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Maximizing Free Time with Rest and Friendship

 

     These days, I have a tight schedule. Before I know it, sleep and work have sapped my energy and stolen my hours away.

7:007:45 a.m. Get ready for work

7:458:30 a.m. Commute

8:30 a.m.5:30 p.m. Work

5:306:00 p.m. Commute

6:00—10:00 p.m. Decompress from work & get ready for bed

10:00 p.m.7:00 a.m. Sleep

     This schedule leaves little room for error. If I don't go to bed by 10 p.m., I won't get my peak nine hours of sleep. My hour-long lunch break is just enough time to eat, call one friend, and breathe some fresh air. And I must carefully guard my evenings on weekdays if I want to have a single second to myself.

     I've been making the most of the time in these ways...

Mornings

     When I wake up at 7:00 a.m., I rarely make up my bed. Instead, I journal or curl my hair, but rarely both. I dress professionally (outfit chosen at the beginning of the week) and prepare my lunch bag and water bottle (both halfway prepped the night before). My loving mother makes me a smoothie most mornings, and then I'm out the door. Whoosh! That was forty-five minutes.

Commute

     On my drive, I drink my smoothie and listen to a peppy playlist. There's nothing like listening to Dolly Parton sing "9 to 5" to get yourself pumped for the day. Lately, it's been a showtunes kind of week, so I listen to half of a musical on the way to work and the rest on my lunch break or on the way home. I leave earlier than I need to, so I complete my 30-minute commute early and start work as my coworkers arrive.

Lunch

     On my lunch break, I warm up the leftovers from the night before or I pour dressing over a cold salad. I call a friend and catch up on any texts I missed over the course of the morning. This is free time I usually choose to spend outside unless it's too hot or too cold. (I'm Goldilocks over here!)

Commute

     On the way home, I let my hair down (literally), crank the music again, and decompress from the afternoon. I think about what I want to do when I get home. I observe the people driving by me, interested in their curious lives for a brief moment before bam the thirty minutes are up, and I'm home.

Evenings (6-10 p.m.): my largest chunk of freedom

     I have to be careful about prioritizing my evening commitments. I have found that my most restful evenings occur when I choose two or three from a variety of the following: a walk with a friend, dinner with my family, a shower, blogging, reading, watching a tv show, or, depending on the night of the week, going out for book club or youth group. Too many of these, and I won't get enough sleep, but if I choose two or three, I feel rested, loved, and content to wake up and do it all over again the next day.

     After all, you can't do it all!

     I try to head to bed and get off screens around 9:00 although as I write this it's 9:14. Whoops.

     Before bed, I confirm that my outfit works with the next day's weather forecast and try to set aside dinner leftovers for my next lunch. I place my water bottle in the dishwasher or fill it to put in the refrigerator.

     Carpe diem. Seize the day, preferably with rest and friendship balancing well with work and family.

~Madeline

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