Through my weekly Q &A’s and even more so when I was actively competing, one of the most widely touched on topics centered around recovery. But interestingly, the questions always seemed to dance around the bigger picture- HOW DO YOU RECOVER? Questions came up like...
“What’s your diet like?”
“How much do you sleep?”
”Do you use massage therapy (or insert any other modality in here)?”
”What do you do when you don’t want to train?”
So what I’ll do here is give you some pieces of my daily routine in a 2-3 part series. Sometimes I write off the cuff and don't use outlines. And by sometimes I mean most of the time. Do with it as you please...
Morning Routine
Wake up @ 8am
I am a night owl. I do everything I can to avoid waking up with an alarm clock. I typically feel like a full on dumpster fire if I get jolted by alarm clock OR have to wake up before 7am. So I’ve worked hard to craft my professional life so as to not have to do either. (It wasn’t always this way, either. It was a goal of mine to get to this place and it feels good.)
830am All Three Dogs out for #1 and #2
I used to let Odi and Lily out on their own because they stayed in the yard and didn’t bother anything. With Lily’s passing and me getting Daisy and Maggie (both are just over a year old now) they require my constant attention. Which is actually a good thing- it forces me to go out and walk around and move with them.
9am Feed the Trio
I make these fuckers breakfast every morning - dry food, rice, egg whites, pumpkin, and probiotics. They love. I love it. It’s all good.
Hydrate
I drink two full glasses of room temp. water with lemon, salt, and Iberogast (good for IBD).
15 minutes of meditation
This is new. I’ve tried a couple different apps with no success. I heard Emily Fletcher on a podcast so I decided to read her book Stress Less, Accomplish More and that was a turning point for me. Her techniques are simple and effective, and there is no “I’m not doing this right.” It’s like squatting- there are some definite ‘don’ts’ but really you have to figure out how you’re meant to squat for yourself, with some guidance. I’ll be reading Joe Dispenza’s books next- I think his style is a little more intense.
945am Coffee
It's part of my routine. I get coffee delivered from Trade Coffee and it's a welcome change every month.
10am 60 minutes of Creative Work
Reading/Writing- as simple as that.
Recent authors include Jocko Willink, Alan Watts, Steve Pressfield, Ryan Holiday, Emily Fletcher among others.
Writing may be a coaching log or journaling- I've used the "Wordsmith" cards at times and I like their prompts. It takes the stress out of 'what should I write about?'
11am Start My Work Day
Right now this includes construction/project management for Float:On, location scouting for another business, and some personal development including taking care of my health.
Take aways:
#1 - Wake up the same time every day
#2 - Sunshine, movement, hydration
#3 - Do something that makes you feel good, or productive, or both
Nighttime Routine
8pm Feed the Trio
Dry dog food, rice, pumpkin, fruits, veggies
830pm Feed myself
9pm Work
I will spend as little time possible catching up on things from the day. The reality is shit happens sometimes.
10pm My Time
This is a non negotiable- I get at least 30 min of TV before bed.
- Shark Tank, The Profit, football, the news (and respond to IG messages and clients)
For a long time I hated this habit. I felt like it was a waste of time. But I came to realize that it's ok to not be productive for 100% of your day. OR EVEN BETTER- maybe that is the most productive thing I could do at that time.
Also, I don't abide by the no screens before bed. I'm a rebel at heart.
11pm Shower
1130pm Bedtime
Some tips:
Temperature- A hot shower followed by sleeping a 68 degree room. The drop in body temp signals to your brain it's bed time. I have central air in my house that I keep at a reasonable 72. I use a window unit in my room that I crank down to 66-68 degrees. Most nights I put my CPAP on and I'm out when my head hits the pillow.
CPAP- if you sleep 8 hours a night and magically feel tired all day, get a sleep study done. It can change your life.
Stretching- I'll stretch in the shower as well as when I get out standing in front of my window A/C unit. Toe touches, deep breathing, glute stretches, cat/cow.
CBD products- I like Greenroads' products. I'll use 20-40mg.
THC products- I have a medical card, but I'm not advocating for anyone to use it. The truth is, it helps. However, studies show that using THC before bed will limit or even prevent you from reaching REM sleep. So if the choice is between laying in bed while my mind races or using medical marijuana to get SOME sleep, well I'll take the latter. But keep in mind the goal is to not need it.
If you're the type that has a mind that won't shut off, especially at night, check out Stress Less, Accomplish More. Her mindfulness techniques are extremely helpful. Also, keep pen/paper next to your bed to write something down and get it off your mind. And finally, realize that life is futile, so just rest easy knowing that you are not in control and nothing you do matters.
Take aways:
#1- Have a routine for the last couple hours before bed and be disciplined in executing that routine. This can be more effective/important than your morning routine.
#2- Give yourself some down time or some ME time. You deserve it.
#3- Don't rely on supplements to put you to sleep. I've been there and it's a never ending rabbit hole that can fuck you up if you aren't careful.