I found this video and have watched it so many times. It makes me laugh and scream OH MY GOD, YES. Because, really, who the hell has time to journal in a nook before they go to work?
It made me think about my mornings, and routines. I really really…REALLY like routines and schedules. I normally get made fun of for how much I like to have a plan and follow a routine (which feels pretty lousy, but it feels a lot better when everything works out ok), but it really has helped me with a lot in my life, especially when it comes to weight loss and running (three!) half marathons.
So what do my mornings actually look like?
Somewhere between 2:30-3:30am: woken up for no reason by my cat
5:15am: alarm goes off, feed cat
5:30am: workout in my apartment
6:00am: prepare my lunch
6:15am: shower and tame the beast known as my hair
7:00am: put on outfit
7:03am: change outfit
7:12am: put on makeup
7:19am: change back to first outfit
7:29am: fix my hair again, pet cat
7:35am: make coffee and breakfast
7:41am: realize I’m running late
7:45am: chug coffee, put on shoes that may or may not match my outfit
7:53am: pet the cat, grab lunch, run to my car
And that’s pretty much every day. Which is sad, but I’m ok with it. The schedule makes sure that I am sticking with my workout, and that I’m bringing lunch each day instead of buying it. It saves me money and makes me swole…or whatever that phrase is.
I took the survey that helped to inspire this video, and I was a little surprised that I fell outside of the “majority” for most questions. Only 14% of women have the chance to work out in the morning? That stinks! I’ve been trying harder the past few weeks to focus on my physical health alongside my work or other responsibilities; like going to bed early so that I get enough sleep and can work out before I leave my apartment, and not feeling guilty about actually taking a lunch break and going to the gym or on a 30 minute walk around campus. I realize I’m pretty lucky when it comes to the flexibility of my schedule between 8:30am and 4:30pm, which is something I know not all women have the ability to take advantage of, but there must be some time that each woman has for herself, right?
It’s easy to make excuses during the day when it comes to “me” time. Whether it’s working out, taking a walk, reading a book, or even eating breakfast. I know that for many, work, chores, and other responsibilities tend to be the priority…but so much a priority that everything else gets pushed off the to-do list at all. We really all can be the woman who does yoga in her underwear or journals in her nook in the morning, if we want to be. We just have to take a look at our priorities, and put ourselves on the list. Maybe we’re not the top, but find a place for yourself and don’t let other things take over. It’s a pretty good feeling to do crow pose as the sun rises; try it sometime!