Time to Get Going
I actually slept in today. I awoke a short time before my "alarm" light turned on and laid quietly in the predawn silence. Once the light turned on, I actually stayed in for another 30 minutes. I'm tired, itchy, and unmotivated to get up and get going, but it has to happen - it would be more work if I didn't get moving, so I'm preparing for my day.
There are many things that go into one of my typical days. The first is actually getting ready for the day. Checking the weather, making lunch, choosing the right shoes (today's sessions includes a young man with a mild foot fetish), and choosing materials from home to take in to work (we are currently spread between four buildings, so lots of my stuff is here at home). Once I'm ready, I start out the door.
I have a 45-50 minute commute to work. I drive this much on purpose and try really hard to use that time for thinking, meditation, prayer, and organizing my day. I think through several sessions, any upcoming interactions, and imaginary situations. I watch the sun rise. I look for my favorite tree on my drive - sometimes I remember to look at it, sometimes I don't. The drive is something that I could change, but I find that I really like having that time to myself - no interaction with anyone or anything for a guaranteed amount of time. It is something I need to separate my day from home to work and back again. This natural separation of my personal and professional lives helps me leave work at work.
This year, I am challenging myself to arrive at work close to the time when I am supposed to arrive at work (rather than ridiculously early). I've done a pretty good job. The earliest I have arrived lately has been 7:15 - fifteen minutes early. The rest of the arrival times have been between 7:20 and 7:30! Hooray for me! The problem for me is waiting until 6:30 to leave, especially when I'm awake and going at 4:30. I start to feel antsy and want to make sure that I won't be late. Of course, if I was a couple of minutes late, nobody but my intern would notice, but I would know, so there is that stressor for me. It's easier not to put myself under that particular stress. So, I have timed my commute very carefully, and I know what may happen when I leave a couple of minutes early or late. Feeling pretty good about the outcome of my commute when I start off decreases the amount of stress that I have.
So, now it is getting closer to the time to leave. I still need to choose something for lunch, get the iPod, and cuddle with my cat. Then, off to the gas station to fill up, and off I'll go into my routine world of music therapy sessions, documentation, and meetings.
Ah, the life of a music therapist...
There are many things that go into one of my typical days. The first is actually getting ready for the day. Checking the weather, making lunch, choosing the right shoes (today's sessions includes a young man with a mild foot fetish), and choosing materials from home to take in to work (we are currently spread between four buildings, so lots of my stuff is here at home). Once I'm ready, I start out the door.
I have a 45-50 minute commute to work. I drive this much on purpose and try really hard to use that time for thinking, meditation, prayer, and organizing my day. I think through several sessions, any upcoming interactions, and imaginary situations. I watch the sun rise. I look for my favorite tree on my drive - sometimes I remember to look at it, sometimes I don't. The drive is something that I could change, but I find that I really like having that time to myself - no interaction with anyone or anything for a guaranteed amount of time. It is something I need to separate my day from home to work and back again. This natural separation of my personal and professional lives helps me leave work at work.
This year, I am challenging myself to arrive at work close to the time when I am supposed to arrive at work (rather than ridiculously early). I've done a pretty good job. The earliest I have arrived lately has been 7:15 - fifteen minutes early. The rest of the arrival times have been between 7:20 and 7:30! Hooray for me! The problem for me is waiting until 6:30 to leave, especially when I'm awake and going at 4:30. I start to feel antsy and want to make sure that I won't be late. Of course, if I was a couple of minutes late, nobody but my intern would notice, but I would know, so there is that stressor for me. It's easier not to put myself under that particular stress. So, I have timed my commute very carefully, and I know what may happen when I leave a couple of minutes early or late. Feeling pretty good about the outcome of my commute when I start off decreases the amount of stress that I have.
So, now it is getting closer to the time to leave. I still need to choose something for lunch, get the iPod, and cuddle with my cat. Then, off to the gas station to fill up, and off I'll go into my routine world of music therapy sessions, documentation, and meetings.
Ah, the life of a music therapist...
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