How were September and October for you? Did you have to introduce new routines as the schools returned?
September and October were not great months for me. In fact, I’ve found them the hardest of the pandemic. I felt I went backwards in many of the routines and good habits I’d created during the previous few months and I stopped some activities completely (like this blog) to reduce the pressure I put on myself.
Looking back I think it was due to the children going back to school and after school activities. We went from being at home for almost the whole time to working out new routines with school and after school activities restarting. In many ways it has been easier because we’re both still working at home, but due to Covid restrictions the activities have all changed times so it has been hard to create new routines. It has certainly shown that I must have been living with a permanent high level of stress for years, and just thought it was normal.
Did you make a big achievement in September or October or did you make continual progress on a large action? Remember all progress is positive no matter whether it is small or big. What did you start, progress or achieve in September
I want to celebrate:
Finishing
- listening to Sylvester by Georgette Heyer* as an audio book as part of my evening routine
- building a trampoline
- reading Screen Kids by Gary Chapman*
- planting 90 heather plants in the garden
- ordering new clothes, so I’m not wearing the same hoodie every day
Starting
- to track my sleep pattern
- to plan the week for the children on dry wipe boards in the hall so they know what they need each day
- to use systems to make decisions easier, the first one is helping with meal planning
- sharing more photos of me on Instagram
- learning how to make videos on my phone
- sharing some Reels on Instagram
Progressing
- walking regularly, I’m walking to school three mornings a week and one afternoon – whatever the weather
- sharing daily photographs on Instagram, it seems the more I share the more I’m enjoying it
- the house by ordering furniture for the lounge, hallway and M’s bedroom
- exercise with the introduction of resistance bands
- meal planning by introducing new recipes, we now have slow cook Mondays so B can eat before dance and guides
Enjoying
- working at home while the children at school as it feels much more relaxing
- Zoom Codenames which is continuing every week
- playing new board game Calico
- our woodburner
- watching season 3 of Star Trek Discovery
- introducing the children to classic “scary” films – Ghostbusters* and Hocus Pocus*
- Blog On Virtual – good to learn and chat with people even if not in person
I’d love to cheer on your progress, because we need the recognition and motivation that making small changes is as good as big changes. They are the small beginnings that with perseverance will help us make big changes.
What do you want to celebrate?
