Routines are life giving.
I am resolute in my belief about this.
People are constantly teasing me about my quite ridged ways, and I will agree that not everyone needs to be as structured about life as I am, but the fact remains that routines are life giving. Having a routine, first of all, ensures that you get everything done that you were intending to do. It frees me of the notion that I forgot to do something.
But more importantly, routine gives a structure to my days that I crave. I have written about my anxiety a lot-and some days are better than others-but having a routine just allows my brain that little bit of space to breathe, like, we got this.
I have spent the past three years perfecting my morning routine. Prior to life flipping all upside down, I was much more of a night owl and my mornings generally just consisted of getting my kids ready and out the door rather than worrying over my own self. Such was the life of a stay-at-home mom. (That feels like lifetimes ago.)
But I have managed, somehow, to turn myself into a morning person. I honestly enjoy waking up every morning, which was certainly not the case in my old life. Some of that, I’m sure, is like everything else-I am such a different person in so many ways now. (Hopefully good ways.) But some of it is due to figuring out a routine that gives me the space I crave to physically prepare for my day.
A couple of people recently picked my brain about my morning routine, and so I thought that I might share a few of the highlights here, just in case anyone else remotely cares. I don’t pretend that it’s perfect or anything, but so far, it’s worked for me.
The first, and perhaps single most important piece of this blog, is my Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock with Colored Sunrise Simulation and Sunset Fading Night Light. Oh, my goodness. The life changer. This alarm clock basically simulates the sunrise for half an hour before waking you up-you can chose to either wake up to the radio or to the sound of birds chirping. I have it set to the birds, and I tell the girls all the time that it makes me feel like I’m Cinderella, waking up to her forest friends. It is the loveliest way to wake up.
I journal first thing in the morning, and then I use the Headspace app for a meditation exercise for 10 minutes. I will admit that I was a little weary of purchasing that app because most of the time when I have tried meditating in yoga class, I always find myself realizing when we are almost done that I have been thinking about a hundred other things, rather than concentrating on my breathing. But what I like about the Headspace app is that it is guided meditation, meaning that it helps me to focus on what I’m doing. I have tried a few different packets and I really loved the anxiety packet-imagine that.
While I’m making my coffee and getting my breakfast, I pray. It feels strange to me to write that down, and I’m not quite sure why, but that’s what I do. Starting my day by covering my family and friends in prayer has been my habit since college, and it is one of the few bits of life that didn’t change after my divorce.
While I’m drinking said coffee, I read my devotion. I have been using an app that my sister recommended called First Five, and I absolutely love it. I get an infinite amount out of those five minutes of my day (on the weekends there is a video wrap up with about a 10-minute lesson and I have found them to be incredibly eye opening and interesting).
I have the same thing for breakfast every day-hot water with lemon, a banana, coffee, and Greek yogurt (usually strawberry or raspberry). I know, it’s super boring. It’s okay-that’s who I am.
And then we get to my workout. All told, it’s an hour and a half. I do yoga, cardio, weights, and I run. Here’s the thing-getting blood moving to your brain is the best possible thing that you can do for your mental health. It’s changed my life-clearly, it hasn’t dissipated my anxiety or my depression, but it has changed my ability to get a grip on them, to keep my head above water when I want to fall under waves of sheer panic.
Like a year ago, Betsy showed me how to make a playlist on YouTube. (I’m sure there are cooler apps for this, but I am like an old lady with my phone, so this works for me.) I have a yoga playlist and a workout playlist. My yoga playlist is a mix of Sarah McLachlan and Jewel and the Black Crowes and my favorite song, “Hallelujah.” Just what you would expect out of the angst ridden 90s teenager that I still think I am.
My workout playlist is more upbeat, more probably what you would expect out of a woman trying her best to do things that scare her. “Fight Song.” “Whatever It Takes.” “Part of Me.” “Praying” by Kesha is my cool down song and the lyrics there (“Cause you brought the flames and you put me through hell/
I had to learn how to fight for myself/And we both know all the truth I could tell/I'll just say this is I wish you farewell”), they are a healing balm to my soul *every* *single* *day*.
And from there, I just get ready for work. It’s sort of a lot for a morning (I’m up at 5 and to work by 8, so it’s basically 3 hours all told). But I can’t really overstate how lovely it is to have that workout done and out of the way before my day really even begins. Whenever I have tried to move my workout to evening (for whatever reason), it just doesn’t work for me. I’m tired when I get home, and all I want to do is read my book.
Embracing truths about myself has been one of the best parts of my life in the past 3 years. One of those truths is that I am far from perfect. But one is also that this life I lead may seem super boring and predictable to some people, but for me, this is a part of my weird existence on this planet.
It’s a beautiful life that I get to live.
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