Obeying the rules.

This is an interesting thread Doodledog. It's made me think about self imposed rules but particularly rules during this weird time in our lives.

I don't have a rule but I have an expectation that I will have my first cup of tea between 6.30 - 7am. Usually Mr i makes this because he wakes earlier than I do and will have been in 'the study ' aka the spare bedroom or dad's cave - since silly o'clock reading, writing and generally being busy. I have my tea in bed , accompanied with that spaniel who is full of joy at being allowed upstairs.

A long dog walk happens in the morning, every morning. It did pre lockdown but feels totally essential these days.

I do something jolly in the afternoon. Like tidying the garden if it isn't pouring down, as it so often is. I've been teaching myself to draw and paint during lockdown so I'll spend an hour or two doing that.

I do not have my glass of wine before 6 pm earliest under any circumstances. That feels like my only 'rule'. Its one, or max 1 1/2 because a) I enjoy this and b) I spent too much time around folks who couldn't stop once they started.

the more I reflect, the more I realise I wouldn't call my routines rules (except wine o'clock) but they're an increasingly important part of my life. I'm managing thank you but this lockdown, not doing child care, not having my grandchildren stay the night, in fact in current lockdown nt having them or their parents in my house -it is not enjoyable. I suspect structure and routine is more important than it used to be

I only set the alarm if I have to be up early. Otherwise, I will sleep for as long as I need to. As a life-long insomniac, there are times when I've had a total of maybe 12 hours sleep in a week, and when the day comes that I can sleep all day I grab it gratefully.

I'm generally not a lover of rules that only involve me. I am a stickler for being punctual and honouring arrangements, but that is more about not letting others down - when it comes to daily life I feel that people should be able to be themselves in their own homes, and if that means staying in pyjamas all day, so be it, so long as they are happy with that.

I don't mind about TV watching at any hour. I don't watch more than I'm comfortable with in any case. I don't need rules to force myself to do the things I want to do, so if I want to sit down with a film in the afternoon I do, and don't feel guilty about that.

Foodwise, I treat myself to things if I want to, but overall I eat fairly healthily. I have gained weight in lockdown, but that is because I'm not getting enough exercise.

I do have a few rules about clothes - I don't like to see hems hanging below jackets or coats, and I much prefer bottom half clothes to be darker in colour that top halves (odd, I know, but I can't help it ). I think the hem thing comes from my younger days (and I know that most younger people don't care about it at all), but the colour one is just me.

I am enjoying not having to live with the constraints that work brings; and not setting the alarm, eating when I feel like it and not because it is lunchtime, going to bed when I'm tired and watching TV in the daytime are all things that I couldn't do when I was working, and I don't see the point in not doing them for the sake of it.

Budge up behind that sofa phoenix, surely I can’t be the only one wanting to join you?

Oh heavens! I'm a heathen/slattern/lush/hoarder (delete where not applicable) by some standards!

Getting my tin hat and going behind the sofa.

I like to be up by 6.00am, otherwise I lose the day, so the alarm is set

Always get properly dressed unless unwell.

Keep house tidy, I cannot function unless my immediate environment is orderly.

Eat food, not too much mostly plants: If it came from a plant eat it, if it was made in a plant, do not (not my words) but a good summary).

Here goes......

1, No alcohol before 6pm or during the week unless on holiday, celebrating etc.
2, No sitting down until after dinner has been cleared away.
3, No daytime tv unless ill.
4, No laundry to be done on a Sunday or bank holiday.
5,When buying clothes/shoes one in one out rule.
6 No processed food other than baked beans and Heinz tomato soup.
7, Monday mornings are admin.

I could go on but it gets petty and I don’t want to be carted away in a cardigan that fastens at the back?.

I am really not dull or rigid!
I was anorexic as a teenager so I think my need for some control has to be fulfilled!

Whatever my mum did / does , I probably do the opposite. I was always an awkward child, and nothing's really changed!

She wouldn't dream of changing into night clothes, or even 'comfortable' clothes, before bedtime. I often have mine on before it's even dark in winter.

Until recent years, she wouldn't allow herself to watch TV until at least 4 pm. That started changing after both she and my late dad became fully retired, starting with breakfast TV, then the midday news, and she now watches a lot more since my dad died.
I rarely watch daytime TV (unlike my OH), but I dont have a 'rule' on it - i just have a lot of things I would rather be doing.

She irons almost everything. I iron the bare minimum.

She still insists breakfast is essential, the most important meal of the day. Needless to say, I often skip it if I feel I have overindulged the day before.

"Only babies and old people sleep during the day" has always been her saying.
If I've slept badly the night before, I see nothing wrong with a brief nap during the day if I feel particularly tired and it doesn't interfere affect anyone else.

And so it goes on ...

It is funny how we impose rules on ourselves. I find it very difficult to sit and read a book during the day ( but I am working on it!), but will read a newspaper on the rare occasions that I buy one, maybe I feel that one is informative and one indulgence? I don't drink alcohol before 6pm, and try to limit my glass or two of wine to the weekends, a habit from working I suppose, but it would be too easy to slip into the glass of wine every night habit.

For the first time in my life - now on my own - I am answerable to nobody but myself although the DDs are happier when I can tell them of any activities (Bergerac at 4 in the afternoon doesn’t count - but pottering in the garden seems to be acceptable)
So the short answer is No.
I may hope to do my 10,000 steps, be up and out first thing but I do not beat myself up when the spirit was willing etc etc.

No, I don't think I impose any rules, but I will have to ponder, in case I have forgotten something.

I'm quite a stickler for the rules at work, but not on my own time.
(The absolute worst, though, is anyone else trying to impose rules on me)

The only days I have "rules of life" are on the 3 days a week that I work. I'm afraid that the structure of my days has gone to hell in a handcart apart from those 3 days.

I try not to drink alcohol before 6pm and only at weekends.

I must do all my housework and chores before treating myself to a coffee. As you can see they don't take long!!!