Here's what my typical day looks like as a Squarespace SEO expert during the global pandemic
Let’s start off this post by stating the obvious: we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, thanks to COVID-19!
Life as we know it is no longer the same and it’s impacting every aspect of our daily lives: work & business, personal finances, health & fitness, social interactions, staying at home vs going out in public, emotions and mental health, screen time… you name it, it’s different from a few months ago!
I’m writing this post in the middle of May 2020 at by now, we’ve all settled into some sort of “new normal” routine. It’s kind of whack to think about but humans are adaptable and we are all just doing our best and making the most out of this insane situation.
Earlier this week, I published a blog post where I talked about how I’m making the most of Lockdown 2020. Looking at the numbers, I can tell that people like this type of blog post because it’s a post that has received a crazy amount of traffic & visits lately! I decided to give you more of what you want and write a “day in my life” blog post so that you can see a more detailed breakdown of how I’m spending my time during this global pandemic.
Way back in May 2017, I published “Here’s what my typical day looks like as a web designer/developer” and it’s really fun and interesting to reflect on what has changed since then and how in other ways the foundation of my daily schedule looks so similar, even though years have passed and the situation is completely different.
I hope that you enjoy seeing this “behind the scenes” look at what a fairly typical day looks like for me right now, how I’m still running my business during the pandemic, what projects and products/services I’m working on, and how I’m spending my time. Personally, I really enjoy seeing how my peers (and other creatives) run their businesses and schedule their time and I love playing the comparison game to my own schedule. I usually find myself picking up pointers or suggestions along the way so hopefully there are things here that resonate with you!
A quick disclaimer about my pandemic experience
I want to first acknowledge my privilege in the current situation: I have not personally been affected by COVID-19 and neither have my friends or loved ones.
I’m incredibly fortunately to be back in Canada right now where we have access to world-class health care, and by all accounts we are well on our way to flattening the curve. My business has not only carried on during this time, I’ve actually found myself busier than ever - since literally everyone and their cat is trying to get their businesses online, update their websites, improve their online presence, etc.
There’s no other way to say it: I’m really lucky and I know it.
I am safe, healthy and in a secure position. While my overall pandemic experience has generally been positive and a really welcomed chance to slow down, I fully recognize that this is NOT how it’s been for everyone. So yeah, that’s my disclaimer :)
What’s changed in my life/business since the last time I published a “typical day” blog post
In May 2017, I published “Here’s what my typical day looks like as a web designer/developer”. That’s almost exactly 3 years ago and a LOT has changed since then!
First of all, I moved to Bali for almost 2.5 years and just returned to Canada at the very end of March 2020 when things were going crazy with the pandemic. So on the lifestyle front, there have been some major changes.
Secondly, my work and business has changed/evolved considerably since then!
I have niched down and now focus primarily on Squarespace SEO, mostly through:
My online course, Top Squarespace SEO
And other custom Squarespace SEO projects
Occasionally I do still work on custom Squarespace website projects but I’m definitely stepping into my role as an industry leader and Squarespace SEO expert!
Finally, the third biggest difference is the pandemic. Duh. This has totally changed all aspects of life and business for everyone, so it’s kind of like comparing apples and oranges haha!
No two days are ever the same
In many ways, I’m a creature of habit who thrives off routine. So while there are definitely many aspects of my day that are “typical” and don’t change too much, OF COURSE no two days will ever be the same!
As much as I love having a predictable schedule, things always come up and I have to shift things around, reprioritize or focus my time/energy on things that I hadn’t planned for.
So while this “typical day” is quite standard and it’s something that I experience often, it’s obviously not set in stone :)
Some days I am much more focused on the administrative side of my business (e.g., blogging, IG lives, working on email newsletters, keeping on top of banking and invoices, logging expenses, communicating with clients, etc.). I honestly don't mind these tasks (except for accounting stuff, I'll never learn to love that) and sometimes it can be nice to just crank through the admin duties.
However, other days are jam packed with client work. Sometimes I have a heavy client work load and end up focusing my time and energy on these tasks. Depending on the task, this type of work can take up more mental energy than the business admin duties, and it can often be pretty time consuming and focused work. For example, consulting sessions require me to be “on” in a completely different way than if I’m just doing SEO work or tweaking website back end settings, ya know?
That being said, I usually work on both business administrative tasks and client work in a typical/ideal day.
Here’s what a typical day looks like for a Squarespace SEO expert:
6-6:30 am- Rise and shiiiiine!
6:30 am - Get up, get dressed, brush teeth, wash face, make my bed, make a pot of coffee
7 am - Journal (I still write my morning pages), read, listen to music, text friends/family, bum around on social media
8 am- Breakfast (usually oatmeal w/ cinnamon, bananas & maple syrup) and check my emails
8:45 am - Prep for IG Live video - review notes, video training outline, etc.
