“Tell me about your best day at work” is an interview question that I like to throw out to candidates. I leave it open ended because I know that so much can happen in a day and they all fall on a wide spectrum. Some of my best days can include three great phone calls, extending an offer, catching up with a colleague over coffee, or even celebrating a team win. After being with my company for over a year and a half now, I’m starting to get into a rhythm with my best days so much that it occurs often. I think I’ve figured out the formula to making sure that every day feels a little bit more balanced. Here are some of my tricks:

Don’t hit snooze

On average, I wake up at 6:45AM every morning if not a little bit earlier naturally. This is my usual alarm, but I always check my calendar the night before and adjust the time if I need to. If I know ahead of time I can sleep in, then I’ll change it. Hitting the snooze on your alarm may sound nice because you’re getting a few extra minutes, but it can actually make you more tired and more delayed in starting your day.

Give your body what it needs

Since I’m in the office usually by 8:45-9AM, I find that it’s a little bit too early for me to be putting food into my body. As much as I love breakfast and weekend brunch, I can’t be consuming that much food on a daily basis for work. My usual latte at Starbucks does the trick, but I recognize that everyone is different and has different needs. For special days where I want to treat myself, I’ll get a breakfast burrito or a breakfast sandwich, but usually half a bagel with cream cheese or nothing works too.