I cannot believe we are almost halfway through July!! I hope you are all having a fantastic summer!! We are going away in a few short weeks, so I am really looking forward to that as I’ve been working 30 hours a week with no extra days off. However, I will say that my built in routines have been helping me to stay on track. This week I want to share with you my day in the life on the days I work. My hope is that this will give you some ideas for your own life, as well as to try and give you a bit more of a glimpse into what it’s like to live with nonverbal learning disability.
Morning Routines
Most of the time, my days start out the same way. I like to call it my “morning routine.” For almost the last year, I have been following the same routine. I finally refined it to the point where it makes me satisfied and I look forward to it! Honestly, it is probably my favorite time of day. It is quiet and it is time for me to get ready for the day before things turn to chaos.
5-6am
On the days I am working, I have been trying to wake up between 5–5:20am. This way I can get in a 45 minute workout before work. If I wait until after work, I’m too tired and it does not happen. This way I start my day off right and get exercising out of the way bright and early.
6am
At this point I usually read a chapter or two of my book, depending on how long the chapters are. I have really gotten back into reading in the last 12 months and I love reading in the morning. If I wait to read until later in the day, it often times doesn’t happen because of things that come up or life just getting in the way.
7am
This is when I really start to move in the mornings and get ready for the day. I brush my teeth, wash my face, etc. and try to wake up for the day.
I have also begun praying and meditating in the mornings. It doesn’t take long, but it just helps to set me up to have a successful day. I’ve been using the app Insight Timer and I only set it to meditate for 3 minutes. I’m working to increase that time length, but for right now that’s what works for me. If I set it for too long I lose focus, get distracted, and just want to stop. I’m trying to build up my tolerance and ability for it!
7:30am
Once I’m dressed and downstairs, I begin to make my lunch for the day. If I’m feeling really lazy, it’s a pbj sandwich or a microwaveable meal. Otherwise, it’s just leftovers from dinner, which I reheat and put in a thermos to take to work.
Once lunch is done or started, I’ll have breakfast. I’m not a huge breakfast person, so this is a struggle!! I’ll usually have yogurt, cereal, or a protein shake. I can’t tolerate much more than that! Thankfully I can snack at work, if I get too hungry before lunch!
8am
I have to be at work at 8:30, so I usually start putting on shoes, etc. around 8am and leave just after. I have about a 25 minute commute, and because of possible traffic or accidents, I always try and leave a bit of wiggle room. It gives me anxiety to be late!!
Work Schedule
I only work about 3-4 days a week, or about 30-32 hours. On the days I work, I am there from 8:30-4:30 with a half hour lunch break. During my lunch I like to either read some of my book (I’ve begun taking my kindle to work with me for just this reason), or I’ll scroll on my phone for a few minutes while I have the time.
Afternoon Routines
Depending on what time I leave work, I usually get home between 4:45-5pm. I try and unpack my containers from lunch pretty closely after I walk in the door because once I sit down, I don’t want to move again. We eat dinner pretty early, so usually dinner is either ready or started by the time I walk in the door, which I greatly appreciate my mom doing!
After dinner, I might decompress for a few minutes, and then I’ll try and find something productive to do. That is usually either journaling, working on school work, blogging, organizing, or reading. Nothing too strenuous, but I like to find something to do that does not involve scrolling on social media!
Evening Routines
Once it hits 7pm, I am pretty much done for the day. My energy level really drops off at this point! My evening routine usually begins around 7-7:30pm, depending on how tired I am.
I am a night shower person. I just can’t stand showering in the morning!! So I’ll usually shower, and then begin getting ready for bed, such as by changing into pjs, brushing my teeth, washing my face, etc.
Once all this is done, I like to read before bed. It helps me to shut off my brain from the day and fall asleep. I swear, once I began reading before bed (instead of scrolling on my phone), it’s amazing at how much faster I fall asleep now! On the days I’m really tired, I only read one or two pages before falling asleep. However, on other days, I might get through a chapter of a book, especially if it’s early enough. I will say, though, there have been some days where my head hits the pillow and I am asleep almost instantly!
I love my kindle paper white. I’ve had it since 2016 (7 years!!!) and it still works great. I love that it doesn’t give off too much blue light, and it makes reading in bed so much easier, especially because I love reading on my side!! Once this one dies, I will for sure buy another one.
Routines are Key
As someone with nonverbal learning disability, I do much better when I have routines in place. I don’t like a lot of change. By following the same routines everyday, I have found that my anxiety is a lot less.
I am able to get a lot more done by following the same routines because everything has a time and a place. It has also helped me to prioritize things that I want to do, such as reading. For example, by reading first thing in the morning, it ensures that I read at least a few pages of a book.
If you don’t have any routines in your day-to-day life, I highly encourage you to start creating some! And what I love, is that they don’t have to be permanent, they can be constantly changed and adapted to fit your life! It look me a long time to refine the routines I have now.
Day in the Life as Someone with Nonverbal Learning Disability
I obviously want to be productive and get things done, however, there are many days where I come home from work completely flattened and not wanting to get off the couch. That’s just life for me with nonverbal learning disability. The key here, is that I don’t push myself too hard. I try and encourage myself to do one or two things, but nothing too big or that requires a ton of brain power.
Because I have nonverbal learning disability, I have a hard time picking up on people’s nonverbal social cues, which causes me to be on even more high alert when I am with people, such as when I’m at work. Some days, this makes me more tired than usual. That’s why on my work days, I don’t try to shove too much into my days to try so I don’t burn myself out too quickly.
Decompression time is so important for me to be able to function when out in the world. If I don’t have that, it would make it much harder to get through each day.
Endnote
Routines are important for everyone, however, I feel as though they are even more important for those of us who struggle with change and want consistency in our lives.
I encourage to try and create a morning and evening routine and see how it impacts your day-to-day life. Come find me on Instagram and let me know how it’s going!!
Until next week, friend!