Habits that make you healthier, more organised or just somehow improve your life

[mynameisnotkate]

There was a great thread on MN about a year ago where people were sharing their useful habits. I picked up a good few, but have kind of lost my mojo and am looking for inspiration. Any ideas?

Things I've tried:

• getting up earlier - really like this, am going back to this soon
• Wim Hof - planning to go back to cold showers, but didn't get much out of the breathing
• drink four pints of water a day - have really given up on this but want to restart, it definitely makes me feel better
• 16:8 fast - again, I want to get back into this, it helps with weight, though on its own it's not enough
• ways to make me more efficient at work - have tried lots but find it really hard to make things stick. A task diary is quite useful.

What have you tried that worked / didn't work?

Download Trello and create holiday packing lists. Create 3 cards 'to take', 'packed', 'not taking'.

Copy to a new board for each holiday. Onto the 'not taking' card you move items that you don't need for that specific holiday as it's then there when you copy it into the next holiday and you can move it to the 'to pack' one if needed.

This has been revolutionary and means I don't need to start from scratch with making packing lists before every holiday. As new things come up, I add them to my 'current' holiday board.

Cleaning - I do 30 mins a day. Doesn't matter what, I just do it. So could be hoovering or the bathroom or sorting out a cupboard but 30 mins feels achievable and I never do a big clean
I live alone so I don't clean on weekends either as 2.5hrs is enough!

Never walk from room to room empty handed - always take something with you that needs to be put away. It’s become such a habit that I don’t even realise I’m doing it sometimes.

It’s helped me avoid the slow gradual build up of little things - my apartment looks significantly tidier since I started doing it!

More water. More sleep.

I'm going to steal that hot water next to the bed idea. Genius, especially for winter.

This isn't helpful to anybody but weirdly, pregnancy has been a major life hack for me. Not only have I dropped caffeine and booze (and feel so much better for it) but my body naturally dislikes all processed foods all of a sudden and I'm sleeping better. I'm hoping to keep all of this rolling when the baby is out.

It's like my body couldn't find the motivation just 'for me' but with the baby on board, it's suddenly healthy me. Magic.

Team TOMM

Great thread, thanks OP and all others, watching now.

I recommend this book if you need to get organised.

For me its not planning too many things. I always used to then the day arrived. I got frustrated by the amount I had to do and ended up not doing or enjoying anything. Now i plan no more than 3 things a day

Kick the caffeine addiction and stay off it. Drink more water/ decaffeinated drinks and stay more hydrated. My mornings are now a million times better, my head is a lot clearer at work and at home, and if I ever am very tired and need a pick me up, I really feel the benefit of half a cup of ordinary coffee or green tea, without any of the drawbacks.

I make notes on my phone for jobs to do each day and find it really satisfying to delete when completed. I use a paper family organiser for everything else and try to stick to regular days for weekly bed changing etc.
Monthly jobs I do on the 1st of every month so I don’t forget- animal flea treatments, filter changes in the water jug and so on.

"Dont put it down, put it away"

I was about to write that and you beat me to it! It was a saying of my late DMs - she even pinned it to my bedroom door when I was a teenager.

I have to say that I'm hopeless at following her advice, but it really does save time in the long run - and I am going to try to stick to it (once I've cleared the current mess of stuff off the table).

Bullet journal for planning. I have one for work which is in a slightly different format to my personal one.

Read the life changing magic of tidying by marie kondo. Have less stuff in the house - it really does help to stay on top of things.

I also really like how to do everything and be happy by peter jones to help with long term planning and figuring out what is important to you and what you can let slide.

We do a Sunday Summit (great name!) but after brunch when the kids have run off. None of the 4 of us has a routine schedule through the week and it changes week to week 🙄 so our shared calendars have to be confirmed weekly. I usually make a paper copy to stick on the fridge as well.

Buying a bigger fridge! It occupies nearly a quarter of our tiny kitchen but not having to cram stuff in and not having to shop every couple of days is worth it.

Great thread!

Something I haven’t cracked yet but DH has… is to somehow stop asking whether I «feel» like doing something or not, and just do it. I am reading The Antidote - Happiness for People Who Cant Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman, and it’s something he mentions. I do this all the time and it’s stopping me from doing what I want to do and developing better habits. Getting up early, for example, I want to get up at 6:30am so I can have a little me time / less hectic start to the day but when it rolls around, I’m cosy in bed, I don’t actually have to get up, I can stay in bed and read the news in my phone etc… DH just gets up. Ditto drinking / alcohol free days… I want to not drink any alcohol say Monday through to Thursday… but by Wednesday 5pm I’m asking myself whether I «feel» like having a glass of wine while I cook dinner…? Of course I do - who wouldn’t?? (Wednesdays are traditionally super busy / stressful days for us). Whereas DH just doesn’t, how he feels doesn’t come into it (he barely drinks at all these days, and when he does it’s a conscious choice). Another one - I’d love to have the habit of tidying my nails up in the evening 2-3 nights a week. But it comes around and I just don’t feel like it: I’m tired, I’d rather read my book or go to bed etc. So it doesn’t happen because I didn’t feel like in the moment.

I’m sure that recognising this is part of the solution but I’m not quite sure what the next step is - the part where I learn to ignore what I feel in the moment and just bloody do it!

Sorry OP - this is the opposite of a tip but maybe you can learn from my DH!

Following, great suggestions.

