Nova Rella
Nova Rella is (in her own words) a lone wolf in black sheep’s clothing who hails from Victoria, BC, Canada.
What is your morning routine?
Every morning I wake up to my alarm clock at around 6:00am. This isn’t my ‘get out of bed’ alarm, it’s a ‘take a stomach acid pill’ alarm. You have to take these things an hour before you eat anything and I like to have breakfast as soon as the coffee’s ready around seven.
So I swallow a tiny yellow pill and go back to sleep for an hour. Then I get up around seven-ish, usually after hitting the snooze button four or five times. My dog Tank sleeps out in the living room and so the first thing every morning is to get him his breakfast. While he’s eating I get the coffee going and let him out in the yard for a pee.
My boyfriend works the graveyard shift so it’s important for me to get all my clothes and toiletries out of the bedroom before he gets home at eight, so I usually boot up my laptop, and while it’s doing its thing I go choose my outfit of the day and make sure I have everything I’ll need for the day.
By the time that’s all done the coffee’s ready and I’ll fix myself whatever it is I feel like eating. I don’t believe in breakfast food. You can eat whatever you want for whatever meal. I’m more interested in listening to my body than forcing myself to eat cereal because it’s normal. This morning, for example, cheese and crackers. Yesterday; leftover sausages.
Next I’ll take an antidepressant pill that helps with my panic disorder, sit down, sometimes on the “dog couch” beside Tank (which he loves) and sometimes on the human couch if I don’t want to get dog hair all over me, and I go online. The morning is when I feel the most creative and productive, so I will sometimes work on my blog, write, edit photos, or get back to people’s emails.
My boyfriend gets home around 8:00am, so I chat with him a bit while he eats, and then I tuck him into bed and start getting ready for work. I am a very low maintenance kind of lady. I have two jobs, one in a tattoo shop and one in a college, so depending on where I’m going I might take a bit more time to brush my hair or whatever, but I can usually go from pajamas to ready in fifteen or twenty minutes. I shower at night, in case you were wondering.
And around 8:30 I put on my shoes, walk to the bus stop, and take the bus to work.
How long have you stuck with this routine so far?
I’ve had the same routine pretty much since we got the dog four years ago. And even before then it was nearly the same thing. I’ve had the same lifestyle for years!
What time do you go to sleep?
Early to bed, early to rise. I usually hit the hay around ten or eleven at night. I like to read for a bit before falling asleep so it’s usually closer to eleven.
Do you use an alarm to wake you up in the morning, and if so do you ever hit the snooze button?
I’m a chronic snooze-hitter. It’s shocking to me to get out of bed after the first alarm. Which must be annoying to anybody in the same house as me. Sorry guys.
Do you have a morning workout routine?
I don’t work out in the morning. I think I would enjoy it but I really like my quiet creative time as well… I’d have to either give that up or get up at a ridiculous hour to fit working out in there too.
How soon do you check your phone in the morning, either for calls/messages or social media and news?
I don’t have a smart phone, which is probably part of the reason I turn my laptop on immediately.
What are your most important tasks in the morning?
Taking care of the dog first thing is the most important. He’s been known to pee in the house if he has to go and feels like we are ignoring him. Not cool, Tank!
What and when is your first drink in the morning?
This question sounds like you’re talking about alcohol… the only time I drink in the morning is when I’m camping, you know, when it’s socially acceptable! But usually I just have coffee, sometimes water.
On days you’re not settled in your home, are you able to adapt your routine to fit in with a different environment?
I am very adaptable.
I don’t care if I do things the same way, as long as I can wash my face, pull my hair back, brush my teeth, and change my clothes somewhere I’m good.
What do you do if you fail to follow your routine, and how does this influence the rest of your day?
I don’t like it if I’m at home and something interrupts my quiet time. If I’m away from home I don’t care, but in my space I want to have my time. I actually hate having guests stay over for this reason, which is really stupid if you think about it. All day I feel less inclined to socialize, I just want to be alone.
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