Small Steps To Feeling Less Bleugh

and muttering less swear words under my breath

As discussed in my previous post, I really wanted to dive in to 2024 making some easy changes that I was hoping I’d be able to stick with. Stuff that are hardly worth including on a traditional resolutions list but make all the difference to how I go about my day, particularly mornings.

Let me know what little tweaks you’re sticking with for more pep in your step or if you’re not doing that at all because you simply can’t be bothered. I’m interested either way!

1. Laying my clothes out in the same place, the night before.

   I’ve always sworn by choosing my outfit in the morning, mainly because (with fear of sounding terribly wanky) I want to see how I feel and then have my mood dictate my clothes. Which is a-ok when it’s the summer holidays and you’re not repeatedly begging everyone to leave the house at 8.30am. Or if you know where everything is in your wardrobe/cupboard… which I rarely do. So, since Jan 1st, I’ve been picking out my chosen garms of an evening and laying them out ready to go in the morning. It’s one less decision I have to spend time on when I could be busy shouting ‘WHY HAVE YOU STILL NOT BRUSHED YOUR TEETH’.

2. Wearing gym kit from the get go

   Another clothes based one, I promise that’s not all this list will be about. Whereas I used to think ‘oh I’ll just get changed when I want to go for a run/work out’, I now opt for it straightaway. Including a sports bra because knowing I have to take all my layers off and get my chilly nipples out at 4pm is more than I can bear.

3. Reading using the Books app on my phone

   Let’s not get it twisted, books are the best. Books will never be replaced. I used to have quite a strident dislike for Kindles and all they stood for, but now I’m a bit of a convert to having a book on a screen. I love the smell of books and seeing them on my shelf, but I don’t love the noise they make as I turn a page while laying on the floor of my child’s bedroom because they won’t go to sleep alone. I also don’t love the crushing knowledge I’ve left that bloody book at home again rather than putting it in my bag to read on the train. Downloading and reading from my phone means it’s always accessible and silent and I get little notifications about my goals which spurs me on more. Almost 4 books down this year already and I doubt I’d be saying that if they weren’t just always in my pocket.

4. Working outside the house

   I’ve worked from home for the past 6 years and while I appreciate the flexibility of it, I often end up unloading the dishwasher or fussing over the dogs when I really need to be finishing something that isn’t unloading the dishwasher or fussing over the dogs. I now hot desk at a friend’s studio a few days a week and it’s so nice to have someone to bounce ideas off. There, I feel like I can pull the creativity out rather than just staring at the four walls of my own house wondering why it’s not coming naturally. It also means I don’t carry on working long in to the evening once the kids are home from school. I use my allotted time and try to stick to it.

5. Taking off my make-up/showering earlier

   I’ve been pretty good at sticking to my skincare routine for a couple of years now but I found myself sliding back in to old habits at the tail end of last year. I was over-tired and not getting much time to myself until very late in the evening which always then means, no, there’s no way I’m standing in front of a mirror and spending 10 minutes erasing mascara from my eyelashes. And then it was another thing I had to deal with in the morning along with the knowledge I wasn’t looking after myself. Now I try to do it while dinner’s on the go.

6. Keeping an eye on Vinted for work-out gear

   I always want to exercise more when I feel good doing it and Vinted has so many new or barely used leggings, tops, shorts etc. It’s definitely worth browsing for brands like Gym Shark, Sweaty Betty or Adanola on there because you can save pennnnnies! Also quite often found - brand new trainers.

   

   (This shirt’s a little Vinted number too)

7. Thinking ahead when it comes to meals

   I take the easy route when it comes to cooking because it’s not exactly a passion. Previously, I’d just grab whatever I fancied once I’d got to the point of being ravenous, even if it meant needing to go to a shop and spending more money or eating stuff that was filling but not great for me. Nowadays I’m trying to take a look at what we’ve got in the fridge and cupboards ahead of time and putting stuff together so I can dip in once peckish. Tupperware is my friend. Panic buying is out.

8. Enjoying stuff just because it’s fun

   I’m trying to find less serious reasons for doing stuff and accepting ‘because I enjoy it’ as the only one I actually need. It’s just nice to give things a go isn’t it? Last year I saw an interview with a woman on the Humans Of New York instagram account who said she got through Covid by entering the worlds of others, while sat at home. And it not only passed the time but it was fun. She sat in on seminars, watched YouTube videos, listened to podcasts, bought online classes and didn’t have any sort of theme in mind, she just did it all. That resonated with me and I’d say this year I really want to try to mirror that. It doesn’t take much to get started, especially because so much out there is free!

9. Streamlining

   I’m decluttering any chance I get at the moment. I’m fed up with knowing I’ve got things but not being sure where they are, particularly when it comes to clothes and accessories. So I’m having frequent clear outs and wandering around reminding my sons that everyone needs to ‘put things back in their home’ rather than ‘tidy up’ because I read that its easier for kids to understand…

   …

   …

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   Jury’s still out on that one.

10. Supplements and taking my health more seriously

    This is something I’ve always wanted to get better at, but never have. I’m popping Vitamin D and Collagen every day, plus waiting on some blood test results regarding iron and B12. Because of the condition I suffer with during pregnancy (HG) they asked me to be monitored post birth and to be honest, the past couple of years I let it slide. I agreed to book the tests as soon as the surgery called, while I was at it I booked my smear and I’ve got an alert on my phone to book my eye test this afternoon. What a time to be alive (and thriving).

(Started having regular Emsella sessions with Therapy Clinic as part of a paid campaign and it’s completely changed how comfortably I can run)