Routine

My relationship with the concept of routine has been a journey. A journey I will be on forever. A journey that has the ability to evolve. A journey that will only be effective if I am present.

I am determined to create a realistic and personal routine for myself for the month of June. This does not entail waking up at 5am everyday, doing the same exact things everyday, or having to stick to some extreme plan. Rather, I am going to discover a healthy balance within all aspects of my life.

I thrive off of routine and structure. I always have. But I have a goal for myself going forward and that is to not let the routine that I create for myself ever take away from my life. I want my routine to add to my life and bring me peace and joy. When I think of the why behind routine, I think of finding a way to calm my daily anxieties which I categorize. These categories include exercise, food, relationships, work, school work, social media, downtime, and sleep. My goal for creating a routine for myself is to continue to strive towards being the best version of myself everyday.

Exercise: Moving my body is very important to me. I have discovered great joy and passion within the world of fitness. With that being said, I have a hard time constantly thinking about what I am going to be doing next. Some anxious questions that consume my brain more than I would like include: “When is my next workout going to be?” “What is my next workout going to be?” “If I don’t do it in the morning will I ever get it done?” “Should I do more?” “How do I prioritize movement while not taking away from other aspects of my life?” I have suffered from exercise addiction in the past. I am still working on it but it can be especially hard because of being a college athlete. It can be hard to balance the pressure of working out for my sport, working out for my mind, and resting. I am going to write down a tangible and do-able split for myself along with the what times I feel best working out in hopes of limiting the amount of energy I put into thinking about what I “should” be doing.

Food: I know that eating three meals with snacks everyday is what works best for me. I looooveeeee snacks and thats so cool (yes, loving snacks is cool). So I am going to keep this whole food routine thing simple — I am going to eat three meals everyday and snack when I am hungry. I am going to go get ice cream whenever I want and eat the things I crave.

Relationships: I am quite literally the definition of an extroverted introvert. I love to be alone but I also love my people so dang much and would do anything for them. For routine with relationships I want to focus on keeping my cup full while also pouring into my loved ones cups. Everyday I am going to some time for family, home friends, school friends, and my boyfriend. No matter how small, I am going to remind them that I love them and communicate the best I can. Communication is quite literally everything and is the most beneficial thing you can work on in your various relationships.

Work: This is a very unstructured summer for myself with work. It is up to me to structure my time. I have a completely remote internship with very flexible hours along with babysitting as much as I can and desire. At first this was very uncomfortable for me. I felt like I needed to get another job in order to feel satisfied. After thinking and talking about this with some awesome people I have come to the realization that this is a gift. I should use this as a blessing and make the most out of it because I am so passionate about what I am doing with Morgan’s Message. I am going to set aside a few hours of the day aside to sit down on my computer and do my thing. I am going to pay attention to when I am feeling more inspired and using that to my advantage. I am going to implement routine in hopes of finding peace within my work.

Schoolwork: I am taking an online summer course until the end of June. Similar to my internship, it is up to me to stay on top of my work and complete it on my own time. Everyday during the week, I am going to set aside an hour dedicated to learning just as I would during a normally scheduled class.

Social Media: I seriously love what I do on social media. This past weekend I decided to merge my “real account” and my “lifestyle account” on instagram. I decided to do this because I want the people who want to follow me to follow me for ME. This is what I love to do. I love to write. I love expressing my style. I love true health and wellness. I love fooding. I love posting and speaking about what I am passionate about. Sometimes I get a little too obsessed with it but thats when I remind myself I need to take a step back. By combining my two accounts I feel as though I am being my most authentic self. This has to do with routine for me but in a different way. I am not going to set myself certain limits or expectations for the amount of times I post. I am going to post what I want when I want and the people who want to see it can follow me — if you are reading this ily. (Side note: finally going to make a podcast)

Downtime: I love to read. I love to journal. I love to lay in the sun. I love to be alone. I struggle with downtime because I am constantly thinking about all of the other things I have to be doing. However, by implementing scheduled downtime into my days — downtime actually becomes relaxing and enjoyable. I am going to give myself AT LEAST an hour a day to do what I want when I have the ability to because rest is productive too. You deserve to do the things that make you happy EVERYDAY. I encourage you to right down one thing each morning that you are looking forward to, no matter how small.

Sleep: This girl needs her sleep. Either get your 8 hours or take a nap. Sleep is so so important. Do not underestimate the power of sleep. Prioritize your routine before you go to bed and when you wake up. Don’t overcomplicate it.

Routine does not have to be some extreme and unattainable thing. It does not have to be so super rigid and it should not be taking away from your life. Use routine as a gift. A gift that will allow you to achieve inner peace.

XO, Mo