Smart, Successful, and Miserable: How to Prioritize Happiness When You Love Work
Stop prioritizing productivity above all else and put your health and happiness first.
I wake up at 5 AM. I hop out of bed, turn off the alarm and begin my day. Goosebumps prick my skin still recovering from the sudden temperature change from a comfy bed.
After a workout, I take a cold shower, breathing in deeply Wim Hoff-style. And then, like Mark Zuckerberg, I shrug into the same outfit I wear every day to minimize decision fatigue. Then I meditate, breaking up intense work sessions with the Pomodoro technique. I stop only briefly for lunch, grabbing my usual health-optimized keto vegan green smoothie.
After finishing work and planning my work for tomorrow, I collapse on the couch finally letting myself breathe while listening to David Goggin’s “Can’t Hurt Me” (affiliate link) on repeat. I allow myself an hour or two with family and friends before following my nightly relaxation routine complete with relaxing aroma therapy. The smell of lavender and jasmine wafting from my essential oil diffuser lulls me to sleep.
Before closing my eyes, I feel an emptiness gnawing inside me. This irritating doldrum of dissatisfaction causing me to roll over and sigh. What hadn’t I optimized…
