Anyone else obsessed with this Every Simpsons Episode Ever Marathon? The boy and I totally got sucked into watching a few hours over the weekend and it brought back old memories of watching The Simpsons as a kid with my family. Probably not the most kid-friendly show… but watching these episodes again now I can say the raunchy humor went way over my head.
Any who…
I’ve now been working “full time” at my job for almost 3 months (minus that 2 week stint in Israel…). For those of you new to the blog, after graduating college two years ago I spent the first year out juggling 6 different part time jobs in the fitness industry all at once. My work hours varied from waking up at 4AM for my front desk position at a fitness studio, to teaching a 7:30pm spin class. My schedule was all over the place to say the least.
Last year I was back in school while still working part time at the fitness studio for the fall semester, and then I started working part time at my current company in the spring. My schedule became a little more predictable since class and work were always the same hours. I also had lots of “down time” and was able to come back to my apartment in between classes every day to make lunch… and watch Sex and the City reruns.
Now that I’m working full time I’m beyond thrilled but also still adjusting to this new schedule. It’s taken some getting used to and here’s what I’ve learned so far…
1. Morning workouts are crucial. Contrary to popular belief I’m so not a morning person. Even so I love getting my workout over with first thing the morning. There is some flexibility in my work schedule to take an afternoon class every so often, but I’ve found working out first thing in my morning is my best bet.
2. Pack bag the night before. There’s nothing worst than rummaging around and packing my stuff at 6AM when I’m also trying to scarf down some food before heading out to a class. For this reason I always try and pack my bag for work the night before with whatever I need for the day– change of clothes, make up, toiletries, you name it.
3. Prep lunch the night before. One of the hardest things to adjust to for me has been not being able to go home for lunch. For the past two years, and even throughout college, I’ve almost always made lunch at home in the middle of the day. Nowadays I try to bring lunch to work as much as possible. At night I make a conscious effort to make time to prepare lunch for the next day– cut up whatever fruit or veggies I’m making and make whatever else I’m bringing. Lunch is usually nothing fancy– a wrap with turkey and hummus or left overs from dinner, however preparing the night before makes the morning much easier.
4. Food shop on Sunday and do some meal prep. If I don’t go food shopping by Tuesday, I know it’s not going to happen at all for the week… so I do my best to get it done on Sunday. Unfortunately Whole Foods is a mad house during the day, and I usually spend weekends with the boy, so food shopping usually happens late Sunday night. When I come home I wash what I can right away and try and figure out a loose plan for the week. Food prep and cooking is still something I struggle with, but I’m working on it!!
5. Don’t over do it during the week. I have a tendency to overbook my week– hanging out with friends, seeing theater, trapeze, taking fitness classes, work events and so on. While I love all of these things and feel lucky to have fun things happening in my life, I know I also need some nights where I have down time to veg out and take care of myself.
6. Remember “me” time. Some weeks have been crazy with work events and other happenings, but I always try to remember to schedule something just for me– whether it’s a trapeze class, pedicure or even a low-key night with old friends.
What are your tips for living the 9-to-5 life style?
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