For 58 years I was absolutely not a morning person but since February, I have been getting up at 5:30 am and I LOVE it! I live with a chronic illness and these early morning hours are often the only time my brain and body feel good and work. It’s my time to study and write poetry. The house is quiet and I watch the sky lighten then brighten as the sun rises. It’s made a huge difference in my quality of life.
I was getting up before dawn and enjoying, so much, watching the sun rise. It's magical. Was. A had a huge flare up of my illness and spent so many mornings turning over and desperately seeking the oblivion of sleep. I must, I will, start getting up at "sparrow fart" again.
*Marriage meeting night on Thursdays with my husband
*Unsubscribing from email newsletters that are all about self-improvement because they'd always put me in fix-it mode around things that I don't actually need to fix
Joining Sustenance is not necessarily a "small" change, but it's a change I've made that has dramatically affected my life. Setting aside dedicated blocks of time to learn, write and be in community has been life- altering. Also, for about the last 2 years I've had "date night" with my dog every Tuesday evening. We run agility, practice tricks etc. It's time set aside purely for fun and play with my best friend. It's something I get to look forward to each week.
Last month I deleted Instagram off my phone. I can still access it through my browser, but the experience is so clunky that I only really check my messages and a few friends’ stories before I dip out again. And damn, has it been healing. I didn’t realize how much my creativity had become reactionary, a product of the never-ending hustle and constant comparison. To keep up, I felt like I had to keep producing, and it made me lose touch with my soul. Now, eight weeks later, I have no desire to go back. My ideas feel like mine again, and that I can move at my own pace.
Picking up running again has done wonders for me, especially since it's not all about training for some big, scary race. When I ran my marathon two years ago, that's WHY I was running, to run the race. Then, I didn't run for over a year. Now, I run because I can, and there's less structure and worry about it. Sometimes it's twice a week, sometimes it's more. But I do it consistently, what's consistent for me.
Asking myself at the end of the day "what was the most story-worthy moment of my day?" and jotting it down, so I have inspiration for my writing and little notes of humanness when I need a pick-me-up.
I've found it hits a little more for me than the gratitude journals I've done in the past. Something about the slight shift in what I ask myself just works well for me. I hope you like it if you give it a try!
My favorite recent tweak has been showering after work for the day (I own my own business, so I'm usually around the house all day, but it's a great mental shift!), changing into comfy clothes, and plugging my phone in for the night. That way, I'm not picking up my phone again for nearly another 12 hours.
Curious to know what breathwork specifically you’re doing? I’m experimenting!
Changes I’ve made this year that have improved my life: joining Sustenance, co-starting a monthly local poetry reading group, regular sauna, getting up some Saturday mornings before sunrise and going down to the river with my picnic blanket, thermos of tea, and notebook 😍
I love this list!! I recently deleted my instagram and have found so much more enjoyment in my days. Other than the news I get from my news sources here on Substack, I'm completely in the dark. I go about my days with more time to read, write and just be present with my partner and three dogs.We're about to head back east from Montana and I'm excited to see how much our road trip changes for me with spending hours scrolling in the passenger seat.
Congrats on the kittens, nothing in this world is better than the animals we share it with.
Your kittens are so adorable! I’m glad they’re bringing you so much happiness.
A small change for me has been making sure I have a craft to work on when I watch tv. I need to keep my hands busy and I needed a way to stop defaulting to picking up my phone. So instead, I knit, or color, or needle felt.
I love my Brick — so great it is working for you too! Having a physical brick that I can tap in/out is super helpful — better for me than just deleting Instagram and Facebook off my phone. I have far more things than just those two (ummm… Substack? Etsy? Reddit? NYT? Amazon? Pinterest?…) which distract me from more important non-digital things…. I ‘brick’ pretty much everything that I don’t absolutely need ;)
I quit Facebook and Instagram early in the year, and set up a "do not disturb" option on my phone that only lets texts from my favorite people through -- both have helped me be more present and really savor my free time in a way I didn't realize I'd lost.
I jumped off Facebook and Instagram three years ago and I love it! Good for you. It wasn't a healthy place (for me, anyway) and it sounds like it's only gotten worse. I've never once regretted deactivating my account!
A small change that has felt pretty great: Charging my phone in my kitchen overnight and not checking it for the first hour or so after waking up.
