Now that our calendars are clear for the foreseeable… there’s plenty of time to obsess over the minutiae of the day.
I don’t have kids, but I am running a business (does that make us square? I dunno…) so my new lifestyle consists of work, crap coffee, work, and crap sleep; broken up by intermittent spells of buzzy panic attacks followed by heavy bone-tired fatigue. Anyone else?
I’ve developed a new self-care routine and without being preachy I’d like to share it in case it’s of interest. Try adding one or two to your routine and see if it helps!
1. Going to bed in my yoga gear
For years I have tried to be a morning exercise person, and always managed to blame my failure on my commute. Can’t do that anymore, so I am doing TWENTY. MINUTES. of yoga every single morning before work. If I wake up in my gear, it makes it a whole lot easier to roll out the mat.
2. An obscene amount of foot care…
Scraping, buffing, lathering on moisturiser and putting cotton socks on… etc. I’ve chosen foot care over skincare because the results are FAR more dramatic (given they’ve been neglected forever) and thus I am motivated to continue on with project foot.
3. Looking at stuff way in the distance… and smiling.
I feel like you’re starting to worry about me. But seriously, looking at things that are far away stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and calms your body, boosting your endorphins and your immune system. I force myself to smile while doing it because it does actually lift my mood. Try it!
4. Eating really simple comfort meals
Yesterday I ate ham and coleslaw for lunch AND dinner. It feels like a mini rebellion against all the fancy cooking that’s going on. I might have it again today.
5. Finding a use for everything in the fridge
This is one of the most satisfying experiences – have you tried it? Buying food, and using absolutely every scrap in a sort of “food flow” until the fridge and cupboards are empty again. Example, did you know that you can use egg shells to remove coffee/tea stains from cups? Yeah! Bake them at 180 degrees for ten minutes, then blend in a food processor, mix a teaspoon of the powder with warm water and leave it for eight hours to soak. I love this one so much that I think it could be a new series.
6. Embracing contradictions
Why do we so desperately seek order and for things to happen the way we expect them to? Is your pantry more disorganised than ever, despite having more time to keep on top of it? Yep. It’s a contradiction and reality is full of them. Get over it! If this resonates with you you’ll enjoy this excerpt from Alfred Kazin’s Journals.
