Preppy Runner – Theodora Blanchfield

Standard Theodora Upfront Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for Starbucks. I am addicted to Starbucks and have been since high school, so it’s awesome to recoup just a little bit of what I’ve spent there in the past 14 years.

Summer’s definitely over, and work is getting incredibly busy right now.

When I’m putting in long hours, it would be so easy to just reach for some sort of comfort food, but I know that it’s not worth it in the long run. It’s not worth the energy crash, it’s not worth a potential stomachache, and it’s not worth needing another snack an hour later.

There’s a few things that keep me sane during these long days.

A morning run.

After so much kicking and screaming, I finally became a morning runner, and it has done tremendous things for my sanity. To get to work and have already run a bunch of miles is a great feeling. I am so much more calm, and it’s one less thing to worry about accomplishing during the day.

Something for me.

Like you, my days are filled with all kinds of obligations. It’s really important to my mental health (which then translates to my physical health) to do something that’s for me. Sometimes that’s just the morning run, but that’s usually blogging and/or Junior League. Sure, both of them are more work, but these are things I choose to do.

Unplugging.

Working in social media and being a blogger, I’m terrible at unplugging. But I know that if I am on my computer or phone until I go to sleep, I’m never going to relax. I try really hard now to spend as little time on my computer as possible when I get home from work and try to set a cutoff of 10pm on the computer. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s a good goal to have. I’m not much of a TV person, so I’m trying to read more instead of wasting time on the Internets.

Healthy snacks.

I love a good cookie as much as the next girl, but I know that if I go for a cookie for an afternoon snack, I will be hangry. So I try to have some sort of nuts, protein bars and/or fruit on hand to prevent that late-afternoon energy crash. The morning run actually usually helps with this. On one of my rest days a few weeks ago, I got really tired in the late afternoon, and one of my coworkers actually asked, “Did you run today? You’re so tired.” I hadn’t run, and that was actually why I was tired. They’re not lying, morning running really does energize you.

Vitamin D.

I need to get out of the office every day, even if it’s just for 5-10 minutes. When I do bring my lunch, I still need to get out for just a few minutes to get some sunshine and fresh air. Just a quick walk outside makes most situations at least a little better.

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This is a sponsored post, produced in collaboration with Bliss and Starbucks. I received a Starbucks Refreshers sample to review. The opinions shared in this post are my own.