I have definitely not always been into fitness, and the outgoing personality seen on my blog and social media channels is a far cry from who I was in my teens and early 20s. After landing my first corporate internship the summer after my junior year of college, I noticed that sitting at a desk staring at a computer all day made me feel like absolute crap. I was exhausted all. the. time. And couldn’t figure out why I was so tired even though it felt like I wasn’t doing anything.

I realized I didn’t want to feel that way for the next 40+ years of my career, so I started doing anything I could to give myself more energy, and quickly learned that I felt better by incorporating more movement into my life–and that was where my love of fitness began.

At first, I started off slow by going to workout classes (and hiding in the back) and running because it was easily accessible and not as intimidating as the gym. While my energy levels started to improve, I began wanting more out of my wellness routine especially after I graduated from college.

I learned more about nutrition and started cooking for myself. But more than anything, I wanted to feel strong, so I slowly started incorporating more strength training into my routine. The weight room was such a scary place (because I had no idea what I was doing), but I wanted so badly to learn.

So I started going to the gym early in the morning before work, when it was empty. When I had the space to myself, I felt more comfortable learning new movements and techniques. I soon started researching and learning everything I could about strength training, and began feeling major changes physically and mentally.

Along with discovering new muscles I never knew I had, I noticed myself becoming more confident. As someone who was always very quiet, reserved, and uncomfortable putting myself out there, I noticed I was gaining as much emotional strength as I was physical strength.

I began feeling more comfortable putting myself out there, standing up for myself, and using my voice. And I knew if strength training could do that for me, then it could do that for other women too. So I decided to become a trainer and help others find the same strength I found. It’s been five years since I became a trainer and I haven’t looked back since!

Here’s a look at a day in my life:

6:00 a.m. – Alarm goes off. I’ll usually either snooze once or lay in bed for a few minutes and mentally gear up for the day.

6:15 a.m. – Make a big glass of lemon water and start brewing my morning coffee.

6:20 a.m. – Sip my lemon water while I journal. In the morning I like using my 5 Minute Journal to get me in a good head space for the day. I finish with a morning meditation using the Calm app, make my morning coffee, and head to the gym.

7:00 a.m. – On weekdays I usually make it to the gym by 7am for my workout. I try to workout 5 days per week, focusing on strength training 3-4 days per week, and incorporating HIIT into my routine 1-2 days per week. I’m all about quick workouts so they usually only take 30-40 minutes. I like to maximize my time at the gym by filming what I do to share as content later on. Here’s what my workout looked like on this particular day:

I completed five rounds of the following kettlebell circuit:

5 Goblet Squats
5 Deadlifts
5 Rows Per Arm
5 Clean and Press Per Arm

Finisher: 50 Heavy Kettlebell Swings

Fast, efficient, and a quick sweat to get my day started!

7:45am – Came home from the gym, showered, and got dressed for work. Then made a smoothie and left for the office. 

Here’s my go-to smoothie for the past few weeks:

Blueberry Cacao Smoothie ON REPEAT after my workouts this week Blend: 1 Cup Almond Milk 1/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries 1/2 Frozen Banana 1 TBS Almond Butter 1 TBS Hemp or Chia Seeds 1 Scoop @vitalproteins Collagen Peptides Optional: 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder (I used @primalkitchenfoods Primal Fuel) . Top with cacao nibs and go live your best life . My girl @themermaidbre tried it with raspberries instead of blueberries and that turned out awesome too! What is your favorite smoothie combo at the moment? #balancedberry

A post shared by Les | The Balanced Berry (@balancedberry) on Aug 3, 2018 at 12:32pm PDT

9:00am – Arrived at my office for my day job. I’m still new, so I spend a lot of time learning from my other team members. My work day typically consists of a lot of meetings and content creation for my company’s social media channels.

12 p.m. – During my lunch break, I try to go for a walk to get up and get my legs moving. I’ll also use this time to upload content to my social media channels if needed.

