Keeping a routine has always been very important to me. When the COVID-19 quarantine started, I realized I had to become intentional in my efforts to develop new habits to keep a daily routine going. When I became unemployed and had nowhere to go, I didn’t want to become the person who just rolled out of bed at odd hours of the morning or the afternoon. I already noticed that like many others, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track of the day of the week. I wondered if this might be an early warning sign of depression. I started three regular habits that I know have already improved my life, maintained my sanity during this situation and kept me on a routine.
1. Wake up no later than 7:30 a.m.
Every morning I get up early as if heading out to be to work on time, and I make a healthy breakfast. It’s become such a compulsion now that I don’t even need to set my alarm anymore. There is no more grab and go or morning snacks. Sitting down and enjoying a cup of warm tea in the morning does so much more for my mind than a drive-thru coffee break. I started doing this at first when I was working from home in April at reduced hours and stuck with it ever since.
2. Schedule the earliest possible appointment times.
If I have to go to the doctor, take a class, go to the car dealership, or consult, I book times before 10 a.m. sometimes as early as 7:30. This keeps my mind focused on leading a productive morning.
3. Do Something For Someone Else
Today I went out to my volunteer assignment at 7:35 a.m. with the FoodBank and spent 2+ hours distributing food to 200 households. It is still important to go out and do for others. Although I am unemployed, there is still work for me to do for other people. If I am not volunteering, I dedicate at least 3 hrs in the morning to work on consultation projects for my entrepreneurial friends.
Thank you AutoTrader for this commercial. I thought I was the only one going bananas about what day of the week it was until I saw this ad.