A Day With Lauren

Summer Solstice has finally come and gone and we can embrace summer in all its glory. Depending on which hemisphere you live in, you might have already been treated with summer-like temperatures; or you live in Vancouver and you wake up to January pissing rain and end your day in 25 degrees. HOW DO YOU DRESS FOR THAT?!

But really, summer: what's not to love? You wake up with the sun shining, the days are longer, patios stay lit 'til 9pm, weekends are spent lounging at the beach or at a park reading a book and working on your summer glow. All sounds great, right? In theory, yes. But for some, longer days can make one feel the need to take on MORE and add to her daily routine. Why? Because it's light out for more hours so you should fill those hours with summer-y events and things, right? Lest the guilt for not enjoying "summer" seeps in. I should be going on nightly bike rides or picnicking with ocean views!

As much as I consider planning to be a strength of mine, balance is something I struggle with. I have a habit of saying yes to too much and wearing myself out. June has been a big month and it's not even over! My June can be summarized in several bullet points:

New Job: Is going well! A welcomed change of pace and new challenge. I personally struggle with the feeling of being new and useless but I'm dealing. An amazing team helps! My new Monday to Friday is apart of the Customer Success team at a start up company that makes purchasing ridiculously easy...
Whole 30: In January I attempted a Whole 30 that lasted 5 days; I figured June should be the month of redemption. I'm on day 20 and I should feel like Bey walking down the street having an epic hair day... but I don't. I promise to report on day 31 when I'm reacquainted with a cold beer!
Kayla Itsines: I'm on week 10 of her "Bikini Body Guide". First off, this girl is a genius and a machine; these 28 minute workouts are killer. I can't say I'm ready to streak the quad with my bikini body just yet, but it's a good sweat.
Wedding Season: It's begun and and my day-of duties have begun! Read what I do as a day-of coordinator is here!
SLEEP: I can't remember the last time I slept through the night. I've always been a sleep walker but it's been particularly bad as of late. I've tried lots of things: sleep routines, meditation, BONE BROTH.... you name it. Next to try: Sleep Podcasts. My eye bags and sanity really hope it works.
Homemade EVERYTHING. I'm trying to not eat out at all this month (partially because of Whole 30, partially because of the wallet). Homemade is great but I feel like all I do is grocery shop and I'm not feeling flush in the bank account just yet.

So you can see, I have a few things going on in my life. Thank goodness I gave up dating.

Remember that episode of Sex and the City when Aidan moves in with Carrie and she worries about being exposed for her "secret single behaviour"?? Well, we all have them. At the end of my work day I like to come home and, like Carrie, have an hour. I don't want to talk to anyone. I want a snack and watch the Young and the Restless. It's my thing: I grew up watching with my mom and it's just a way to mindlessly unwind. I think that an hour a day is something that everyone needs to take: you do you, but make sure it's not an errand or a chore - those are a whole different ball game.

I've come up with with 5 things I'm going to try to help create stressLESS long summer days:

1. Morning workouts instead of night workouts: get the endorphins flowing early and enjoy the calmness and quiet before the rest of the neighbourhood starts their day!

2. Shift my language: evaluate what is genuinely a priority versus the rehearsed response of "I don't have time".

3. Say no, and actually mean it. Not because you have plans but maybe you've had a stupid long day and you're exhausted and you need to go to bed at 8pm. Say it with me, "I'm sorry I can't tonight, but let's make plans soon!" Full stop.

4. Patience. I take on all these new tasks and want results yesterday. I will work on patience and have decided to do 1 yoga class per week. Namaste.

5. Live by John Lennon's words: "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans". Again, shift my perception from long stressful days to you never know where they day will take you. Spontaneity is a wonderful thing.

So yeah, I'm going back on my original resolution of the year of yes, but sometimes no is something that allows you to enjoy the "yes" things more.