routines

have been thinking about routines a lot lately, reading about them too. in almost every case they are proven to have a positive effect on the individual performing them. the idea of a morning routine that involves a short vinyasa and meditation appeals to me and is something that i'd like to start practicing at least 5 days per week before i turn 30 and keep practicing for the rest of my life. but right now i like to sleep as late as i can most days, have to work or write emails before leaving my apartment to go to work some days, and am in the habit of exercising and meditating at night. which is fine, for now. these are the routines that i currently practice 

i drink the same smoothie every morning, if i am waking up at home. this routine helps me because if i don't eat like a million calories as soon as i wake up i feel nauseous, and this helps me check a few nutritional boxes off for the day as soon as it starts. i put these things in it:

• banana (i slice and keep them in a gallon ziploc in my freezer, they blend easier that way and you don't have to include extra ice because the banana is a sufficient cooling agent on its own) 
• baby spinach
• peanut or almond butter
• almond, cashew, or oat milk
• plant-based protein powder (chocolate or vanilla, depending on my mood)
• powdered collagen peptides
• flaxseed meal (it's supposed to be good for your gut health and prevent fat accumulation in your abdomen. i have pretty nice abs and don't work them out as hard as i used to, so i think it probably works. it also has a subtle nutty flavor that i like.)
• sometimes a shot of espresso

i eat the same salad for lunch at work 1-3 times per week. it has these things in it:

• avocado 
• braised chicken
• scallions
• dinosaur kale
• red cabbage
• white quinoa 
• red quinoa
• farro
• black beans
• tortilla chips
• a dressing (tomatillo, garlic, jalapeño, avocado, white balsamic vinegar, lime, cilantro)

i smoke a marlboro 27 on my walk to work every morning. this routine is good for me because i enjoy it

i feed my snake twice a week. well, i go through the feeding routine in attempt to make him eat up to two times a week. if he eats the first time, i just wait until the next week. sometimes neither attempt works so i give him space and wait until the next week. ball pythons can go up to a year without eating if they want/need to, which is amazing. i love my snake. he used to eat baby mice, called fuzzies. now he eats the next step up, which are just referred to as "small mice". i keep them in my freezer sealed in individual little baggies inside of a box. i take one out, wrap it in paper towel, and put it in my refrigerator for 24 hours. the next night i take it out and place it in very hot, but not boiling, water in a 1970s plastic mug that has a lid and was made by a company called Ingrid. i take the mouse out after about 20 minutes and then i blow dry it for a couple of minutes so it isn't soggy. i dangle it from my feeding tongs inside of his tank for a while, sometimes he'll eat it right off the tongs. other times i have to put the mouse on the floor of the tank and leave the room in order for him to feel comfortable (or whatever) enough to eat it. this routine is necessary for obvious reasons

i take 11 vitamins every day, they are

• grape seed enzyme blend
• devils claw, ginger root, angelica, gigas root
• lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium lactis pre+probiotic
• coenzyme Q10, lipoic acid, and tocotrienols
• K2+D3
• glucosamine HCI, enzymes, ginger, green tea, chondroitin, MSM, 
• huperzine A, bucopa monnieri, curcumin, folic acid
• coldwater omega-3 fish oil
• a multivitamin (A, C, D3, E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate, B12, biotin, pantothenic acid, calcium, iodine, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum boron)
• blueberry + bilberry with lutein and zeaxanthin
• a broad spectrum antioxidant; grape + olive seed extract, lycopene, tocopherols, carotenoids, vitamin c

i brush my teeth every day, i like marvis toothpaste. it has a prettier tube than any other toothpaste

i go to the gym on my way home from work 4-5 days a week. for a year or so i would run 2-4 miles on the treadmill, sometimes lift weights, and end by stretching for 20 minutes. as of the past few months i've started only running 1-2 miles and then spending more time using weight machines and lifting free weights. i still take about 20 minutes at the end to do various floor stretches that i remember from yoga classes i've taken. i always finish by lying in childs pose and focusing on my breathing for 5 minutes. i believe that this routine has played a big role in preventing me from having a panic attack for a little over a year now. i stopped filling my "emergency" ativan prescriptions in 2017.

i drink beer on lots of nights. its objectively gross but i really like beer. only the light and watery kinds; my favorites are tsingtao and asahi. i usually don't drink enough to get drunk, sometimes i do. sometimes at home, sometimes at a bar with a friend. i like whiskey and tequila too but i don't drink either often enough to consider it routine-like. i think that drinking a little alcohol multiple times per week helps to prevent me from taking things too seriously, sometimes helps me be more creative, and often leads to social situations that enrich my life. i also like to make espresso martinis but i don't have them very often. i think a charming "routine" to have would be to make and drink an espresso martini every friday evening, religiously. maybe i will do that

i don't shower every day. my body mysteriously never really smells bad, even when i'm sweaty, so i just don't think its necessary. i try to wash my face every day though. the skincare routine that i've developed over time and practice now includes

• a dead sea salt bar that i scrub my face, neck, and ears with. its really mild and i love the packaging. there's a photo of it down there ↓ . i used to use african black soap for a long time, which i also love, but it would get gross and disintegrate when damp and looked like a turd in my shower. my boyfriend hated it and recommended the one i use now. he's 5 years older than me and has nicer skin than i do
• a glycolic acid chemical exfoliant that i put on my face and neck with a cotton ball
• a hyaluronic acid + B5 serum that i rub all over my face with my hands
• an "eye cream" that i don't really think does anything but i bought it for some reason at some point, and i still have it, so i still use it
• rosehip oil. i love this shit. i keep it in the fridge and rub a small amount all over my face and rub any excess that stays on my hands into my hair
• in the winter i use another moisturizer after the rosehip oil because my skin gets really dry

i hoped that writing these things down would rekindle my affinity for routines and maybe light a little fire under my ass to develop a "morning routine", but it kind of just made me tired and feel like i already have enough routine in my life for now. whatever, here's the cute soap