Recently, I’ve been receiving numerous questions from friends and acquaintances about how I maintain my fitness and health. First off, I’m flattered—taking a humble little victory lap here!
Secondly, I’m happy to spill the details… but with a few disclaimers:
- I work from home, which means I’m not commuting or getting sucked into office snack traps.
- I live with my family, so I get a lot of support in sticking to my routine.
- Oh, and I’m a firm believer in the 80-20 rule. Stick around till the end, and I’ll give you the full scoop on that sweet life hack.
Now that we’ve got the fine print out of the way, here’s what my day looks like.
But wait…why maintain a routine?
Okay, I get it, 8-9 hours of work and then adding a laundry list of healthy habits is too much to ask.
But did you know adding (a handful of) good habits can make you more productive and might just help you cut down your work day by 1-2 hours?
No, that’s not sketchy, but serious changes that gradually impact your productivity.
Well, I have tried and tested the office routine curriculum and only recommend what I benefited from. So, before I get into what can be a potential routine for you, here’s how this routine benefitted me:
(I list them before the routine so you know that my routine isn’t just for fun but has benefits too.)
- I fall sick less these days (earlier, my quarterly sickness was more punctual than my quarterly incentive payout). I still fall sick, but the sick days are fewer, and recovery is faster.
- I take more vacations and leave for leisure than for doctor visits and weak mental health days.
- I enjoy working(even on stressful days), and I am good at accommodating household chores, family time, and a little leisure time for myself.
- I sleep better. Yes, 6-7 hours of quality sleep.
- I am more focused and productive. I get more done. My energy levels are higher.
- My relationships have improved. I am more jolly and relaxed around people.
- I have ended the block that alcohol helps enjoy at a party. (I want to see those eyes pop out after reading this.) While I say so, I still taste a little wine once in a while and only consume it in moderation.
- I squeeze into old-fashioned clothes(I have naturally embraced sustainable fashion…LOL).
- Get compliments from friends on how I still look the same. (**Blushing**)
- I party, enjoy vacations, travel often, and work harder.
Well, I can go on and on. (Feeling overwhelmingly excited while writing them).
But I should stop at this and go directly to what’s important.
I will be passing on my daily routine to you and helping you get at least 30-40% of the benefits that I secured. The rest is yours to tweak.
Take the knowledge and make it yours!- From 5amchallenge, Satvic Movement
Let’s get to the rituals.
Presenting My Daily Workplace Routine
10 Simple Ways To Match Your Health Transformation
1. Wake up and charge
It all starts with waking up on time.
I usually wake up between 5.30 am to 6 am, depending on the night before.
So, a lot depends on your night routine as well.
When do you sleep?
What did you eat?
What do you scroll?(Sadly, a common night routine)
And the thoughts that cross your mind the night before.
I usually change my waking time when I need to spend more time with family for a movie, a board game, or a round of interesting conversation after a long time.
2. Morning Mantra
Morning is my favorite time of the day. It is a time completely dedicated to me and makes me feel like a winner. It creates the hope of achieving a little more today.
So, here’s what I do once I wake up;
- Once I wake up, I drink 1-2 glasses of warm water and recite my morning gratitude prayer. If you can, sit in Malasana to drink water.
- I work out for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, mostly investing in walking, yoga, aerobics, and strength training. Hands down, yoga is my favorite form of workout.
- I also give my body a day of rest every week to recoup and rest.
- Once I have exercised and burned my target calories, I meditate for 10 minutes. I like to practice visualization or any form of guided meditation
- Then I quickly move to gratitude journaling, followed by reading 2-3 pages of a non-fiction book.
In case you are thinking, how do I manage so much every morning?
Well, I don’t…not all days are the same. Illness, menstrual cycles, and family commitments often break the routine, but I try to accommodate whatever I can, even if it means 15 minutes of stretching and a quick glass of warm water.
3. Before I eat my breakfast…
I take one glass of immunity booster or detox water, which is nothing but;
- Boiling a glass of warm water with
- Half a lemon
- A pinch of turmeric powder
- Mixed with a little bit of ginger.
Then I move on to soaked dry fruits and chia seeds, followed by 1 fruit(preferably citric fruits).
4. Breakfast with a view
I usually finish this and then proceed to breakfast after a 30-40-minute gap.
Did you know breakfast is my favorite meal of the day?
Hence, I ensure I prepare a healthy yet tasty breakfast coupled with a good view whenever my schedule allows.
I try to eat a mix of carbs and protein every day, like Brown bread & eggs, Chilla, Tofu, avocado toast with boiled eggs, paneer bhurji, roti sabzi, and satu parathe(lightly fried in olive oil), with a glass of sugar-less milk tea.
Also, there are days when I enjoy aloo paratha, egg bhurji, egg rolls(avoid refined flour), and vegetable atta noodles.
You just need to control your portion when you eat something that’s slightly unhealthy and doesn’t align with your daily diet.
OH! And this is the meal where I have added a spoonful of ghee. (I can hear the ghee lovers cheering loudly.) Well, big thanks to Rujuta Diwakar’s inspiration from the book Eating in the Age of Dieting.
5. Meal Prep and Lunch
I stay with my family and hence don’t think about lunch and the preparations because I am consumed by my office work.
But before this arrangement, I was on my own, and I used to prep my lunch one night before or along with breakfast.
I eat simple, small portions of home-cooked food.
What I try to add(forcefully):
- 1 or 2 Chappatis
- 1 bowl of dal(Lentils/Pulses)
- Salad
- Lots of vegetables
- 1 bowl of curd( without salt or sugar)
- Reduce the intake of fried and oily items.
