As a full-time teacher with a blog, I try to keep my life in balance and ensure that I am taking care of myself outside of the school day. I find that how you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day, and how you end the day predicts how you will sleep that night. I have routines that bookend my day, helping me feel grounded, intentional, and calm.  Here is how I spend a typical week morning and night:

Morning

6:00 a.m. My alarm goes off, and I get out of bed. The very first thing I do is drink a full glass of water. It is super important to hydrate when first waking up, as your body has not had anything to drink all night! As soon as I have that first glass, I feel more alert and my skin becomes more glowy and awake.

6:05 a.m. I hop in the shower. I wash my face every morning with the Acure Incredibly Clear Cleansing Stick (for combo to oily skin), and I love using Dove Shower Foam body wash – it is so light and lovely. I switch up my shampoo daily (I have about 5 bottles in the shower!) because I once heard that it is not good to keep using the same shampoo. This stuck with me, so I never do.

6:15 a.m. After I shower, I immediately spritz my face with Acure’s facial toner and moisturize with their Incredibly Clear Mattifying Moisturizer. My face used to get shiny, but after switching to Acure products in the morning, my skin stays matte throughout the day. After applying moisturizer, I use my jade roller to give myself a little facial massage. This instantly brightens and de-puffs my skin. It feels so good, and I highly recommend using one if you do not already. Next, I apply Clinique’s All About Eyes – a must for under-eye circles and puffs. For body lotion, I use Goldbond Eczema Relief at this time of year, as I struggle with eczema when the weather cools down. In the summertime, I prefer something lighter, like St. Ives Vitamin E and Avocado lotion. I have heard people say that they never moisturize, and this is baffling to me! Your skin needs moisture after a hot shower.

6:30 a.m. I make myself breakfast and tea every morning. I am always hungry when I wake up, and I love the quiet time to chill with a bowl of Chobani Plain Non-Fat yogurt and Purely Elizabeth granola. My favorite one is the chocolate sea salt probiotic granola. It is low-glycemic and lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, and so delicious! I also sip on 365 Yerba Mate tea from Whole Foods – it is super refreshing and tasty. (I have never been a coffee drinker.) During this time, I check my emails and respond to Instagram comments and messages that appeared overnight.

6:45 a.m. I finish getting ready (usually still sipping my tea). I put on some light make-up (Garnier BB Cream has been my go-to since forever, and lately I have been using and loving Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Mascara) and brush my teeth post-tea. The very last thing I do is blow dry my hair. I like to give my hair plenty of time to air dry so that it does not undergo too much heat. (On the weekends, when I do not have to be anywhere, I always air dry my hair completely.)

7:10 a.m. I am driving to work and getting settled for the school day to begin.

Evening

3:00 p.m. Right when the school day ends, I stay focused on cleaning up my classroom and prepping for the next day. I try not to get distracted by anything (particularly having unnecessary conversations in the hallway – I can catch up with my co-workers the following day) as I like to leave as soon as possible to beat traffic and have a full evening at home.

4:00 p.m. I am home, and the first thing I do is unpack my lunchbox and my backpack. I rinse out my water bottle and anything else I need to from the day. I kick off my shoes and put on some comfy exercise clothes.

4:15 p.m. I settle into the couch to catch up on everything The Honey Print. I post my daily Instagram and engage with others on the app. I might work on writing a blog post if I have one I want to publish. (I usually post on Sundays, and sometimes another during the week if I have time.) If I am publishing a blog post, I also post to Facebook and Pinterest.

5:00/5:30 p.m. I wrap up my blog work around this time, and usually my boyfriend (H) comes over if he is not working (he is a musician). We love walking in the park together or going for a swim in my pool – some type of exercise to get moving and wind down from the work day. When he is working, I walk on my own or do a Yoga with Adriene video (she is the best).

6:30 p.m. By this time, H and I are often headed to Whole Foods to grab dinner. Someday, we would both like to get better about cooking, but right now, we tend to pick something up.

7:30 p.m. H and I settle in to watch an episode of something, either with a glass of wine or a cup of herbal tea in hand – whatever we are needing that day to soothe us. Currently, we are on Ozark (we are late to the party, but it is so so good).

8:45 p.m. By this time I am packing my lunch and backpack for the following day, so I can just grab it and go in the morning. When I get ready for bed, I take off my make-up with Garnier SkinActive Micellar Makeup Removing Towelettes and then wash off any excess with CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser (such a gentle, amazing brand). I moisturize with Neutrogena Naturals Multi-Vitamin Nourishing Night Cream. I always brush my teeth and floss.

9:00 p.m. I am in bed, writing in my journal and reading. I never skip doing these; they are so important to me. In my journal, I write about my day and anything I need to process. I have been doing this for as long as I can remember, and the act of writing helps me let things go or figure things out. Then, I read – for how long depends on how tired I am. I just finished Saints for All Occasions, and I highly recommend it.

9:30 p.m. Lights out. If my mind is active, I do a sleep meditation on my Simple Habit app, which puts me fast asleep.

I am someone that needs more sleep, so 8.5 hours is perfect for me. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each week day just makes me more functional. Having these morning and night routines in place helps me feel like my life is balanced, and keeps me from becoming overwhelmed.

How does this compare with your mornings and evenings? Do you have routines in place? Share yours in the comments!