I wrote a post several months ago about habits I’ve adopted now that didn’t used to be part of my life. It was such a fun way to reflect that I decided to add a few more things to the list!
- Use people’s names–This isn’t something I was ever intentional about until the last couple of years. It means so much to me when people use my name that now anytime I see someone wearing a name tag, I always make an effort to thank/address them by name. Whether it’s in the Trader Joe’s checkout line, someone coming to fix our dishwasher, or anyone else, if their name is visible, I refer to them by it. It feels like a small way to make people feel seen.
- Put on real clothes — I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for 8.5 years. This has lent itself to years of leggings and sweatpants. While this made practical sense when my kids were little, as I was often covered in spit-up or some other mysterious liquid, my life doesn’t require changing clothes all day anymore. While I don’t work outside the home yet and don’t have a “reason” to get dressed, it’s helped me feel more prepared for the day while also fulfilling a creative outlet as I put together simple outfits that make me feel like myself.
- Drink less–I’ve never been a huge drinker, but as I’ve gotten older, alcohol has started to affect my sleep in dramatic ways. Even two drinks often has me up for hours in the middle of the night. I don’t feel the need to completely cut alcohol, but I am much more intentional about when I drink, and if the cost outweighs the benefit in any given scenario.
- Read more – I read every day. Sometimes it’s only a few pages of a nonfiction book that has captured my attention, or sometimes it’s several chapters of a novel. I’ve worked hard to replace at least some of my social media scrolling with reading. I’ve found that if I intentionally leave my phone in the other room, I’m much more likely to pick up a book.
- Ask more questions — The older I get, the more questions and less certainty I have. For a long time I didn’t ask the questions for fear of being viewed as insecure or unsure of myself. I realized that was dishonest, as I have a lot of questions–about the world, others, and myself. In my experience, curiosity is contagious, and my curious friends have given me the courage to be bold with my questions.
- Visit my local library — this one is closely tied to my commitment to reading. I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t appreciate or support my local library a decade ago as I do now. Public libraries are such an integral part of a thriving community, and it brings me joy to visit ours weekly. The rush that I get when I am notified of my books on hold is such a little treat.
- Read reviews — this is a small one, but it has saved me hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Ten years ago, if I saw something online that I liked within my budget, I would buy it. Now I’m diligent about reading reviews, and if a product has several negative reviews, I don’t buy it, no matter how cute it is!
- Purge my closet — I do a closet purge at least four times a year (every season). If we’ve made it through each season without me wearing an item, it goes. As tempting as it is to keep cute pieces, we don’t have unlimited space, and it feels good to keep only clothes in my closet that feel like me and fit my current body.
- Spend time alone – I can’t recall one moment that I wanted to be alone before I became a mom. I’m an extrovert married to a super extrovert, and we both thrive in the company of others. However, since having kids, alone time is something I deeply crave. I often feel overstimulated and need alone time to reset. It’s not always possible in this season of life, but I do my best to find a little pocket of time each day to be by myself.
- Wake up before my kids — My husband gives me grief that I’m not a morning or a night person, and he is correct. I don’t particularly love waking up early, and I certainly can’t hang late at night. However, in the last year I have started setting my alarm to wake up thirty minutes before my kids. It has been an absolute game changer to start the day by myself and not to the demands of cereal or questions about where the favorite jersey is. My nervous system is much more settled, and I can greet my kids with way more kindness than irritation.
I’d love to know what your “things” are! Please feel free to share!
