31 Days of Supporting Your Wellbeing
Week 2 - January 8th - 14th
Welcome to the compilation of my 31 Days of Supporting Your Wellbeing - Week 2, that I’ve been doing on Notes every day this month! This piece is a compilation from January 8 - 14th.
So without further ado, here’s this weeks tasks/aims/goals…whatever you want to call them!
January 8 – take a break from your screens!
This might be a difficult one in today’s screen-focused world. It feels like I am in front of a computer or phone screen almost 24/7 sometimes.
I have a desk job and use a computer during work. When I’m at home I’m on my computer promoting my writing or my podcast. Or I’m on my computer writing on Medium, or Substack, or for a book. Or I’m on my phone doing stuff on social media, because one of my side hustles is as a Community Manager for the Daily Calm Community Facebook group – a group for the popular meditation app Calm. So I’m on my phone and computer a lot doing that as well as just being on social media (Facebook, Instagram) for ‘fun’.
So find something to do that doesn’t require screen time to let yourself unwind and relax and connect with other people. Personally, I run.
What can you do?
January 9 - find an area in your life where you can do less
Are you one of those people who are spinning a million plates at one time?
Who is ‘go go go’ without taking time to slow down, to rest, to pause and take a breath, to smell the flowers (or coffee)?
Who has like 5 side hustles along with your day job?
It can’t just be me, can it? (Okay, I don’t have 5 side hustles, only 2 at the moment. Or perhaps 3 if I count my Medium and Substack writing).
And I don’t even have kids! I can’t imagine how crazy life would be if I had kids on top of everything else (and I bow down to all the parents out there doing all of the above!).
Most of us give 100 (or 110%) to every aspect of our lives, right?
Instead, find a place where you can pull back and cut out anything that isn’t really urgent.
January 10 – think of a new hobby to try
This is a fun one. Or should be. How many hobbies do you have? Have you always wanted to try something new? No, I’m not talking about bungee jumping out of a plane. But if you want to do that, you do you.
I mean maybe you’ve always wanted to try watercolour painting, or giving crochet a try or learning to ride a bike even though you’re 43 and a half. Maybe you’ve wanted to create something that you can make money from and have a new side hustle – maybe painting rocks or felting little cute woodland animals or getting into mini bonsai tree maintenance (is that’s what it’s called?).
Whatever it is: have a think of something you’ve always wanted to try as a hobby and maybe do it today! (or at least aim to do it within the month). You might just become the new break dancing champion!
January 11 – Drop a habit, gain a habit
This is a self improvement thing. Well, all of these are, really. But this one really is. And it’s a simple way to literally become a better version of yourself. Today’s aim is to think of a bad habit of yours and…try to stop it! It doesn’t have to be a huge, major bad habit. It could be something minor. Just something that you recognize as something you do that isn’t good for you. Try to get rid of it. And then in its place, pick up a new good habit.
An example would be: I have the apparently bad (according to my husband) habit of not releasing my Nespresso pod out of the machine once I’ve made a coffee. That REALLY bothers him for some reason. Sometimes I remember, but rarely. So I could stop doing that, and start making sure my hair doesn’t fall into the bathroom sink.
January 12 – do one self care activity today
The older I get, the more I am ALL. ABOUT. SELF. CARE. You might be sick of seeing the words self care as it seems to be the buzzword of the last few years - or maybe even last decade?
Anyway, as the world gets busier and more hectic and stressful (and expensive and crowded and just…do you ever just wish the world would stop spinning for a second so you could pause and take a breath?! That’s what I actually liked about the lockdowns during the pandemic. It was forced rest for all of us. Forced self care. And a lot of us discovered self care practices then, because things were so stressful and uncertain - and what else was there to do?! Like baking sourdough or getting outside for fresh air.
So find one self care activity to do today - whatever self care is for you. You do you, boo.
January 13 – take a stretch break
Just like I’m all about self care, I’m also all about stretching. That might be because I’m a yoga teacher. Sometimes we might just be sitting for too long - at our computers at work, or on the couch watching TV at home and it’s really good to take a brief break for some gentle, easy stretching to keep mobility and flexibility.
So today’s task is take a stretch break for 5 minutes, 3 times a day. Nothing crazy and totally manageable right?
Some examples:
Twists - sitting, move to the edge of your seat and then twist gently to the right (holding onto the arm rest with one hand, other hand on your opposite leg/knee) and then switch sides.
Seated side bends - reaching with one arm to the opposite side, and placing one arm/hand down for support.
Arm extension - interlace your hands, palms out and stretch your arms overhead.
January 14 – plan a cozy day
Who doesn’t want a cozy day? A day to rest, and recharge and unwind. A day to wear all your comfy and cozy clothes - warm, fluffy socks, comfy fleecy pants, warm top or sweater. Or to wrap yourself in a soft fleecey warm blanket and curl up on the couch - maybe with a cozy drink like a indulgent coffee or hot chocolate!
Take a hygge day – hygge (pronounced hooga) is a Danish word that means a quality of coziness and contentment. Like lighting candles and wearing comfy clothes and eating good food and being inside all warm and comfy when the weather outside is stormy and awful and you’re grateful you’re inside all cozy, maybe wrapped up in a blanket with a hot beverage of choice.
So think of all the ingredients for your cozy day - and maybe even make it a regular thing! Weekly? Monthly? Schedule one in.
And that’s it for week 2! What resonated with you? Which one(s) will you try?
And don’t forget to live with a dose of wonder!
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Loved all the ideas, hard to pick a single favourite! But probably what I need most now is to find an area in my life where I can do less :)