New routine

It's been four weeks since I've been "funemployed", and I've been trying out a new routine. I'm a big fan of structure & I knew that the sudden change from an overly structured day (way too much to do) to my new normal would be a big adjustment. I've had a list of things I want to do daily, some of which I've been doing for a long time, others I added in during COVID WFH, and still others that I've always wanted to consistently practice, but have come & gone based on my schedule.

My current daily routine is as follows:

• Coffee + catching up on blogs, bills, etc
• Journaling + 3 things I'm grateful for
• Farsi lesson (I use an app for this)
• Meditation
• Working out (I prefer a class, as it's at a set time & a harder workout than I'd normally do on my own.) 
• At least one house "chore"
• Yard work, if it's not raining
• Career type stuff (working on resume or LinkedIn, sending follow up notes to people who have reached out, researching potential future jobs)
• Meal prep

Aside from that, other days have other tasks (decluttering, listing things on eBay, etc). 

I find that the journaling is helpful for two reasons. 1) it helps me remember how I felt at any given point. My journal from the first few weeks of COVID lock downs is fascinating! 2) it's a reminder to write down three things I'm grateful for, every day. I'm pretty consistent with it, and feel like it's a good time to remember that there are always things to be happy about, even when things are not going how you'd hoped or anticipated. 

I'm taking Farsi lessons so I can better communicate with M's family. It was really hard to find a good app for learning (many of the more common apps don't offer it as an option), but now that I've found one, I'm in a good groove and feel like I really am picking up more words, which is rewarding. M does still chuckle at my pronunciation. ;-) 

As for the meditation, I attended a class way back through work (maybe 7 years ago) & they shared a lot of the benefits of meditation. I gave it a try & it does help me manage stress. I've been pretty sporadic with it until recently. I've also been taking a free online class via Yale (The Science of Well Being), which I highly recommend, and the class talks about how helpful meditation is, both in the moment, and in the longer term. I've added it consistently back to my routine. I'm currently doing a five minute guided meditation via Headspace (an app), because it's such a low barrier to entry. But, I do want to do longer meditations, as you get additional benefits for a slightly longer time period. But, five minutes is still great, and I'm trying to build the habit. There is plenty of research out there about what happens to your brain when you meditate, but for me personally, it gives me more patience, and helps me live more in the moment. Both of which are things I'm working on. 

Working out has been a sanity saver for me at many points in my life, but particularly now. It really helps me manage my stress level, and I also really like the structure & the routine of a class schedule, a commitment, & getting out to see other people. It's good for your health, of course, but for me, it's really good for my mental health. As with everything, people have to experiment to see what works for them (physically), and what they enjoy the most, because sticking with a workout routine isn't going to happen unless you like the activity. 

I both love & hate yard work. Our yard has many, many types of plants from the former owners. Because there are so many varieties, it's a never ending task of weeding, picking up leaves, trimming, etc. It's much more high maintenance than I would ever choose in a million years. But, I do enjoy being outside & getting into the flow, so to speak. M & I have discussed many times, and we could each spend an hour outside working in the yard every day, and it would never be "done". Always too much to do!

Hope that was helpful, and I'd love to hear more about your daily habits!