Last week I had a plan. The plan was to aim to be the best version of myself with some small achievements every day. It was just a bit of fun really, but I enjoyed it! You can read the original post here. The results are below.
Exercise: a daily walk.
It has helped that the weather has suddenly become more spring like. Sunshine and the hint of daffodils poking through never fail to make me feel happy and positive. However, I didn’t manage to get out every day. When I didn’t I did some simple, gentle yoga stretches (along these lines).
We did have the most fabulous walk on Sunday with Mr S’s brother and discovered the most beautiful tucked away mill pond, call the Distillery Pond. The houses were absolutely gorgeous and you would not believe they were so close to town. I have lived in Colchester for almost 25 years and I am still finding interesting parts that I don’t know. Always good to be a tourist in your home town!
We also had a lovely walk along the seafront from Frinton to Walton and back. I feel very luck to live so close to the coast, especially on a lovely day.
Semi fail. Not too worried about this, as I have been as active as possible bearing in mind I have an ongoing trapped nerve problem. I need to move, but if I move too much I suffer for it.
Two litres of water every day
I was surprised to find that I easily drink two litres of water. Generally I keep a pint glass next to me all the time so I sip throughout the day to keep hydrated.
When I was younger I suffered from a lot of headaches. Looking back, I realise they were probably dehydration, so I heartily recommend drinking lots of water every day.
Achieved!
A gratitude journal
As I said in my original post, I completely believe in the benefits of positive thinking. Being grateful for all the good things in your life is a sure fire way to lift the spirits. I easily found 3 things each day to be grateful for, from having my two silly cats, to a supportive partner, a nice house, a beautiful garden, lovely work colleagues, no debt, being able to pay all my bills each month to having three gorgeous daughters.
Gratitude is a good habit to cultivate if you are inclined towards depression and negativity. Everybody can find something to be grateful for.
Achieved!
A daily meditation
As I said in this post, I have been practising meditation for a while using the Calm app.
I did this enthusiastically for the first few days, then realised that last thing at night was a better time for me to meditate. It helps me drift off to sleep. However, I only did five out of seven days.
Semi-fail, but again I am not too worried and felt the benefit of a regular 10 minute meditation. I absolutely recommend a meditation app such as Calm or Headspace, particularly if you are a beginner.
One household chore a day
This was easy because I am not working at the moment. Cleaning one room a day or doing one chore (such as cleaning the oven, which I hate) is much better than having to do the lot on a Saturday. When I am organised I also do this when I am working, but sometimes I am busy or just too tired. I will try to keep it up when I go back to work as it means I have Saturday free for something more fun.
Achieved!
Taking a daily supplement
It is claimed that magnesium can help with a multitude of conditions, including trapped nerves and muscle spasms, but also fibromyalgia, both of which I have. This article explains more.
It may be my imagination, but I think my muscle spasms have definitely been less severe over the past few days. I plan to continue to take this for a while and see if there is a sustained improvement.
Achieved!
There are many things I would like to do in reality to be the best version of myself. For example, lose the extra half stone that I am always trying to get rid of. This week’s meal plan was super healthy but I have only lost a pound. This may be because my colleagues from work brought me round a load of chocolate. Got to love ’em!
What would you like to do to be a better version of yourself?
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I have a short routine I do first thing every morning which includes stretching and mindfulness, but I only manage to meditate 2-3 times a week, as they are longer, more focused sessions of about 25 minutes each.
I would like to get back into yoga as I only managed it for about 6 months before falling off the wagon – or should that be mat?! 😀 Either way, it’s finding the motivation as much as the time!
Likewise, getting out for a walk daily. It’s not so much fun when you only have suburban streets or dull local parks to choose from unless you can drive into the country.
I know as soon as it gets to 20C+ on a daily basis my energy levels will soar! The warmer the better!
I have a ‘thanks’ jar: I write down one thing (almost) each day for which I’m thankful; fold the scrap of paper; pop it in the jar. Then when I am feeling low I pull out and read a couple of the scraps. As someone who leans towards the glass-half-empty thinking, this works for me as a reminder of what I have.
Love this idea
I suffered badly from cramp in my feet and legs at night time. Since taking magnesium every day this has definitely lessened. I get it less than once a week, whereas it used to be two or three times a week.
Interesting! I hope it works so well for me