Getting Out Of A Bad Routine

If I'm being completely honest with you since graduating from uni I have picked up some bad habits which have soon become part of my daily routine. In this short amount of time I've found myself doing things which I know can't be good for my body or state of mind so here are few changes I'm making to break this once and for all.

Getting Up Early

Now I don't want you to take this the wrong way, I'm such a morning person! Most days I wake up around 8-9am without even setting an alarm. Like most there is the odd day I can sleep over this if I have a late night but very rarely past 10am. My issue is that once I'm awake I lift up my phone, start up my laptop or turn on the tv and spend the longest amount of time procrastinating. Whether it's scrolling through my feed, writing up my next post or catching up on my latest series obsession, I'm guilty of letting vital time in the morning pass me by.

Sound familiar? I hope I'm not the only one who does this. My first step to combat this bad habit is using an alarm everyday to make sure I have more of a set time routine. I think starting the day at different points can be a major downfall as when I wake up earlier than eight I use that as an excuse to stay that extra few minutes in the comfort of my duvet. By placing your phone or clock in strategic position in your room, would mean you would have to get up to stop the annoying buzz that is going off at what feels like ridiculous o'clock. Once you are up and your alarm is switched off you are exactly where you need to be. I always make the bed straight away to avoid temptation of getting back in.

Eating Proper Meals

All of these steps have a massive knock on effect. After a very dangerous boxing incident the other day I realised how important eating three proper meals is. I absolutely love food but I often find myself prioritising others things. The long list of 'To do's' in the morning often makes me panic and I want to get straight in to it to make sure it's all completed. However even the simplest of tasks can be a lot harder to do surviving on the dinner you had over twelve hours ago. 

Breakfast in particular is one of the most important meals as it sets you up for the day ahead. Although I hate to admit it I find myself frequently missing it. Sometimes the morning rush gets in the way and the first thing to be sacrificed is my food. Part of the fact is down to having stuff in the house I can eat. At uni I had food tailored to me and my tastes in my cupboard which made it so much easier for me to eat happily and healthily. I'm making it my mission to part-take in the weekly food shops and I've cleaned out my own cupboard in the kitchen to keep all my vegetarian, gluten free things to save preparation time. This space has made my meal times more efficient and ensures I'm getting food at least three times a day. I've also made a conscious effort to meal plan and make dinners that stretch over two days that could double over as a lunch or another dinner. Trust me it makes such a difference and the next day you have more time to crack on with those tasks.

Going Outdoors

The great outdoors I hear most say, shame I never really see much of it. One thing I often beat myself up about is spending a lot of time in my room working on my computer or promoting it through my phone, that's kind of how blogging works. As most of my friends and family work 9-5 I find myself alone in these hours and after as most are too tired from their day at the office to even think of doing something. 

Although I make the most of my weekends I find the real issue is that because they wont go out, I won't and that's the bad habit here. Even if it's just a walk around my small village, a trip to costa for my morning coffee or a brunch for one, who says I can't go? It's the thought of being that person sat on there own that is daunting to me. I'm very comfortable with my own company but I do really enjoy having some form of interaction in the day too. After having a house full of friends in a similar boat to myself meant I went from having a very social life everyday to having a drastic change in lifestyle, which frankly is isolating. Plus I'm in need of vitamin D, so Aine go outside!

Switching Off

Honestly my internet broke the other day and I didn't know what to do with myself. As I've thrown myself in to the world of blogging and youtube until I find a job I truly appriciate it when full-timers say they struggle to switch off. I've never been so ahead with my posts and I'm very impressed with how much I've got done in this time. With my new blog design and rebranding I've been going above and beyond the hours I think is deemed normal. I'm so pleased with the outcome and it is something that I have wanted to do for ages, but working like this isn't good for you. There needs to be a point that I start and a point I stop. There is a luxury in working for yourself but also a lot of responsibility and self discipline. 

I found myself working twelve hour days to keep my blog, youtube and social channels going. I was hoping from one platform to another in rotation ensuring everything was where it should be, I was meeting my upload targets and really giving this my everything. The thing is I love it so much that it don't want to stop doing it. However staring at a screen all day long hits you hard when you stop, let alone try and sleep. I'm constantly buzzing and have such a go-go-go attitude that I really struggle to relax and have a good night sleep. That's when you know that you need an hour before you snuggle up to do something completely un-digital related to let your body know you are ready to rest. In this time I find reading a book really helpful and it is also a great way to distract your mind. If you like to reflect maybe try keeping a journal and writing down how you feel about your day, this can be such a good emotional outlet, plus leaving it all out at the end of the day means the next one can be a fresh start.

I hope you really liked this new posting style I've been doing recently. Maybe you share some of my bad habits or have some you want to discuss? I would love to chat in the comments, we could help each other out!

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