Making one small change each week

[ToriTheStoryteller]

I can't do overhauls, I don't want to count calories but I recognise that I'm living in a way that isn't making me feel very happy or healthy.

So, I'm going to make one change starting today, then add in another next week, and so on. By the end of the year I'm hoping that will ads up to a significant change for the better in how I feel, look and live.

Anyone else up for a more gentle alternative to massive resolutions? I'll update each week anyway even if no-one replies, so I record what I've done😂.

Week 1: No phone use after 8pm. I'm hoping that will improve my sleep, it's got out of hand in the last few months.

What's making you feel low @ToriTheStoryteller? Can we help?

First stab at new habit this morning. I'm sat in bed scrolling through Mumsnet drinking a really nice coffee with collagen & oat cream.

I've given up on HRT because it makes me feel anxious and I pile on the pounds when taking it. So, am giving some very expensive collagen powder a go, because the HRT does really help my joints which are very achy at my peri menopausal life stage.

It's also supposed to be great for mails, skin, hands r and gut lining, which supports your immune system. So will give it a go for a few weeks and report back.

Oh and am trying the oat cream as am feeling really congested in my third month of a horrendous cough. So trying to cut down the dairy for now. It actually tastes surprisingly yummy!

Thinking of getting an Alexa to stop me having my phone by the bed at night.

I frequently find myself scrolling, shopping, mumsnetting at night when I wake up. But get back to sleep by listening to podcasts. Thinking I could just do this on an Alexa instead and break the habit.

Great idea. Take a look at a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear - a brilliant book that really shows how you can start doing small things to change your life and if you’re consistent they become habits.

Welcome to the thread @flutterby1 Lovely to have another person to provide motivation and ideas!

@ToriTheStoryteller hope things are moving in the right direction for you. Keep the faith!

My 'new habit' is around just getting shit down. So basically doing tasks immediately rather than just thinking about doing stuff. This is both little things and bigger tasks. This morning I've used my scrolling time on my phone to cancel two unnecessary subscriptions- DisneyPlus and Degustabox - so helping to save money too!

I'm glad I found this thread. So far:

• yoga at home every morning, even if only 10 minutes
• something fermented every day like a spoonful of kimchi or sauerkraut
• time outside every day
• while the kettle's boiling, tidy one small area so that in 2 minutes you've made a difference
• setting the table for breakfast the night before.

Small things really but they make such a difference.

@LadyLucksalot I leave my yoga mat out next to my bed. Makes me think ooo I'll just do 5 mins. It often turns into 1/2 hr. It's really helping my stiffness 😊

Morning everyone, I've been lurking and reading whilst hoping to find some motivation to sort my life out.
Sorry nothing to add but @OnHerSolidFoundations I'm curious about the collagen for your coffee, also I've only seen oat milk, not cream. Where do you buy them please?

Oat cream is from Sainsbury's

www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/oatly-creamy-oat-single-cream-chilled-250ml

@CherryogDog the collagen is True Collagen powder from Ancient & Brave.

My good friend is a nutritionist in her late 40's and it's the only supplement she takes.

@OnHerSolidFoundations and @mum2jakie thank you for your kindness: I think being an older parent, I've hit that sweet pot for all the shit hitting the fan at the same time: menopause, health issues of elderly parents and in-laws taking up lots of time, DS's hormones revving up for puberty while we sit on waiting list for ASD assessment and watch as his anxiety and moods get a bit harder to understand and react to.

I think I got a bit lost, wondering why the fuck no-one is accommodating MY needs in all this? Strangely, my solution of 'more phone use and less sleep so more phone use' didn't make anything better!!

Friday was my low point, I woke up actually aching in my neck, shoulders and hands, I'd wasted the Easter holiday by being someone DS didn't want to be around, and I was feeling like I was losing my relationship with him.

Onwards and upwards, and this thread is what made me want to start again, it's always waiting here for me! I've slept for 8 hours both nights since and I know that drastically reducing phone use to increase sleep will be the key.

Good luck for the new week, everyone.😍

@LadyLucksalot you are definitely right about the small things making a difference. I have started doing tiny amounts of tidying while waiting for the kettle or if I have a long report running, and it's actually staggering how much you can tidy in two or three minutes if you manage to break the habit of getting distracted and not find yourself looking through a photo album 30 minutes later.😂

My DM is in hospital so all good intentions have gone out the window. I’ve had McDonalds for tea the last 3 nights.
In the past I’ve complained of being bored. Nothing to do at home, tied to the house due to kids/dog etc, but my god I wish she was out of hospital and I was bored again. I feel like my freedom has been taken away these days, having to visit/wash and return PJ’s/worry about what’s going to happen and how her situation is going to change now, and how that affects me. I’m stressed just thinking about it.

@DustyLee123 sending you my best wishes. It's so tough with the not-knowing what the future holds and what that means for your own life. I constantly veer between wanting to do more to help and feeling guilty that I don't always do things in a good-spirited way because I feel like everyone is wanting more and more of me when there's nothing left to give.

Oh I so hear you about being sandwiched in between the generations and perimenopause!!

Boundaries are our friend!! I read somewhere the other day, that women hit an age where they need time start prioritising themselves. Otherwise the wheels will fall off. I'm trying to focus on that every day.

@DustyLee123 sending hugs to you. It's horrible. Lost my DF last year. And it was the most exhausting time of my whole life. Be kind to yourself X

How's everyone doing?
Beautiful sunny morning here ☀️

👋 Hello! Haven't updated for a while.

Still maintaining some daily habits - medication and daily vitamins going well. Not sure it's relevant for my health but have signed up to DuoLingo to learn Spanish which I'm enjoying.

I need to refocus on household tasks and getting bigger jobs sorted so will be making something house related a daily challenge from this week too.

Ooh @mum2jakie - I'd forgotten about Duolingo! Am on a 99 day streak at the moment. Just a few minutes a day but it does give the brain a workout.

And thank you @OnHerSolidFoundations for the prompt about boundaries. This really resonates with me at the moment.

Lovely thread - thank you all.

Well the start of a new month always feels like a good reset and after finally feeling some sun on my skin, I'm feeling motivated.

Weirdly, I'm not really a summer person but the light and warmth was so much welcome today. May is usually a really hard month for me. It brings me right back to feeling hot and uncomfortable, walking through loud busy streets, exams (don't think I'll ever get over that one) and feeling lost. I am determined to be kind to myself this month and am pledging to do 3 things.

1. No more chocolate for a month (for me, this is an unhealthy addiction I don't even enjoy anymore).
2. 10,000 steps a day
3. Writing 3 positive things about each day

Wishing everyone a lovely month ahead x

One a week is too much of a challenge for me, but it's good to add a new habit now and then.

Ive managed to keep up with daily flossing and vitamins (mostly).

I'm adding reading every day this week. I've always been a huge reader but it's dropped off in the last few years, and I'm sad about that, and have an ever-increasing To Read pile as I haven't stopped buying books 😆

Oh, and I'm still doing a pint of water every evening but failed at not vaping.

Shit, just saw I was going to stop social media after 9, failed at that but adding it back in. I think trying to do a lot of things made me forget some.

@Bubidoo May is a good month for changes, especially now the weather seems to have remembered that it's now Spring! Feels less of a slog making positive changes when the sun is out and the rain stays away.

@Elephantsareace I'm also drinking more water as part of my attempts to reduce the amount of tea I drink.

I need to revisit some of my good intentions- stopping eating crisps again, more fruit and veg in my diet and tackling jobs around the house as part of larger life goals.