Hey, what’s up, you guys! I’m so excited to be over here sharing today’s blog post with you. My name is Darrian and I am the founder of the AM Coffee Collective, a lifestyle blog for young women with a mission of building a community for honest conversation and empowering women to share their stories. So if you like what you see here and want to see more of me on your computer (or phone) screen, make sure to hop on over to my blog and check it out!
So my story is a little crazy but here is the condensed version: In May of 2018 my fiance graduated from the United States Military Academy and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. Less than a week later we got married and two weeks after that we moved all the way from New York to Georgia! In the middle of all of this, I quit my full-time job in Human Resources to become a stay-at-home-wife and blogger. Whew, that’s a lot, yeah? I bet at this point you’re thinking to yourself, “No wonder she’s writing about major life changes!” and you would be correct.
After the majority of the boxes were unpacked, I found myself struggling to get anything done. I couldn’t find the time to write blog posts, I wasn’t eating regularly and my day-to-day schedule seemed to be different every single day of the week! The struggle was real, Y’all. It has taken me about a month of settling into my new life to really get a handle on establishing a new normal and getting a new routine going that fits my new life. It’s funny because nothing is normal about being a military spouse but I’ve managed to create somewhat of a routine and today I wanted to share what I’ve learned about establishing a new normal after a major life change with all of you!
Establish a routine
Obviously, the first thing that you need to do after a major life event like getting married is to establish a new routine. The easiest way to get into a routine is to start with something simple, like drinking a cup of coffee before doing anything else. And that’s where I started. Basically, as soon as I wake up in the morning, I start the coffee pot and walk the dogs. By the time I get back from walking our two dogs, the coffee is ready! I give myself time in the mornings to sit down and enjoy a cup or two of coffee and eat a little breakfast if I’m feeling hungry. During this time is when I’ll do things like checking my notifications, browse social media, and that sort of thing. Not only is this super relaxing for me but it also keeps me off of my phone as much when I actually need to “work”. Starting my mornings this way each day has really helped me plan out the rest of my day which has led me to be able to establish the routine I have been missing so much in the last two months. It looks completely different from what my old one was but that’s because my life is completely different too!
Make a list of what you need to get done every day
I am a huge fan of lists. So I make one every single day. When I was working full time, I had a bullet journal that I kept up with religiously and while I haven’t found myself reaching for it lately, I saw an immediate change in how productive I was feeling the instant I started making daily lists of tasks. These task range from things that I need to do (like doing the dishes) to things that I would like to get done (like planning my editorial calendar for the blog). What doesn’t get don that day gets the first three places on the next day’s list. Not only does writing lists make you feel more productive, it will also help to hold you accountable and feel good about what you’ve managed to accomplish!
If you’re staying home, “go to work” anyways
This one seems a little silly but it was probably the best piece of advice that I got during this transition. Transitioning from having a full-time job where I had to physically GO to work every day at a certain time to just being home where I make my schedule was a huge shell shock for me. I was so overwhelmed with how and when and where to start that I just avoided things all together. The most helpful thing I’ve done aside from establishing a routine is to treat doing what I need to do as “going to work”. Even if I’m not leaving the house, I put on a cute outfit, fill up my water bottle, etc. Basically all of the things I did when I was preparing to leave for my office job, now I just get to stay at home.
And that’s pretty much how I established a “new normal” during this crazy time in my life! If you found yourself reading this and saying #Relateable, then I’d love for you to come and connect with me on the blog or even on Instagram!
