Work Archives - My Inner Shakti

9 Common Sense Tips for How to Stay Healthy with an 8-5

Having a [sometimes demanding] career and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be tricky. Trust me, I’ve been navigating the path for just about four months now.

Let me back up for a minute. I’ve actually had an 8-5ish job for 10 years now…that’s nothing new. However, the part that’s new to me is having a job where I have to commute to an office that’s also home to more than one other coworker. In a foodie city (Chicago donuts are no joke) at that! I haven’t done that in years.

So imagine my surprise when a few unhealthy habits turned into feeling sluggish and a bit more puffy than preferred. I quickly realized that in order to make this new (can I still call it that?!) routine work, I needed to go back to the basics. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not complicated. It’s actually very simple. The hard part is sticking to it and making it a way of life. At the end of the day, it’s all about balance and figuring out what works for you.

African Peanut Stew + black bean brownies at work!

With that, here are the 9 common sense tips for how to stay healthy with an 8-5 that resonate with me a lot. These are all things I’m starting to do on a more regular basis to feel healthy and energized (most of the time).

Get your butt out of bed in the morning and exercise. There’s no way to get around this one. I know it’s easier said than done, but don’t leave your workout to the evening. Find what works for you and get it out of the way in the AM. This post includes some helpful tips!
Strive to get steps whenever possible. Personally, I walk to the train in the morning. When possible, I walk home in the evening. I walk as much as possible while at work (my #1 tip is to take the long route to the restroom). Even if you drive to work, park far away, take the stairs, etc. It’s not always easy to rack up lots of steps throughout the day, but with some intentional effort, you’ll be at 10,000 steps no time.
If possible, stand and work. Or at the very least, stand up every now and then and stretch.
Bring your lunch whenever possible. This one is a no brainer. It’s good for your belly and good for your wallet. Win, win! Also, pack it the night before to avoid the morning madness. This will also ensure you have zero excuses to eat out for lunch.
Pack healthy snacks. Grapes, apples, Larabars, popcorn, carrots, homemade goodies! Having healthy snacks on hand and ready to munch on will keep your hand out of the candy jar.
Drink a A LOT of water. We have an awesome water fountain at work that dispenses both regular and sparkling water. I love it so much! H2o = hydration + steps (to the rest room). WIN!
Tell your coworkers about the healthy habits you’re trying to build. Not everyone wants to hear about your healthy lifestyle…that’s fair. Instead, win them over to the lite side (haha!) by bringing in healthy goodies. For example, I baked black bean brownies the other day and brought some in for everyone to try. They were a huge hit!
When you do eat out for lunch, choose wisely. Try to take a peak at the menu ahead of time and/or share a meal with a coworker. Don’t feel like you have to ban the restaurant life in exchange for a healthy lifestyle! Just go in a little more prepared and make good choices.
Cut yourself some slack every now and then and enjoy the donut!

Your turn – what are your healthy living tips? If you work an 8-5, what’s your #1 tip for staying healthy on a day-to-day basis?

Weekend Recap + Office Life

written by Parita 2 Comments

Guys! I’m honestly not sure what’s going on, but I suck at this little thing I’ve been doing for 5.5 years called blogging. If you’re worried about MIS’ lifespan (and let’s be honest, only my mom cares about this!), don’t be! MIS is here to stay. I just need to get back into the groove of things. It’s taking longer than I thought it would, but I’ll get there.

With that, let me share the one picture I took this weekend. And if you follow me on Instagram, you’ve likely already seen it (my apologies!).

The best and most expensive cherries ever!

As far as weekend updates go, this was one of the most normal ones we’ve had in a while.

On Friday, my sister came over to work out with me. After getting sufficiently sweaty, we came home and ate a really random dinner – chips + salsa and Trader Joe’s vegetarian gyozas (my FAV!). Aekta and I watched a couple of epidodes of The Mindy Project while Vishnu put on his bluetooth headphones and watched YouTube videos. And that was pretty much Friday.

