This is a new kind of post for me so please bear with me. At the moment I am terribly unfit, overweight and am probably at my lowest in terms of my emotions than I've ever been. I used to be quite a happy and positive person and now I've become some sort of a recluse that feels anxious to go outside and talk to new people and I know that needs to change. I've decided to implement some daily rules for myself to follow in hope that they will improve my life; to make me feel happier and healthier. I feel like writing about my journey will be so helpful for me, especially as I struggle to talk to people about how I'm feeling, this will be my outlet from now on, and maybe these posts will help other people who are struggling to feel good about themselves.
I have set myself 10 daily 'rules' to follow to begin with, I really think these will help me find some sort routine to follow, I know that these rules could be better however for now these are at a level I know I can reach and as I get used to completing them I will adapt them to meet me needs at that time. These rules won't fit everyone but for this current moment in my life they are right for me, and I will be sure to update you as I amend them.
My 10 Daily Rules (in no particular order)
- Always be out of bed by 9am
- Participate in at least 30 minutes of exercise a day
- Complete 1 mindfulness activity a day
- No eating chocolate or crisps on weekdays (maximum of one of each on the weekend)
- Maximum of 2 fizzy drinks a week
- Drink only water at bedtime/overnight
- Drink at least 3 glasses of water a day
- No screen time (phone/laptop) after 10pm
- Eat at least 2 pieces of fruit or vegetables a day (outside of meal times)
- Spend at least 30 minutes outside
Why did I choose the above rules?
- It is very easy for me to stay in my bed until noon, however when I do this I feel so much worse than if I had just got out of bed when I woke up. Waking up earlier will also mean my days are more productive, and I honestly believe it will make me feel more refreshed and I might actually go to sleep at a 'normal' time. I know this could be earlier and the earlier the better and all that but this is something I will work towards. To help with this rule I now have a daily alarm set for 9am, If I wake up before this great, if not I have no excuse not to be up and active.
- Speaking of being active, I have come up with a couple of quick exercise routines to get me started which I may share at a later point depending how effective they are. I am so unhappy with my body at the moment, and I know I am not the best I could be. I'm never going to be a size 10 my body isn't built for that but I know I can 100% improve my body and also ensure I'm not out of breath just walking up the stairs.
- My head is all over the place, always. I purchased a mindfulness journal last christmas and have done a couple of activities from it and I found they really helped to calm me, so I have decided to add one mindfulness activities to my day whether it be from the journal I have or from somewhere else. The journal I have is I am Here Now by The Mindfulness Project.
- I'm a snacker! I eat when I'm bored and I KNOW that I do and I KNOW it is not good for me, and this is exactly why I have set this next rule. I could try and cut crisps and chocolate out of my life completely but you always want what you can't have and because of this I thought I'd take a smaller step first and cut it out from my weekday diet, mainly because these are the days that I snack the most because I am alone 90% of the day so I get bored quicker.
- I also drink a lot of fizzy drinks. Back in February me and my sister gave up fizzy drinks for the entire month and it felt really good, so I know I can do but I also needed the moral support of someone else doing it with me so for now I have decided to still let myself have them just in small quantities until I have the willpower to give them up completely in my standard day to day life.
- I always take a glass of squash to bed with me, mainly because I always wake up in the middle of the night with a dry throat/mouth so to save me having to get out of bed and go upstairs to the kitchen to get a drink I just take one to my room with me. Yes squash doesn't have as much sugar that a glass of juice or a soda but it's still unnecessary sugar that I'm putting in my body.
- Whilst we are on the subject of water, I know the general rule is 2 litres or 8 glasses of water a day but I'm trying to set realistic goals for myself here so I'm taking baby steps.
- The next rule is pretty self explanatory, screens are bad for your eyesight, they effect my sleep, and the internet does not relax me. I recently left my phone at home for a couple of days whilst I went away with my mum and I came back a fresh, new woman. Also bedtime is a really good time for me to get some much needed reading in, my big pile of unread books would also appreciate it.
- I always have some sort of vegetable as part of my lunch or dinner so this rule is for fruit and vegetables consumed outside of meal times. This should also help with my no chocolate/crisp rule. Instead of grabbing that bag of ready salted i should be grabbing an orange.
- Like I've said previously I'm pretty much a recluse, and also I'm no scientist but I'm pretty sure fresh air is good for your health. So whether I just agree to go do a food shop with my mum or walk my dogs around the block or even just sit in the garden for a while, there are many ways I can spend 30 minutes of my day outside.
As I've previously mentioned, I know that these rules could be improved and I will try to improve them, and there are a couple of other lifestyle changes I'd like to do, for example I'd love to cut bread out of my diet completely and to make and follow strict meal plans but right now this isn't achievable for me and that's why I chosen the 10 rules that I have.
For now thank you for reading and choosing to follow me on this lifestyle journey. Here's to a healthier and happier tomorrow.
Georgina x
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