A work day

I was tagged by one of my favorite blogger friends (Fallon) to share my work life. Here we go!

Take us through a recent workday.

My alarm goes off at 5:17am and I jump into the shower and get ready for the day. After I shower, I let the dogs out and fill up their bowls with food and give them fresh water. I then go downstairs into the garage and clean out the cat’s litter and give him food as well. His food is in the garage because the dogs will happily eat all his food when no one is around/looking. We have a cat door leading into the garage so he is able to go in and out as he chooses. He prefers to drink water from the dog’s water bowls throughout the day so I've stopped filling up his water bowl. I then make breakfast (scrambled eggs with turkey bacon, breakfast sandwich, etc) for myself. On Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays I make breakfast for Sean as well.

After breakfast, I get dressed and ready for the day. Before I leave the house, I give the furbabies treats (they look forward to this every morning!) grab my lunch and then I’m out of the house by 6:35am to get to work for 7am.

When I get to work I work through daily activities which include contacting injured workers, their attorneys, our attorneys, their doctors, case nurses, the Workers Compensation Board, returning phone calls, making phone calls, etc. On this day we have a team meeting to discuss changes in the Workers Compensation Law. It's crazy how quickly things change in the law day to day.

I am responsible for referring files for hearings, setting up surveillance on suspicious injured workers, getting injured workers the treatment they need that way they are able to get back to work as soon as possible. I'm responsible for ensuring that we are paying for treatment that is related to the work injury only and for suspending benefits when an injured worker is no longer entitled to the benefit. There is a lot more but this is the small gist of it. It's always a busy day and time moves way too quickly.

I am out of the office by 3:30pm which is the biggest benefit for getting to work at 7am.

What apps, gadgets, or tools can’t you live without?

I’m not really a gadget, apps kind of person. At work, I can’t live without office outlook and my desk calendar.

What’s your workspace setup like?

A hot mess, that’s what. But no joke. I have lots of unimportant papers scattered throughout my desk. I’ve found that when my desk is neat and tidy I tend not to work with an urgency but when I see papers all over my desk I feel like there’s a lot of work to be done. I know it’s silly but for some reason I need to not feel relaxed at work. It's what works for me.

What’s your best shortcut or life hack?

Hmm, I’m not sure I have one. Does everyone have one? Get at least 7 hours of sleep daily, drink a lot of water, exercise and making sure to take time to do things I enjoy on a daily basis, even on a workday.

Who are the people who help you get things done, and how do you rely on them?

I’m actually really good with getting things done so I don’t usually need help getting things done. But I get a lot of support from Sean and my sisters to be the best me.

How do you recharge or take a break from work?

On scheduled breaks I either take a walk (on nice days) around the building with music playing in my ear. On my lunch break I either take a trip to HomeGoods or Nordstroms to stroll around even if I’m not going to buy anything. I just do it to get outside of work and get a breath of fresh air. If I don't I'll sit at my desk all day trying to get work done.

What’s your favorite side project?

I love photography and taking pictures as you all know. It’s definitely my most favorite side project.

What are you currently reading, or what’s something that you’d recommend?

Hmmm, I haven’t bought it yet but I want to read Children of Blood and Bone. I’ll be picking it up soon!

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see Emily answer these same questions.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Save for retirement and for a rainy day.