Bella Nassif

6.30 AM

After hitting snooze a couple of times, I start my day. The first thing I do is prepare my coffee – thank you Nespresso pod machines for getting me through life! I then spend about 30 minutes reading my Bible and journaling; it’s the most peaceful part of my day. 

7.30 AM

As I start getting ready for work, I put on my favourite Spotify playlist – I’m obsessed with acoustic covers of songs! Before I start my walk to work, I do a double-take to make sure I have my keys and entry pass before dashing out the door.

8.30 AM

The first thing I do when arriving in the office is head to the kitchen area to put my lunch in the fridge. After logging into Outlook, I check my calendar and make sure I note key meetings in my diary. I then write a list of my current work priorities for the day and check my emails to see if there is anything else I need to add to the list. My manager is an early starter, so she has typically already been through any important emails and assigned tasks to different people. 

9.30 AM

By this point, my colleagues have arrived in the office and we go for our morning coffee run. This is my favourite part of the workday, as a self-proclaimed coffee addict! When we get back, I log on to Skype for my daily team check-in. This is a short 15-minute meeting that allows my team to discuss our work priorities for the day and ask any questions. I discuss the current big task I am working on, which involves developing an infographic to highlight how our work activities strategically align with our Branch objectives. It will be a great resource once finalised, as it is often difficult to see the connection between our daily work activities and the overall goals our Branch is trying to achieve.

10.00 AM

I work with my colleagues in preparing for our different activities for the week. Today, I am working with my colleague in preparing our COVID Weekly Report. The report goes up to the Secretary and Minister’s Office every Friday to help ensure they are aware of key issues and all the work our department is doing in relation to the pandemic. 

12.30 PM

Lunchtime! My friends and I coordinate our schedules so we can have lunch together in the park across the road. It’s getting a bit chilly now, so we may need to start relocating our lunch sessions to one of the kitchen spaces in the office. 

1.30 PM

My Branch has bi-weekly meetings run by our General Manager. This allows the three separate teams to regularly get together, discuss what we have been working on, any notable achievements, and ask for any assistance from other teams. We are a very connected branch, so it’s great to be able to support others with their work and learn about the different things they are doing as a team. 

3.30 PM

After editing the infographic following feedback from my team and the Branch, I begin preparing for our monthly DISER COVID Forum. The Forum involves General Managers from across the department meeting together to discuss a pre-selected topic relating to the current COVID-19 pandemic. My team does the secretariat duties for the meeting, so we head over to the meeting room early to set up and ensure the video conferencing system is working. I am the backup note taker, which takes a lot of the pressure off the lead note-taker in case she misses something during the meeting.

5.30 PM

After a successful meeting, I gather my things and head home for the day. I typically enjoy my morning walk to work, but the afternoon one always seems so much longer! I should go to the gym, but instead, I change out of my work clothes into something more comfortable and spend some time catching up on any personal messages and emails I may have missed throughout the day. This is my favourite way to wind down after a long day! 

8.00 PM

I spend some time doing a few tasks around the house. I typically use this time to also prepare something for lunch the next day, but tomorrow I will be working from home (thanks to the department’s support of flexible working arrangements), so I don’t have to prepare the night before. 

9.00 PM

Now it’s time to get ready for bed – my favourite part of the day! I have a shower, do my regular skincare routine, and then hop into bed with a book. 

10.30 PM

After reading a couple of chapters and scrolling through social media, I am now ready to sleep and prepare myself to do it all again tomorrow!