Morning Routines



I’ve been late for work for years.  I won’t be late if there’s an early meeting but if it’s a regular day, I’ll keep my regular schedule that starts and ends later than most of the team.  I loathe being late for meetings and hate to keep other people waiting, but there’s something about leaving the house in the morning...

For a long time, I stayed in bed until the last possible second, ran around like a chicken with its head cut off and then arrived at work in a flap about whatever had gone wrong that morning.  (This was also true in high school and university, come to think of it) Then there were stretches (years) when I got up a bit earlier and sat in my housecoat for half an hour, catching up on the internet and pretending the day wasn’t starting without me before switching into chicken mode and wondering why I was so late AGAIN?!  Breakfast, if eaten at all, was peripheral and a means to an end.  I ate standing up at the counter or while curled up on the couch. Other times, I made porridge when I got to work and then ate colder and colder gloop between meetings.

Sleep has almost always been a problem and it’s definitely one of the reasons mornings are rough.  Being married has been good for my sleep. I know I’m more consistent than I was 10–12 years ago but I often stay up to get a little more time by myself, especially on days when I have had a back-to-back meeting day at work plus commitments in the evening.  Anxiety used to keep me up at night; now it’s hormones and sometimes caffeine. For awhile last year, I kept to a very consistent routine through the week and never stayed up past midnight on the weekend but something threw that off and here we are.  It’s 12:41 a.m. as I write this; the habit has been lost again.

I lose a lot of my good habits. I might start off with good intentions and even succeed for a long time. It’s easier for me if the habits or routines benefit someone outside myself (see for example, losing significant weight and keeping it off for years while we tried for a baby but losing lots of good habits after hard losses and deciding not to try anymore) or if it’s somehow competitive, even if it’s a competition with myself (e.g. I haven’t had any potato chips since December 31, 2018; let’s see how long I can go). I love a good habit streak but I have a hard time picking it up again after a break.

So what’s my point?

I would love to be one of those Morning People.  Let’s be clear: I don’t necessarily mean chirpy and gleefully perky.  I imagine an unhurried, quiet morning with my book or the radio or exercise (imagine) before getting cleaned up and arriving at work with time to spare. I would eat a decent breakfast and have a cup of tea and transition from home to work without forgetting anything or dropping anything or growling at anyone or huffing when the car needs to be scraped...It sounds glorious but I like my bed too much.

Except.  I seem to have created a tiny new habit that could be the seed of a happy morning routine.  Since the beginning of January, I’ve eaten my breakfast at the table every morning.  I fill and start the electric kettle before getting in the shower.  After my shower, I pour two things of tea: one to sip with my breakfast and while getting ready; the second to take to work.  And then I pour a bowl of cereal or make toast or porridge and sit at the table for ten minutes. I might read my book. I might putter on my phone. I might not do anything except sip my tea and eat Cheerios. 

Oddly enough, sitting down for ten to fifteen minutes has sped things up rather than slowing them down. I’m not any earlier (yet) but I’m less stressed about starting my day.  Dave is finally getting used to it, too, and has stopped asking what’s going on when he finds me at the table instead of nesting on the couch. 

It might look like the same routine to the folks at work or the neighbours I pass in the morning. I’m leaving / arriving at the same time as ever and stay at work just as late but I’ve changed my routine slightly and it’s made a big difference in my day. Maybe I’ll be a Morning Person yet.

12:41 a.m.

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