Hey friends,

It’s time for a little mental health check in!

July has been a bit of a challenging month for me. It’s been extraordinarily hot which means I’ve spent the better part of the month in active migraine and anxiety flare ups. It’s slowed me down considerably, but here we are.

My plan when I made the transition to self-employment was to hit the ground running.

I had GOALS. Full chest, capital G goals.

Tending to my garden. Deep cleaning my house. Going to the gym. Getting 10000 steps a day. Working on my teacher store. Working on my writing.

And for the first week of June, I was out and about, living my best life, doing all the things I never had time to do when I was working for an employer.

Then, the second week of June happened, and my body was like, “SLOW DOWN, FOOL!”

So, all my plans went out the window as I actively had to slow down to account for my body’s struggles.

What Did I Start Doing?

I decided that if my body was going to force me to slow down, then I was going to take this time to reflect and plan.

Not in a 10000 steps a day in the searing heat kind of way, but in a gentle, how am I going to use my time going forward, kind of way.

The answer: I needed to create a schedule.

When you’re working for someone else, you are automatically given a schedule with start and end times, deadlines for projects, etc. And soon, you get into a routine.

I thought I was someone who didn’t want a routine. It turns out that I thrive on a routine. So, as a self-employed person, I decided to do some research into a routine that worked for me.

I reread the book, Daily Rituals by Mason Currey, about different artists and their daily schedules. I read this book back in 2013 and found it fascinating. And was happy to revisit it again as I consider what my own days will look like.

Right now, my routine is built of three hour stints of working with a break for lunch. My best work is done in the morning, so I allot that time for writing and TpT. So, 9-12 is work, 12-3 is lunch, reading, and errands, 3-5 is work.

I’m sure this will all evolve with time and the seasons. At some point I want to reincorporate daily walks into my schedule. Right now, with the heat being what it is and my migraines being what they are, that goal is impossible.

Final Thoughts

I am fascinated by people’s schedules. So please feel free to share your schedule with me!

Until next time, friends.

Wishing you a week of all the things you have planned going smoothly and a schedule that suits your needs!