Talking about My Daily Routine (B1) ｜ Learn Spanish with Podcast ｜ episode 1 Easy Spanish

Phew! That sigh sounded very deep. A complicated day. Hello everyone, and welcome to our podcast. I am Mateo. Hi, Mateo. Hi everyone. I'm Sofía. Yes, a complicated day. But what's strange is that all my days are complicated. I feel like I'm always running. I am always tired. Ah! That's a very interesting topic. The routine. The routine is supposed to help us, But sometimes it makes us feel more stressed. And that is our topic for today. The daily routine. But for B1 level. We are not going to describe only what we do. Let's analyze why we do it and how we can improve it. It will be a lesson with advanced vocabulary and complex sentences. Perfect! I need your help, Mateo. I need a better routine. A routine that gives me energy, not one that takes it away. With great pleasure. Let's start from the beginning. My morning routine. Tell me, what have you done this morning? Use the past perfect. Well, this morning was just like always. The alarm clock has gone off at 7. I was very tired. So the first thing I did was pick up the phone. Perhaps the first mistake, but keep going. I have read the news. I've checked Instagram. And suddenly, it was already half past seven. I only had 30 minutes to get ready. So, I jumped out of bed quickly. I've quickly gotten dressed. I've gotten dressed in 5 minutes. I haven't had time for a proper breakfast. I've only had a very quick coffee while preparing my bag. I ran out of the house because I was afraid of missing the bus. Thank you for the very honest description. So, if I understand correctly, your morning starts with your phone, that immediately fills your head with information and stress. Then, everything is in great haste. You don't have time for yourself or to have breakfast calmly. Yes, exactly. And your morning? I imagine it's very different. It's a bit different, yes. I strive to make my morning intentional, so I can start the day well. My alarm also goes off at 7, but I get up immediately. My first rule is not to touch my phone during the first hour of the day. I drank a large glass of water. Then I meditate for 10 minutes or write in my journal. Do you meditate? Every morning? Almost every morning. It helps me start the day calm and focused. Then, I prepare a healthy breakfast and eat it slowly. Listening to calm music. I do all this so that my mind can gradually awaken without stress. So that my mind may awaken. It is a good reason. My reason for looking at my phone is, I don't know, habit. And this is a grammatically perfect point for level B1. The subjunctive after PARA QUE FOR WHAT purpose, an objective. When we use PARA QUE, the verb that follows must be in the subjunctive mood. I mean, I meditate in the morning so my day can be calmer. The verb SER is in the subjunctive mood. Sea Ah, well. So, I could say, I need to organize my time so that I'm not so stressed. Exactly. Perfect. Try it yourselves as well. Create a sentence using PARA QUE. For example, I study Spanish so that I can travel to Mexico. Very well. After the morning comes the workday. What does a normal workday look like for you, Sofia? My workday is chaotic. I am a graphic designer and I always have several projects on hand. I'm trying to do everything at once. They call it multitasking. I'm writing an email while talking on the phone. I designed a logo, even though I should be reading a report. At the end of the day, I'm exhausted and feel like I haven't accomplished anything important. I understand. It's a very common problem in the modern world. I try to avoid multitasking. I prefer to work in focused time blocks. How does that work? I set an alarm for 45 minutes. During those 45 minutes, I turn off all notifications. I'm not looking at my phone. I'm not checking the emails. I am working on a single important task. Then, rest for 15 minutes. I do this in order to concentrate much better. It seems like a good strategy. I feel like notifications control my day. And here we have another interesting point. Conjunctions such as while and although. Normally, with these conjunctions, we use the indicative mood. For example, I listen to music while cooking. I'm going out even if it rains a little. Alright. I understand. Yesterday I worked a lot even though I was tired. Perfect. You've understood it. Think about your day. Can you make a sentence with "mientras"? For example, I listen to this podcast while traveling on the bus. Alright. And after work, night arrives. The end of the day. When I get home, I have no energy for anything. Last night, for example, I ordered a pizza and watched four episodes of a series. After watching the series, did you feel relaxed or rested? No, the truth is that I don't. When I went to bed, my mind was full of images, and I couldn't sleep well. It was a distraction, not a relaxation. That is a very important difference. I have a small ritual to end the day. First, I plan out the next day a bit to get the ideas out of my head. And then, no more screens, no phone, no television, no computer. I read a paper book or listen to calm music. No screens one hour before sleeping. That's very difficult. It's difficult at first, yes, but it's very good for the brain. If I were you, I'd try reading only 15 minutes. You should try it. I recommend that you leave your phone in the kitchen at night. Should I try? Should you? I recommend that you leave the conditional and the subjunctive for giving advice. Exactly. The conditional and the subjunctive are the perfect forms for giving advice and recommendations. What would you recommend to Sofia? Say a sentence using the subjunctive. For example, I recommend that you listen to relaxing music. Well. We've discussed the problems and some strategies. Now, let's create a concrete and simple plan for you—just for tomorrow. Okay. A plan of action for tomorrow. I'm ready. OK. Tomorrow morning. When the alarm goes off. What is the first very small action? My first action: I'm not going to look at my phone. Instead, I'm going to get up and drink a glass of water. It's a perfect first step. And what are you going to do with your phone at night? I should leave it in the living room. That way, I won't be tempted. Very good. You're using the conditional. A great idea. And at night? What's your plan for tomorrow night? Tomorrow night I'm not going to watch four episodes. I'm going to watch only one episode. Then I'm going to turn off the TV and my phone. It's important that I read a bit before going to sleep. Sofía, it's a fantastic plan. It's realistic, simple, and a great step forward. I'm sure you'll feel better if you stick to this plan. Thank you, Mateo. Now I feel much more optimistic. This lesson has been like a therapy session. Your final mission is an exercise in planning. Write in the comments. A small thing you'd like to change in your morning routine. A small thing you'd like to change in your nighttime routine. Use the conditional or the subjunctive if you can. For example, I should drink more water. Or, it's important that I read more. We are looking forward to reading your plans. Thank you so much for being with us today. Yes, thank you very much. Remember, small changes make a big difference. Goodbye. Bye! See you next time!