How I Thrive takes an inside look at founders, entrepreneurs and leaders and the behind-the-scenes self-care work they do to in order to live balanced, happy lives. Today's edition is with GIST founder Jacie deHoop, an avid cyclist who swears by essential oils for relaxation.
Name: Jacie deHoop
Age: 27
City: Toronto, Canada
Company: The GIST, a company that connects and empowers women through sport. We create sports content, experiences and community that are by women and for women.
Role: Co-founder
Beyond the role: I'm an avid cyclist! I bike everywhere.
Morning routine:
My morning routine varies quite a bit depending on the day. If the night before was a non-newsletter night (i.e. every day except Monday or Thursday), I wake up between 6:30 and 7 AM. The first thing I do is make coffee and read my newsletters: The GIST (if it's a Monday or Thursday!), The Hustle, The Skimm, Morning Brew, Finimize and more.
I then get to work — I'm fortunate to have an office at home. In an ideal day I'd work on my biggest, hairiest tasks first thing in the morning but I often end up answering emails. After a couple of hours I will go for a workout, get ready and have breakfast — usually yogurt or oats. Then I'll typically have a meeting, so I hop on my bike or the streetcar to get there. Sometimes I work out first then get a chunk of work done — it really just depends on my schedule for that day!
I do try to wake up with enough time to exercise, eat and manage my inbox before leaving for the day.
The first thing I do after work:
The first thing I do is change into comfy clothes. Even if I'm not super dressed up that day, I love being comfy at home! When I get home from the day I try to cook dinner, but I often end up having various snacks or something easy to assemble.
If my partner is home sometimes we'll cook and eat together, but we're often on different schedules. Next I answer emails and work on those items I didn't get to during the day. While I usually have my laptop open in the evening, I do semi relax and work from the couch and with a show on in the background. If it's been a really taxing day sometimes I just get caught up on texts and peruse Instagram, which I know isn't great but it helps me wind down.
Dinner ritual:
I eat dinner between 6 and 9:30 PM. Lately it's been closer to 9 PM when my partner and I are both at home — we always try to cook at home as we're on a tight budget. We try to eat together, because it's such a nice way to catch up at the end of the day. On the weekends I'll often order in or meet friends for dinner.
Nighttime routine:
Bedtime usually sneaks up on me, and I wish I had some more time! To unwind I wash my face, brush my teeth and apply some essential oils which I really find help me relax. I also find turning most lights off the hour before bed helps signal to my brain it's time to shut down. I've also been really into the Insight Timer meditation app and will do the beginner 10 minute meditations before bed.
Self-care guilty pleasure:
Eating (many) chocolate covered almonds at night. I truly love them.
Work day self-care hack:
For those big items I know I have to get done or will put off, I schedule time in my calendar to make sure they happen. If I think it's going to take me two hours, I block that time off. If something else eats into that time, I reschedule it for another time in the day (sometimes week). I find it keeps me on track and aware of how long things are going to take and when I need to complete them. It also allows me to see how busy my week or day actually is and if I can fit in another meeting.
How I define self-care:
I feel like my definition of self-care is always changing. I think for me it's about taking a moment to think about me — whether that's my values, my stress levels, what have you — and acting on those things. That might mean saying no to a coffee meeting, spending time alone, being social, or just closing the laptop!
Favorite childhood hobby or toy:
I've always loved playing sports (shocker!). Whether that's playing with a tennis racquet, a basketball, a soccer ball or a hockey stick, sports encourage a sense of play that translate into adulthood. Not to mention teamwork, work ethic and so much more you can learn through sports as a child!
State of your (email) inbox:
20 unread right now. I feel a HUGE sense of accomplishment whenever I get it to zero (it's rare). I leave all messages I need to action as unread. 30+ gives me anxiety but I am trying to work on that.
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Illustration by Megan Behrendt