How would you prioritise these improvement actions

[overhaulmylife]

Unfortunately I feel like I need an overhaul in almost every aspect of my life. It’s quite overwhelming.

How would you prioritise these improvement actions:

Exercise 3 times per week
Fruit/Vegetables 4 times per week
2L water every day
Self care - shower, skincare, journal
House care - De-clutter, clean, improve
Finances - Effort to reduce food shop costs (meal plan), no wasting money (coffee), do a sort out of bills and opt to save where possible
Other - is there anything else you’d include and where would you place its priority

Can you try habit stacking and introduce one thing a week/fortnight? I’d start with water and 15 mins declutter each day and start from there.

It depends entirely on how urgent each item is. If you're in mountains of debt, just look at that.
Regular showers will make you feel much better, so definitely include those. Most importantly, be gentle with yourself and don't try to do it all at once.

Start to see how all that just feeds into your lifestyle. So meal planning includes fruit/veg. Get a water bottle, if you like cold water put it in the fridge and drink it over the day.
Why not just start by moving more for a few weeks, rather than exercise and get the house sorted? I used the Marie Kondo method.
So when you're into the swing of your planning and the house is on the way, decide what self care you can do and when. A simple one for me is is I enjoy seasonal nail colours. Include things that you enjoy, trips, days out etc in your self care. I've started reading again, as well as making sure I got out to beaches over summer. I've volunteered to walk someone's dog occasionally, so I'm walking around country parks again.
It should start to flow naturally.

I would focus on three achievable things for Jan - so maybe more water, more movement, and more fruit and veg. Set goals of drinking a litre of water every day, getting out of the house 5 days a week (and ideally doing some brisk walking) and eating (for example) one piece of fruit for breakfast every morning and a piece with dinner. Start small and work up - don't overload yourself and don't overthink it.

If and when you feel up to it you could start a charity shop bag and keep adding to that, and so on.

Looking at that list I can see why you are daunted by it. But it also looks alot like a list if standard published goals - which perhaps have little meaning to you. You need to figure out what you want to change about you and how you can achieve that. You also need to break these things down into smaller chunks and build up slowly to succeed.

As pp said I would start with the water. Get yourself a big water bottle - usually 1 litre and try to get through it, then try to refill and get through both.

Then I'd buy 7 piece of fruit you know you will eat. Eat 1 per day. Buy 7 more - taking I to account what you enjoyed etc.

Then I'd look at the shower- just that to begin with, don't give your skin too hard a time! Have an aim - is it once a day or before you go out on the days you go out to work etc?

Next add 1 vegetable to your day. Maybe at dinner but also try snacking on carrots celery ...

Financial wise, once you are up to it take a look at the Maryin Lewis Money Saving Expert site. There is a finance overhaul plan on there. It can be done in a day/ weekend but requires some prep. But that will set you some real goals.

On the house clearance - you need to decide whether again you can do a big push over 1-3 days depending on how big/cluttered your space is or start small. 15 minutes oer day / day not working. Or 1 room per weekend or as I am going to do 1 room per month to completely overhaul...

Good luck!

Sort your finances first if that’s urgent.
How much exercise do you already do? If none, maybe start with once a week rather than setting daunting targets.
Water and shower sound like manageable changes. I wouldn’t get too hung up on the fruit and veg portions at the moment.
Good luck anyway with any changes you make.

Is the 4 fruit/veg a day you are hoping for? Or a week?

I'd pair them up - a health/diet one with a household one, and try and introduce a pair a fortnight.

Week 1: fruit/veg and finance (because the meal planning will help with tye increasing fruit and veg).
Week 3: water (fruit and veg contain water, so you will be increasing this week 1 anyway) and cleaning/decluttering.
Week 5: excerise and self care (probably only last as I hate the idea of journaling!)

I would do water, shower, declutter and food bills consistently for 4 weeks. As they seem the easiest. Build them into a routine.

Then layer in 2 other things like the fruit and excerice (start with once per week for excericise).

Then when that becomes routine after 4 weeks build in 2 or 3 more things.

Do it gradually

Agree with pps - start with the easy wins; water and diet, cutting out coffee. Once those are established, tackle the others one by one.

Create a daily/weekly list and tick the things off.

Water daily
Shower daily
Meal plan weekly
Declutter weekly

Adding these 4 things to your routine is achievable and will feel good to see all the ticks.

4 weeks later if you are consistently doing them you know you're ready to layer in more things

I’d probably do half of most of them.

