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.