For 58 years I was absolutely not a morning person but since February, I have been getting up at 5:30 am and I LOVE it! I live with a chronic illness and these early morning hours are often the only time my brain and body feel good and work. It’s my time to study and write poetry. The house is quiet and I watch the sky lighten then brighten as the sun rises. It’s made a huge difference in my quality of life.
I was getting up before dawn and enjoying, so much, watching the sun rise. It's magical. Was. A had a huge flare up of my illness and spent so many mornings turning over and desperately seeking the oblivion of sleep. I must, I will, start getting up at "sparrow fart" again.
*No more Instagram app on my phone
*More strength training
*Marriage meeting night on Thursdays with my husband
*Unsubscribing from email newsletters that are all about self-improvement because they'd always put me in fix-it mode around things that I don't actually need to fix
that's such a good one about the newsletters!
Joining Sustenance is not necessarily a "small" change, but it's a change I've made that has dramatically affected my life. Setting aside dedicated blocks of time to learn, write and be in community has been life- altering. Also, for about the last 2 years I've had "date night" with my dog every Tuesday evening. We run agility, practice tricks etc. It's time set aside purely for fun and play with my best friend. It's something I get to look forward to each week.
I *love* date night with your dog. I’m gonna do that!
Oh my gosh those kitties look like pure love and joy. Give them 14 more belly kisses from me.
Last month I deleted Instagram off my phone. I can still access it through my browser, but the experience is so clunky that I only really check my messages and a few friends’ stories before I dip out again. And damn, has it been healing. I didn’t realize how much my creativity had become reactionary, a product of the never-ending hustle and constant comparison. To keep up, I felt like I had to keep producing, and it made me lose touch with my soul. Now, eight weeks later, I have no desire to go back. My ideas feel like mine again, and that I can move at my own pace.
Picking up running again has done wonders for me, especially since it's not all about training for some big, scary race. When I ran my marathon two years ago, that's WHY I was running, to run the race. Then, I didn't run for over a year. Now, I run because I can, and there's less structure and worry about it. Sometimes it's twice a week, sometimes it's more. But I do it consistently, what's consistent for me.
Asking myself at the end of the day "what was the most story-worthy moment of my day?" and jotting it down, so I have inspiration for my writing and little notes of humanness when I need a pick-me-up.
Oh, I love this idea! I have a gratitude journal that I write in to start each day, but wrapping up the day like this is a great idea.
I've found it hits a little more for me than the gratitude journals I've done in the past. Something about the slight shift in what I ask myself just works well for me. I hope you like it if you give it a try!
My favorite recent tweak has been showering after work for the day (I own my own business, so I'm usually around the house all day, but it's a great mental shift!), changing into comfy clothes, and plugging my phone in for the night. That way, I'm not picking up my phone again for nearly another 12 hours.
Curious to know what breathwork specifically you’re doing? I’m experimenting!
Changes I’ve made this year that have improved my life: joining Sustenance, co-starting a monthly local poetry reading group, regular sauna, getting up some Saturday mornings before sunrise and going down to the river with my picnic blanket, thermos of tea, and notebook 😍
I love this list!! I recently deleted my instagram and have found so much more enjoyment in my days. Other than the news I get from my news sources here on Substack, I'm completely in the dark. I go about my days with more time to read, write and just be present with my partner and three dogs.We're about to head back east from Montana and I'm excited to see how much our road trip changes for me with spending hours scrolling in the passenger seat.
Congrats on the kittens, nothing in this world is better than the animals we share it with.
Your kittens are so adorable! I’m glad they’re bringing you so much happiness.
A small change for me has been making sure I have a craft to work on when I watch tv. I need to keep my hands busy and I needed a way to stop defaulting to picking up my phone. So instead, I knit, or color, or needle felt.
I love my Brick — so great it is working for you too! Having a physical brick that I can tap in/out is super helpful — better for me than just deleting Instagram and Facebook off my phone. I have far more things than just those two (ummm… Substack? Etsy? Reddit? NYT? Amazon? Pinterest?…) which distract me from more important non-digital things…. I ‘brick’ pretty much everything that I don’t absolutely need ;)
I quit Facebook and Instagram early in the year, and set up a "do not disturb" option on my phone that only lets texts from my favorite people through -- both have helped me be more present and really savor my free time in a way I didn't realize I'd lost.
Love every one of these decisions--and you, so very much.
I jumped off Facebook and Instagram three years ago and I love it! Good for you. It wasn't a healthy place (for me, anyway) and it sounds like it's only gotten worse. I've never once regretted deactivating my account!