To ask what your best investment in yourself has been?

[HeyItsPickleRick]

Come on mumsnet, creep my lifestyle!

Inspired by the personal stylist post - I’m wondering what is the best thing you’ve bought for yourself?

Mine has 100% been my peloton and all the dumbbells. First exercise I’ve ever stuck to!

Botox, PT, Invisalign and therapy.

Moving me and my family from the city to live on a beautiful island. the sense of wellbeing every time I look out the window is priceless.

Weight loss injections so I could start horse riding again. Getting a horse. Now slim as a whip and and all sorts of other conditions like inflamation and psoriasis have resolved themselves.

The succession of little terrier dogs i have had during my adult life.

You don't have to be born into wealth to get an education - look at the US students - you can borrow, and then pay back. You can take responsibility for your own education, we don't have to tax a train driver so you can study history of art. Only you will have to think twice before choosing a sociology degree if you pay yourself as you will have to think 'how will I pay it all back if I transfer my sociology skills to a coffee bar'?

My surgery went well thanks. I’m still taking it easy and haven’t got my full vision back yet due to an adjustment period but the surgery itself was straightforward. I can drive short distances minus my glasses which is fantastic!

Ah, thank you for the reply! Am a bit concerned you don't have full vision back yet,how long is it since the op? I was hoping to combine my recovery with a weeks canal.holiday we already have booked 😆 - to be fair I only have to steer in and out of the locks - just wondering how much you have to "rest up".
Thanks for sharing your experience xx

The long term investment of a private pension. With that and my occupational pension, I was able to retire at 57.

Oh jeez. Not this again.

Fab, another thing to worry about 😂

Divorce

When I say full vision, I can see everything but close work such as reading labels is not crystal clear. It’s been just over a week and it can take a while to fully adjust.
A canal holiday sounds ideal! Take a good pair of sunglasses as you’ll be more sensitive to light.

Thank you!! Great advice re sunglasses....think I'll be going for it then (assuming I'm suitable of course)
Really appreciate your help xxx

Professionally, my best investment was setting up my own small accountancy practice. In the first few practices where I worked, I was in awe of the partners who seemed brilliantly educated and able with tax and business mergers, etc., and always felt I was on a lower level, even after qualifying and working my way up to manager level. It was after a small spell working in industry that I returned to accounting practice for what I thought was a well respected small firm back in my home town that I'd always looked up to. What a shock when I started working there. The two partners were hopeless - not a patch on the partners in the previous firms - despite one being middle aged and the other being approaching retirement (their plan was for me to replace the retiring partner in a few years). They did none of the clever tax planning that was common and routine in my previous firms such as trusts, limited companies, etc., so were really letting down their clients. I quickly realised that I was actually good enough to run my own practice, so I started doing "sideline" work to get a few clients together using an anonymous business name, second mobile phone number, etc so the employers wouldn't notice what I was doing! After a year, I had a load of clients for whom I was working evenings and weekends, and was just getting the confidence to go full time and hand in my notice, when my employers found out what I was doing! It gave me the push I needed and I left literally the moment the meeting ended where they told me they knew what I was doing. Never even cleaned out my desk drawers as there was nothing personal there. I just resigned on the spot. Never looked back for a single second.

Can I ask, what's the difference between psychotherapy and counselling?

Although I didn't pay for it as it was on the NHS, Ive used Mind this year and the experience was amazing.
So Im going to say my time was the biggest investment in taking care of me.

Psychotherapy is usually longer term eg years. Psychotherapy will look at conscious and unconscious reason for behaviour , and trauma. Not as structured or outcome focussed as counselling. Freud was considered the pioneer of psychotherapy (although his methods and case studies are unreliable). Low cost psychotherapy available via Tavistock if you select a trainee whose supervisor by qualified psychotherapist

counselling is shorter in duration and more outcome focussed eg address a specific presentation eg anxiety. Talk therapy, is available via gp or self referral. Mind also offer subsidised cost therapy. Counselling will have a defined emphasis , address a behaviour or symptom

be aware counsellor and psychotherapist are both unprotected title, anyone can call them self counsellor or psychotherapist chose wisely. Use BACP FIND A THERAPIST

psychologist is protected title. Graduate with a post grad and HCPC registration and regulation

psychiatrist medical doctor, undergraduate medical degree and additional post grad training in mental health. Regulated by GMC

@Zone2NorthLondon
Thank you for your time in explaining that to me.

Ive had counselling a fair bit over the years but I was only made aware that most of the therapists in talking therapies are trainees earlier this year.
My issues were too complex for a trainee and so I got a psychologist with Mind and it was the best therapy I've had. She was amazing at helping me understand things and I put the work in and I feel better than I think I ever have

@nooschmoowould you be able to / happy to share your list? I need some insp!

Of course 😊
Walk the Cleveland way (this has been my favourite-did this in sections over 2 years with various people joining different sections)
Dress up & go to Whitby goth weekend-amazing
Read 50 books before 50-joined a book club to do this, have met new people & read books I otherwise wouldn’t have picked up
Picnic on the Moors under a full moon-loved this; drank Prosecco & chatted shit sat in deckchairs watching the stars & moon
Spa weekend with my daughter-all booked, looking forward to it
Go to a festival (did a food festival weekend)-just brilliant
Meet up with people I went to uni with in the 90’s-ended up meeting up in north wales, my son climbed snowden & we all went on the zip wire there
meet up with people I used to work with 10 years ago; we’ve all kept in contact & over the years moved to various parts of the uk. Met in the middle & had a lovely weekend.
Go to see various shows-went to War of the Worlds, and the Rocky Horror Picture Show
Been to see bands I’ve been meaning to see for years
Started walking the Wainwright’s walks in the Lakes
Currently learning how to use the sewing machine that’s been in my cupboard for years
Finishing some projects I’ve had going for years…

I won’t achieve all my 50 things, I think I’ll get to 30 ish of them (I’m 50 in 2 months & only started this 3 years ago 😁) & actually some are no longer really relevant, but it’s been amazing doing the ones I have. I’m already planning a ‘60’ list…

My 60 list so far has:

Learn to put a zip in, so I can sew more fitted clothes patterns - I think I need to book a class for this

Finally find my signature scent

Give up caffeine- currently two weeks in and doing well so far

Stay in Oxford uni and have breakfast in a hall

Do a cruise

See as many gigs and theatre as possible

Visit Oscar Wilde’s grave

Need to keep adding to it, but zip wires definitely won’t feature on it!

Hold the bus. 60!!!

No way. I’ve loved pretty much all your recommendations on S&B over the years. I didn’t think you were any older than 45.

You’re a rock star!

My degree and invisalign / braces.

Hoping to add therapy this year

You have missed massive controversy over student loans in the USA then….

Ha ha. Thank you! I'm 55 but mostly refuse to accept that I'm a day over 19

Naaah, read up on US student loan collections resume under Trump. Biden's doing will be undone by Trump and successive administrations, and fairness will resume, nobody will be leeching off the backs of their taxpayers anymore, unlike over here.

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie, don’t know if you’re already aware of University Rooms? They offer exactly that, usually during vacations.

https://www.universityrooms.com/

I used them for years when I had to run down to Oxford for a couple of nights and didn’t want to pay hotel prices. They have become much more expensive lately (and they’ve expended their remit) but it’s still a good way of arranging a few nights in a college. IIRC you breakfast in very grand surroundings at Christ Church, though the accommodation might be a bit basic.