Thank you to California Almonds for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own.
As a corporate professional with a blogging business, no two days are the same. Never mind my desire to maintain a social life, keep up with family all over the world, and be active in my community. It's rarely easy and only sometimes glamorous but it is extremely rewarding. I know y'all have a lot going on, too--from building families to beauty businesses, grad school, professional pursuits--plus popping social calendars! So I've partnered with California Almonds to show y'all what balance looks like for me and provide the tips (and, of course, snacks) that get me through work days, evening events, and nights spent creating content. But in the words of probably every presenter and good teacher ever, I want this to be a discussion rather than a lecture so...talk to me! I certainly do not have all the answers but my hope is that some of what works for me will work for you--let me know if it does. And please share any secrets that keep your routine on point in the comments section below.
A Quick Change in the Car
When I entered the working world, my mother told me to always keep a change of clothes, especially shoes, in my car because you just never know--ya know? This piece of advice is clutch when I have to pivot from day to night activities, if I spill something on my outfit, or when a last-minute invite comes across my phone screen. Even just a change of shoes can be so helpful. Say you've been wearing heels all day at the office and a friend texts you about an outdoor pop up event just after your work day ends. You're more likely to go if you have a pair of cute and comfortable loafers on standby in your backseat, right? And if you routinely wear flats to the office, a pair of heels on hand means a smooth transition to that after-work event for which you might otherwise feel underdressed.
Snacks on Hand at All Times
Almonds are my snack of choice, especially on busy days when I need mid-morning or mid-afternoon fuel. When you have back-to-back meetings and squeeze in a lunch hour workout, a little pick-me-up goes a long way toward staying focused between meals. Convenient, portable, mindful options are one of my corporate health hacks and almonds check off all those requirements. This little tin easily fits in my purse, cupholder, or gym bag and holds the perfect portion of almonds. When planning my workweek meals, almonds usually find their way onto the menu, both for snacking and incorporated into easy recipes like an almond breakfast smoothie or a batch of oatmeal muffins.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know I tend to use lots of food emoji. With the huge role almonds play in our diets, I was surprised to find there's not yet an almond emoji. There are avocado, taco, and egg emoji but no almond?! If you agree that this needs to change, join me in signing the petition here to help add an almond emoji to the mix.
Mix Adulting & Indulging
Each day, my to-do list has a mixture of items from my corporate job, blog work, and personal life. Since most of us wear multiple hats over the course of a day, y'all can probably relate to being busy and having to shift your focus between different types of projects and priorities. It's called the hustle for a reason! Two of the things that help me stay on track and know when to switch hats are keeping lists in my phone and penciling every kind of appointment, alert, etc. into my calendar. These are simple acts but so impactful. Everything from big events to content deadlines to reminders to ship an item goes into the calendar and any smaller task or item I might need to purchase goes into lists. But you know what else I add to my calendar? Self-care. Whether that is an alert to schedule a massage, a movie date, or quiet time set aside to read devotionals. Placing equal emphasis on the "indulgence" of me time and other forms of self-care and the more menial tasks of adulting is what balance looks like to me. It's rarely an even split but that doesn't stop the show! Don't let taking care of business preclude taking care of you. In the midst of paying bills and launching your dreams, be sure to take your vitamins, drink water, feed your mind, and eat well. Almonds help with the latter with good fats, fiber & protein, and providing an excellent source of vitamin E, manganese, and magnesium!
I hope this is helpful to you in the seemingly perpetual pursuit of balance. Now it's your turn to share--what does balance look like for you? Thank you for reading.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of California Almonds.
Renia Butler says
I love Almonds and that little container is cute!
Jazz says
Thanks, Renia! It's so handy.
Bridgette Wilkins says
Yes...to the almonds. They used to be my favorite go to until they got so expensive at Sam's. However, I'm a cheese cube/string cheese girl. I can keep them in my fridge in my classroom and pull one out to eat while students change classes.
I just added my gym classes to my electronic calendar so I can be INTENTIONAL about exercise which is one or my goals for this year. I need to add writing on my schedule as well. LOL..
love the almond emoji petition!
Jazz says
Yes! Intentional is a great word to focus on to get your goals crushed. I'm glad you feel me on the almond emoji--very important lol.