I have always wanted to start a vlogging YouTube channel where I can share what I do outside of creating content for my gaming channel. Sadly though, I won’t be able to do this until I (hopefully someday) do YouTube full-time and have more free-time to do so. So in the meantime, I thought that between this blog and my Snapchat (username: LaurenzSide) I would be able to still give you guys a glimpse into my everyday life outside of my YouTube gaming channel. This post may also give you some insight into how freakin’ busy I am on a daily basis between working my job and trying to put out YouTube videos every other day. And actually, this post doesn’t even cover the days when I work 13 hour shifts for night events or weekends! Anyway, here is what a normal weekday looks like for me:

MORNING:

* Alarm Goes Off *

– I try to make my mornings feel as calm as possible as to not start my day with stress (being that I’m usually stressed the whole rest of the day). Thus, I set my alarm early enough to give myself a couple of ‘snooze button hits’ worth of time. This way, I’m not getting up late and rushing to get ready for work.
– I pour myself a big glass of water adding in some ice cubes & fresh squeezed lemon. Drinking water with lemon in the morning (especially warm water) helps to flush out toxins and jump starts your digestive system! It also helps to re-hydrate you after a long night’s sleep.

– Making my way into the bathroom, I shower to some music. I try to stick to a playlist of happy music or songs that inspire me to start my day on the right note!
– Now onto sitting in front of the mirror for a bit. This has actually become my favorite part of my morning routine because it’s when I get to watch a couple YouTube videos on my “Watch Later” list while I put on my makeup. I usually watch The Philip DeFranco Show (to get filled in on some news), check in on some of my friends channels, and then (my new obsession) search for “What I Ate Today” videos to get some healthy or vegan meal inspiration.
– Keeping in step with trying to have a calm morning routine, I usually light a small scented candle in the bathroom while I’m showering & getting ready. (my current candle is Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla ♥)

– If I have time (and if it’s nice out), I take my dog Dexter outside for a little bit to play fetch with him and get some of his energy out before I have to leave for work. I am lucky enough to live in front of a stream and next to the woods, so it makes for a pretty peaceful and fun exercise activity!
– I get in my car to make the 45 minute drive to work. I’m usually still a little too tired to rock out to some music so instead I’ve become addicted to Podcasts. My favorites at the moment are Reply All, StartUp Podcast, Lore, Criminal, This American Life, & the BroKenPodcast.
– I’m also lucky enough to work at a job that usually provides us with both breakfast & lunch. My go-to breakfast is usually some steel cut oatmeal (made with water), with some brown sugar, cinnamon, chia seeds, & pecans/walnuts sprinkled on top. Other breakfasts I switch up with are some kind of healthy cereal with almond milk & hemp hearts sprinkled on top or whole wheat toast with avocado spread on it served with a cut up apple & peanut butter/chia seeds. If you’re curious, I add chia seeds or hemp hearts to my breakfasts because they are a great plant-based source of protein, fiber, & omegas as well as several other essential vitamins. It’s an easy way to sneak them into your diet!

AFTERNOON:

– I won’t be telling you exactly where I work or what exactly I do (I like to keep my real work job & my online work as separate as possible), but I can tell you that my usual days are spent at a desk in front of a computer from 9 to 5. I  have an added component to my job where I often have to work an event at night or on weekends after my office hours & thus why I sometimes fall behind on YouTube videos.
– Lunch is so varied every day at the office that I can’t even give you an idea of what I eat. I have been trying to stick to a mainly vegan diet though as it’s been making me feel great but I do have the occasional dairy product, egg, or seafood. I only do these sparingly though! Thus, I don’t consider myself a vegan, if I were to consider myself anything it would be a pescetarian (someone who doesn’t eat any meat except for seafood).
– Some people are more productive in the mornings & some are more productive in the afternoon. I have found that I am most productive after lunch in the afternoon hours. Because of this, I usually have a tea or coffee somewhere between 1 and 3PM in order to amp-up my productivity. 😉

EVENING:

– I drive the 45-50 minutes back home after work & listen to either some more Podcasts or some energetic dance music to keep myself from getting tired heading home. I need to stay energized in order to not lay down for the rest of the night the second I walk in the door.
– I sort out dinner plans for my fiance and I (being that I’m usually home an hour before him), feed & play with Dexter for a bit, & straighten up a couple things around the house.
– Then it’s YouTube time! I usually spend at least 3-4 hours a night either filming or editing content. I would do more BUT having to get up super early for work I can’t be creating content late into the night. I also try not to do this every night or else I’d never see my fiance or my dog much! This is always why I try to create as much content as I can on weekend days when I don’t have plans or work.
– After I’m done working for the night, I usually spend my last hour awake watching reruns of my fiance & my favorite Netflix or Hulu shows and (as of late) play some old-school Pokemon games together (they just released the old Red, Blue & Yellow games on the Nintendo 3DS store FYI!).

* Falls Asleep *

You may have already made this connection from reading my post but I am a workaholic in every way, working from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. It actually does brings me happiness and make me feel accomplished, but it also causes me to not give myself a break as much as I should! If there’s anything you can take away from this post being a YouTube viewer of mine, it’s to please be patient with my content. I get burnt out…a lot. But I’m learning to give myself a break more often so that doesn’t happen as much. Yes, one day I hope to eventually do YouTube full-time and be able to upload daily content and livestream more. But right now, my office job is still very important to me & my life.

What are your days usually like? Do you do anything unique every day that helps you? Share it in the comments!