I’m gonna tell you right now, I love my job. I love going to work everyday, helping pets feel better, chatting with clients, making connections by helping their pets. But I will be the first person to go home early if asked – if our schedule is empty.

The thing is, I do not want to deep clean or literally scram for stuff to do. I’d rather watch paint peel. I would rather be chucked by a 50 kg dog into a wall during a nail trim. I would willingly feed my fingers to a maligator. (Belgian Malinois – for my Non-Vet-Med people). Basically, anything other than having an empty schedule.

Having a mundane task simply just to fill the time while I am at work is not mentally stimulating to me because I’m thinking of all of the other things that I could be doing if I was home. And if I was home, those tasks would be more satisfying to me. If I deep clean the rooms at work – I come home to my house needing the same thing.

Plus, I’ve been early in all week….I’d like to leave early for once. I take into consideration other people leaving early (unscheduled) and you know I feel that it’s time. (Maybe it’s selfish but hey, self care).

So, I offered to stay half the day. I’ll get everyone through lunches (the ones that are closing) and then I’m going to take off. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the gym after work instead of before…although I’m tempted to get on the treadmill tomorrow morning to keep my schedule regular.

When I got home from work, while dinner was cooking (chicken Alfredo), I swept and mopped the floors. So mentally, I am taking care of tasks I would have done tomorrow anyways – which feels good.

I never sit down, I’m never lazy. I always take advantage of the spare time that I have available to me to tackle tasks that I typically would do when my husband is occupied with a project or thing of his own.

I love cleaning, it soothes me. I am also a product of my environment. If my environment is messy, I feel messy and my mental health is disrupted. I believe this is a thing with type A personality?

Like I could take the extra time to do something I want to do. Like read more chapters of my book, play the game on my PS4, plays sims on the computer, draw, write, take the dogs on a walk, give my plants some TLC – but I always think of one task that leads to another, then another, then another….then I run out of “me” time.

Ultimately, my main focus everyday is how to accomplish my tasks/never ending to do list. (I use the finch app too…it helps!!) These tasks are never just about me. It’s doing the dishes, caring for my plants, cleaning, laundry, taking my vitamins, drinking water – just basic maintenance for my every day life.

So, I’ll allow myself to be selfish and leave early when I can. It’s good for my mental health, and I’ll never compromise that.