I'm not working and don't have children so I don't NEED to be as organised but a couple of things.

Book things in advance, I get my nails done every 3 weeks, the lady that does my nails hands over her diary as soon as she gets it and I take my diary and book myself in for 12 months at a time.

I have a tassimo and I have the pods on a repeat order.

When I was working if there was something I needed to take, I would put it at the front door so I physically can't get out of the house without picking it up. If it was something like a cheesecake which had to be kept in the fridge I'd put a post it note on the door.

When I was doing my PGCE I had a 'uniform' of black linen trousers and 5 shirts, the same shirt in different material.

It's worth noting that some suggestions work better for others so don't feel bad if you read something, feel you should be doing it but know you can't! (For me, zero inbox & buying presents in January!)

I realised in lockdown that I need external accountability - even if I've created it for myself! Eg I exercised quite intensively, daily. Then lockdown came, routines gone, and I really struggled.

So I do a HIIT / Strength class at 5:50 every day. Once it's booked in, I regard it as mandatory & always do it. It has the effect of creating an hour in my day after the class where I can get time to do some quick jobs, have breakfast in peace, read the paper. I find I can't just get up & do this - I have to have the external impetus of the class.

Pomodoro method. Timer for 20 minutes, complete focus on a task, then stop. (You can reset eg after 5 / 10 min break). I find it invaluable for focusing on something I find hard to do in work, and as a way to get a few quick jobs done in the house.

Children - I'm a single parent, busy job, no support. 3 kids 10, 12, 14. They've always had jobs but now they are older I have a power hour of us all doing tasks. It's amazing how much 4 people can do in an hour!

@workwoes123

Something I haven’t cracked yet but DH has… is to somehow stop asking whether I «feel» like doing something or not, and just do it. I am reading The Antidote - Happiness for People Who Cant Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman, and it’s something he mentions. I do this all the time and it’s stopping me from doing what I want to do and developing better habits. Getting up early, for example, I want to get up at 6:30am so I can have a little me time / less hectic start to the day but when it rolls around, I’m cosy in bed, I don’t actually have to get up, I can stay in bed and read the news in my phone etc… DH just gets up. Ditto drinking / alcohol free days… I want to not drink any alcohol say Monday through to Thursday… but by Wednesday 5pm I’m asking myself whether I «feel» like having a glass of wine while I cook dinner…? Of course I do - who wouldn’t?? (Wednesdays are traditionally super busy / stressful days for us). Whereas DH just doesn’t, how he feels doesn’t come into it (he barely drinks at all these days, and when he does it’s a conscious choice). Another one - I’d love to have the habit of tidying my nails up in the evening 2-3 nights a week. But it comes around and I just don’t feel like it: I’m tired, I’d rather read my book or go to bed etc. So it doesn’t happen because I didn’t feel like in the moment.

I’m sure that recognising this is part of the solution but I’m not quite sure what the next step is - the part where I learn to ignore what I feel in the moment and just bloody do it!

Sorry OP - this is the opposite of a tip but maybe you can learn from my DH!

My DH is the same, when he has decided to do something how he feels doesn't seem to come into it. In fact, not wanting to do something seems to steel him to do it more.

I want to start an exercise routine but hold myself back thinking about what I feel like. I know it's dumb but still do it.

Paper work diary that I use for lists for each day - I list work tasks only so that I don't get distracted by life admin.

Giving up on fancy meal plans and creating them based on what the DC will actually eat!

My newest learned life skill is something I picked up from the pandemic. For about 30 years I woke up and hit the ground running. I never knew my busyness was causing me stress because I was so used to it. The pandemic has been such an eye opener. Now that we're returning to normal, I'm not. One of the things I do is wake up early, at the same time everyday, make a pot of tea and sit in bed with it. It's a lovely new routine for starting the day slowly and thoughtfully. I just don't rush anymore. Lists are wonderful but I don't need them because I do so little I can remember what I'm doing.

My DH is the same, when he has decided to do something how he feels doesn't seem to come into it. In fact, not wanting to do something seems to steel him to do it more.

I want to start an exercise routine but hold myself back thinking about what I feel like. I know it's dumb but still do it.

You might find Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies useful on this: quiz.gretchenrubin.com/

She has a book on it & lots of podcasts.

Like anything, nothing is that simple but it's quite good at figuring out what motivates you - compared to someone else.

I'm a mixture of an Obliger & Upholder - so I will set myself tasks, and commit to them, but they've to be linked to some form of accountability, even if that's one set by myself.

I also like PP suggestion of a list of what you've done. I've started this & realise I do a lot more than I realise. I also realise that I have unrealistic expectations & imagine I can do more than I really can.

I also have realised the power of having money to throw at a problem. Although I've a good job, I'm on a tight budget (single parent). My DB & DSIL are high-earners & outsource effectively - a lot of childcare to cover extra hours needed, including their nanny coming for part of the day my SIL doesn't work, cleaner coming twice a week. That won't be my life, but I recognise that having the resources for that kind of help makes life a lot easier.

@NigelWithTheBrie79

Mine is one that I actually got from mumsnet ages ago and still do. If you use your debit card for anything go on your banking app and transfer the pennies into your savings account (or odd pounds and pennies if you prefer) so if I had for instance £367.84 in the bank I would transfer the 84p or 2.84 if I could stretch to it. It does add up quickly.

If you use Revolut you can set this go to happen automatically after every transaction.