AIBU to ask you if a daily habit has transformed your life?

Adrienne is great. Thank you for the link. I've never done yoga and this is just right.
Good luck

I've also added some new habits on lockdown -

The daily reading hour
Meditation after the kids go to bed as that's when I feel frazzled!!!
Walk every day

I'm using the iOS Habit app to remind me and track my progress. It's simple, pretty and free.

Salutes to those who gave up coke and chocolate on lockdown, I stopped my habit too. It's hard esp. after having a baby as it's a sleep-deprivation fuel thing. The 16:8 thing helped me kick the habit, funny to see so many of us recommending it. (Though I'm more of a 15:9 to be fair and I also have to have a coffee at 5:30am when the baby wakes). But I've still lost the weight I wanted to and it's improved my digestion for sure.

I love this thread and have been reading for several days! Thanks @CarlyWarly1980 and everyone else making it such a fab read.

For the person who asked for research, I found this on intermittent fasting: www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156 and it has some nice links as references too.

I'm joining the 3 habits club -

1. Fasting
2. Stretching (I want to build up to regular yoga as I used to do but have small insomniac kids so taking it gently!)
3. Some silence in my day (ideally the morning but abovementioned insomniacs means it may have to be whenever I can fit it in!)

@desertcoffeeyoga thanks for the help!
I tried this 16:8 yesterday, was starving by 12pm and ate a banana as first food item so it is good to know not to repeat that mistake.
Have now been starving since 8.30...
Never drunk so much water.

The habit I have successfully taken on is not leaving a room empty handed.

Before lockdown I would never go up or downstairs without taking something with me that needed to end up where I was heading - eg emptied waste paper basket goes back upstairs, cups from office back downstairs etc.

But during and since lockdown I've forced myself to make numerous seemingly unnecessary trips, that I could have done once but repeated them, just to get the exercise. Today I :-

-went upstairs to fetch my iPad off my desk
-came back down and realised I'd left a dirty coffee cup on the desk, so went back up to pick it up.

• went back up again with a glass of water for the afternoon stint, then came down for some lunch.

I figure if I can do reps of 3 times up and down stairs, 4 times a day, whilst doing something reasonably productive each time, then I could lose the few pounds I gained from lockdown!

Yoga in the early evening. Before I eat. It seems to calm my head. Just 20 minutes of Down Dog. But the noise grows a lot quieter fir bedtime later

I love this thread so much.... might be my all time favourite.

The habit I have successfully taken on is not leaving a room empty handed. I also do a clean down each night so surfaces are cleared and I hoover. Helps me keep on top of housework.

Today, inspired by you lovely people, I have done my clean down and 20 mins of yoga. I’ll aim to do it in the morning before work but after cleaning in the evening is also acceptable.

I already drink lots of water, and probably do the fasting thing most days without thinking but will make more of an effort going forward. Am also going to look into vitamins.

I feel healthier and more energetic already!

Also for the person who asked about intermittent fasting and having a milky tea in the morning .. strictly it should be nothing other than black coffee but I've been doing it for years and have a tea if I feel like it . I read somewhere that under 50 cals is fine but I try not to if I can help it. Also when you do eat again it's important not to have sugar in any form as your it first meal .. you body will just grab hold of it - and that includes fruit .. best to start eating again with eggs if you can or something balanced and proper .. also helps if you don't eat low fat .. as a little fat will help tell your body that you're full ( google leptin)

For those asking for yoga recommendations.. Adrienne is Fab .. also Lesley Fightmaster/ Tim Sinesi/ HMF Yoga all have free yoga classes for every level. Vinyasa is faster, Hatha has longer holds but can still be challenging .. also the downward dog app is free. Any amount of time from 10 mins is worthwhile .. it's called a practice because you just have to keep chipping away. I listen to my body as much as I can - today I was shattered because the dog kept me up at night last night so just did what I could but felt better for it - part of the practice is learning to be kinder to yourself and know a little is better than nothing. Wim Hoff breathing technique is great for some and reminds me very closely of a yoga breath technique ..

Three days in and I've remembered to cleanse, tone and moisturise my face/neck each morning and night.

I've had 4 or 5 glasses of water a day (working towards 6!).

Haven't managed the 20 minutes cleaning/de-cluttering per day but had an awful headache Monday and Tuesday afternoon/evening so I will blame that! I will also blame that for not sticking to my 16:8 diet those two days (had chocolate in the evening) Feeling much better today though so onwards and upwards!

