2 Spuds in a Pod

Looking after your mental and physical wellbeing.

Category: Happiness (page 1 of 3)

Gratitude

05/01/2020 / / 0 Comments

With all the bad stuff going on in our lives and the world, it is easy to forget that we all have a lot to be grateful for. This ties in with my reflections over the last years, and how positive I now feel about the future.

2 years ago

2 years ago I was not in a very good place. I had been signed off work with depression/low mood and we had moved from London to Scotland without any plans regarding housing or employment. At this point I was very much crying every day, getting upset for every little thing or nothing in particular. Everything became a real struggle, everything stressed me out and I found it difficult to to the simplest of things such as cooking and food shopping. Most days were spent at home, not doing anything at all apart from waiting for Helen to come home from work.

Changes made

I was lucky to be able to make 2 fundamental changes: move away from London and eventually resigning from the police. It is so clear now that this had such a negative impact on my mental health, with the job that I did being the main culprit.
What has also become a lot more important, which we have both recognised, is the need for me-time. This can be anything: reading, listening to music and drinking coffee. It simply means doing all the good things that you love to do, that makes you tick, that you’ve stopped doing because you’re too stressed or there is just not enough time in the day.

Physical health

Exercise had gone out the window completely. I went from cycling/running to work with several yoga and gym sessions in the week to doing absolutely no exercise. I am now going to the gym on a semi-regular basis, and I make sure that I get as much time outside as I can, be it gardening or walking or simply drinking coffee in the garden.

Mental health

Looking back I believe I have always been anxious but have managed it well, and as we know anxiety and depression always go hand in hand. When this all kicked off I was crying several times every day, often for no reason. I was prescribed anti-depressants which really do help, and I am now also having CBT sessions as well as seeing a counsellor every week. There is definitely a change in perspective happening which means I am now feeling a lot more hopeful, happy, energised and excited about the future.

Work and home

I enjoy the work that I do and I no longer dread going back to work after a few days off. Where we live outside Glasgow is so much nicer than where we were in London, and it also has a garden. Going from a small flat on the second floor in a house between the 2 flight paths into Heathrow (yes this means there was a plane over our head at least every 30 seconds) to our current place is magical (and quieter).

Gratitude

I have so much to be grateful for! We all do, and I believe we need to make a habit of recognising this. Rather than complaining about all the bad stuff, which brings you and everyone else down, appreciate and acknowledge what you have. If its not what you want then you need to have a serious conversation with yourself/those around you and bring about changes. Simple. But very hard.

I hope you all have a great week. Practice being grateful.

-Rosita

2 Spuds in a Pod

2 Spuds in a Pod logo

They say a photo speaks a thousand words! (weight loss before and during, I’m not quite finished but a great start).

31/12/2019 / / 0 Comments

The trick!

The short answer there isn’t one. Diet, exercise and time. There you go. That is the trick (and a lot of hard work).

-Helen

How to cope with a big family event!

18/12/2019 / / 0 Comments

The poll

The December Facebook poll has been and gone. 2 Spuds asked you the following –
How to cope with a big family event
Or
Steps to coping with December and January
The majority went with how to cope with a big family event.

So how do we do it?

I would love to turn round to you and say eat, drink, be merry and speak your mind but we all know that could end you up in more trouble than it is worth. However, you can still have a great Christmas with these simple ways.

Look after yourself

First things first is to look after yourself. Remember that 2 Spuds likes the “me time” approach. This can work in two ways. One way is to read a book, take a bath or go for a walk but the other side to “me time” is to remove yourself from a stressful situation. Take time to breathe, think about what has happened in a stressful situation (or argument) and then be able to move on from it as well. We are aware that it is easier said than done but trust us.

