for breakfast to keep me full while breastfeeding this time around vs with Cal, I was so into big bowls of pb & chocolate chip banana oatmeal. just goes to show our bodies know what they need and change cravings accordingly. also, just a psa: go pick up the maple butter from @traderjoes bc it is bonkers 🤤 and lastly, shout out to my husband bc a lot of mornings he is making this bfast for me while I nurse & try to pull myself out of bed - don’t for a moment think I’ve got it together 🤪
I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brai I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brain of if/how to use this platform in a way that aligns with how I want to live my life. I’m finding it tricky to discern that when 90% of my use on this app is for professional purposes. But I’m not sure if even professionally, it makes sense for me. Because I feel more aligned with what matters to me when I’m not regularly present here.  I’m not really sure what things will look like moving forward, but for right now I’m here to share with you that I somehow found some spare minutes between newborn & toddler life to write a post with some semi-coherent thoughts on life lately. 🤪 You can head there by clicking the link in my profile.
I’ve been completely disconnected from social me I’ve been completely disconnected from social media and that’s been vital for me during this tender postpartum period of transitioning from a mama of 1 to 2. But today, I’m bopping on briefly to share how Teddy entered this wild world with you - if you’re into a lengthy, detailed birth story, the link in my profile will lead you to the blog post 💙
Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our famil Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our family at 12:48am on Wednesday after a quick and swift labor & birth at home 💙 Thank you Father for another healthy baby boy & your abundant, tender love for us. What an undeserved gift.
Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his due date, but also....LET’S GO DUDE. Still over here eating dates (check out the @ebbirth article on the research showing dates can help ripen (aka soften) your cervix, reduce the need for medical intervention in labor and can overall, improve birth outcomes) drinking red raspberry leaf tea and sleeping as much as possible with a 19 month old running around. And also trying to survive July in VA without public pools or splash pads bc it is BLAZIN HERE (and I’m a wuss with the heat 🤪)
#AlignPartner A huge plus of transitioning from ti #AlignPartner A huge plus of transitioning from tiny-apartment-city-living to house living is this screened in porch. This little oasis sold me on renting this house when we moved from Boston to Virginia back in November. I dreamed about this becoming our outdoor living room for at least half the year (because also, summer comes earlier and stays later down here - which has a its pros and cons 😆)  During Cal’s afternoon nap, I set up shop out here with my computer + something refreshing to drink and get a little bit of work done before my brain turns to mush and/or a find myself napping instead of working. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I can only drink so much water during the hot months before I’m over it so I’ve been mixing it up with either seltzer + juice, iced tea or @alignprobiotic’s new Kombucha On-the-Go powder sticks - all you do is mix one of the packets into ice cold water and stir. Then sip!  With quarantine life, we aren’t on-the-go much these days, but it’s still nice to have a nonperishable drink option always around. Flavor wise, it’s like a fizzy iced tea with a zingy, refreshing lemon ginger flavor.  I think it’s important to know that not all probiotic supplements are created equal. They all aren’t backed by evidence, but the Align brand is and could be something helpful for you if you feel like you need some digestive support - but talk to your healthcare provider first. I try to incorporate probiotics into what I eat - and that mostly comes in drink vs food form. Tell me how you’re staying hydrated in the comments ...because these days, it’s the little things 🤪 #AlignProbiotic **Use as Directed
Lunches for the past month or so have been some re Lunches for the past month or so have been some rendition of a sandwich + chips + fruit. SUMMERTIME 😎I’ve switched to open faced only bc there just ain’t much room left in there for food at 38.5 weeks 🤰🏻90% of the time at the end of a meal, no matter how “small” the portion, I’m feeling stuffed and like the food is in my throat (just what you wanted to read on this lovely Tuesday afternoon 🤪) but my point here is...intuitive eating doesn’t mean find-the-perfect-fullness and eat-only-when-hungry. Sometimes it means eating when you’re not hungry and feeling overly full often and trying to eat foods lower in fiber and higher in calories.
Found this photo on my camera roll today from a wa Found this photo on my camera roll today from a walk I took a month or so ago. Between quarantine and spending my days with a toddler, life is much less hurried and a lot more mundane these days. But those two things are helping me to stop & notice and to chill out on checking things off my to do list and instead just being present with whatever is in front of me. I want to have the curiosity & wonder my 18 month old has as I go about my day - with my surroundings and people I encounter and really, everything. Life is way more meaningful that way. Ending my evening with that reminder and a white chocolate chip cinnamon blondie covered in vanilla ice cream before I go take an Epsom salt bath and read.

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