Why I Love Routines, and My Morning Routine

I've been posting a lot on my Instastories (@semperag_blog) about my morning routines lately, and I've had a few people ask me about it. By few people, I mean like 3 people. REGARDLESS, I figured I'd just put it out there on the old blog for everyone to read. I'm trying not to neglect this little piece of the Internet that is mine.

If you know me well enough, you know how much I love routine in my life. You would think I'd be the type of person that can easily "roll with the punches". After being in the Marines for 10 years, and being married to a Marine, it should come natural, right? Oddly, that is so far from the truth. When my routine gets messed up, I start to stress out, and my anxiety really starts to creep in. I think that my craving for routine comes from being a military spouse. I've been apart from Nick for most of our marriage. When he's gone, I tend to get into a strict schedule day by day, hour by hour (sometimes minute by minute!) to help ease the burden of doing things alone. This has really helped me cope with the loneliness, but at the same time, it has hindered relationships I have with the outside world.

It's a little selfish of me, because I expect all my friends to fit into my schedule when I need them to, but won't adjust my schedule for their own busy schedules. 

I've gotten better at it though, but I am still a work in progress...with like a long ways to go...lol.

One thing that I CAN control without affecting others (or feeling selfish) is my morning routine. I choose to get up an hour before the rest of my family wakes up, so that I can have my "me time". There is something serene about the quietness of a home when everyone else is still asleep, and it is still dark outside.

I don't do coffee. I'm not one of those people who say, "I NEVER drink coffee", but it's really not for me. I normally chug 16 ozs of water as soon as I wake up. Next, I dilute a shot of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water, throw a scoop of Vital Proteins collagen peptides in it, and down it like a college frat guy taking his first Irish car bomb (because ACV tastes like crap). Although I don't drink coffee, my body does crave something warm to sip on, so I usually heat up a glass of water, squeeze half a lemon in it, and sip on it while I listen to the news ("Alexa, what's today's news?"), read my bible, and catch up on social media. Right before everyone starts to wake up, I make myself an egg and 2 egg whites, and douse it in Sriracha. BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS! This has been my routine for years, and it's my favorite part of my day.

This past week, I have added drinking celery juice every morning on an empty stomach. If you follow "Medical Medium" on Instagram, he sorta started this craze about the benefits of celery juice on an empty stomach every morning. I still do my Bragg's ACV, collagen, and hot lemon water, but I wait 20 minutes after having my glass of celery juice do drink the rest of my morning's concoctions. You can read in detail about the benefits here. I'm all about any new health fads (as long as they seem legit), and am willing to try it out. I don't think it's feasible to be doing this every single day (that's a lot of dang celery you have to buy). I plan on doing it for about 2 weeks, then tapering off to drinking it 2 or 3 times a week. I definitely can feel its' affects on my body. I deal with a lot of inflammation in my joints (thanks Marine Corps!), and just in the past 3 days, my inflammation seems to not be so bad.

So there y'all go. Currently, my routine in the morning is:
-Celery juice
-listen to the news
-read my bible
-scroll social media
-sip hot lemon water
-take a diluted shot of ACV with collagen
-1 egg, 2 egg whites, Sriracha

Oh, it's cold and flu season around here, and there are sick kids everywhere. My son has been sniffly and coughing for a few days now, so I have also added a shot of elderberry syrup to everyone's morning routine in my house...lol. Nick calls me a hippie while rolling his eyes in his head. Whatever! Here is an article  on the benefits of elderberry syrup if you've never heard of it! I started to feel sick yesterday, and felt my body coming down with something. I loaded up on my lemon water (vitamin C) all day yesterday and drank my elderberry, and I feel 200 times better today!

It's been abnormally cold (for Yuma) lately, but I have't been complaining. After barely surviving 2 brutal winters in Massachusetts, this little "winter" we are having in Yuma is nothing. I hope all you beautiful people are having a great 2019 so far! It's almost March soon (my birthday month!).