Bethany Dickey

What is your morning routine?

I get out of bed at 7:15am and wash up in the bathroom before heading downstairs to spend some time with my very elderly dog and make and eat breakfast while I catch up on Instagram, Twitter, etc.

While downstairs I put together a packed lunch if I’m taking one – which I really try to do. I head upstairs, brush my teeth, and blast some upbeat music while I get dressed and do my makeup and hair. By this time I’ve realized I have extra time before I have to leave for work, so I pack my bag and sit down with a book or catch up on reading blogs.

Around 8:15am, I head out the door to catch the bus and ferry!

How long have you stuck with this routine so far?

This was basically my routine in high school, although I usually didn’t have extra time for some reason. My routine is vastly different while I’m away at school, but in the past two summers when I’ve lived at home, this is what I’ve done.

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What time do you go to sleep?

This varies depending on how good the book I’m reading is. I’m usually in bed around 10:30pm at the latest, and read until about 11:00. Some nights I’m up until 1:00am finishing a book – I just can’t help it.

Do you use an alarm to wake you up in the morning, and if so do you ever hit the snooze button?

Although I usually wake up around 7:00am with no alarm, I definitely need one as a safety net. I probably hit the snooze button once every few months – I’m definitely a morning person and don’t mind getting out of bed.

How soon after waking up do you have breakfast, and what do you typically have?

Breakfast is usually the first thing I do, and it really depends how much effort I feel like putting in.

Sometimes I’ll make bacon, some days I have cereal, but recently I’ve been experimenting with smoothies and anything involving chocolate peanut butter. I’m trying to eat healthier breakfasts, since there were a few days two weeks ago where I basically ate chocolate cake for breakfast. Not good.

Do you have a morning workout routine?

I wish I could answer yes to this question, but I don’t.

I did run one morning, but I hated it and it has not happened again. I have recently started going to Barre fitness classes which I’m enjoying, but they aren’t offered in the mornings!

Do you see to email first thing in the morning or leave it until later in the day?

I check my personal email while I’m eating breakfast, but work waits until I get into the office. I like to know if anything exciting has come up.

How soon do you check your phone in the morning, either for calls/messages or social media news?

I also do this while I’m eating breakfast. I enjoy catching up on Instagram – seeing all the cool things other people are doing gets me motivated to have a wonderful day!

What and when is your first drink in the morning?

I find my throat is always dry and scratchy when I wake up, so every morning since I was a little girl I’ve had a small glass of apple juice as soon as I’m in the kitchen. I don’t like or need coffee so I almost never have it, but I often accompany my breakfast with milk.

On days you’re not settled in your home, are you able to adapt your routine to fit in with a different environment?

My routine is fairly simple, so I’m able to adapt most of the actual actions. However, I find being somewhere else and doing my routine just isn’t quite the same! I like the stability of being in my home and knowing where everything is.

What do you do if you fail to follow your routine, and how does this influence the rest of your day?

If I’m rushed in the morning because of an alarm malfunction or an unforeseen obstacle, this throws me off quite a bit. I’ll forget to pack something, etc.

Other than that, I’m pretty good at taking things in stride.

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