Anyone up for a ‘sort yourself out’ supportive encouraging thread?

[SpringOn]

Hi,
I’m 47, feeing old. I’ve very much lost my way with style, exercise, hair, you name it.
I need to:
lose two stone
decide what to do with my witchy mostly grey hair (I’ve been growing out dark brown dye for 10 months, decided to go grey, but I feel so old! Don’t know whether to go back to dye or stay grey).
mu wardrobe is a disaster. I have some decent smart work stuff but my casual clothes are basically lairy leggings and hoodies. I am a size 20.
My house needs a good clean and de clutter
I want to grow veg and have lovely flowers in the garden

Good bits:
I have a great husband, three fab kids and a job I love
I walk the dog for about 20 mins every day

Anyone want to join for self- improvement on an encouraging thread?

Ah @ColdHandsHotHead it is SO easy to get to the end of the day having hardly drunk anything! Hope you have a pint next to you now 😁

Can I jump on please? I've been having a dreadful time MH wise lately. Just feeling old, fat and knackered. Early 40s, stressful job, relationship a bit sexless right now and just feeling deflated and kind of lumpen at the moment.

It's all kind of come to a head during the last few weeks when (embarrassingly) I've developed a roaring celebrity crush the likes of which I've not experienced since my teens, in terms of intensity and emotion. I know it's infatuation and I know it's clearly a symptom of feeling like I'm missing out in life. But it does just rather add to the 'everything is shit' theme.

So my plan is to sort out the things that are making me unhappy, in the hope that my mental health will improve alongside.

Why oh why did I open the Easter egg? (I had a small one on Sunday and was given a big one by my kids … lovely of them but argh). Anyway feeling slightly sick now.

Work is backing up atm so starting to feel v stressed again (working reduced hours through the holidays), but I rang a plumber today to sort the heating tomorrow (!) and sorted out a prescription so getting things off my procrastination list.

@Bootbear hello and welcome! Am really finding this thread helpful for both acknowledging the small wins but also setting small goals.

I didn’t walk or run today (weather and time not in my favour) but I will tomorrow morning.
Am going to knock a few more things off the procrastination list (errands can do with kids in tow - post office etc)
Allow myself to read a book/take a break at some point.

Am sitting down now for the first time today and going to read a bit: I’m reading Emily St John Mandel’s Sea of Tranquility and really enjoying it.

Half a litre of water 😭

That's great @SpringOn, glad this approach is working for you.

I love this - very similar position. I will be watching, wishing you absolute success 💐(hope this is the correct emoji taken in the spirit it’s intended 😅)

@Rshard oh dont worry at all, I'm just slightly envious. 😊 I have so little time to myself, yet feel the mum guilt for wishing timecaway.

Just reading on, seems I've offended a couple of people. It would be nice if we could keep it light hearted indeed, no one does know what others are going through.

On that note, I'll check out for today. I came here tonight full of positively to report a great day, and honestly feel a bit shit now

@Bemyclementine I want to hear about your great day!

am clinging onto my one achievement - drinking loads of water for the last two days! - and managing two decent nights sleep , which for an insomniac is a triumph! Tipping down with rain here so no exercise and house still a tip. Onwards for tomorrow. Not dared to go near the scales post holiday.

Ooh actually I forgot - I booked an eyebrow shape for next week! Small steps and all that 😀

Ooooh @Gloaming23 enough water and two good nights’ sleep is a great win! And well done on booking to have your brows done - it’s nice to have things like that to look forward (?) to. (I only had mine done once, years ago, and I seem to remember it was rather painful!)

Right, bed now for me. Sleep well everyone!

Hi All, would love to join in if that's ok? I'm 51, menopausal and knackered! I work 3 night shifts a week which really messes up my eating, meaning I've put a stone on in a year. I need to shift this, I'm achey, stiff and just generally feel like I've aged 10 years in 12 months. I walk a lot, over 20,000 steps on work nights and try to get over 10,000 on other days, often not managing. I start the day with good intentions, but somehow these fall by the wayside as I reach for the chocolate/sugar later. I really want to make better food choices, prioritise sleep and enjoy my life again.

Good morning everyone,
I came home really late last night - I watched a musical 🎤 😀- and was too knackered to make plans for today. I want to
-get my bike out and have a little tour
-1 liter water, 1 liter fruit tea

• declutter something. Haven't decided what. But I will continue listening to the Happier podcast while doing it.

Have a good day everybody.

You certainly didn’t offend me @Bemyclementine . Definitely come back and tell us about your great day.

We all have different lives and are at different stages of it, with different stuff that we want to address. Important thing is that we’re here doing something about it.

I'm pleased about that @Rshard , it realky wasn't my intention.

My day today, I work half a day, then will be picking tge DC up. We are going out for dinner because we have a gas problem so can't cook properly.

I have 2 bags to take to charity today so that feels like progress, abd 4 items to post for vinted sales.

Morning! Thankyou for the warm welcome SpringOn, and if you're willing to share, I'd love to know what you bought at M&S.

