We all have a lot going on in our lives. If you’re here, you’re probably working a ton with some combination of a 9-5 and entrepreneurship. You don’t need anyone telling you to work more. You’re GOOD on that. For you (and me) it soooooo important to have wellness practices in place to balance out the work and keep your energy up. I live by the Chew-Chuckle-Chill mantra to sanity.

1. Chew

So many of us are not flourishing because we aren’t eating the right things. Fast food, while convenient, is not giving you the energy to keep going. Make time in your day to eat real, balanced meals and drink water. Clearly, eating has to be done in real time, but prepping for meals once or twice a week can set you up for success. I’m a 5-6 “meal” a day girl. My daily food intake is usually includes:

• A green smoothie: I knock out a nice serving of fruits and veggies right at the top of the day to give me tons of energy to get moving. Cinnamon is the GOAT. I add it in place of honey for faux sweetness. I’ll have some water right before and right after. If I woke up stressed, I’ll have a stress tea between my smoothie and breakfast. Making time to prepare a smoothie in the morning helps you ease into the day, instead of starting it harried and a mess.

• A hardy breakfast: I pack unsweetened oatmeal with frozen fruit, more cinnamon, and a splash of milk for work. If I’m at home, I opt for some protein like and omelet or avocado toast with and egg or smoked salmon. I’ll have some tea or warm water right after to help with digestion.

• A balanced lunch: I’m usually getting sleepy by the time lunch rolls around so I try to have a salad with protein or leftovers from the night before if it’s not too heavy. Itis is real so I try to avoid anything too heavy. Water before / during and more tea after.

• A healthy snack: I love yogurt so I’ll have unsweetened greek yogurt with granola, or fruit and almonds, or if I’m in a naughty mood, I’ll have lightly salted popcorn. This “meal” is especially important if you work out at night. I drink water on my commute.

• A light dinner: I like a standard protein, starch, veggie situation. But I have to be honest, I’m not a huge dinner person. The whole reason I bother is so I don’t wake up starving and so I have leftovers to take for lunch. Plus I’m tired at the end of the day so I don’t always want to put forth the effort. Meal prep is so clutch here. I HAVE to know what I’m making ahead of time or I end up eating cereal or nothing. I have more water with dinner

BONUS: So you know all that unsweetened shit I ate earlier in the day?!?!? Do you think for ONE SECOND I dont LIKE sugar??!?! Love it. I just save it for DESSERT!!! I loooooove ice cream and I have a scoop or two a few days a week. If sweets aren’t your high calling, treat yourself with WINE or yummy garlic bread with dinner, also a major weakness of mine. Balance is the name of the game.

2. Chuckle

Laughter is SO underrated in it’s ability to keep you together. I have weekly cackle sessions with my friends. Instagram is also a treasure trove. I also absolutely LOVE ridiculous reality tv. So if Love and Hip Hop Atlanta gets some giggles out of your spirit, WATCH IT! If you feel guilty, do a low engagement task like editing while you watch. OR if you’re like me, you can maximize your time by watching hilarious TV with twitter. Double duty!! You can engage your audience (provided LHH is a show they watch), while watching your show, AND getting those extra twitter giggles in. WHO JUST WON THE DAY?!?!?! You did… that’s who.

3. Chill

Proper rest doesn’t just include sleeping. A wind down ritual will help you declutter your mind and ready yourself for whatever is next. If you are still working a 9-5 you may need two… or 3 times to wind down in a day. On Oprah’s Visionaries, Tom Ford, my Virgo kindred, said he could take 5 baths depending upon what his day or schedule looks like. Look. EYE don’t have time for 5 baths per day, but I have 3 times of “wind down” in my day.

My first wind down is that end of the work day. I write a to do list and prioritize my tasks for the next day. It is a way to start releasing work thoughts from my mind to prepare for my side hustle. It also sets me up well for the next morning so I’m not scrambling to find something to do or wasting time on the internet… rather MORE time on the internet.

My second wind down is between my day job and creative work. This one is particularly important if you have a shitty commute, as I do. I shower and have dinner. I also watch trash TV because laughter! On days I don’t have to cook, I’ll throw in a good workout to keep the endorphins flowing and my waist snatched.

My third and final wind down is 30 mins before bed. I usually watch something peaceful on tv. Nothing scary or overly dramatic. I like HGTV or sitcom reruns. If I’m having a particularly high anxiety day, I will have some bedtime tea and write in my gratitude journal. They key here shutting down your brain so you can rest peacefully. Half the reason we have insomnia or are waking up in the middle of the night is because we never turned off our thoughts before we go to bed.

Productivity is important. But you cannot work every minute of the day. Try to chew, chuckle, and chill everyday to balance your peace and productivity.