This is all about conserving spoons and energy.
I drew inspiration from Courtney Carver's Be More With Less mini-mission on Habit-Stacking.
I find that a regular routine trains my body to know what's expected of it, and this is a routine I've been working with for around a couple of weeks now, and it helps to set me up for the day.
Times are variable depending on what I'm doing that day, but I'm going to tell you about a typical work-day morning here. The whole routine takes around 90 minutes for me to complete:
Alarm: 5.30 am: Two days a week I have to be at work for 7am, so I need to give myself ample time to fit my habit stack in, and 90 minutes seems to be about right.
Yoga: This really helps my joints loosen up in the morning, which is beneficial for my physical job of lifting, shifting and stacking shelves. I then do some gentle neck stretching exercises. This whole sequence takes around ten minutes.
Meditation: Since I have started meditating I've found it to be really beneficial. I started with a 5 minute session, and have gradually worked it up over the past couple of weeks to a ten minute session. The longer sessions happen in the evening, but in the mornings I have time to fit in 5 minutes of quiet contemplation. I sit on two pillows with my back propped against the end of my bed as it would take far too much energy for me to sit up straight unaided this early in the morning!
Food, water, and supplements: Time for breakfast! Usually some toast with jam or spoonie energy bars (recipe coming soon, all being well!) along with yogurt and fruit sweetener (honey alternative). I also make sure to drink around 500mls of water as it kick starts my hydration for the day, which is essential for keeping my fibromyalgia symptoms in check. I also take my daily dose of three supplements.
Teeth: I went through a period in my life as well where I had neither the energy or inclination to even lift a toothbrush to my mouth, but now I brush, floss and mouthwash every day, and I make time for it twice daily.
Wash hair & get dressed: Unfortunately my hair is something that will not behave unless it is washed daily! Whilst my straighteners are heating up I get dressed for work and "put my face on" to make myself presentable for the lovely customers that day ;)
Then it's off to work I go!
A daily routine, as well as pacing, is a huge part of my life now, as it's enabling me to maintain an consistent level of energy without getting into a boom and bust cycle.
What sorts of things do you do to get yourself ready for the day? Do you have any spoon-conserving tips you'd like to share? Tell me in the comments or tweet me @JayHell83, I love to hear positive, inspiring stories from the spoonie community.
Look out in the near future for a post about my evening/bedtime routine!
J x
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