I absolutely loved the extended time off work and being at home over the festive period, however once January came around I felt compelled to get back to normal routine, back to business as usual, and get the house and everything else in my life in order! This of course comes with the busyness I surround myself with, and the saying that my brain is like my laptop with a hundred tabs open is not far from the truth!
This is my choice, I love to be busy, productive and get restless sitting still. But it should be a calm sort of busyness and an environment to thrive in rather than be destructive. So for January I am attempting to keep things calmer, more organised, and more under control for a healthier outlook on each day.
My top 3 tips to a healthy mind this month:
1.De clutter with everything
A clean space is a clean mind. I couldn’t live by this saying any more if I tried. I really do believe that a clutter free, tidy space provides much more relaxation. If I’m working at home it prevents distraction, and the guilt that I need to be tidying up before I get to work. As well as deep cleaning the house, I also cleared out my laptop last week, mainly because I was having some MacBook issues and had an appointment at the Apple store and in my panic of loosing everything I backed it all up, and cleared it all out at the same time.
Having a clean workspace is great for easy access to files, more efficient working, and reduces the stress of having files that I will never look at again cluttering up space. The same can be said for my phone with apps I no longer use, websites saved I don’t need, and hundreds of photos that are of no future relevance. And finally, I emptied out my toiletry and make-up baskets. Things that have been open a while got thrown out and I prioritised the day-to-day products/make-up so mornings can be easier.
2.Simplify the day
This is the hardest one for me. I like to get things done so if I have a few things needing attention I usually try to dive right in and get going with everything on the assumption of getting as much done as possible. This is at the same time as trying to do housework, walk the dog and entertain a baby. I’m now trying a different approach of focusing my attention on one task per day to stay focused and hopefully give each task more attention. This will free up my time later on so that when I’ve completed or made progress with the one said task, I can then relax thereafter or move away from work tasks that evening. Work/life balance and all that!
3.Start the day with more intention
My baby boy was always an early riser, but in the past couple of months he has been sleeping in consistently until I go and wake him. I decided to use this extra time productively. I love the dark mornings and being up before anyone else so I enjoy a hot cup of tea by myself when the house is still quiet! It’s also my time to get on my mat and move. 20 minutes pilates/yoga is perfect for setting my intentions for the day and getting the strengthening & stretching work I need because for me, physical fitness equals good mental health too. I then grab some time on my laptop to get a head start on work for the remaining of my early morning, and plan out what needs done later in the day. I wake my baby around 8am and can then be fully present with him during the day knowing where my work is at already, and I’ve workout a little if time doesn’t let me later.
Let me know in the comments below if you give these a try, or if you have any tips of your own!
