The word of the month was rejuvenation


 

 

My interpretation of rejuvenation is to boost energy, rethink previously held ideas and do a bit of good old decluttering.

Sleep is an easy place to start. You only have to pick up a newspaper or magazine, look at social media or turn on the television to hear we are a nation of under-sleepers. Despite many years of not taking my phone upstairs and not have too much caffeine in the afternoons, I would always describe myself as a poor sleeper – a whirring mind never far away. My two changes were to add in magnesium (one in the morning and one before bed) and to stop all caffeine after midday - I literally dusted down a box of decaffeinated teabags found in the back of a cupboard.

I feel I am sleeping much better. My measure is that I stay asleep. I am an early riser (looking at you, dogs) which means I really need to be asleep by 10 to get anywhere near 7-8 hours sleep. So, I set myself a two-hour reminder on the phone, head upstairs (most nights) at around 9.15 and have been sleeping, like a log.

Some of the mindset changes I have explored are around habits and working. Firstly, by reading Atomic Habits (thank you Shelf Help Book Club) I have been able to make habits like flossing my teeth much easier by making them simple and accessible, and I have created a good morning routine by stacking habits together. I have almost overcome the very annoying lack of teeth cleaning exhibited by Number One Child by creating a habit tracker for her with rewards (that she chooses). It is early days, but this rethink seems to be working.

Another deeply held belief I have proven to be wrong was my belief that I would never lose weight if I ate carbs. On the flip side I would lose weight if I did not eat them. Wrong on both counts.

A combination of training and coaching from Cookie Rosenblum and daily weighing for the noom app, I have been able to prove to myself that this is not true – for me – and I can eat what I enjoy, when I am hungry and stop when I am full and that will bring my weight down. It is early days but for the first time in forever I feel OK about food and I have lost 8lbs (slow and steady wins the race).

The decluttering has a big downside – because we are in lockdown there is nowhere to put anything. No charity shops are open, no collections and people not that happy to take things off the drive, just in case the virus is lurking. However, I have boxed up clothes and books for my ebay seller, cleared the worktops in the utility room and put all the bird food in one place.

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