Self-Care Is Key to Marketing & Communications Lead Cat Spanti’s Success

Cat shares how her multidimensional view on wellness helps support her busy life juggling two jobs and starting her day at 5:30 am.

Welcome to Bedtime Stories, an interview series where we ask inspiring individuals to share their nighttime routines and sleep secrets. For this instalment, Cat Spanti shares the self-care regimen that helps support her life.

Juggling two jobs isn't an easy thing to do. But Cat Spanti, a full-time Marketing & Communications Lead and part-time content creator, has capitalised on the opportunity and made it work to her advantage. "Both roles allow me to keep my finger on the pulse, which is essential for a career in this industry!" she shares with Bed Threads Journal.

Cat studied professional communication, majoring in politics and PR. "I originally only wanted to be in fashion PR, and my first few internships and coordinator jobs were in that realm, but my love for travelling sort of overtook that desire as my experience grew." During her stint working on the agency side of things, her travel and hotel clients quickly became her favourites. This led her to go in-house, working with a former client, QT Hotels. She spent just over four years there learning the ropes from how to build and shape a brand to what it means to run a successful business.

Now, she's running her own communications & marketing team looking after some of Australia’s best boutique hotels, wineries, restaurants, and bars. "It’s an exciting time to be in this industry – there's a new-found demand for experience-led stays, unique activations, unexpected partnerships, and one-of-a-kind content opportunities."

Her part-time work as a content creator happened organically and complements her full-time role. "Being in a more senior and leadership-led role, you don’t necessarily get to be on the ‘tools’ all the time, so I find my creative itch is really scratched in my outside of work hours."

Having a strong morning and bedtime routine as well as practising self-care are central to supporting Cat's busy life. Below, she shares exactly how she winds down each evening and why finding time for yourself is such a worthy investment.

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Hi Cat! Welcome to Bedtime Stories. Can you walk us through your bedtime routine?

I’m a big bedtime routine/sleep hygiene gal. I really enjoy the ritual of unwinding and find it therapeutic after a hectic day. The first and favourite step for me is washing off the day (both face and body). If I’m having THE shower, I’ll moisturise and body oil myself, wait for that to dry and then slip into my PJs. The key for me in my bedtime routine is actually winding down, and you might laugh, but reality TV always helps me relax. There’s something about watching other people’s drama that makes you forget about the day you just had!

What sleep or beauty products do you swear by that you won’t go a night without?

Some sort of lavender or scented pillow spray, I rotate between the Santa Maria Novella Rose Water Spray, or the This Works spray from Mecca.
My red light LED mask. I try to do a minimum of 10 minutes per night (no matter how late I get home.. lol).
And right now, in the thick of winter, a super hydrating moisturiser. I love the La Mer Soft Moisurising cream, or Go-To have just released a Luxe Face Cream that I also love and it’s at a friendlier price point.

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What is your solution for those nights you simply can’t nod off to sleep?

A good sleep podcast or relaxing music really helps me, or, if it’s my thoughts keeping me awake, I’ll try my best to journal them out. Both practices are very therapeutic however I try not to be too hard on myself when it happens!

What time does your alarm go off in the morning? Can you walk us through your morning routine?

If I’m heading into the office, the alarm goes off at 5:30 am as I’ll try and get some form of class in before I head into work (I find this helps set up my day for productivity). Usually, it’s a reformer pilates class that allows me to ease into the day. If it’s a WFH day, I get a little bit of a sleep-in, with the alarm going off at around 6-6:30 am. I’ll always prioritise a big walk with my dog, and my little treat is a soy matcha or chai.

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Do you have any specific strategies to help you stay focused and motivated throughout the workday?

It sounds cliché, but if you have a strong morning routine, it really does set up your day for success. Moving my body (when I feel up to it, listening to your body is just as important) always helps clear my mind and makes me feel much more level-headed. I’m a big morning person so I’m usually on my laptop by 7.30 am, latest 8 am. I’ll prioritise clearing my inbox and flagging my to-dos in the first hour of my day, then usually from 9 am-12 pm I like to smash out my biggest or most brain-heavy tasks. The afternoon is then spent doing the less hectic stuff as I find come 5 pm I’m useless!

What does self-care mean to you and how do you practise it?

To me, it’s about taking care of yourself. I have a multidimensional view of wellness that’s caring about my whole being; providing for my physical, mental, spiritual, and social needs. To me, it’s a worthy investment, but you need to be willing to take the time to get to know yourself. I incorporate both traditional and nontraditional forms of self-care into my life (seeing a psychologist for my mental health, but a holistic healer for my spiritual etc), but nothing will beat actually getting to know yourself and your body. For me, checking in with myself is the most powerful self-care tool I’ve been able to utilise.

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How are you able to mentally and physically switch off from social media when you need a break?

Switching off from social media isn’t too tricky for me – our phones make it so simple with the 'Do Not Disturb' setting and you can now mute notifications for 8-12 hours across IG etc. For me, it’s switching off in general that’s really difficult, my brain is constantly going a million miles an hour and it’s something I really need to work on getting better at and slowing down that pace. Walking meditations help; I’m also super into my holistic health, so incorporating techniques like grounding myself, breathwork etc helps re-centre me. It’s definitely a journey, and some days are better than others.

What are your favourite things to do when you have downtime?

Spend time with loved ones and my little dog, eating, drinking etc! All the good things.

For more from Cat, follow her on TikTok and Instagram.