A Life Up-Tweak

Do you ever get the feelings that life needs to be re-worked, tweaked or that a jumpstart might do it good?  I’m struggling with this feeling right now, and whether it’s because of quarantine and COVID-19 or extra stress or a combination of things it doesn’t really matter.  What does matter is that I need to do something to shake it.  After mulling it over I’ve decided on a few things to try to uncomplicate life.  I want to make it feel like there is time for family and rest, and for me.  Yep… I said it.  I’d like some time for just me and to relax how I see fit.  So for the upcoming week I am going to try these 4 things. 

1. I am going to meal plan.  I don’t love meal planning, but I love all of the side-effects of meal planning.  I spend less on groceries, cook healthier meals for my family, I eat better and I feel better because of all those things, so I will digress and meal plan.

2.  Setting a ten-minute daily goal.  Some of these goals will be work related and some will be personal.  I have somethings that need to get done and some that I want to get done.  These will be part of my daily goals.  Some goals will also be for things like “stretch for 10 minutes.” Some examples of goals I made are: contact the bank about switching my savings account, finish a report, and work for 10 minutes cleaning up the guest room (this will be a reoccurring goal because there is a lot to do in there.  That’s another story all on it’s own). 

3. The next thing will be that I will stop checking email after 8:00 pm and I will not check it in the middle of the night or before 7:00am.  Right now, I’m up nursing in the middle of the night some so checking email and responding to it isn’t terribly uncommon.  The problem for me is that once I read an email, if action needs to be taken I often feel like I must take it right then.  It creates this feeling that I have to get it done so I can check it off my list.  This is my own thing and it’s something I’m working on dealing with.  

4. Put on makeup and a bra.  This one may not be for everyone, but I have gotten into a rut of not putting on makeup or a bra if I don’t have plans.  I’ve been running errands without make up this and going to work.  This is not me.  I do like that I’m getting more comfortable in my skin because before I wouldn’t dare do this unless I had a good tan (also something I’m not doing now…skin cancer is real people!), but overall I just feel better and more awake with a little makeup and a bra on.  5 minutes of mascara, some concealer and a bra goes a long way for the way I feel throughout the day.