It's been exactly 2 years since I graduated from college. Time flies!

I've acquired a few habits and lifestyle changes from when I started with full time work. Here are some of them!

Tea
While I love staying in coffee shops, I don't drink much coffee. Coffee makes my heart palpitate in high levels, and it makes me anxious. Which is why, my drink of choice would almost always be tea! I recently wrote about my favorite thing to do with tea, which you can read here. Tea helps me feel lighter and more energized than coffee ever will.

Scarves
It's winter in the office all the time. I don't trust the aircon in our office because it's centralized, which means that it's regulated all throughout the whole floor (or building, I think. I forget; this has been explained to us before). So I wear scarves to work, and I don't really care much whether I look funny with it or not.. because it's really crazy cold. I find it fun as well because I have them in different designs, and I get to style them differently each time, depending on how cold it is (which is everyday of course huhu).

Sleeping by 10pm
I used to love staying up late; I felt invincible, and not care so much when I'd wake up the next day feeling sluggish. But then I can't do that anymore, because I've realized how it's important to be in good shape when at work so I can make sure I'm able to do things properly. I can't function without 7-8 hours of sleep, really. Or else I'd be a zombie all day, which I dislike very much.

Sometimes though, there's always that internal conflict that I have to deal with whenever I'm faced with the dilemma of choosing either doing more of my hobbies as opposed to sleeping early. I almost always choose the former, because I love knowing that I got the most out of the day! I get my fair share of sleep during the weekends, wherein rest becomes my priority.

Lists all day everyday
The way I look at time is entirely different now. I start the day with a list of things to do. I have my handy dandy notebook to write everything down, then organize them according to urgency, then eventually tick them off when I've accomplished them. Sometimes, I still carry this habit over during the weekends!


My condo days. I was probably on my way down to the convenience store to buy something..

Battling the 2 hour commute
I rented a condo with my roommates for 3 awesome years, so it took some time for me to adjust to commuting everyday. My workplace isn't very far from where I live. In an ideal world, I should be able to get there in an around 45 minutes to an hour. But since there's traffic, undisciplined drivers, and inefficient commuting systems, I've succumbed to the fact that it'll remain 2 hours everyday. :"( which is why podcasts are awesome. You can see my recommendations here and here.

Saving$
Even before graduating, I've imagined how it'd be like to have my own savings. Now as a working woman, I'm happy to say that I've already started this good habit of setting aside portions of my salary once I get it, and a big one goes straight to my savings account. I'm happiest when I know I'm able to save, yet at the same time be able to treat myself once in a while.

Saving up also means knowing my priorities. While there are so many things I'd love to spend on, I still stand firm in thinking that it's best to start saving up as early as I can. ;-) Man, I sound incredibly practical.

Writing More On My Blog
It's quite ironic that while I was funemployed, I didn't update this space much. It was only when I started working that I started writing more, and sharing experiences. I think experiencing many new things for the first time is what inspires me most. Sharing about the changes and letting my thoughts float around the internet was much easier when I started with work, despite losing sleep.. but I'm still immensely happy about it.

Perception Of Time
The way I look at time now is way more different than from when I was still a student. As a student, I felt like I had all the time in the world, but now as a working woman, it's sad to say that it isn't so. Whenever I have free time on my hands, my mind is easily filled with thoughts on how I can fill my time with doing something productive.

Clear Skin Challenge
I'm happy to say that one of my proudest achievements thus far is maintaining a clear face. I think what's most effective is:

1) Drink lots of water
2) Good sleeping habits
3) Don't touch your face so much
4) Proper removal of makeup

Staying Fit
I'm guilty about this, because I'm never consistent. There'll be weeks when I get to exercise consistently, then weeks where I just don't and choose sleep. It's the reality we live in, that as much as we want to make time for all the things we want to do, I'm reminded that we have limited energy. But!! I can say that there weren't much changes. Not that I weigh myself regularly, but just that I can say that I've maintained my weight.

Healthy Diet
I think this one's a great factor in how I've maintained my weight. Black rice is a game-changer. My family made the shift from white rice to black rice just when I started with work, and I can say that it's been a much healthier choice. I also have vegetables for lunch, and whenever I can, I eat fruits when I come home from work.

Gone were the days when fast food was accessible and I could just go down from my condo and buy food with the use of my allowance from parents. Now, even though I have my own money, I still live within my means and just treat myself from time to time. It's a much more rewarding experience that way.