With the global pandemic, everyone has had their day-to-day life change dramatically. Whether that means you are working from home, unemployed, taking care of your children, or just have more time on your hands -- your daily routine has likely changed. My routine certainly did -- I went from getting up early every morning for another supply day in the classroom to being home every day, all day, and then to getting up early because our new little puppy hasn’t quite learned what “sleeping in” means. My routine is about to change yet again as my partner goes back to work.
With all of this newfound time on my hands, particularly in the wee hours of the morning, I decided there was no better time for me to start reading again. Not having enough time is the excuse we all use for why we don’t read more, and suddenly it was no longer true. Each morning (well, most mornings), I take the puppy out, make myself a cup of tea, and curl up on the couch. I’ve been able to read for almost 2 hours each day, uninterrupted. It has been years since I have been able to just get swept away in a book for that long -- it harkens back to my childhood days of reading a book way past my bedtime by a flashlight because I just had to know what happened next. So often now, I can only read in 10 or 20 minute chunks, which is great, but it is rarely enough time to lose yourself in a book entirely. Until now, I hadn’t realized how much I missed that. So much of what I love about reading is getting immersed in the story until you can’t tell where you end and the protagonist starts. Recapturing that sense of immersion and wonder has been such a gift.
Beyond re-instilling my love of reading, starting my morning this way has done wonders for my productivity, too. It has given my morning structure, preventing the rabbit hole of Netflix viewing that suddenly takes up your whole day. What’s more, I have found myself to be so much happier each day that I do. On the mornings when I am exhausted, and nap on the couch, or under a time crunch and squeeze in some work, I am just less happy for the rest of the day. Reading in the morning has become a peaceful and necessary addition to my daily routine, and I savour it now. I know I won’t always be able to read for 2 hours in the morning -- these are exceptional circumstances, and they will likely never arise again. But I think it is important to make time for ourselves and start our day the way that we want to.
I realized, though, that our routine often changes anyways. Whether we start a new job, or you or your kids are off for summer break, or even if you get a new puppy, change is always happening. Little changes and adjustments can make a big difference in how you cope with that change. Even if your day-to-day looks remarkably similar, you can carve out little spaces for yourself. For me, even when we return to normal (whenever that may be), I will endeavour to leave a little room for some reading each day.
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