9 am - IG live (Monday-Friday), usually about 15-20 minutes
9:30-10 am - Upload IG live replay to Youtube channel, video description/tags/end screen/etc., embed video into the weekly blog post that has all the replays
10-12 pm - Usually have a Squarespace SEO Audit & Consulting Session at this time. This lasts for 1.5 hours and then I have to do the follow up (meeting summary email, send over invoice and feedback form, etc.)
12-12:30pm - Lunch time, maybe chat with a friend or loved one
12:30-1:15pm - Quick lunch time walk around the neighborhood, I usually listen to a podcast or music
1-5pm - Afternoons are focused work time! It’s usually a mix of client projects or else content creation for my own business (blogging, writing newsletters, filming a video for my Youtube channel, etc.). I find it super helpful to work using the pomodoro technique and also have been super into the Binaural Beats playlist on Spotify lately.
5-5:15pm - Wrap up for the day. Check my email one last time, write out tomorrow’s “to do” list, make sure any emails or newsletters are properly scheduled to go out, etc.
5:30pm - Evening plans & exercise! After I’ve been sitting at my desk all day, it’s time to MOVE my body! Like just about everyone, I’ve been running a lot lately (my sister and I are even training for our own DIY half marathon!) and I like tracking my progress on Strava. Sometimes I’ll do a walk instead but either way, I make sure that I get at least 10k steps for the day (even if I have to just walk laps around my building haha). 10k steps are non-negotiable for me! I also like doing at-home workouts : HIIT, pilates, power yoga, body weight exercises, idgaf so long as it’s fun and I break a sweat. As the weather gets nicer, we have also been heading down to the lake for a swim/quick dip in the water before dinner - still so brisk but omg feels good!
6:30/6:45pm - Cool down, stretch & abs workout at home. Most of the time I do a workout from Youtube (Bailey Brown is my absolute favourite right now)
7pm - Make & eat dinner. We are mostly eating plat based meals lately which I love, it’s been SO NICE getting back into cooking!
8:30pm - Practice Bahasa Indonesia on Duolingo. Even though I’m not in Bali anymore, I am determined to retain as much of the language as I can! This is a nice thing to do after dinner when I’m chilled out in a food coma :)
9pm - Wind down for the night. Put away my phone, make some tea, read a book, do a face mask, watch an episode of TV, play a few games of Uno, whatever.
10:15pm - Bed time. I’m a granny who loves going to bed early, even if I have been dealing with insomnia on/off the past few months!
Make sure you check out my post about making the most of Lockdown 2020 to see more about the habits I’m building, the goals I’m working on, and how I’m intentionally spending this time.
At home, solo
The biggest thing that sticks out to me about my daily routine during the pandemic is just how much time I’m spending at home lately, often by myself or just with my sister (we have been isolating together ever since I got back to Canada).
Normally I spend a big chunk of my day outside of the house: I love working from cafes, co-working spaces or even the library. I normally go to the gym every morning or surf with my friends, because I love working out with others.
I am soooooo lucky to be back in BC with nature literally outside my front door, seriously I would go crazy without all my nature walks. It’s been a total godsend being able to go outside, get lots of fresh air, move around outdoors and not have to worry about being cramped in the city.
Also, evenings are way more chill at home now, whereas before I went out almost every single night. Dinners with friends, an event of some sort, celebrating birthdays or other milestones, tech events, whatever! So yeah, it’s been kind of amazing to fully indulge in my introvert tendencies and be a legit hermit with no where to go and no one to see. Sometimes I feel like I’m in my own little bubble, cut off from everyone else, just me and my sister alone in nature… but then I remember that I’m doing the “right” thing and behaving exactly how we’re being told - stay at home, avoid unnecessary travel or contact/interactions with others, slow down. Check, check and check again!
Lots of Zoom, phone calls and facetime
I have been doing a LOT of Squarespace SEO audit & Consulting calls during the pandemic which is awesome! I love connecting with my clients this way, it’s so cool that we can get this face time in with each other. I have been spending so much time on Zoom it’s insane. Thank god for the “touch up my appearance” feature haha!
I’ve also been connecting with my loved ones over FaceTime or even just regular old phone calls. Gotta stay in touch even if we are apart ❤️
Final thoughts
I really enjoyed reflecting on my “typical day” during this pandemic because it’s neat to see what’s the same as before versus the other areas that are totally different! I love knowing that some parts of my day are fairly standard whereas there’s still bound to be variety and loads of projects to work on so that it’s always interesting and keeps me on my toes.
Now that I've shared what my typical schedule looks like during this pandemic, it's time to hear from you! What does a normal day look like on your end? Do you work similar hours as I do or is your schedule totally different? What tips do you have for making the most out of your week day while also balancing your personal life? How has your routine been affected by the pandemic? I'd love to know so leave me a note in the comments!
