Healthy Eating: Ditching Fast Food & Takeaway
# A Day in the Life: Maeve Madden’s Relaxed Irish Saturday
Maeve Madden, the powerhouse behind Queens Don’t Quit, shares how she unwinds and reconnects on a typical Saturday in Ireland, a stark contrast to her previous London life. While London offered a fast-paced social scene, Madden now cherishes the slower rhythm of Ireland, prioritizing presence and genuine connection over constant digital engagement.
## embracing the Irish Pace: From Morning to Midday
Madden’s Saturdays are a deliberate departure from her usual work-focused weekdays. The day is dedicated to rest, family, and a conscious effort to disconnect from the demands of social media.
### A Gentle Start to the Weekend
While the exact morning routine isn’t detailed, the emphasis is on a relaxed start, setting the tone for a day of rejuvenation. The shift from a frantic London lifestyle to the more tranquil Irish setting is a key theme, highlighting Madden’s intentional choice for a less demanding pace of life.
## Afternoon Delights and Evening Rituals
As the afternoon unfolds, Madden’s focus shifts to preparing for a relaxed evening, prioritizing home-cooked meals and quality time.
### Culinary Choices and Family Time
Around 7 PM, Madden might visit Lotts & Co.for fresh ingredients, underscoring her preference for home cooking over fast food or takeaways. This choice reflects a deeper value placed on nourishment and shared experiences. Dinner at 8 PM is a cherished time for catching up with her husband, a deliberate effort to be present and connect without the distraction of work or social media.”Saturday is our chill out day - I try to make sure it’s the one day of the week that I don’t work,” Madden explains. She actively avoids social media on this day, recognizing the importance of being present with loved ones. “I’ve learnt that it’s significant to be present with the people around you. Saturday is a day for being offline and spending time with family and friends.”
## Unwinding and Preparing for Rest
The evening transitions into a period of personal relaxation, filled with engaging content and thoughtful self-care practices.
### Evening Entertainment and sleep Sanctuary
By 9 PM,Madden settles in for a more relaxed evening. She enjoys sending voice notes to friends scattered across the globe, maintaining connections despite geographical distance.Her viewing habits lean towards crime documentaries and the captivating world of Taylor Sheridan’s Westerns, including “Yellowstone,” “1883,” and “1923.” She also admits to enjoying “The Real Housewives” series, frequently enough watching them solo. For lighter viewing, “schitt’s Creek” is a go-to, a familiar comfort she can almost drift off to.
As midnight approaches, Madden prioritizes her sleep hygiene. She takes magnesium and melatonin to aid rest and sleeps with a silk bonnet, a practice she adopted long before it became a trend, to protect her hair and avoid discomfort. Her dedication to a restful night is further evident in her use of a Drowsy sleep mask, earplugs, and blackout curtains, creating an optimal sleep environment.
This shift in her evening routine, from starting to get ready to go out at 11 PM in London to thinking about bedtime at the same hour in Ireland, perfectly encapsulates her embrace of a more balanced and restorative lifestyle.
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* Maeve Madden is the founder of Queens Don’t Quit, an organization dedicated to empowering women through wellness, movement, and community.
* She also serves as a brand ambassador for ORS Hydration, advocating for effective hydration to support an active lifestyle.You can learn more at orshydration.ie and follow her on Instagram at @maeve_madden.