Finding a Routine That Works For Me

October 6, 2020
by Karen J. McLean
2 min read
6 Comments

I am trying to get a sense of routine back in my life.  It is only recently that I’ve realized how important that is to me.

Between COVID-19, recovering from a concussion in July, and the ever-present autoimmune disease, I feel like I’ve accomplished very little in the last seven months of my time here on Earth.  And I’m the kind of person who needs to feel productive in order to maintain my mental health.

Mornings are generally my best time of day.  If I’m going to get anything done, then morning is when the magic will happen.  Sometimes that momentum will carry over into the afternoon.  But, all too often lately,  I will be feeling borderline-rotten when I wake up, and that will cause me to just go back to bed once my husband leaves for work.

So this week I am trying something new.  I am getting up when my husband gets up, and leaving the house either before or at the same time he does.  It’s a struggle, but I’m half-Viking and half-Celt.  I can do hard things.  I am “hard things.” 😉

Now that the university library (one of my favourite places to settle in and do work) is open once again, I have planned to come here most mornings this week.  COVID-19 contact tracing means that one has to book a seat in advance, and this has proven to be somewhat helpful.  Booking in advance means I’m making an external commitment.  I am saying “I WILL BE THERE,” and it’s interesting how something that small and that simple has flipped a switch in my brain.  I was here yesterday morning, and this morning, and I have also booked some time on Thursday morning.  I will be here.

The university library is very quiet, partly because of it being early morning, but mostly because of COVID-19.  Classes are either completely online or hybrid in most disciplines, and this is a commuter campus, for the most part.

The line-up at the closest Tim Horton’s drive-thru was prohibitively long, so I’m not sure how long I will remain upright on this tall stool.  But I got here, and between yesterday and today, I have already accomplished more than the previous two weeks combined.  So my plan is working.

Now the trick will be to not over-do it.  That is the part that often trips me up.

A Partial Unplugging

October 3, 2020
by Karen J. McLean
3 min read

Today is Day 3 of a self-imposed Facebook/Messenger hiatus of 40 days — and man, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be.

Right now I’m listening to my favourite radio program, and I’m writing this blog post as a partial distraction to keep me from posting on Weekend Mornings’ associated Facebook page.

I’m doing this in order to cut down on the amount of negativity that pours into my psyche multiple times a day as I scroll through the Facebook newsfeed.

I have deleted Facebook and Messenger (because it’s a slippery slope from the latter to the former) off both my phone and iPad.  Aside from a slight bobble yesterday when a “book-building” client forgot to use email and/or the phone to contact me,  I’ve been staying away.  I will have to check in every so often to get info for Zoom events I’ve already registered, but the newsfeed scrolling and posting are off-limits.

The situations to the south have been really hard on the head and the heart, and it’s only going to get worse over the next few weeks.  As an exceptionally-sensitive person (an empath), there’s a fine line between being informed and being overwhelmed.  It’s easy to ration TV and radio, but with Facebook it’s trickier to control the flow.

Did I mention this is hard? 😉

I’m missing the friends with whom I interact only on Facebook: my Walden-related friends; the sharp wit and wicked humour of my former history professor; the aforementioned radio show community; and so many more.  But once the withdrawal wears off, I’ll be fine.

October is my favourite month of the year.  As someone who loathes winter, I most look forward to March, but October and I simply resonate.

This October is book-ended by bright and beautiful Full Moons as I begin my annual turning inward for a month of gratitude, reflection, and connection.  I plan to use the respite from Facebook distraction to — among other things — focus on one writing challenge (TeachWritetober)  and prepare for another (NaNoWriMo).

I am also hoping to connect more with people I care about via Starbucks dates, telephone, and good old-fashioned snailmail.  The goal is to be more mindful and less mindless.

My Instagram feed is full of beautiful posts by artists and craftspeople, photographs, and glimpses into people’s lives, and is much easier to curate without hurt feelings.  So I am still on Instagram, and — obviously — I’m still blogging.  So I’m still partially connected.

It’s the classic Canadian compromise. 🙂