AIBU to ask you if a daily habit has transformed your life?

[CarlyWarly1980]

Just that, really..
Do you have a daily habit that has transformed your life for the better? A friend recommended a book along these lines but am I being unreasonable to think a daily habit can't really transform your life?
My friend has said the new habit of drinking water and putting on mascara every day helps her feel confident and think clearer improved her skin and helps her concentration. So I'm asking others on here AIBU to think one habit done daily can't really "change" your life?

Then Friday has a different "focus" room:

What an amazing thread! I love it. I have started to get up at 6am and walk my 10.000 steps. I used to hate it but I love it now. When I get back I know that whatever happens I have done my excerise for the day. I’m very overweight at the moment but after I have lost my first stone I will start running and do weights as well first thing in the morning.

During lockdown our flat has become pretty cluttered. We haven’t managed to stay on top of it with toddler, working full time and home schooling. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to do it in a bit by bit way? I often get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the things. I love the thought of the organised mum method but I need something similar for a deep declutter excerise.

@Lndnmummy

Marie Kondo is good for the initial deep clutter. She has a series on Netflix. Or there are "decluttering challenges" you could try, like:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/housekeeping/3953781-30-Day-Decluttering-Challenge

@Hobnobsandbroomstick

Then Friday has a different "focus" room:

Ah! I didn’t see that last bit in the website. Thanks!

I love this thread thanks for starting op.

Great thread! One for Classics @Mumsnet?

Please can we keep this going? It’s really inspirational.

I agree this is such a great thread. Does anybody have anymore ideas?

Wake up when partner goes to work even if I'm off.

Tell the bitchy voice in my head to go fuck it's self... Every single day.

Write a list of what needs done. Score out all but 3 if it doesn't fit on a postit I'm unlikely to get it done. No point beating myself up.

10 min tidy

Oh and keep a period and fertility tracker. Not just for those who want to concieve it warns me when I'm going to be grumpy, horny, tired, energetic, productive and exhausted

Using cerave rough and bumpy cream on my face every night. I’ve thrown out all my other products it’s so great, has transformed my knobbly pimply skin into a shining smooth surface! Amazing.

I'm just coming back to this thread to say thank you to whoever suggested racing the kettle for unloading / loading the dishwasher. It's been transformative to the state of my kitchen.

I'm also nearing the end of 30 days of yoga with Adriene in the True series which has made my back feel so much better. Think I'm going to do it again once I'm done.

Weighing/ tracking what I eat everyday was the thing that helped me lose that ‘last 10lbs’. At 44 I’m the lightest I’ve been my adult life.

Since lockdown I’ve been getting up before the rest of the family mon-fri to exercise (running or weights). Helped hugely with my state of mind.

But I’ve always been able to be disciplined about diet and exercise. My work habits on the other hand are atrocious. I’m an awful procrastinator and waste so much time each day. If someone could tell me how to buckle down I’d be much happier (and probably a lot more successful).

@CityDweller

I'm terrible for procrastinating too, the woman who came up with the organised mum method has got a book out next month called "the organised time method" which I'm hoping has the answers! Going to download it on audible so I can listen to it while I multi task

Thanks @AlrightTreacle - I’ll keep an eye out for that book.

Actually, inspired by this thread, I’ve determined to sort out my work habits. My new habit is to meditate (using the Mindspace app) when I sit down at my desk each day to help me focus rather than fanny around. Started this morning and had a really productive day. Hopefully I can make the habit stick!

@CityDweller Me too, and I’ve found the only thing that works is the Pomodoro technique, basically about setting a timer to get things done. It not only makes you realise that most stuff takes less time than you think it will (particularly if you do it NOW rather than three weeks later), but if it’s a bigger job you can both break it into manageable chunks where you can see progress being made, but also build up momentum. I get larger tasks done in a day when they would previously have taken weeks if not months of me saying, Later later later...

I really recommend it (and there’s free app versions too, although they’re called something slightly different to avoid copyright issues ).

Put the washing machine on just before I go to bed, then the washing is ready to be hung out whilst I boil the kettle in the morning...

Great thread. I used to drink 8-10 cups of tea a day and told myself all the antioxidants were doing me good. Then I read about a man who OD’d on tanin drinking too much tea (I think it was 18 cups of iced tea but anyway). I used pregnancy as an excuse to give up caffeine and now I just stick to a couple of cups of decaf tea a day and one coffee in the morning - I sooo look forward to that coffee now. 🤤

Going to choose 2 other habits now from previous posts, although as a pp said with a toddler it’s quite tricky. Most habits/routines are necessarily for them...

Mine is a small one but instead of rushing straight to my DC when they call (or scream!) for me in the morning, I take care of my basic needs first.

Before it was a case of being woken up by the sound of one of them shouting/calling, I'd jump out of bed and go straight in to get them up/nappies changed/ breakfast etc. and it could be hours before I'd realize my hair was like a nest atop my head, I hadn't even brushed my teeth and my bed was a crumpled mess and I'd be mortified if a courier knocked on the door unexpectedly!

Now as soon as I wake I go to the toilet, brush my teeth, comb my hair, open my curtains and make my bed. I feel so much more "together" and ready to start the day. If my two year old is being particularly vocal I just grab her really quick and plop her on my bed until I'm ready but I take care of me first. It's made a huge impact mentally - I never realized how frazzled and stressed the old way made me feel.

Gym before work.

Morning, everyone. We've really enjoyed this thread. We're moving it to Classics now following lots of nominations for it to go in there.

I've just found this thread and am interested to know how everyone is getting on with their new habits?

I was diagnosed with premature menopause when I was in my 30s so I changed a lot around my daily routine because I was all the time tired. I had more time for myself because I was Sham for long time.
I'm 41 now and started working full time so I'm up at 6. 50 am I need to have a good sleep around 9 hours I wish can sleep less. I already have lunch box prepared for work. I make a coffee for work and take care of my skin face cream, bb cream and maskara a little bit of blush. I purposely don't use a car only take a bus that make me walk about 1 hour per day. I do intermittent fasting so I don't eat breakfast only lunch and dinner around 6.30 pm. I take a shower aroud 8 pm and my supplements magnesium, vit d, high dosages of vit c , b complex. I'm in bed around 10 pm . I have wine only on Fridays take away food or restaurant on Saturday. During a week I eat fresh food.
Saturday and sunday I go for small run around 2 miles before I started working I was exercising more.
In the evening I like to light the candle end relax and mostly read mumsnet

Great thread. I need to do the drinking more water one, and fancy trying the Wim Hof breathing/cold water thing.

As for housework etc, I listen to foreign language audio books while I'm doing it. Enjoyable and educational! Also I've started using a customisable app called LadyFly (vaguely based on the Fly Lady method). The morning routine I put on there is really making a difference to my day.

Anyone who's wondering about trying the 16:8 fasting but worried that they can't cope with skipping breakfast or their miljy tea in the morning - honestly, it's easy after a few days. You just stop being hungry in the morning. I've realised that breakfast just kicks my appetite into action for the day. After a few days I'm barely hungrier by noon having skipped breakfast than I am if I've had breakfast. I've started having green tea, jasmine or mango tea in the morning instead of my usual Assam with milk, which I save for later in the day.

Asking my 8 year old to make his bed in the morning, turning his light off and opening curtains. It's teaching him responsibility and saves me having to do one less task
a day.