- A spoonful of pickle
- A quick teaspoon of fennel seeds to avoid a sweet craving.
I will not invest in writing about my dinner as it is similar to what I eat in my lunch barring the probiotics and raw food.
What I do a little differently at dinner is:
- I eat early, usually by 8.30 pm
- Dinner is the lightest meal of the day.
- I try to skip desserts at night entirely.
- I do take a glass of turmeric milk every alternate night. This helps my gut stay healthy and, at the same time, get the benefits of milk.
6. Take 10 every 40 minutes
Once I start my work, I ensure I am not sitting at a stretch.
Did you know you can get the office butt or dead butt syndrome if you sit for prolonged hours? Read more
This is how I ensure movement:
- I try to get up from my seat every 40-45 mins.
- Take a green tea or black tea break, or a fruit break at least 3 times.
- Stretch or walk, or simply go stand in the sun, maybe with a book.
- I also created a makeshift standing desk at my work station and often attend and drive meetings standing.
- I keep track of my daily steps( smartwatch to the rescue) to ensure I am meeting my bare minimum target of 8k steps on a non-workout day and 10k steps on a workout day.
7. Walking and napping
There are two things that I am a bit finicky about–sleeping on time and taking walks after meals or while talking on the phone.
I wouldn’t say I can match my targets daily, but I usually follow a routine of walking after meals and hitting the bed by at least 10.30 pm.
This has helped me a lot in the past and has improved my digestion.
Sleeping and waking up at the same time have several health benefits, out of which I strongly endorse weight management and gut health.
8. The Tough One
The evening snack is the trickiest, and I’d say I am still creating a strict routine around this time.
I usually take one of them with a cup of black tea–a cheese or vegetable sandwich, fruits, some dry fruits, homemade bhel with sprouts, a few pieces of dark chocolate, a protein bar, a few chunks of roasted Makhana or fox nuts, a cheeky, or a healthy laddoo.
And then there are days when I am unable to control my hunger and reach out to all sorts of namkeens, make a cup of coffee, or a cup of milk tea. (I don’t need to narrate which days those are; most corporate workers would know.)
I am trying to be strict with myself and restrict my evening snacks to the former. But yes, I agree this is a struggle, and getting into the right diet at this hour will help a lot with my health transformation.
9. Night Routine
I believe I can only conquer my morning if I am disciplined before bedtime.
- After finishing dinner, I usually spend some time with family, make a few calls to friends and relatives, and ensure I speak to my parents.
- Brushing and face washing are a must-do. I don’t skip them at any cost. Followed by a quick but essential skin-care routine.
- I plan for the next day and keep my anxiety at bay. Often, the to-do list in our mind and one in the notebook look different.
- I read a few pages from a good book instead of reaching out for my phone.
- Also, I recite my gratitude prayer. I try to remember 3-5 good things that I am grateful for that day. Trust me, by the 3rd point, I am fast asleep. (Try this and sleep like a baby.)
Wondering how this helps in maintaining weight? Well, a disciplined night routine impacts sleep, and good sleep impacts the maintenance and repair of our bodies.
You can’t exercise and not give enough rest to your body. Both are equally important to keep all your hormones at bay and rejuvenate your muscles.
10. Special segment: How to treat Social Media and OTT addiction?
Just like you, I have been a victim of Instagram and YouTube scrolling and the famous OTT binge-watching.
Well, I have incentivized the game.
Instagram after 6 pm and OTT for 30 mins, along with my evening tea.
Wrapping up work and then scrolling away from those reels makes me feel a lot more content.
Also, it has reduced the time I spend on these apps and diverted my attention to socializing and reading more.
One more incentive I have added to this list is. I try to watch a good movie on Friday and Saturday nights on OTT, which I would generally avoid on the other nights.
Hence, looking forward to those movie nights keeps me disciplined and satisfied.
Now, I am trying to reduce the time spent scrolling on Instagram and YouTube on weekends as well. Let’s see how far I can go…
Bonus Tips: Your environment matters!
Your bedroom or house creates a lot of impact on your routine and health journey.
Keeping it short, here’s what I do:
- Invest in indoor plants.
- Choose sober and light colors for my bedroom.
- Keep my journal within my hand’s reach to pen down thoughts and things that need my attention.
- Invested in a bookshelf that ensures I end up reading something as soon as I am done with one.
- Write a few meaningful quotes and keep them on the desk.
- Have a bottle of water and a glass at arm’s distance as a reminder to finish at least 3-4 liters of water daily.
The 80-20 Rule in Life
Look, I’m just a regular human who loves to enjoy life while keeping my health in check.
No extreme cleanses or rabbit food-only diets for me—just a good old balanced approach that keeps me feeling great without feeling deprived.
Here’s the deal: I’m not here to preach anything unrealistic or unsustainable. Some of you might be on a weight-loss journey or dealing with lifestyle-related health conditions. In those cases, yeah, you might need a stricter routine. But for most of us, the goal is long-term health, not fleeting thrills.
That’s why I swear by the 80-20 rule.
80% of the time, I stick to my healthy routine, and the other 20%, I let loose a bit.
It’s all about tasting new cuisines, savoring drinks, and trying fun activities—just in moderation. After that little indulgence, I always snap back to my health groove. Balance is key, my friend.
So here’s a quick summarization for everyone who’ll ultimately need a TLDR from me;
You can thank ChatGPT, for the summary.
