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SLEEP: 8 DEEP SOLID HOURS OF IT

• Main Tactics: Getting up and sleeping at the same time, minimal caffeine in the morning (use decaf if you like the taste of coffee), and not taking long naps during the day (even if you’re super tired).
• Product I use:
• Calm Sleep Stories (I listen to “Drifting off with Gratitude with rain” daily, I honestly can’t sleep without this track), sometimes I switch it up and listen to Michael Sealy’s sleep hypnosis videos.
• Rise sleep tracking app - game changer, you can’t improve what you can’t track. It uses “AI” to tell me my optimal energy peaks and sleeping windows.
• Bed situation: TEMPUR-Cloud Breeze Dual Cooling Pillow, Brooklinen sheets, Tuft & Needle mattress, MZOO sleep eye mask.

MEDITATION: 10-30+ MINS IN THE MORNING

• Main Tactics: the therapeutic benefits of meditation really becomes apparent to me after 20 mins. It takes that amount of time to just have the mind settle. I start off with a body scan, thanking each body part for functioning and telling myself “I love you”. Then I move onto my breath. Every time my mind pulls away into thoughts, I gently refocus on the breath or the sounds in my environment.
• Products I use:
• I usually do silent meditation. I track and reflect each one using MindStreaks for accountability.
• Calm x Tuft & Needle Meditation cushion is coming in the mail soon! so TBD on recommendation.

GRATITUDE PRACTICE: EVERY EVENING

• Main Tactics: I’ve been doing this habit pretty much every day for the past 600 days. I’ve stuck to it through pairing it with taking photos of things I appreciate throughout the day and uploading it along with my gratitude entry at night. By doing this, i’ve trained my mind to subconsciously look for things to take photos of and appreciate throughout the day. This habit has singlehandedly raised my happiness baseline a whole step-function.
• Products I use:
• DayOne app

JOURNALING: MORNING PAGES & WEEKLY REFLECTIONS

• Products I use:
• DayOne app for when I need to quickly process thoughts.
• Handwriting in a journal when I need to think through big decisions or ambient concerns that are still in my subconscious.
• Main Tactics: Journaling is imo the cheapest form of therapy. I often reach many conclusions and revelations through the process. Below are a list of weekly prompts you can ask yourself, that my friend Kevin Lee compiled:

Goods

• What did I accomplish this week?
• What went well?
• When did I feel most energized?
• Who made me feel good this week?
• What $10,000 / hour work did I do this week?
• What 20% of actions drove 80% of results?

Bad

• What didn't go well?
• Where did I get stuck?
• What am I putting off?
• What was the biggest mistake I made this week?
• What did I worry about most this week?
• What was the least valuable thing I did this week?

Learnings

• What did I learn?
• What are things I learned about me?
• When did my ego get the best of me?

Blockers

• What is the hardest problem I'm thinking about?
• What would solving this problem look like if it were easy?
• Is there anyone I can ask for help / advice on this problem?

Priority

• Did I show up for the most important people in my life?

Habits

• What do I want to start doing?
• What do I want to stop doing?
• What do I want to continue doing?

Upcoming

• What do I want to accomplish this upcoming week?

EXERCISE: 30 MINS EVERY OTHER DAY

• Main Tactics: I strongly believe that the best workout is the one you can consistently do. Which means finding the workout that makes you feel good and not in pain/annoyed afterwards. I’ve tried the HIIT classes and weightlifting regimes, but never stuck with them because I don’t genuinely enjoy them. As humans we consistently do what makes us feel good, plain and simple.
• Products I use:
• Nike Epic Phantom React Flyknit - the most comfortable and lightest running shoes i’ve ever owned. They have no laces which makes the friction of getting up to run ever slightly easier to overcome.
• Nike Run Club app to track my runs. It’s alright but i’m locked in.
• Bose QuietComfort headphones to listen to music - doubles up as ear warmers as well in the chilly mornings.
• Boho Beautiful yin yoga videos - 100% free. her voice is incredibly soothing and the backdrop to her videos are always in nature.

FOOD & DRINK: LOTS OF LIQUIDS AND LOW CARBS

• Main tactics: I usually just have coffee in the morning or a fruit/spinach smoothie. I’ve found that carbs make me feel hungrier afterwards and spike / plummet my energy. In the afternoon and evenings my go-tos include stir-fry veggies, avocado toast with poached eggs, and rotisserie chicken.
• Products I use:
• H.V.M.N. Keto Collagen+ Protein Powder - I mix this into my decaf coffee every morning. It helps me maintain energy/feel full, tastes good, and also makes me feel like i’m doing something good for myself at the start of each day.
• Nescafe Taster's Choice House Blend Instant Coffee - I love instant coffee. I also like fancy coffee. Most days I drink instant coffee because it’s quick and I can easily mix decaf + caffeinated ratios together depending on how much caffeine I need.
• Celestial Peach Country Tea - I think i’ve been drinking this tea for 10 years. Its cheap and relaxing. I love the peach aroma therapy.
• Fellow Stagg Coffee Kettle - seriously aesthetic. The thin kettle neck forces me to slowly and mindfully pour my coffee. Subtle but makes a difference in my mentality.

SKINCARE: A DAILY RITUAL

• Main tactics: I’m a skincare junkie and love experimenting with different types of products. Even if I get nothing done or am drowning with projects, it’s the one time of the day that I can take care of myself.
• Products I currently use:
• SUNDAY RILEY Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment - effective 9/10
• SUNDAY RILEY Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil - baby face in the morning 8/10
• Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Serum Concentrate - smells good and quick absorbing 7/10
• Saturday Skin Intense Hydration Mask - quality material but could be more moisturizing 6/10
• Dr. Brandt Skincare Hydro Biotic™ Recovery Sleeping Mask - really moisturizing - I see a difference in the am. 9/10
• Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser - does the job 7/10
• SK-II Facial Treatment Essence (Pitera Essence) - not sure if this is just marketing or is really effective but I like incorporating it sometimes - 5/10

LEARNING: THROUGH CREATING & CONSUMING.

• Main Tatics: Outside of courses with a cadence, I use the explore and exploit process for ambient learning throughout the week. I use a variety of tools to gather content I find interesting, and then I consume them in one go on the weekends. I also learn through creation, which includes side projects and photography.
• Products I use:
• PocketCasts for podcasts - my current favorites include Below the Line with James Beshara, The Quest with Justin Kan, Philosophize This! with Stephen West, and Farnam Street
• Raindrop.IO - as a bookmarks manager for articles
• iPad Pro - for listening to podcasts while taking notes with the apple pen all one one screen.
• FlowBox - is my inbox and reader for newsletters.
• My two newsletters: Wellness Wisdom & Amor Fati are tools for public accountability around my learning goals in wellness, philosophy and art.
• Fujifilm X-Pro3 - I love taking my camera on urban hikes and using it as a portal to be mindful about the mundane and beautiful things around me.

Hope you found these recommendations useful! Do you have any recommendations to share? Hit reply and I’ll include them in the next newsletter 💌

Yours,

Patricia

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