This week was the start of a new semester. It also came on the heels of me losing a family member so it’s safe to say that I was not mentally or emotionally prepared for the work I had to perform.
In my therapy sessions we have been discussing the need for systems as a way to combat some of the anxiety I deal with. While not an end all, be all, my therapist challenged me to give them a try. Honestly, she asked me what it would take for me to balance all of the things I have going on. Surprisingly, establishing systems was my initial answer.
So in this blog post, I want to share a bit of the systems I have been trying to establish. They say it takes 21 days to build a habit and while it’s only been a week, things seem to be really working. Keep reading for my new morning routine.
Wake up early (or earlier)!
Out of the list I am going to provide for you today, this one is the hardest. People that know me really well know how much I value my sleep. I am also not a morning person. I tend to stay up late and don’t really find my flow until 10ish at the earliest. On days I don’t have meetings (and typically don’t have them before 10am) I would honestly just stay in bed as long as I could. This was a killer to my productivity and threw off other things in my day like getting started with dinner, running errands, and spending quality evening time with the hubs. I was working some days until 8pm because I didn’t really get started with the day until around noon! Now I am up by 8am but my goal is 6:30. Pray!
Honor devotional time!
Full transparency: picking up the phone to check social media and email is a terrible habit of mine. It’s even worse when I go to grab my phone because my devotionals are electronic that I end up in the bible app only after I have spent 20 minutes or so in “no man’s land.” I recently ordered Marshawn Evans Daniel’s 100 Days of Believing Bigger and using a physical devotional is working out well for me right now. I have also been ending the night with her reading a few pages of her book Believe Bigger: Discover the Path to Your Life Purpose. There is another post here about establishing a nighttime routine huh?
Make the bed!
This one may seem small but I never really make my bed. You know why? I would sneak away and climb back in it mid day, especially on my “bad days.” This week once I was up, I went ahead and made it completely. Now that I would have to move all the pillows and stuff, I am not going through that much trouble mid day. I’ll just go to the couch LOL! The win however is that haven’t napped this week because I have been really focused and productive.
Get dressed!
Prior to this week, I would get up with just enough time to brush my teeth, make my coffee, and log on to join my first zoom meeting. I didn’t leave much room to make any breakfast and some days I wasn’t showering until lunch time because I slept so late!
So this week, I got up and got myself together like I had to be somewhere even though I just needed to make it to the kitchen island. I showered and got dressed in something I could walk out of the house in. Most days I would stay in my PJs as long as possible but this week I chose a couple of cute sweater dresses and dusters! I even put on a little makeup (loving the NARS tinted moisturize and Fenty Gloss Blomb Creams for the soft beat these days), some jewelry, and added a spritz of perfume (currently loving NEST). It’s really interesting how feeling “put together” helped elevate my mood.
Brain dump for the day!
If you follow me on social media, every day this week you have been seeing me post a time lapse of me using my “Wake Up & Work” pad from Page Eleven Paper Goods. It allows me to list out the things I need to tackle for the work day but the design helps me start with an intention. Some of the ones I have used are:
- Breathe
- Nehemiah 8:10
- Don’t worry, be happy
- Control what you can control
Oddly enough, posting something to social media could serve as a way to keep yourself accountable. While you don’t owe anything to anyone via those platforms, I do think the people that you have really established community with like to see where you are consistent and how you show up. Honestly, I think they can even be encouraged by it. This isn’t to say start your morning with social media, but just remember you might be able to help someone whenever you post.
So there’s my list; fingers crossed it all carries over to next week!
What are some of your systems? Do share below!
Tempestt
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