Habits and strategies

I'm happy to report that this week is turning out to be more manageable and enjoyable than last week. Sometimes I need to remind myself that just because a week at work is crazy busy and perhaps a little frustrating, doesn't mean it will stay that way. Sometimes its just a week or two from settling down, but I can't quite see it until it happens.

love spotting flowers like these even on a short walk

During this time, there have been certain habits and strategies that have been working well for me to help me stay grounded, organised at home, and calm, so I thought it would be nice to share these. In no particular order:

1. Going for a walk EVERY day. I had gotten into a mindset where if I didn't have time for a 20-30 minute walk outside minimum, there was no point walking. Which, when life honestly got frantic (or I was home with a sick kid etc), wasn't always feasible. But lately I've been making sure I get out and walk, even if its only for 5 minutes a couple of different times of the day. The other day I went to do the grocery shopping, and then after I did a big loop of the shopping centre carpark before driving home - 5 minutes of brisk walking and I honestly felt better. A good reminder.

2. Listening to an audiobook on my walks/commutes/chores. I love my podcasts, but I re-subscribed to Audible recently and borrowed Big Time by Laura Vanderkam. I'm enjoying it, but more than that I'm enjoying listening to something long-form. This has been calming at a time I really need it.

3. Keeping my to-do list short. When I'm flat out at work, my temptation is to write ALL the "urgent" things on my to do list for the day. I say to myself "I need to get this done, oh and that too, and oh and I SHOULD make a start on this..." and so forth. BUT my capacity to get stuff done is the exact same as any other day, so all I end up with a lot of undone tasks I have to migrate. But only putting a couple of realistic items on my list, it forces me to be realistic and triage, and if something will be delayed, I need to deal with it one way or another. Some things can be pushed back, some things can be done to a lesser degree, some things actually don't need to be done at all, or can be delegated. I think putting everything on my list is a form of procrastination In a way, this forces me to face reality!

4. Putting my Five Year Journal beside my bed with a pen. I started this journal in 2025, and I've been very inconsistent. Some weeks are completely filled, others are empty. I realised that not having the journal easily accessible with a pen made me put off filling in something that actually takes about 30 seconds! Now I've moved it somewhere easy to access and with a pen ready to go, I've been more consistent.

5. Using my laptop for internet browsing, instead of my phone. Less time on my phone = better, plus its easy to read and type on the big screen and keyboard.

6. Having a ready-made convenience freezer meal (frozen pizzas, Spanakopita, chicken and chips) for mid-week dinner when Al and I are tired, prevents last minute ordering food delivery, which is expensive and not necessary. Is it healthy? Not particularly. Does it matter? No, because we were going to buy takeaway food anyway, which is also generally not super healthy!

7. Setting a modest daily word count goal for my novel. I started with a goal of 750 words, which I can write on a good day, but not every day is a good day. So I've revised this down to 500 words (4-5 days per week), and its much more feasible.

Does anyone have any habits or strategies that are working well for you right now? Sometimes the smallest tweaks can make a big difference!