A Bestselling Author Shares A Typical Day In Her Life
6am
I’m definitely an early riser. I wake up naturally around 6am even though my alarm is usually set for 7am. I admit I do lay in bed scrolling on my phone for a bit and then I fill up my two-litre water bottle to make sure I prioritise hydration for the rest of the day. Breakfast is a Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Dark Chocolate bar – they taste like a dessert. Then I watch some TV. I've fallen down a true crime rabbit hole; right now, I'm watching Meet, Marry, Murder. Usually, I’m wearing my Stripe & Stare pyjamas and a Liberty bathrobe.
8am
Around now is when the tsunami of emails begins. This is the reason why I watch TV in the morning – I’m just trying to have a little bit of a reprieve before the onslaught starts. There are usually some that are left over from the night before (I have a cut-off time of 6pm) so I start by sending emails to my personal assistant, Eleanor, and any others that need replying to. I like to make sure my inbox is at zero before I properly start the day.
Once I’ve done that, I jump in the shower. I use the Sensai Ultimate Creamy Soap to wash my face, followed by the Dr.Jart+ Ceramidin Skin Barrier Serum Toner, 111Skin Reawakening Duo and the Dr. Barbara Sturm Darker Skin Tones Face Cream. I don’t have much hair, so once every three days I shave my head in the morning with my Remington beard trimmer. I also use The Steam Bar scalp shampoo and the Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Finishing Mist. On my body I use Ilapothecary SOS Body Balm – the scent is addictive.
11am
Right now, I’m working on my TV pilot. I have my desk set up on my dining table and I write on there, before I do some reading. It’s usually in relation to my pilot, so it’s basically research. Then I go for a walk in my local park. I have a Fitbit and I am religiously trying to hit 10k steps a day. Lululemon is my go-to workout brand, along with New Balance Fresh Foam trainers.
My style is very eclectic. I'm very into mood dressing, so everything is led by how I feel on the day and what I’m doing. If I’m at home, it’s very casual – an oversized t-shirt from Daily Paper with a pair of hoop earrings from Missoma. For a red carpet, I love going big with a brand like Roksanda. I also have a Conner Ives dress that I spent ages hunting down. I also love a good pair of Crocs. If I had to name a style icon it would be Solange Knowles – she never misses.
@SolangeKnowles
Roksanda
12pm
I try not to take meetings before 12pm. My assistant blocks out my diary so that I have all my meetings back-to-back as I find it’s the most efficient way to get things done.
3pm
I can’t cook, so I’m always ordering food in. I always order lunch from Tasty Africa via Deliveroo. If I have a lunch meeting, Sale e Pepe on Pavilion Road is my favourite; I’m a huge fan of Italian food. I always give myself a full lunch hour and either listen to an audiobook, watch some more true crime TV or read. I am listening to The Villain Edit for research and reading The Lagos Wife. When it comes to afternoon snacks, it’s always Tony’s Chocolonely. I don’t know what they put in there but it’s beyond morish. I always nap, without fail, in the afternoon and then it’s back to writing until the end of the day.
Sale e Pepe
@Yomi.Adegoke
7pm
I go out three to four times per week. I know it sounds like a lot but because I work from home, I don’t have colleagues that I see every day, so it’s a way for me to have some human interaction. I am a big people person. I love music, I love meeting new people. I also use it as an opportunity to take my friends who don't work in the industry with me to events. My favourite going-out outfit right now is a black Rixo dress with mesh ballet flats from Reformation. As soon as I’ve finished working, I always pop to my sister’s house, which is only three minutes away from mine. If I’m staying home instead, I chill out by watching Love Island US, Married At First Sight or by sending long voice notes to friends.
1am
I am a night owl. If I get more than six hours of sleep, I’ve done well. I used to think it was because I was busy but even if I am chilling at home, it’s still the time I go to bed. I am straight into my pyjamas the minute I get home. Before bed, I make myself a hot water bottle – mine is from Jakke – spray my pillow with the This Works pillow spray and switch off all the lights. On my bedside table, I’ll switch on my lamp, the base is from Made.com and the lampshade is Archive by Sanderson. Also on my bedside table is a candle from Liha and my eye mask from The White Company that I can’t sleep without. To put myself to sleep I will read. I am currently reading Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field.
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