TheAttachedMama Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 (edited) Goodness, I love this thread. I have to tell you that I know it is only April, but I feel like 2023 is going to be a great year. My husband and I have made some really positive changes, and I feel like this is only the beginning. Powersheets Planners: (Journaling / planning tool.) I've used power sheets before, but I stopped for some unknown reason. This year I made the investment to re-start Powersheets again and the systems has really helped me mentally. I know that I have limited time, energy, and money---so it helps me not to just go through life on "autopilot" but instead invest my resources where they will matter the most. I am still not getting done everything done that I want to do...but I no longer have guilt about what I can't get done. I tell myself..."not yet" and I know deep down inside that I am doing what matters most and being intentional about the seeds I plant in my garden. 🙂 All of the other things I list below have really happened because I have been using Powersheets to plan my year and make some slow gentle changes for the better... Oh yeah, and because I read the book... Tiny Habits: I read Atomic Habits awhile back, which I really liked. But I also read the book Tiny Habits. I've implemented a lot of these steps when it comes to making some healthy changes in my life. I now understand the science of behavior change and I put it into action whenever I need to make a change in my life. Saying YES Health and Fitness: Of course taking control of your health makes you feel better physically, but I never expected how much better it has made me feel mentally! I now lift with HEAVY weights (goal = 5 days per week for about 1.5 hours per day), and I try to ride at least 30 miles per week on my bike. I try to drink at least 90oz of water per day. I also count macros (most days) so that I can make sure I eat enough protein but don't overeat. All of these things have helped me to build muscle and reduce my overall body fat. I still have a long way to go, but I can't tell you how much better I feel in all respects. I feel like an athlete now! I sleep WONDERFULLY. I no longer have aches and pains. I have so much energy. I can just DO things and feel great. I love going out in the sunshine and riding my bike as fast as I can. Life just feels easier when I am healthy. I also feel good in my own skin. BTW--my biggest inspirations have been Joan MacDonald https://www.instagram.com/trainwithjoan/ and Julia Linn https://www.instagram.com/dolphinine/ and https://www.instagram.com/this.phoenix.rising/ They all made huge changes in their lives, and that inspired me to make healthy changes too. Not just "lose a few pounds" and call it good, but choosing to be in the best shape of your life so you can live your best life.) Saying NO to Drinking: Huge mental changes for the positive here! A glass of wine to deal with stress was becoming a habit in my life, and I wasn't happy about that. And I learned that alcohol, even in very small amounts, makes it harder to deal with everyday stressors...not easier! It also ages the body and causes inflammation---which in turn leads to BAD results mentally. Reading the book This Naked Mind helped me make some positive changes here. Once again, I am so much happier. Saying NO to Children's Ministry: I was running children's ministry at my church, and it was causing me a LOT of stress and taking up a lot of my time. (I posted about it awhile back if some of you remember.). I was carrying around a lot of guilt about quitting, but I worked up the courage to step down. I felt trapped. I still volunteer to teach the children, but saying no to running the thing has really felt like a burden released. I can now serve God and my church in other ways. It might sound like a small thing here, but this was a HUGE change for me. My husband making some changes in his business: He has a pretty toxic business partner, and we both felt "trapped" in the situation. (Especially because he is main income provider for our family.) We were scared to make a change, you know? This year we decided that while we don't have control of a lot of things, we can make some choices about SOME things. And this was one of them! We still aren't out of the woods yet, and things can be really scary sometimes, but we at least know that we are trying our best to improve our situation! ETA: I forgot one! Going to the hair salon: This might sound dumb...but it did make me feel better! For the longest time, I cut and dyed my own hair (and everyone else's hair at my house) to save money. It looked.....um...OK. I finally went to an actual salon to get my hair cut, and it made me feel so much better mentally. I look forward to getting out of the house and being pampered a bit. Again, it might sound dumb or vain, but it did help me feel better mentally! 🙂 Edited April 23, 2023 by TheAttachedMama 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Blue Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 @TheAttachedMamaI love your post. Saying no to a leadership role in ministry is not a small change! It’s not that you don’t want to do this work. It’s just that, often, it gets to the point where too much falls on one person, things are poorly planned, and ordinary people drama can cause burn out. I’ve seen it happen to people. It’s a huge change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 (edited) On a very happy note, pushing back on DHs ‘I can’t miss work’ and leaning into ‘Ask for the damn day off!’ Resulted in DH getting the time he wanted and his boss taking his own spouse on the trip instead of DH. Win-win for both couples. Boss’s wife agreed w/me about their ridiculous work pace. Edited April 23, 2023 by Sneezyone 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Great thread!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAttachedMama Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 On 4/23/2023 at 3:22 PM, Indigo Blue said: @TheAttachedMamaI love your post. Saying no to a leadership role in ministry is not a small change! It’s not that you don’t want to do this work. It’s just that, often, it gets to the point where too much falls on one person, things are poorly planned, and ordinary people drama can cause burn out. I’ve seen it happen to people. It’s a huge change. Yes! That sums up my feelings exactly. Thank you for understanding and thank you for this thread! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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