Small, inexpensive wellbeing changes that helped you as a busy single parent

[Anyavailableusernames]

Following on from a tough year, I feel like I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Still having difficult days and I want to keep working on myself. I have a teenage DD and a dog, I'm a single parent, working full time, struggling to stretch wages each month...much like most of us. I'm looking for ideas for any small, inexpensive changes you might have made that you feel have made a positive impact on your wellbeing, physical and/or mental.

I already run as regularly as possible and try to add some strength work where possible. I've also tried getting into breathwork and have recently started using a dog-walker a couple of times a week when I can't be home during the day. I'm thinking along the lines of 'swapped coffee for matcha tea', 'started taking XYZ supplement', 'have an earlier night once a week' and any other simple changes I could try. At the moment, I feel overwhelmed with work, life and everything in between so looking to make things feel a bit less stressful one step at a time!

Putting one or two freezable meals on the meal plan and cooking double on those nights so when you are frazzled there’s a nutritious budget friendly option with no effort. Saving a small amount each month for Christmas.

Oh, and my kids were smaller so might not apply but saving something for my own birthday and Christmas presents too!

Don't watch the news or read the papers, and avoid current affairs programmes.

Doing this has reduced my stress levels considerably. There's no point in getting stressed out over the awful things going on in the world if there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.

Using loads of Notes on my phone to create easy reference lists for everything from daily to-dos to clothes my kids need, weeknight meal ideas, kids weights heights and other medical info, things I need to set aside money for each month and how much, present ideas, party plans, nice things I might buy myself if I get a windfall, etc etc.

The list of lists is endless but it’s all in one place!!

get a Japanese washcloth

www.amazon.co.uk/Daryunk-Exfoliating-Washcloth-Specifically-Scrubbing/dp/B0F4325854/ref=sr_1_7_pp?crid=26KFRVFO8L13&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qHtYE-dJaUXocJIDXynONDaIDs3FclBk84j8MlQNVKOcwy0r-t4Ky89l2vV0hE5hTSOw4r60HywL1TlziBBc9iaGkULrLYTtobx3iU5o9PGEDZ9LUOlOsMcdb58XCO5cy58maGFWSMzu6vzU4wB4MXtVs9E_wLOi1AA0m0fphO8hRF2VpXlS0vQT-LgQ8PNB53UFKN4fUSofqpx7AHTwqqluA56kVQSpTtJrXSHMGK3Hc-E5esCCh2bRRSfepSz5rigaIIZboJfjylDrp4JVrkOG73GIhY9hatEd029pv2w.dUruxU3RVDDqZgKWb_bcqpqONPp7FtQqkZcKSwCJCLU&dib_tag=se&keywords=japanese+washcloth&qid=1773699202&sprefix=japanese+washcloth%2Caps%2C268&sr=8-7

and some of this

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CeraVe-SA-Smoothing-Cleanser-236ml/dp/B07W8H2X23/ref=sr_1_4_pp?crid=1ZWEDFY9L5DY9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KqGy16TcrIE4rdOI8-_ZTkFY8EJUTlc-5KX6SwSbi9KAVKrJhzAiv0605aFtleNxHTEq4rScoW2CvTLTyzugydigxjw0mG37eLVAx1pu2N4dd74w5N22O2nIb0mFm2Y8maZbGwF29YzsTNKHUp9P6IGfTJzCd1o10o_gxseE6U9l0ba2L2axPomNIXHFxwO7dcuxIJsIOg_8tHfVl2_o_IV42phm72tBp2wbXJM14fa6GRYDp-N87VTMPwEjTvktjPcg2uBh8sBI3Pl4293mJhOPBmZMdPxwja-jlOkki20.lQo9UgPBDggf2zantCXhkf3srQ1wHTJI1sBjbOJt6_g&dib_tag=se&keywords=cerave+cleanser&qid=1773699159&sprefix=cerave+cleanse%2Caps%2C264&sr=8-4

then apply this

www.amazon.co.uk/CeraVe-Moisturising-Hyaluronic-Essential-Ceramides/dp/B00YT1IZTO/ref=sr_1_1_pp?crid=3M9Z9HHF2VNGM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6kfoPfNcvRp6uRIIR0t56J7qLR8GwliE7oAdOxgvGE8wMfENtQSmj0CYCFiUL1HDfyGrk2P6yuQ9SM31LOIKqYvxoS2-CEqOSFQ8KD1IbOrw3eDjR8QPHpdUmJhQUFNke7QqBnra8noAPSLb8DRo7UzImvnw1ADgsF7rEZp8hQfdGrBIQmz33gHAsM9ztKUJCHkfbHG6kZ8_m9Jp3ySlyJMtSL0nUyS9s7sHrIPNjXU6c7uIgtD84l2cq7eszTcp8Isjn_8e5rv5-f7Izbw-3PwKv-W0Z3Q6mC8nbZljI2E.NYEfmqOfuQmHFZqqcjOjMSb3duA7aFnW9JJsmG6oZLw&dib_tag=se&keywords=cerave+moisturiser&qid=1773699255&sprefix=cerave+m%2Caps%2C690&sr=8-1

sorry about the horrible links

It will make your skin so soft :)

