Keeping A Routine.

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If being unemployed for 2.5 months has taught me anything, its been to keep a routine. After the initial few weeks of laziness, weight gain, semi depression, and frantic job applying- I've finally managed to find a sense of routine in a few important areas I hope to continue doing when I start working again (Monday! Yay!).

1. Make an amazing breakfast everyday. In fact, use all this new found time to cook and eat healthy.

• Instead of eating crap and being lazy everyday, wake up and make an awesome breakfast of eggs, veggie sausage, and toast. I make breakfast sandwiches, omelets with leftover vegetables, amazing scrambled eggs, etc. I've gotten so good and fast at it, I know if I wake up just 15 minutes earlier a day I can eat an amazing healthy breakfast full of protein that keeps me full until lunch! 

2. Get fresh air and exercise everyday. 

• After you eat your awesome breakfast, but before you shower (yes, you're unemployed. But no, that doesn't excuse you from showering) GO OUTSIDE. Even if its cold. Walk around the block or neighborhood, if you have a dog bring them too. I've also been adding strength training, a bit of yoga, stretching, and somedays cardio right afterwards (just workout videos in my room btw, you know I cant afford no gym membership). My goal was to get it all in under an hour so I could do it before work everyday once I go back. And sure enough, here I am a week into it and feel weird if I don't do this everyday. I don't need to go into the benefits of regular movement in our lives, you already know, but for me I already feel 10x more awesome. 

3. Clean a little everyday.

• Yeah, this one kind of sucks, but it's important. I usually do it after I exercise while I'm drinking my protein shake and muddling around the house. A little vacuuming, dishes, laundry, picking up...I guess I realized I'd rather do a little each day then all on the weekends once I go back to work. And it's true, once I get home from work if I don't sit down and just keep moving for 20+ minutes things look 10x better most of the time. 

4. Find something productive, do it everyday.

• Mine has been writing everyday. Either it was here or working on my book, but everyday I try and spend writing. Such an excellent habit to take on as a writer. However, if you want to work on your art, sewing, baking, whatever craft. Do it. At the end of the day you will feel like you accomplished something instead of just re-watching an entire season of Ally McBeal. 

SERIOUSLY finding these bits of routine everyday has helped me not go insane. Plus, I am not spending money and at the end of the day when someone asks me what I did that day, I have some legitimate things to say. Not to mention I feel healthier, more balanced, happy, and secure. If you're still looking for work, put it into the routine for 2 hours a day or a few days a week and then be done with it. Otherwise you will obsess and then depress like I did, which didn't really help anything in the end anyway. 

So whether you are part of the 8.3% of unemployed Americans like me, or just feel like your daily life is lagging a bit, do consider adding some of these to your routine. Protein for breakfast, exercise, fresh air, keeping things clean, and being productive never hurt anyone. 

Now I am going to go take my own advice. 

Have a lovely day!

xoxo

HL