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Olive Branch Mom

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On Accidentally Finding More Free Time

February 8, 2019

Ever wake up and think. “Wow, I feel rested!” This happened to me last week, and I should have realized something was afoot. A glance at the clock told me. I had accidentally slept in. Waaaaay in. The kind that channels a cartoonish response similar to the following.

alarm.gifhttp://www.loganlenz.com/blog/2016/7/26/i-slept-through-my-alarm

My younger self would have run around like a mad woman. But I’m grown n-stuff, plus you can’t rush a toddler. So I decided I would just take my time and be late. But something strange happened. I ended up at work only 10 minutes late.

10 minutes.

I did the math in my mind, summing to a horrifying conclusion.

I apparently spend 45 minutes flitting about the house without a care in the world. Shocked by this revelation, I aimed to make the most of my discovery. Starting with what I’d rather be doing with those minutes. Get excited.

-Spending time in prayer/meditation
-Reading more
-Yoga

FUN list, right? I mean, it’s not YOUR l ist. But that’s the point. Self-care is about the self. It’s not called, “what everyone else thinks you should be doing.” Don’t we get enough of that on the daily? So for the past week, I’ve been messing around with my morning routine. The result? I haven’t been late once, and I’ve been able to get some (not all, life ain’t perfect) items on my list. Notice sleep isn’t on there. I’m already a bit of a zealot on sleep. Besides, these activities take place in bold silence, unbroken by spouse or childcare duties. Sacred time for a mom, for sure.

Want to share in my revelation? There’s no reason you can’t. Even if you’re happy with your daily routine, there is always a good reason to sneak in more self-care. Here’s how.

Step 1: Write out a list of what you want to spend more time doing.

Step 2: Time yourself when you get ready in the morning, carefully noting how long each activity takes.

Step 3:  Compare lists. What can you swap with what? Can the dishwasher be unloaded at night vs the am (preferably by your spouse)? What about moving your accessories closer to your clothes to prevent lots of up/down stairs action? Hack your routine, be ruthless!

Step 4:  Focusing on one or two changes (any more and you risk total brain malfunction), draft up your “new” morning routine. It may take a while for the new habit to form. I find I’m still forgetting what I’m supposed to be doing when, but the longer I keep it up, the more the new routine feels right.

I think this will probably need a refresher every so often just to make sure the timing is spot on. Take a gut check to ensure your sleep is adequate, and you are getting the satisfaction you truly want from your day. Who knew I’d be so grateful for something as stressful as a missed alarm. That my friends, it what’s called a blessing in disguise.

in Prayer

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