6 New Things I'm Trying To Do Every Day

Something I'm constantly on the quest to do is to incorporate new habits into my life that can make things go a little smoother. And anything that can either help me have a more productive workday or help me sleep better is something I'm always a fan of. As it's a new year, of course, I've been reading thousands of posts about what new habits other people are trying to form so here are 6 new things that I'm trying to do nearly every day in 2018.

drink a big glass of water every morning

I'm a serious coffee lover and having my morning coffee in bed with Josie curled up to me was something that I seriously savoured and looked forward to as soon as I opened my eyes. But as of right now, I'm really struggling with dehydration headaches and obviously coffee isn't the most thirst-quenching thing you can drink first thing. I'm not going to be giving up coffee anytime soon but instead of a tankard of caffeine with my breakfast, I'm having a big glass of water. I've already noticed such a big difference with how I feel, I feel so much more switched on and fresh. It's one of those really annoying things that we're constantly told but it does make a big difference. The only downside is constantly needing to pee, not great in the middle of a dog walk.

not taking my laptop to bed

We've moved our bedroom around [see more about that in this post here] and we've chosen to get rid of our larger bedside tables. I've always loved having somewhere to put all my beauty products, books and a place to put my phone overnight. But because it was quite large it meant I would pop my laptop on it to watch things. And as well as watching things I'd always end flicking through my e-mails or working late on things. So as I've now not got anywhere to properly put my laptop it takes away the temptation to even bring it into the bedroom. One of my big aims for 2018 is to try and create more of a divide between work and home life as when you work from home the line becomes very blurred and it makes it so hard to switch off.

listen to podcasts more and cut down on screen time

I'm a big lover of podcasts, it's something that has been very well documented on this blog. And when I used to take Josie more on lead walks I managed to listen to them a lot but as she's off the lead 90% of the time I have to be able to listen out for other things putting my podcast listening on pause. And at the end of last year, I started to listen to them more throughout the day to keep me company whilst I worked instead of something playing on my laptop or listening to music. As well as listening to them whilst I work I've also started to listening to them whilst I'm doing housework and getting ready for the day. Getting used to not having something visual to look at is weird at first but it's something that helps me focus far more. I spend so much time on a screen already I don't need to clock any more hours.

read before bed

Because I'm not taking my laptop to bed and trying desperately not to just lay and scroll through my phone it means I'm making a conscious effort to read. Last year I didn't read anywhere near as much as I wanted to mostly because I wasn't using my time wisely. I definitely have 30 minutes spare in my day if I used my time better and don't have the distraction of the internet. Even just doing this for one week I've been getting off to sleep better and making a good dent in my reading to list too.

try a new type of workout every day

I don't have a gym membership anymore so I don't financial push to make an effort to workout. So I've made a little pact with myself that I'm going to try a different type of workout every day, well nearly every day because rest days are seriously important. There is nothing off limits so everything from HIIT to pilates, I think it's so easy to get trapped in a comfortable cycle of what we're doing for exercise and I want to break out of my comfort zones.

try out new foods

After indulging at Christmas and of course loving every second of it my body is craving some veg and more nutrient dense food in general. I love chocolate, sweets and crisps but only for so long, after eating them for too long I always feel absolutely dire. My self-confidence plummets as well as it having a knock on effect on my mental health. And I'm not somebody who is a believer in clean eating constantly, balance is something I'm a big fan of and that looks different to everybody. My boyfriend and I had got a little stuck with the meals we were eating and generally going for what was easiest but we're trying to experiment a lot more now. So far it's meant trying out different types of pasta and finally getting tofu to work for us as let's be honest it's not the easiest food to work with. I've been scouring Pinterest and Instagram for meal ideas but if you have any veggie-friendly meals that you love then do let me know!