A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF....
Following on from my recent post, which talks about my experience at my first major competition, I came to a dilemma on what to write next. What could possibly be a good piece to follow? After a long hard think and a bundle of ideas I have came to the conclusion that I want to let you have an insight into my typical weekly life, and how I balance my hectic schedule. So here it goes...
As you may or may not know, I am at University full time studying Journalism- hence the blog. My current time-table see's me at Uni four times a week with my only day off being a Wednesday. On top of this, I have a part-time job at Laurence Jackson Sports Village where I work Tuesday and Thursdays evening and Sunday mornings. This job is perfect for me as it couldn't slot into my busy life any better - working nights so I have the day time free and working in the sporting industry which is what I am passionate about- obviously!
I typically train three times a week with my coaches at the Middlesbrough Sports Village. I am extremely fortunate when it comes to my coaches as they are very flexible which allows me to train whenever suits me best. As you can imagine, this is a massive benefit and plays a factor into how I maintain my motivation levels to train.
I have recently started to utilise my University's gym and sporting professionals by attending weekly strength and conditioning sessions. I hope that this will improve my hurdling and my motivation levels as it is in a different training environment, doing a different training method with new people. I am one of them people who get bored of the same thing. So going to a new place to train and learning new techniques that will help me improve is very exciting for me!
This is just a rough insight into my weekly schedule however, no two of my weeks are the same. I train at different times throughout the week depending on work, uni and family commitments and I also may work extra shifts at work some weeks. Looking at this break down of my week, it doesn't look like I do a great deal however, when you include factors such as spending time with my family and boyfriend, having a social life with my friends, eating, relaxing and even just having some time to do whatever I want it can be tough to fit it all into a week.
What I have learnt over the past few months of living with this schedule, is to really prioritise 'ME' time. I feel like people can get so caught up in their every day lives and routines that they forget to just stop and breathe. Having that day, few hours or even minutes that you can just purely dedicate to yourself is so important for your sanity- it is for mine anyway! For me, I try and dedicate an hour of each day to do something I want to do. Whether that is taking my dog for a walk, scrolling through social media or watching a show on TV these are all things I enjoy doing so I make it a priority to fit them into my day. The 'Me' time is an escape from my everyday realities and it allows me to forget about all my responsibilities and worries for a short amount of time. Without this, i believe that my hectic life would become too much for me.
I am 18 years old and live a very different life to other people my age and sometimes I forget that I really am living at my peak. So if I want to go on a night out drinking with my friends (which are extremely rare) I will. If I want to book a holiday away here and there - I will! Even though I have set days when I train, work and go to uni I am determined that a 'routine' or 'schedule' will not define my life and I do not need to stick with them religiously.
Live the life you want to live with absolutely no regrets- you only have one life so why live it in a routine? I understand for some people routines are vital, but don't get to caught up with them and feel like you can't stray away from your normality every once in a while.