One Small Thing That Makes Life Better?

[NoisySnail]

What small thing did you start doing that makes your life better?

I also love getting up before anyone else stirs and having my cuppa in peace. Dcat is always happy to see me. We spend a little time communing together.

Decluttering every six months or so is another habit I'd recommend. I do it in spring and autumn. There's usually something I realise I haven't worn at all for good reason during the preceding season, or something that has given its all for several years and is beyond saving.

I agree about the fresh flowers. I buy weekly from Asda. Ru bbing herbal massage oil into my hips of an evening plus lower back. Enjoying an occasional bath with Radox especially in the winter.

Exercising most days using dumbbells with Caroline Girvan

Limiting alcohol and ice-cream

Healthy Mediterranean type diet and virtually no sugar, refined carbs, UPF

Ditch shoes with heels and instead invest in nice trainers, ballet flats and a few kitten heels

Walking meditation

Vanilla Matcha latte (hot during winter, iced in the summer)

Long distance running

Audiobooks during chores/errands

Habit stacking

10 minute evening stretching (everything feels bearable after this)

Gardening

Teaching my 12 year old DD new syllable blends. She has ASD and Verbal Dyspraxia and no one works harder/as joyfully as her

Parkrun with my 10 yo DS. He's amazing

XBox DnD gaming with DH. We laugh together every single time

And yes to decluttering.
Though that was a pretty major undertaking to begin with.
Though it gets easier with time!

Waking up with DD wedged between me and DH. She’ always has her head squeezed by my face and there’s something about waking up to the smell of her head that just sets me up for the day.

It sounds really weird. But you know
how babies heads smell so good? It still smells good years later too, just in a different way. I can’t even explain it. Like home, but not where you live.. but where you’re always meant to be forever?

My Nespresso machine. I get up before DH, let the dogs out, and sit with a lovely mug of coffee every morning. I love the peace.

There was a Facebook glitch a few weeks ago and it logged out of my phone. I’ve not bothered logging it back in and it’s lovely. Can still check it on our main computer but I rarely bother now.

I hadn’t realised how much mental energy I’d been wasting on that nonsense and how little it really matters whether I knew about the holiday of a woman I haven’t seen since 2011.

Oh, and I always try to eat a lovely home cooked supper with a small glass of wine, followed by a square of dark chocolate or little piece of cheese with coffee each evening.

Small is defined by each individual. I've added going to the gym to my life but i know that can be seen as a big thing. And I've reinstated a weekly house clean, 1 hr upstairs one day a week and 1hr downstairs another day a week. Both of these things are in line with my values and ethics about how to live a good life so i get a boost from them even if i don't enjoy doing them.

A nap. Nothing better than a 30 minute snooze.

Listening to audiobooks. Having Stephen Fry read me P. G. Wodehouse and Sherlock Holmes is heaven. Evelyn Waugh and Dickens were also made to be read out loud.

Having a regularly replenished book and chocolate stash!

Swimming before I start work.

Getting my cat - he is like a weighted blanket, so soothing to hang out with.

This

buying a long hot water bottle and putting it in the covers whilst doing bedtime with the baby.

i draw the curtains,put the lamp on and quickly put any clothes away so when I eventually return (!) to my room, it’s a little oasis of calm with a nice warm bed to lay in.

I've been dithering about getting audible - this was a great reminder thank you

Good quality sunscreen for my face that doesn't give me spots.

Going out for a coffee. I sit outside where I can smoke watch the world go by. It always feels like a little holiday 😄

Heated throw on my bed.

Oestrogen cream for my aged vag!

Giving up doing huge loads of ironing, now I iron the evening before if really needed, if not we go wrinkly.

Switching to whole grains.

A good bean to cup coffee machine to start the day with a good coffee.

Regular exercise, which I've done forever and couldn't do without.

My little Shark hoover.

Aroma Works aromatherapy candles.

And to echo PPs, regular decluttering. It took 5 years to get rid of our excess stuff. I now just keep on top of it regularly by taking 1 bag for life of stuff to the charity shop.

Exercise!

🤙🏼

Exercising daily
Drinking 2-3 litres of water a day
Long walks + audiobook/podcast
Supplements
Going to bed early and waking up early
Eating clean 95% of the time
Cooking from scratch when not eating out
Not watching news, ever
Living alone
Being mindful of how I feel

Most importantly, feeling immense gratitude for all of the above 😊