Routine

What do you do when you wake up late on a work day?

Each one of us have our daily routines that we do that seem important day in day out. But there will be days that we find ourselves too tired to wake up on time in the morning and having to pick and choose which routines that we must complete before we really get out that door to head to work.

How do you determine which activities you must do?

First things first, the toilet visit is a must. We must clear ourselves of the toxins that our body worked hard to collect over the entire night while we are asleep. No matter how rushed life is, we must remember to remove unnecessary things out from our body in order to function well for the rest of the day. One must never skip toilet visits, especially the first one in the morning.

What else is there that we must do before we walk out that door?

Some people have very simple routines. Wake up. Get cleaned and they are good to go. However, most people with families have more complicated routines in the morning. There will be some that needs to prepare breakfast and pack lunch. There will be some that needs to water the garden and feed the pets. There will be some that need to take care of the young and elderly. We each have our own problems and difficulties to face every single time we open our eyes in the morning.

Sometimes, we tend to think of everything else before ourselves. If you have been on a plane, you would have heard of this very important announcement before the plane lifts off. In case of an emergency and the oxygen mask drops from your overhead, always put the mask on yourself before attending to others under your care. This announcement is very important as we always tend to care for everyone else before looking into ourselves.

Perhaps we have forgotten one very important point. We can only take care of everything else if we are in the proper position to doing so. Just imagine having to take care of your child, or your parents, or your pets during the time you are sick. How does that feel? Just imagine having to give positive advice to others when you yourself are having low self-esteem and out of confidence. Do you think you will be able to handle everything in a mindful way?

It is important to spend at least 20 minutes every morning to ponder upon yourself. This is the most important thing you must do every single morning whether you wake up early or late. It does not matter the time. It only matters the space. You need the space for yourself. You need to look within to move further. You need to first tend to yourself before helping others find their way. You need to be in good shape. This 20 minutes can be your daily stretches, or your daily meditation, or even your daily workouts. Just do it. It is only 20 minutes after all.

Great parents will say they need that 20 minutes to prepare breakfast for their children.
Great children will say they need that 20 minutes to care for their parents.
Plant lovers will say they need that 20 minutes to water their garden.
Pet lovers will say they need that 20 minutes to feed their pets.

We always have choices that we can make. How about taking that in between instead of sacrificing one or the other? Is it possible to take 10 minutes to yourself and 10 minutes for others? Give yourself time to uplift yourself. Give yourself time to think and be yourself. You will feel the difference, instead of just rushing through your already late morning routine. Is it possible for you to call in to your boss to inform that you woke up late this morning and that you will be late for work. Admit your fault. Your boss may be angry. You may get a warning for this misconduct but at least you are doing what is most important in life. You take care of yourself as well as the people close to you.

Waking up late is no excuse for self-ignorance. Any routine can be adjusted to fit whatever limited time one has.

 

Spontaneity-flexibility within a routine.

Marty Rubin, Self-titled aphorist, philosopher bum and happiness freak