We started Saturday with the best of intentions. Unfortunately, Vishnu and I were both moving at a snail’s pace. Our plan was to go to a farmer’s market with my sister and Adarsh, grocery shop, come home, and make dinner (my coworker/friend and her husband were coming over). And then there’s what actually happened – we didn’t leave the apartment until well past 1:00, we drove around for a long time trying to find parking around my sister’s place, we decided to forgo the farmer’s market plans and skip straight to the grocery shopping, we shopped and came home, we took short naps, and we hung out with Erin and her husband Shahan. In a very roundabout way, it all worked out in the end!

Sunday honestly wasn’t much different. Vishnu caught up on work while I dillydallied around all day (my favorite way to spend Sunday!). We finished the night off with an episode of The Night Of (per Erin and Shahan’s recommendation). If you have HBO, I highly recommend this new series. I’ll wait to share my thoughts, but both Vishnu and I gave episode one two thumbs up.

And that was our weekend. Like I said, very normal!

Office Life

I also wanted to share a little more about how office life is going. After 12 months of working from home 100% of the time, I have to say, I love it!

Let’s start with getting to work. Driving to work makes no sense at all and walking to work isn’t an option either, so instead, I walk to the nearest train station (about 7ish minutes away) and take the train into the city. Aside from when the train is late and/or packed, I actually don’t mind it at all. I mean, I only have to ride for two stops but still. It makes this whole city living thing a little more real.

As far as the office is concerned, it’s brand new and absolutely beautiful – the open concept layout, the white desks with pops of color here and there, the huge windows, the sunlight, the cool collaborative work spaces, etc. I definitely don’t dread going in to work.

Then there’s all the food options! As I’ve shared before, we get free fro-yo whenever we want. Huge perk! There are also a ton of restaurants around the office. And in just a little over a month, I’ve got to try quite a few.

Honestly, at this point in time, there are no real downsides for going into the office. If I had to pick one, it would be that sometimes I just want to sit and chat with my coworkers. 🙂 I’ll probably be singing a different tune in a couple of months when it starts to cool down. Boo!

Anyways, that’s what I have going on right now. We’re settling in to our new city and enjoying every day for what it is!

Tell me – what’s your office like?

Weekend Recap – Home Sweet Home

written by Parita 8 Comments

Last week was a whirlwind. I feel like my whole team was on the go from sunrise to sunset (and sometimes beyond!). Regardless, it was a great week. I got to spend time with some of my favorite people and eat delicious food. What more can a girl ask for?!

I don’t plan to recap my trip, but I do have a few new restaurant recommendations – Remington’s, Beatrix, and State and Lake Chicago Tavern.

My weekend started when I got home on Friday night. Vishnu was up and waiting for me. It was nice to sit and chat for a while, especially given that we hardly talked all week. I filled him in on my meeting and what I ate/did, and he told me about some of his work stuff. We called it a night around midnight!

I had every intention of sleeping in on Saturday, but it seems that I’ve lost my ability to do that. So I woke up at 7 am, ate breakfast, and waited for Vishnu to get up. A few hours later, we headed out for a (hot/humid) long run/walk. My ankle starting hurting almost immediately, so we stopped at a bench and Vishnu stretched it out a bit. Thankfully, it was okayish after that.

I didn’t get a chance to go grocery shopping on Saturday, so we decided to grab lunch at the Saturday Morning Market. After checking out all of our options, both Vishnu and I decided to get a taco plate from the Taco Lady food truck. My veggie tacos were delicious and so flavorful. Unfortunately, I overdid it with the hot sauce and could only eat a few bites of the beans and rice and one taco. Oops!

I spent the afternoon filing our taxes (so happy to cross that off my list). The whole process simple and easy-to-follow, AND we got a hefty little return. Turbo Tax for the win!

Our friend Cara’s sister is in town, so a few of us met up for dinner and drinks in the evening. More Mexican food and a delicious ginger beer for me!

We got home at a reasonable hour, but I didn’t physically make it to bed until a little past midnight. Oy vey!

And of course, the next morning started at 7 am (seriously?!). Overall, Sunday was more low-key because I was forced to keep quiet. Vishnu started his final (!!!) nights hospital rotation last night which means he slept all day. I, on the other hand, hit up Trader Joe’s, squeezed in a workout, and meal prepped a bit.