So

Every day
Shower and ten minute walk
Drink some decaf tea as well as normal tea

Do a meal plan which is kind of frugal and includes some easy veg (frozen peas?) and a few apples/oranges whatever you like. Tinned fruit in juice is fine too.

Keep the house tidy ish and every few days try and remove a few items.

I'd do the easy ones that make you feel better first. I'd also question what you're wanting to get from them for example do you do no exercise at the minute? If that's the case then I'd start with a 10 minute brisk walk every day and 1litre of water if you're not drinking any.
On the coffee front look at where you're buying it and why. If it's meeting up with friends then that's a social spend rather than a waste of money, but if it's going into work then start bringing your own which means you'll need at least a cafetiere and a thermal mug of some sort.
Personally I'd leave decluttering for now until you're feeling a bit better about yourself. I find it takes me a lot of energy to do it, so I need to be in the right mind-frame for it and then I do it in bursts - may have a go today.

I'd also through in a multi vitamin/mineral as well.

Why are you buying coffees? Is it part of a day out shopping? If so scrap the day out and you kill 2 birds one stone. If its commuting buy a travel thermos or mug.

Make a massive one pot meal twice a week or a huuuge veggie lasagne. An easy meal is cooking root veg in a tomato/stew sauce. Portion out immediately or you'll keep going back for seconds.

Walk to the shop each day to buy veg or a piece of fruit, give the walk a meaning.

Self care. Get in the bath or shower each evening after dinner and stay away from your eating hotspots (kitchen, lounge)

And don't schedule exercise in the evening unless you're paying for it so you have to go. Telling yourself you'll go for a walk in the evening is setting yourself up to fail.

No junk in the house. If you want chocolate that badly then you have to walk to the shop for it.

It totally depends on other factors

If you're dangerously overweight then the excessive, food and hydration efforts should be top priority

If you're drowning in debt and depressed about it, the financial side should come first

I'd start with self care, exercise and in tandem look at money issues. I'd increase your fruit and veg aims tbh. Best of luck op

It all depends on if you are one your own or have a family but I would put yourself first.
Exercise, try something you can do at home - I’m using Lucy Wyndham-Read at the moment as I haven’t been able to exercise for a month. I’ve just done a 12 minute low impact/high intensity one, she also does 7 minute ones, try to do one a day, it makes it easier to get into a habit and then you might want to do longer ones later on. Also walk outside if you can each day for 10 minutes for the fresh air.
Go to Superdrug if you can. Their skin care is excellent, the hot cloth one is easy to use and works, they also do good toners and face cream. If you need make up the vegan one they stock is incredible value for money when it comes to brows, eye liner and mascara. Go to the shower gels and find a scent you love - it doesn’t have to be expensive - so that it feels that each day begins with a treat for you, try the same with hand soap. All of this confirms that you matter and deserve to be looked after by yourself.
Next meal plan. There is a good thread going atm on what a seven day menu looks like, if you have a family this will help with ideas, if you are on your own it will help you to add fruit and veg to every meal, add porridge for breakfast, soup and a roll for lunch and you’re good. Jack Monroe also has some good recipes on her web site. Treat yourself to some ground coffee, a small cafetière and a thermal mug and have a good coffee once a day, it will keep hot if you are out, at work or at home, you can also use it for water, keep a glass you really like for your water at home, you could look in charity shops to find a special one and use it at least 4 times a day - unless it’s a shot glass.
I’ve just helped a friend with a small flat deal with clutter without - yet- throwing anything out. Of you are on your own or have a family, do the bathroom first. Clear the floor, put anything on the window sill/ bath, in a plastic box, that makes cleaning easier and will make showering a better experience, the aim is to make it a pleasant place to be. Do the same with the kitchen, make sure surfaces are as clear as possible, group things together so it looks planned not a mess if they are out, clean. If you live on your own do your bedroom next. Same process, make space on the floor, I use bags for shoes, out of season clothes, these can be put under the bed, around the sides, if you have a family do the living area in the same way. Keep a bin bag handy for any rubbish and chuck it out at once, anything you are uncertain about put in a bag or cupboard.; you can deal with it later when your living space isn’t cluttered.
If you have a journal write it up each night, try to achieve 3 things a day, one for you- exercise, shower, one for the house - de clutter and clean one shelf and one for the future such as make a healthy meal, even if it is a microwaved banana with yogurt and a square of dark chocolate!
Good luck