Buying some nice smelling sprays to clean my cabinets and surfaces with, making my home a proper retreat with candles, good lighting, smells nice etc

I also add small amounts of complex fibres to my food instead of sugar - inulin in coffee, dried green banana and dried baobab on porridge, ground flax seeds and PHGG to porridge - only 2-3g of each - it has really helped my gut health and my skin :)

I make overnight Weetabix with a yummy fage yoghurt and I add two tablespoons of ground flaxseed to the crushed Weetabix as it has excellent nutritional value and food for protein and fibre. It’s improved my satiety and (cough) regularity. I also run too and I have found the YouTube channel “run with ash”
absolutely wonderful. He really
focuses on recovery for runners and is so slow and purposeful. Deep stretching and yoga type movements. I feel fantastic after one of his sessions.

• Buy a shedload of cards and stamps, keep them together in a box.
• Get a spider plant, grow more spider plants from it ad infinitum.
• Get the Borrowbox and Libby apps on your phone and borrow audiobooks via your library for free.
• Make a massive batch of concentrated roasted tomato and veg sauce and freeze it in those massive ice cube trays. You now have soup, pasta sauce, sauce for patatas bravas, base for curry, something to top grilled fish with etc.
• Mix softened butter with minced garlic and any chopped green herbs, salt, shallot too if you have it. Freeze it wrapped in a log shape in parchment. Make garlic bread very quickly or add it to steamed veg, on top of grilled fish, on new potatoes etc. You now have much tastier, butterier, food.
• Keep stocks of frozen white fish fillets, frozen green beans, frozen spinach, and tins of butter beans.
• Find a big piece of thin ply and tack an edge all around it. Buy a charity shop jigsaw. Start jigsaw of an evening, instead of watching telly, and slide the whole thing out of the way under the sofa for a bit when you need the space back.
• Get yourself a Contigo travel mug, take a brew everywhere with you and never pay £3.50 for hot water with an afterthought tea bag in it again.
• Stop using fabric conditioner and use a few squirts of spirit vinegar instead (unless you're very attached to the synthetic perfume smell of FC).
• Get a bird feeder of some sort and put it somewhere you can see it from indoors.
• Google "no knead focaccia" and have delicious bread within a few hours.
• Set up a routine for your Alexa so the display powers down between your preferred bedtime hours, and never get stuck mesmerised by the bloody clock numbers at 3am again.

Take L theanine and magnesium supplements - amazing results if you’re feeling stressed, frazzled or unable to sleep

Batch cooking saved me time and money, but more importantly, made me feel like I “had my sh@@ together”. Nice bubble baths once a week after hair “management”. Growing veg in the garden was and still is also positive.

Buying meal plans online (I know I could write them myself but I’m decisioned out) massively helps now I just need to pick a week & it’s all sorted. They are batch cook /meal prep plans so once made I’m set. (Sorry I think I’ve explained that badly, I follow beat the budget & bought her plans)

i grow my own cut flowers, i love growing from seed so much, brings me more joy than I can say. (And is now over taking the garden) but seeds are cheap & time outside is lovely. It also means i have flowers most of the year in my home.

I listen to a meditation from my favourite online yoga instructor every night & do a short morning yoga practice to start my day. Even 10 mins makes a difference to how I feel.

Thanks to everyone so far - some really great suggestions!

@TheEgg2 yes, being a person who batch cooks is definitely an aspiration of mine!

@PuzzlingRecluse I love the idea of growing my own cut flowers - I spend far too much on buying them because I love having fresh flowers in the house. Never thought to grow my own!!

Keep them coming!

Creating and collagen. But collagen is actually quite an expensive supplement. Creatine isn’t, and every woman should be taking it. The help for energy levels, improvement in your muscles, less achey pains, and helping clear brain fog.

I’m not a gym person so I started taking it for the cognitive benefits, and noticed a huge difference (stressed single mum running a business so brain is all over the place). But if you work out, it will make you feel so much stronger.

I take 10g a day.