Routine Poutine

There is no poutine in this blog, just so you know. There just aren't many things that rhyme with routine that get your attention nearly as much as poutine does. Where was I going with this...(who has A.D.D?)

I'm into my second week of being back to work, and the "getting back into a routine" has been great on many fronts. The biggest difference is the ability to sleep once again. Although not going to bed as early as I should yet, I do actually fall asleep shortly after going to bed, instead of the insomnia that kept me awake until 1 or 2am stuff that plagued me the last 4 months. I'm also using a clock in my room again. You might find this funny, but since November I haven't had my alarm clock plugged in. Every time I couldn't sleep, I'd look up and see those bright green numbers, and it was this constant reminder of my brain not being able to shut down. So I unplugged the stupid thing. Not that it really helped, but I'd like to think it cut down on my power bills a bit? I don't know. Work with me here.

I think the routine has also been good for my eating and drinking habits. I'm pretty sure I gained at least 10 lbs since being off work. I suppose that'll happen when you're not able to sleep at night, sleeping till 10 or 11am everyday, and at home all the time to snack and cook. Now I eat my granola bar late morning at work, eat a nice little lunch, come home by 5pm to eat a normal supper, and eat my sleepy banana before bed. It feels like the fluffiness is wearing off my waistline a bit. And you might not believe this, but I've managed to limit myself to one diet coke a day. Anyone who knows me really well will find that quite impressive!

One of the biggest differences is just being stress-free. Up until last Monday, it took every ounce of energy to get out of bed in the morning, and my brain and soul were consumed by the task of job-hunting and the stress of finances. Now, although I have to put a lot of energy into the learning curve at my new job, I feel I can spread it out beyond that again. I've had an immense burst of creative flow the last couple of weeks, I look forward to going for my daily walk, and I feel like I have the capacity to focus on relationships again.

The one thing in my routine that hasn't changed is that I still get up and feed my cats everyday and job or no job, they were still spoiled babies. Despite the penny pinching, they never once had to resort to being fed Purina or Friskies. Now that's love!

Tia