I am more than ready for this work week because it’s a short one. I head to Austin on Thursday for my sister’s bachelorette party! Can’t wait!

Side note – Did you notice that I didn’t mention cleaning this weekend? Well, that’s because Vishnu deep cleaned the apartment before I got home on Friday. Love my hubby!

Weekend Recap – Three Days Three Places!

written by Parita 14 Comments

I’M HOME! And it feels sooo good!

While Panama was amazing and a lot of fun, I was so ready to come home. I missed my husband, I missed my bed, I missed my routine!

In true weekend recap style, here’s a little breakdown of my Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

FRIDAY (still in Panama)

I woke up around 6:45, changed into my workout gear, and headed to the gym. After not exercising for four days, I was ready to move!

My team met at 9 am to debrief, discuss next steps, etc. It was great to hear everyone’s perspectives. Debriefs should really be baked into everything – work events, life events, everything!

We had a little bit of time between the meeting and dinner, so I hung out with a few of my colleagues in the open air. We were in conference rooms all week, so it was nice to sit outside!

Around 6 pm, a small group of us met at Ruth’s Chris for drinks and dinner. It always amazes me that steak houses have delicious vegetarian options. I had a chopped salad, the asparagus and leek soup, and a few bites of broccoli gratin. Oh and a Moscow Mule. Oh and a few bites of the banana cream pie. YUM!

A couple of people on the team gifted me and my colleague Toni these little elephant piggy banks to say thanks for all of our work during the week

I pretty much crashed the second my head hit the pillow (the hotel beds were SO comfy!).

SATURDAY (airports)

My flight wasn’t scheduled to depart until 4:45 pm, so a colleague and I decided to explore the rainforest in the city (Parque Natural Metropolitano). Well, our plan didn’t go quite the way we anticipated. Apparently, Panama City was shutting down the water supply between 8 am – 5 pm. We didn’t want to go hiking, get all sweaty, and not be able to shower before our flights. So instead we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and some time by the pool.

Even though my flight wasn’t until later, I headed to the airport with my colleague…at 11:30! This was early, even for me! But I (eventually) made it to Miami in one piece. After clearing customs and all that, I still had another two hours until my next flight to Tampa. SUCH A LONG DAY!

But I made it to Tampa just fine and eventually made it home. It was so good to see Vishnu (who was half asleep by the time I made it back)!

And yet again, I crashed hard.

SUNDAY (home!)

Vishnu and I were in no hurry to start our day. In fact, we stayed in bed and talked for a good hour before even attempting to be productive. And productive in this case meant making a light breakfast, unpacking, and going to a late brunch/lunch. Ha!

Later in the evening, we got ready and headed to a friend’s place to watch the Super Bowl. The game wasn’t particularly exciting until the 4^th quarter, but it was still fun to watch (mainly because of Fantasy Football and knowing what the heck was going on).

Vishnu made his “Doc Guac” for a little guac off with our friend Cara. There was no conclusive winner but I thought both of them did a great job!

We were exhausted by the time we got home and crashed pretty hard (big surprise)!

Now that I’m back and not travelling again for another six weeks, I’m ready to get back into my routine – regular exercise, healthier foods, and more time with Vishnu!

Happy Monday!

Pictures from Panama

written by Parita 19 Comments

Before I share pictures from my week in Panama, I have a few things to update you all on-

I have yet to be bitten by a mosquito. This may be because there really aren’t any in Panama City or it could be because of my amazing bug spray. I’ll share more about this magical spray soon!
Panamanian food is amazing…even the vegetarian stuff. I love all the fresh flavors!
The conference was a success. At the end of these kinds of events, we share a slide show of pictures from the week. I’m not even going to lie. I was thisclose to tearing up!
Being in Panama and communicating in the little Spanish that I know has made me want to [re]learn the language (I took up to AP Spanish in high school and never took another class again). Rosetta Stone, here I come!
I miss Vishnu! And I feel bad that he won’t be able to experience this amazing country.