Fab thread. It has inspired me to set 3 new habits for myself this week

1. Leave phone to charge in kitchen overnight
2. Be in bed for 10pm
3. Drink more water

Things I'm winning at -

• Writing a list of jobs for the day and keeping the planner open so I see it regularly. Crossing them off as I go makes me feel so positive.
• 'Sorting' the kitchen before I go to bed - coming through to clear surfaces is lovely

Things I've started today

• Standing on one leg - right leg 34 seconds before falling over, left leg 3!

Things I want to add tomorrow

• Filling my water bottle and actually drinking it
• Squats as the kettle boils.

Things I'm thinking of adding

• 30 minutes of craft every evening

Lobsterquadrille2
Wanted to say well done

Starting one - daily 1/2 hour walk with the dog (more if I have the time and the weather cooperates) and
Ending one - quitting smoking cold turkey several years ago after being a smoker for 45 years. So yes, I would say that any change you ever make starts with one small change, making it a habit and keeping with it until it becomes part of you and then moving on and making other positive changes or giving up a negative habit. I am planning on resuming practicing yoga next. I gave it up years ago when I my kids were little and now that my daughters are practicing it I realize I miss it and want to start again.

Yes I'd agree with Mother after a while you tend not to feel hungry in the morning and yes to reducing sugar and carbs, makes an enormous difference to how your body functions.

Shameless placemarking

Yes, and amazingly, you don’t feel hungry at all in the morning during 16:8 (I have found that having carbs or sugar in the morning makes me want more sugar and carbs throughout the day as an addict looking for drugs).

Which brings another good habit, avoid sugar as much as you can in a regular basis (the odd cake is ok but cutting regular sugar consumption like a spoonful of sugar in tea, makes a big difference)

16:8 fasting is this a permanent thing? So never eat except in an 8 hour window? Just having toast having had cereal already at 7,30 and realise this may be why I don't lose weight 🙄

Rather than buy the Miracle Mornings book - which many of the Amazon reviews say are mostly filler - simply Google SAVERS Hal Elrod and you can find the ideas summarised quickly. I did this last night and started this morning!

What a great thread!

My habits are mainly work related but I have carried them over into home too. Around 5/6 years ago I was really unhappy at work, and started listening to the audiobook of ‘The Happiness Project’ on my drive to and from work (still listen to the podcast on occasion).

Two strategies she suggested that I consistently use at work are the power hour - prioritising all the little tasks that can be accomplished quickly, and dedicating an hour to them. I do this once a week and it has transformed my life at work. I pick an hour each week and dedicate time to all my little jobs (I am a teacher so can’t often use my time like this).

I also spend some time at home in the early evening (not really an hour, just 30mins or so) before DD goes to bed going around the house picking up all the bits and bobs that are in the wrong place or need tidied away and put them back in the right place. Sounds silly but means everything is all tidy before DH and I have dinner so we can get on with our evenings without having to do any tidying up.

The other thing I took from THP was a kind of mantra ‘be kind to your future self’. Essentially I try to make my own life easier for tomorrow - so, I always write my list of priorities for work for the next day before I leave for the day, make sure little bits and bobs that shouldn’t really be left are done, do boring tasks properly to avoid having to redo them (mainly dull admin tasks!).

I like lists and control and have realised during lockdown while at home more that lacking these routines are causing me a bit of stress.

I have read all the other posts with great interest, I am not so good at carrying over habits to my own actions/behaviours at home so I would like to put some of the ideas into practice, especially about drinking less Diet Coke and snacking!

Fab thread, thanks OP!

really good thread thank you. I'm def going to take some of the tips.

I know that for me:

Getting up an hour earlier than the rest of the house - I have a quiet coffee and thinking about chores/jobs etc
An early morning run
Daily gratitudes and affirmations and intentions etc
Yoga
Fasting
Meditation

Those all really work. I'm not good at doing them every day though, and need to use my early morning for something other than thinking about the jobs for the day. I think I have the Miracle Morning book somewhere. I'm also going to read some of the habit books and work out how to set a habit.

Otherwise I'm going to find some daily vitamins. Wfh during lockdown has pretty much destroyed me. I'm exhausted at the end of each day and my work-life balance is shot. I need to redress that a bit. (a lot),

Oh and magnesium every night !! Life changing !! Sleep a deep restorative sleep.

Yoga ..doesn't have to be a full on sweat fest every day . But get my mat out and do something has been life changing

Don't think they were mocking you, just making a joke. I wouldn't read any ill intent into it!!