Little Lifestyle Changes I'm Trying To Make In 2019
We all know that little changes usually amount to big changes but sometimes the change can be so subtle that we don’t actually notice the difference until we take a step back and look at the bigger picture. If you caught my post on my February goals then you will know, I’ve not set myself big traditional New Years resolutions this year and instead I’m trying to tackle things month by month as it makes so much more sense for me to do it this way. As well as trying to create more bite-sized monthly goals there are a few lifestyle changes that I want to make in 2019 and they look a little something like this…
standing up for what I believe in
Confrontation is something that I stay away from at all costs, it’s something that makes me feel unbelievably uncomfortable (I’m sure we can all relate to that) and I worry far too much about upsetting other people. But lately, there has been far too much conversation about people standing up and using their voices and it can’t be ignored anymore. Granted, not everyone will like it but if something is problematic and I have enough knowledge on the matter then myself and the majority of people reading this should be saying something. For so long I’ve silently supported things with the odd retweet here and there but that’s really not good enough anymore, I’m able to use my voice when others aren’t and they deserve better from those of us who can.
TRYING NOT TO WORK THE WEEKENDS
As my boyfriend now works Monday-Friday and that means our only real time together is at the weekends. And I used to always work the weekends as I found it was when I was the most productive as I don’t enjoy crowds or the hustle of bustle so it worked out well for me and us when he was on tour. But now I think I’ve finally got to say goodbye to working weekends for a while, and it’s been weirdly difficult to get out of the routine of it all. In a traditional job setting when you’re not in complete control of your income it’s naturally far easier to switch off at the weekend and I know when I did have a more ‘normal’ job I didn’t really think about work on my days off. Being my own boss does mean it’s very easy to start tapping away at my laptop without much thought but having a more clear boundary between time off and work will probably do me the world of good. Now I’ve cut down on my posting schedule that means I’m more than capable of organising my days a little better so I can do this, as always it’s just getting into a new routine. And there might be some occasions where I have to work the weekends but in general, right now, they’re a thing of the past!
kicking the am caffeine
My morning coffee is something that I’ve got a serious love affair with but at around Christmas time I had to ask myself whether I was drinking coffee because I felt like I needed the boost or just because it was a habit. And more often than not it was a habit, ultimately if I’d had a good nights sleep I should feel rested and ready for the day without a caffeine boost. So for the entirety of 2019 I’ve not had coffee in the morning and I can’t deny I feel better for it, I wait until lunch to have it now as I do struggle with the afternoon slump and ever since I’ve done that then I’ve not had the urge to nap at all and can get on with my workday without any real slumps. Apart from when I’ve been poorly but that’s a different story and then I’m a little more forgiving with my body if I’m able to.
keeping at it with the minimal spending
Something that I was really proud of myself for in 2018 was really kicking my emotional spending and barely shopping at all. Infact, I bought more jumpers for the dogs than I did myself as those little shivery hounds cannot be without an extra layer or two when the colder months come around. Not buying so much and having such an emotional relationship with material items has taken me a long time, years actually but I’m so proud of where I’ve got to. Which I realise probably sounds a little ridiculous but ever since I was young shopping was always seen as such a treat and a special thing to do. And when I got older and started earning my own money I didn't realise how much I depended on the buzz of buying something new. I craved it and I was miserable until I got said buzz, which is so ridiculous as there are so many other wonderful things life has to offer that can give you an even better feeling than shopping. And there is so much talk about sustainability right now that I want to do as much as I can to be kinder to the planet with my purchases.
work smarter, not harder
I feel like this is always something I want to achieve but it’s a hard one to master. At this point, I’ve pretty much given up with the work-life balance because when you’re your own boss it’s so hard to get in a rhythm that lasts longer than a week because things change constantly. So I’m going right back to basics with how I work, I think it’s really easy to lose yourself in posts of how others work and taking their methods onboard and completely abandoning what works for you. And these are my basics to getting that to-do list ticked off;
Remove all distractions so my phone and my laptop when working at my desktop.
Move away from my screen every so often, mostly to fuss the dogs.
Taking proper breaks.
Setting myself a cut off point.
Getting my most hated tasks done first and not let them hang over my head.
Not writing an overly long to-do list.
DO THE THINGS I SAY I’M GOING TO DO
Something I’m pretty terrible for is making myself little lists of things that I really want to do or places I want to visit and then I never end up doing any of them. A little promise myself and my boyfriend made to each other not too long ago is to travel around a little more at the weekends. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut or just do errands but I really want to break out of that rut. And where we live it’s so easy for us to only drive a few miles and be in a completely new area and we’ve not made the most of it in recent months. We’re both desperate to go on a little mini break somewhere, which we’re hoping to do in May when we head down to the New Forest which is somewhere that I’ve wanted to do for years. As a complete homebody, I absolutely adore being in a familiar setting but change is good for all of us and I never want to regret not using my time properly.
