I few weeks ago, I wrote that in 2021, I wanted to make more time for myself. I’d noticed that my body seemed to be craving more movement and my mind was longing for more quiet time to read, write, and work through ideas. But part of being kind to myself means not setting near-impossible resolutions and then beating myself up when I don’t adhere to them. Doing that can really mess with one’s self-image. It’s important for me to set goals that I can actually meet.
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This time of year makes me want to slow down. The shorter days and cooler temperatures prompt me to stay in bed as long as possible in the morning and lounge around the house at night, curling up with a good book or going to sleep early. My circadian rhythms mimic the daylight.
After a hectic October, November feels like a deep breath. The grass and weeds have stopped growing for a while, the evenings are dark, and the holiday season isn’t yet in full swing. My workload and other commitments have eased up a bit. Summer is over, winter is coming, and my instinct is to hibernate.
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A couple months ago, I wrote that I intended to wake up extra early after the fall time change to work on some personal goals. Unfortunately I came down with a nasty case of strep throat a week after the time change, and I was sleeping a ton while I was sick, so my plan to trick my body into thinking the time change hadn’t happened was unsuccessful. But I managed to get somewhat back on track after I recovered, and while my record of sticking with this routine is not 100%, it’s going pretty well. I like the extra bit of energy and peace I get from exercising and meditating early in the morning. Having some quiet time to myself is a nice way to start the day, even if I do seriously struggle to drag myself out of bed some days.
I enjoy reading about how other people spend and manage their time, and I thought some of you might like to read about how I have organized my mornings, particularly now that there’s a baby in the mix (spoiler alert: this routine only works because the baby usually sleeps pretty late and I have someone else helping to get him ready for daycare). Here’s what a typical weekday morning looks like for me right now:
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Today is the last day of Daylight Saving Time for 2018, and at 2:00 tomorrow morning, our clocks will reset to 1:00. Unless, that is, you live in one of the jurisdictions that has shunned the outdated practice. The modern wisdom of Daylight Saving Time is debatable. It can have negative health consequences and is of questionable economic benefit. But for most of us in the United States, changing our clocks twice a year is unavoidable, so we might as well try to use it to our advantage.
My son and I both came down with a cold this week (not surprising given that he started day care last week), so this seems like a good time to discuss self care. Over the past few years, the concept of self care has taken over the internet, with women’s websites constantly telling us we need to escape from our lives and indulge ourselves with expensive products, time-consuming rituals, and unhealthy splurges — as if we need one more thing to do. (Ever notice that these self-care articles rarely seem to be directed at men? I guess the assumption is that they already know how to take care of themselves.)