Figure that I better this post up given that it’s basically an entire month late! I wrote it a couple of weeks ago but it’s just been sitting in my drafts. Not sure why I’ve been putting off pressing ‘publish’ on this one….
I’m writing this from bed, home from work, sick again. I feel like we’ve been hit by minor illnesses more than usual over the last couple of months (and I suspect that’s just comes with having a 2 year old). My default reaction is to feel miserable, frustrated at my body, stressed about all the things that I’m not doing while sick, and pissed off (‘why is this happening to me again?’). However, I’ve just finished listening to Buddhism for Parents on the Go (audiobook), so this time I’m trying to be kinder to myself and more accepting and to remember that illness and injury is going happen. While my body is feeling pain and fatigue, it’s my mind that adds the suffering. I’m still feeling pretty crappy and miserable, but it’s certainly helping me to feel less burdened by the illness.
Anyway, on to my Head & Heart post for January….
What I’ve been doing
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Getting back into daily journalling /keeping a log book using the DayOne app
- Building and tracking daily habits to improve my wellbeing using the Way of Life app (thanks to Kevin Rose’s recommendation on a recent episode of the Tim Ferriss podcast)
- Released a new Women Talk Work interview with digital entrepreneur and wonderful human Mik Jade
- Chatted about Women Talk Work with Lee Constable on her 2XXFM show/Soapbox podcast
- Having a new year clean out/de-clutter and finally Konmari-ing our clothes
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Supporting E to adjust to a new daycare centre (we tried one, and we’ve changed to another). She seems to be doing well and I suspect that it’s more stressful for me than for her!
I’m grateful for
A few random things I’ve found myself feeling grateful for this month:
- Public libraries
- Home grown spinach, tomatoes and herbs
- Air conditioning
- Long walks in my beautiful city
I’ve been thinking about
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Australia Day – what it means, how we celebrate it, and my increasing discomfort about celebrating it on January 25.
- The habits that improve my life. One of the things I’ve noticed from actively trying to build and track my daily habits is how critical sleep is. Of all the actions I take (exercise, diet, drinking water, meditating), sleep (or actually lack of sleep) seems to have the most profound impact. When I’ve slept poorly or not long enough, my mind is more clouded, my mood darker, and my resolve to maintain all those other good habits weakened. Sleep and parenting don’t always go well together, but I’ve realised that it should be a higher priority, even if it means that I feel like I’m doing or achieving less.
I’m excited for
- I’m getting a new team member to work with me on the She Leads @ YWCA Canberra. Hooray! Not only is this fantastic from a workload perspective and our ability to actually execute on a lot of ideas, but I’m so excited about having someone to collaborate with and to manage. I didn’t quite realise how much I’ve missed managing a team.
- I’ve booked my tickets for a couple of talks at All About Women in March. Very excited about hearing Anne-Marie Slaughter speak.
I’ve been reading
- Two books finished this month (and a couple of others started but not completed) – Cheryl Strayed’s Wild (which I happened to borrow from the library in both paperback and audiobook at the same time which meant that I could alternate between formats), and Buddhism for Parents on the Go.
I’ve been listening to/watching
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Interviews with Jane McGonigal and Derek Sivers (part 2) on the Tim Ferriss podcast
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Interviews with Cheryl Strayed and Ira Glass on Longform
My monthly Head & Heart posts were inspired by Helen @ Lime Tree Bower. If you want to get involved, simply write your own version and please add a link to it in the comments as I’d love to read it!
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