Sort that To-Do list out!

26th January 2017

Put yourself at the top of your to-do list every single day and the rest will fall into place.

Isn't it easy to get out of the habit of looking after yourself!  Then it seems like something else to do, another thing on our to-do list and we look too hard for the solution to this problem of taking care of ourselves, instead of looking for the simple.   Self care is easier than you think, it's about paying attention to yourself.  How many times have you got to tea time, tired and cranky and a headache lurking, mmm that'll probably be the first sign of dehydration because you've forgot to have a drink all day, you didn't stop for lunch because you had so much to do and well you're tired because you got up at the crack of dawn and you haven't stopped since.  Can you imagine if we sent our kids to school and said, right I know I've got you up at 6am, but I want you to study hard all day, don't stop to eat or drink - you haven't got time, just focus on learning!

Truth is though as much as we don't want them too, these days happen, it wasn't until I got home on Saturday about 1ish that I realised I hadn't had anything to eat, I'd left the house without having breakfast, I'd actually forgotten and it wasn't until I got home that I realised.

Maybe we need to add eating and drinking to our to do list, tick it off when we've actually done it!   We need liquids to survive, a large percentage of our body is made up of water, so it needs topping up regularly.  We're more likely to drink water if we carry a bottle round with us, yes you can put a little squash in it if it means you'll drink it or maybe add slices of fruit like they do in those infusion bottles.  I know if I have a pint of water on my desk I drink it, if I don't I forget. 

Don't even get me started on activity!  Erm hello, been out the house for hours, I ain't got time for exercise!  I know, I know, but trust me a quick walk round the block will help clear your head and you'll feel better when you get back.   You could even multitask whilst doing it, if you like to catch up on Social Media, do it whilst walking, or use the time to think about your day, to clear your head, to focus on the things in your life that you're grateful for.  Spend that time walking listing in your head all the events of the day that have made you smile and at least 3 things you're grateful for in your life.  Before you know it, you're home and feeling lifted and calm.

Now let's get back to the eating, you gotta eat, when I skipped breakfast last Saturday, I more than made up for it once I did find the food!  That's what most of us do, we'll skip, get hungry and go over the top with our consumption once we start eating.

If you really are pushed for time, a piece of fruit is better than nothing, grab an apple or a banana!  Just eat something please...

Self care in a nutshell, eat well, drink water, move a little more and focus on the positives, you up for doing that today?  I am!

I consciously made the effort yesterday, drank my water, ate 3 balanced meals, snacked on a bit of fruit and walked the dog.  I still got everything else that had to be done completed.  My bathrooms still full of laundry but the truth is it would still be there regardless - I just didn't want to do the washing!

We enjoyed egg, beans and chips for lunch and then when I got home I'd had my delivery of meat from the Penn Road Butchers, so I made a chicken burger on a nice crusty cob - it was delicious, 2sp for the quarter pounder burger, really tasty and definitely worth either having a drive over or getting him to do another delivery.  He's going to work out prices of the chicken burgers, meatballs and sausages today, he can also make gluten free versions which I know will be a bonus for some of my members.

I'm going to cook the meatballs today and have them in a sauce of some kind, maybe the garlic chicken curry sauce from the week 1 recipe card or maybe I'll make something up!   I could use the jerk marinade from the meeting, I'm still yet to try it, be nice on a bed of rice that would, mmm sorted.

Right I better get a wriggle on, busy day, 5 meetings, gotta sort moms drugs and food, not forgetting my own, I feel the need for a big mug of tea, followed by a cup of coffee this morning, breakfast mmm, what to have, eggs on toast maybe.

Have a great day, take care of you, put yourself at the top of that to-do list, remember you're important too, if you don't take care of you, you can't take care of anyone else BeYOUtiful. xx