6:45 – 7 a.m.: I wake up naturally. I always set my old-fashioned alarm clock, but I can’t remember the last time it woke me up. (I think that both my medical training and being a mom trained me to get up without an alarm!) I check overnight texts and emails, play Wordle, and start the NYT mini-crossword and Spelling Bee.
7:15 a.m.: I shower, then eat breakfast. Usually, it’s tea with local Andrew’s Honey, yogurt with a little matcha powder mixed in, and fruit. I have always loved green tea, and there are so many benefits to its antioxidants; plus, I love the flavor! The honey is from NYC, and I find it has some benefits for my seasonal allergies.
8:30 a.m.: I walk to the office. I am lucky to be able to walk to and from work. I call it my “walking meditation,” and getting light in the morning helps support my sleep at night. I use it as a quiet time—no music or podcasts—to look up at the sky and trees and also at architecture, local shops, etc.
9:45 p.m.: By this time, I’m hopefully finished with work for the day. I am working full-time and getting an MBA, so late nights are not uncommon, but I try to prioritize time to wind down before sleep. Sometimes, this will involve watching a show with my daughter. We recently watched The Great, and we are waiting for the next season of The Great British Bake Off.
If I am stressed at the end of a long day, I will do some abdominal breathing (usually 10 reps) or sometimes some stretching. I’ll also start dimming the lights after dinner to get my brain ready for bed.
10:15 p.m.: Time for my nightly skin care. It’s pretty simple: I remove any eye makeup with Neutrogena Oil Free Makeup Remover, wash my face with Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar, and moisturize with Chanel La Solution 10. Once or twice a week, I apply prescription tretinoin 0.025% cream, then moisturize.
10:15 – 11 p.m.: Lights dim, in bed. I love my Afloat water bed and Tempurpedic neck pillow. I have super-soft James Perse, Sferra, and Schweitzer sheets and duvets. I have sensitive skin and care a lot about texture, so my sheets are 100% cotton. My cat Chou Chou joins me, and I may play a game on my phone, send a last text, watch the Yankees a little, or read a few pages.