Weekend Recap – Preparing For and Getting to Panama

written by Parita 5 Comments

When travelling internationally for work, I usually leave on a Saturday. Undoubtedly, this means that Friday is full of chaos, no matter how prepared I think I am.

And this trip to Panama was no exception. Thankfully, the chaos subsided once I got to the hotel, unpacked, and ate lunch! Although I’m pretty sure this week is going to be one of those “on from the minute you get up to the minute your head hits the pillow” kind of weeks. Wish me luck!

FRIDAY

I worked a full day on Friday, preparing last minute things for the conference and ensuring my own travel plans were set.

In the evening, after Vishnu left for work, I headed to the salon to get my nails done. I usually don’t splurge on manicures, never mind gel ones, unless a work related event calls for it.

I wish my nails always looked like this!

By the time I got home, I realized that I had just under three hours to do a load of laundry, clean the apartment, and pack. My flight was at 7 am the next morning, which meant I had to be out of the apartment by 5:30, which meant I had to be up at 4.

It took me a while, but it all got done. And I’m pretty sure I was asleep exactly five seconds after my head hit my pillow!

SATURDAY

I naively thought that I’d be up for a quick 30 minute Barre3 online workout before my flight, so I set my alarm for 4 am. I even set up my mat, dumbbells, ball and towel in the living room. Ummm…so yeah…I didn’t work out! It’s the thought that counts, right?!

Even though I had an extra 30 minutes in the morning, I still ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. Somehow I managed to get out the door by 5:30.

Now, you guys know that I’m a little weird about airports and travelling. The one thing I’m usually adamant about is giving myself plenty of time. I’d rather sit and wait an hour than risk being late.

Well, I definitely wasn’t thinking straight for this trip because I didn’t give myself much time at all. By the time I got to the airport and paid my driver, it was 5:50. This would be 100% fine if the line to drop your bag off wasn’t so long (totally unexpected!).

By the time it was my turn, the agent said that my bag may not make it on to the plane. I asked her if there was anything she could do because my bag needed to make it with me to Panama. After what seemed like forever, she confirmed that we were ok!

Next came security. As I’ve mentioned before, I have TSA pre check, and this definitely makes the process easier. What I didn’t realize is that the speed at which you get through security depends tremendously on who’s in front of you in line. In my case, I had two older gentlemen who took about five minutes each emptying their pockets! Geez Louise!

I made it to my gate with a few minutes to spare!

My layover was in Miami, where I met up with a colleague who was on the same flight as me. We chatted for an hour or so before it was time to get on the next plane.

Aside from the morning rush, it was a pretty easy travel day. Thank goodness!

Once we got to the hotel and settled in, it was time for lunch. Thank goodness because I was starving! My colleague Ros and I went down to the hotel café and shared a pizza. It was very delicious by the way!

I had a few minutes to relax before it was time to get ready and head to Casco Viejo (Old Town Panama). We walked around for an hour or so, window shopping and taking in the sights, before it was time for dinner at Manolo Carocol.

I can’t say enough good things about this restaurant and the experience we had. In a nutshell, there’s no menu, so you eat whatever the chef prepares. I had a number of delicious vegetarian tapas style dishes like yucca ceviche, yucca gnocchi and charred eggplant, sesame tacos, cabbage/rice/veggie wrap, etc. A must try restaurant if you find yourself in Panama City!

SUNDAY

Sunday morning started nice and early with a visit to the hotel gym. And then it was time to meet my team for a prep session. We worked until the late afternoon and then got ready for our welcome reception.

The reception was wonderful. I loved hearing everyone introduce themselves – I felt like I was at some sort of corporate Olympics!

And now it’s Monday and we’re full steam ahead…

*As you can imagine, the news about the Zika virus spreading in Latin America had/has me, Vishnu, and our families super worried. While I’m not pregnant, we do want to start a family sometime soon. I did a lot of research prior to my trip and felt comfortable with what I was reading about Panama City and the virus – basically, there have been no reported cases yet.

Vishnu and I were going to stay the weekend in Panama following my conference but decided to cancel our plans. While the town we were going to hasn’t had any reported cases of the virus either, we didn’t want to risk it.

