*This post of mine is also published on Women At Forbes.*
My day usually starts at 8am, but that’s because I’m hitting snooze from 7:30am. As soon as my husband and daughter are out of the house, I go straight to the study, get in front my my laptop, and get to my emails. So bad to admit, but I start working even before eating in the morning. As a freelance journalist, I can work from anywhere that has wi-fi, but my favorite place to write and work is here, this little nook in my home office where I am surrounded by my old books and classic family photos.
Depending on the number of looming deadlines and articles I have and what my inbox looks like on any given day, my first stop outside of the house is normally my gym. I do try to be good about working out at least four times a week. Equinox is so great because they have a kid’s club where your child can play while Mama works out. I also love the scent of the freshly rolled eucalyptus towels that greets you as you walk through the door. This is where I catch up with the news headlines on TV, burn off calories, get into my Beyoncé mode, and center myself before my day officially gets going.
I may be terrible about breakfast, but I love to indulge throughout the day and the first thing I usually eat is some kind of dessert. I live for warm pain au chocolat and my neighborhood Market has some of the best. Although eating dessert for breakfast/first meal of the day gets a bad rap, I look at the Italians, who famously eat dessert for breakfast, to feel good about indulging my sweet tooth as part of my daily diet.
One of the most unplanned events in my career has been the foray into the world of TV commentary. Depending on the news cycle and breaking news of the day, I will get called in to provide analysis on anything from Middle East politics to feminism to the upcoming elections. Here I am getting my hair and makeup done at CNN’s Washington, DC bureau. How I wish I had my own personal glam team with me daily. A girl can dream, right? Sitting in the hair and makeup chair is also a great time to go over my talking points, calm my nerves and keep track of the rolling headlines. The best trick I have learned so far from the pros? Use Pond’s to help remove heavy TV makeup. It’s a classic for a reason!
And that’s a wrap! Here I am taking a selfie after I am done with my segment. It never ceases to amaze me how different things are behind the camera, and how much work goes on behind the scenes to make everything on camera run smoothly. This particular day, I spoke about how ridiculous I believe Donald Trump’s assertions are that Hillary Clinton is somehow responsible for her husband’s behavior and countered with her own record on fighting for the rights of women and girls, both in the U.S. and around the world.
Back home and back to reality! Whatever meetings or work I have to do outside of the house during the day, I try to have done by the time my daughter is back from school by 4pm, or these days, summer camp. After years working in an office, I started working from home three years ago when I finally went full time with AnushaysPoint.com. Every year I love it more. I feel like for the first time in my life, I can really be present as a mom while still having a career and getting my work done. In addition to being super-productive, what I love about my home office is getting to witness moments like this between my daughter and the cat, better known as my “Persian Babies.” I do some of my best work around my cat, by the way. Did I mention I love working from home?
*This post of mine is also published on Women At Forbes.*