This thread came at just the right time for me. I had a PT session yesterday and I was very sluggish. I stepped on the scales this morning and the number was bigger than it has ever been.

So, I'm at my desk with black coffee and a bottle of water and I've done my teeny weeny morning workout. Slow and steady...

Hope you all have a good day xxx

Thanks for the welcome, @SpringOn. Very excited for this. I've really felt like I've been losing my mind this last month or so. I used to be physically fit, competent and sensible! It's been hard watching that crumble.

So, I like the 'three small things a day' approach. Mine today will be:

1. Meet an old friend this morning for coffee. I'm on holiday from work right now and, these last few days, I've just sat on the sofa staring at my phone but not seeing anything.

1. Read. This sounds like a real cop-out, but I've had such major brain fog and unhappiness that I've not been able to concentrate on any book. This is so upsetting as I'm a HUGE reader. But I've found a really enjoyably trashy looking book that should be manageable.

1. Put away the FOUR boxes of washed laundry that have been sitting in the upstairs hall for over a week.

So, nothing big but things that should make me feel a bit more in control and normal.

I've really enjoyed reading your updates.
I've realised that I haven't posted my own!
So, collectively this week I've been more active - lots more walking & I've started doing a short yoga session in the morning when I wake up. I'm hoping to start swimming again too.
I've been food shopping & spent a fortune on healthy food (salad, meat etc).
I did a bit of work yesterday & today I'm planning on doing more today.
A good start.
Thanks for starting this thread @SpringOn .

Ha @Bootbear
I had planned to find a good book and read a lot this week but I completely forgot! So thanks for the reminder.
I don't feel so good this morning, woke up with a headache. But went to see my mum and in the second I left the house I decided not to take the car but walk. So that was good. But I have to see how I get back because there is supposed to be a thunderstorm 😳. Spring, where are you?

@Bootbear I hear you with the reading. I love reading, but unless my phone is locked away somewhere I seem to have zero concentration span. Despite big improvements in the last week, I have still spent hours scrolling crap on my phone instead of doing anything either actually relaxing or productive. Audiobooks and podcasts seem like a good happy medium - I can get stuff done like gardening but also be entertained.
Although I also sometimes enjoy just listening to the sounds of the outside.

hope you all have a good day.

@SpringOn 4lb is great! Well done 👍🏻

This thread is so inspiring. Today so far I've got up put on washing, washed up, put all the shopping delivery away and cleared fridge and sorted my little one out.

Yesterday I only did two things from my list but that's ok, I ended up with a fairly busy day.

Today I will

Get out in the fresh air for dog walk

Little one and I going plane spotting and having a car picnic

Go on my peloton

Sort out some finance stuff

Eat as healthily as possible

Enjoy today all

I haven't put any updates up either. Its been busy with kids off school and doing lots of diy as dh and I are off too.
I've done lots of walking, dyed my hair, had my eyebrows done, had dcs birthday.
I'm doing some decluttering for the next couple of days but will also fit in some walking and taking dcs out.
I've got my mini greenhouse as well so need to set that up and pick up some plants. I'm hoping it's not too late to plant some seeds?

And I really want to get back to reading!
I have books to read (lots of them!) but nothing is grabbing me at the moment. Is this a phone thing?
Maybe I should choose one and force myself to read it.
Audiobooks are great and there's loads on YouTube. I've listened to quite a few this year.

Feeling pretty flat today (had a cold that has now gone but still tired - and I've achieved very little of the last few days, despite being off work) and I'm travelling to a gig this afternoon (1.5 hours by train, overnight stay). I need to warm myself up to actually wanting to go now (going with DH and meeting a couple of people there). We were going to go early and fit in a museum or something but neither of us want to now.

• Spend 20 minutes cleaning before I go (to include ensuite)
• Pack light (had a weekend away recently and didn't do this - very much regretted)
• Listen to more 'atomic habits' on train
• Avoid hangover and excessive calories
• Come back motivated!

So, I've just been invited to something next Saturday. I want to look better than I currently do and I'm going to do the following -

• weights and plank every day
• 8000 steps every day (if I get in more then great but it's hard when I'm working)
• no wheat or sugar
• intermittent fasting
• skin care. I have a gua sha that I've done occasionally but I'm now going to include that daily.
• 8 glasses of water a day

I'll hold myself accountable here and bore you all with my daily progress

Can I join please?

I am a lone parent and work full time. Saw family over Easter and one of them commented that I really must take some time for self-care, which I am terrible at doing! Then saw your thread.

It's really hard to know how to make it happen. I can't go out and exercise unless I get a babysitter. I do try to get out with friends occasionally for a meal but that's not often.

The last couple of years have been really difficult. I have health problems so it's hard just keeping on top of the basics.

I want to finish the clearout of my house, sort out my garden, get all my admin done, get my health on an even keel, sleep more, spend more time just being "present" with my children, sleep more, but there are only 24 hours per day so don't know where to start!