Even though I’m not super concerned, I came prepared – three bottles of bug spray and Buggables bracelets/anklets. I also only packed pants/jeans and long sleeve tops (even though it’s ~85 degrees in Panama!). No bites so far…fingers crossed!

Finally, I’m trying to be good about snapping my Panama City experience, so follow along on SnapChat (@myinnershakti)!

A Day in the Life of a Stay at Home Full-Time Working Wife

written by Parita 13 Comments

Quite the title, huh? But that is what I am at this moment in time.

Many of my real-life friends ask how I’m adjusting to this new (and short-term) role I’ve taken on – a stay at home full-time working wife. They know me well and know that I love being around people and having a set routine. And obviously, our current situation has been challenging on both fronts.

Honestly though, I think I’m doing ok. Some days are better than others, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’ll be in Chicago soon enough, and I’ll have many more opportunities for connection then (which is what I’m craving most at this time!).

With that being said, I wanted to share what a semi-typical day looks like for me. As I’ve said many times, my schedule changes every four weeks with a change in Vishnu’s rotations. And this month, it’ll change twice – he’s on days for the first two weeks and nights for the last two weeks. It’s all about agility, my friends!

Without further ado, here’s what January 12, 2016 looked like for me…

5:30 am – I wake up, stretch, say a prayer, brush my teeth, and make Vishnu breakfast (just a shake…nothing complicated or too involved!)

6:15 am – Vishnu leaves for work.

6:30 am – I go down to the gym for a treadmill interval workout. While I really dislike running on a treadmill, I need something quick that will have me in and out by 7:15.

7:40 am – After showering, making my breakfast (again, just a shake), and starting a load of laundry, I enter my “office,” write my list of things I’m grateful for this morning, and finally start my work day.

8:00 am – 12:00 pm – The usual – emails, calls…work stuff*! I’m super hungry by 11:30, so I decide to reheat some leftovers (a lentil, farro, veggie, and tahini sauce bowl) and eat and work at my desk. Not something I usually do!

12:00 – 1:00 pm – I decide to use my actual lunch hour to fold laundry and pack for my trip to Atlanta (I fly out tomorrow evening and fly back on Sunday afternoon). More on this in a later post! I also enjoyed a piece of super dark chocolate while running around the apartment. Mmmm…

1:00 – 5:15 pm – The usual – emails, calls…work stuff*!

5:15 – 6:00 pm – I prepare and make enchiladas for Vishnu to eat for dinner and also to have as a dinner option while I’m gone for the next few days.

6:00 – 7:00 pm – My friend Ankita and I have a phone date scheduled, and we catch about pretty much everything – life, husbands, her pregnancy, books, ‘Making a Murderer,’ etc.

7:15 – 7:45 pm – I clean up the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Still waiting for Vishnu to get home!

7:45 – 8:00 pm – While I wait for Vishnu to come home, I check work email.

8:10 pm – Vishnu’s home! While he eats dinner, I get started on the second meal I’m cooking for him – crock pot chicken tikka masala. If it turns out good, I’ll remake it and share the recipe!

8:30 – 8:45 pm – Vishnu and I clean up and close down the kitchen for the night!

8:45 – 9:15 pm – I put the finishing touches on this post!

9:15 – 9:45 pm – Vishnu and I hang out for a bit and watch TV/chit chat.

9:45 – 10:30 pm – It’s time for me to get ready for bed (phew!). I go through my nighttime routine, get into bed, and read for a little bit before calling it a night.

And that is my semi-typical day in a nutshell!

*As a project manager on a fairly small team, “work stuff” can vary by the day. Currently, we are in the middle of preparing for our global conference. The conference is in three weeks in Panama (the country, not the party city in Florida!), and there’s so much to do for it. My life is pretty consumed by this one event!

What does your day look like? Do you have a set routine every day?

9 Common Sense Tips for How to Stay Healthy with an 8-5

Weekend Recap + Office Life

Weekend Recap – Home Sweet Home

Weekend Recap – Three Days Three Places!

Pictures from Panama

Weekend Recap – Preparing For and Getting to Panama

A Day in the Life of a Stay at Home Full-Time Working Wife

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