5:00 p.m. – My typical workday for my day job wraps up around 5 p.m. Thankfully, I don’t have a very long commute, so I’m not too drained by the time I get home.

5:30 p.m. – Once I get home, I like taking about an hour or two to decompress and relax before diving into work for my business. During this time I’ll usually change into comfy clothes, read, catch up on social media, make myself some dinner, and gear up for my second workday of the day.

6:30/7:00 p.m. – The work I do for my business varies by the day. A lot of my tasks revolve around programming workouts for clients, creating meal plans, and planning out new content for my blog, social media channels, and online workshops I host.

11:00pm – I try to wrap things up by 11 each night, but sometimes I do end up working later (but midnight is my hard stop unless I’m working on a tight deadline). I definitely don’t get as much sleep as I would like, but that’s part of having a side hustle. Usually, when I finish my second “work time,” I’ll go through my skincare routine. I love using oil-based products so I use Cocokind’s Cleansing Oil to remove all my makeup. Then I follow up with the Beautycounter Charcoal Cleansing bar to wash my face and any leftover oil or makeup that may be left. I then spritz on some rosewater to tone my skin, and finish off with a few drops of Argan oil on the dry areas of my face, and Egyptian Magic moisturizer around the eye area. 

I’ll be honest–my days are full and I don’t want to glamorize having a demanding schedule or packed sleep, and I don’t think a schedule like mine works for everyone. I am really fortunate to be able to have so many things I am able to do and enjoy, but I know a schedule like this isn’t sustainable for the long-term. I think I have a few more years of working like this in me before I’ll be ready for a slower pace.

Do you remember when you were a little kid, and going to bed was a process? There was a gradual progression from when it was time to be awake, to when it was time to go to sleep. Perhaps your parents would give you a bath, read you a story, and tuck you in before you drifted off to sleep. Somewhere along the journey to becoming an adult, this process gets lost. Many of us spend our waking hours working, getting through our to-do’s and scrolling social media right until (and after) our head hits the pillow. With so much going on, it is no wonder it is hard for so many of us to get the rest we need.

Let’s bring that bedtime process back to help give our adult selves proper rest and care. Below are three tips to help you create a routine to help you wind down and get a good night’s sleep.

Intentionally get un-ready

The first step to getting ready for a restful night is to wash off the day. Remove all of your makeup, brush and floss your teeth and change into comfortable clothing that you don’t feel restricted in. If you’re feeling sore or stiff, take a few moments to do a few stretches to loosen up. Try not mindlessly go through the motions as you complete these tasks to get un-ready. Perform each action with intention and purpose. As you remove your makeup remind yourself how great it is that you are taking care of your skin. While you’re brushing your teeth, think about the importance of your oral health, and how much that benefits your overall health. Get into the mindset of taking care of yourself even as the day comes to an end.

Get your thoughts on paper

Try keeping a journal and pen on your nightstand, and take a few moments to jot down your thoughts. Write down any nagging tasks that are still on your mind, successes you achieved or perhaps things that didn’t go so well during your day. Get them out of your head and onto paper so you don’t continue to think about them as you try to go to sleep.

If you are in a particularly busy season, making a to-do list at night that you can use to guide you the next day can also be beneficial.

Engage your senses

Before going to bed, what do you see? Smell? Hear? Taste? Are any of these things helping you get a good night’s sleep? If the answer is no, you may want to consider incorporating relaxation into these areas. If you love soothing scents, diffuse some lavender oil or spritz a calming pillow mist before getting into bed. If you tend to have a sweet tooth, have a mug of lightly sweetened chamomile tea to satisfy your cravings while still being calming. If you find yourself leaving the TV on because you like background noise try turning on soft music or an audiobook instead. And when it comes to sight, we can all benefit from spending less time in front of the screen before sleep. Try your best to power down your phone and computer one hour before going to sleep.

Just like our morning routines set the tone for a successful day, creating a nighttime routine can set the tone for successful rest. If adding another full routine to your day sounds daunting, just pick one task from above to incorporate into your night and take it from there.