Family events

2 Spuds is fully aware that family events can be a stressful experience. You have your great Aunt Joan asking you when you are settling down to start a family and you have just broken up with your partner. You could have your Uncle Lenny asking you what you are doing with your life now that you seem to be unemployed (again!). Your parents are doing their best to welcome your new fiancée to the family but have gone so far over the top that it is just embarrassing. You could have a child who has decided that now is the best time to come down with a chest infection/chicken pox/the flu and many different people are giving you their top tips to help soothe them. The list is endless of scenarios and that is before we have gotten to the dinner table where the chef has prepared all day and last minute finds out that Tony has become vegan and forgot to mention it. Or Sandra is now allergic to turkey.

NB: All names and scenarios have been changed to protect people in the story.

NB (again): My parents were fantastic with my fiancée and 2 Spuds enjoys a full Christmas meal with all the trimmings and extra chocolate.

The point

The point of the above is that it could be you on Christmas Day. All you want to do is huddle under the duvet cover with Christmassy films, a massive box of chocolates, glass of wine and for someone to wake you up when it is all over. However, you find yourself in your best dress, with a paper hat, pulling a cracker and saying oooo when the turkey arrives on the table.

What do you do?

Well the short answer is to try and get on with it as best you can or alternatively try and see the funny side of it. I personally find that if I am laughing at the situation it can’t be that bad. Be upfront with people and don’t be afraid to say, I’m sorry I don’t want to discuss the inner workings of my relationship over the Christmas Pudding. Remember also to take some time out. Again don’t be afraid to say I am going for a walk, I am stepping outside for a few minutes or I am going to go and read a book for an hour and so on. This is your Christmas as well as everyone else.

Alcohol

Not being much of a drinker these days (I am sure there is a certain ex work manager who will recount a Christmas story of the River Thames and a glass of Whisky back in my youth but I will leave that story for another day!) I can’t say too much here. However, what I am aware of is a lot of alcohol and a stressful environment is not a good combination. You have more confidence when tipsy but that may not be a good thing. You don’t want to be remembered the following Christmas for standing up on the table and ranting about how much you would like to be in sunnier climes or found crying under the Christmas tree.

What happens if we have an argument or someone makes me cry?

Don’t panic is the first step here. The second is to remove yourself from whatever the situation is and breathe. These steps are simple yet effective. Take time to recover, call a friend or speak to a family member as well. Also try and draw a line under the situation and carry on having fun.

Side note into loneliness

I know we are talking about families but there are two more sides to a family event. One may be that you are surrounded by family on a big holiday and you have never felt more alone. It is that weird thing when surrounded by people that sometimes you feel like you are on an island. I would say talk to someone about this. Try and talk to a family member about you feel or in any doubt call the Samaritans helpline.

The other side to loneliness

Some people may be on their own this Christmas. Either through choice or through a situation which is out with their control. Again try and speak to someone. A friend, relative, neighbour, Samaritans or equivalent.

The bottom line with loneliness

There is no need to suffer through loneliness this Christmas. There are many people out there who can help you. You are welcome to drop 2 Spuds an email as well to say hello.

Boxing Day

Try and go for a walk to blow away any dramas from Christmas Day. Go out with your friends or your favourite uncle. Go to the local pub for a pint of orange juice. Watch Christmassy films on TV. The list is endless but the point is Christmas is one day a year, make the most of it and most importantly look after yourselves.

-Helen

PS. If you do need support over the festive period please visit our support page or contact 2 Spuds in a Pod.

Still feeling good!

30/11/2019 / / 0 Comments

The shift I talked about a few posts ago (read about it here) is continuing. I certainly feel that I am more efficient, I have more energy and I procrastinate less. Making decisions is also a lot easier, which in turn makes me more efficient and more energised. It is all connected.

Efficiency

I do have a list of things to do, well several in fact, depending on what it is and how soon it needs to get done. I started writing lists last year as I was struggling to remember things, and if it was written down then I didn’t have to waste time and energy on remembering what I needed to do. This also keeps the anxiety at bay as I’m not constantly worrying about remembering what I need to do, or forgetting those important things.
Helen talked about lists in her previous post (read it here), and we both swear by them. I find it very satisfying ticking things off my list as done, and this raises my overall feeling of feeling good.

Energy

It is one thing having all of these things to do, and another to have the energy to do them. I have just had a couple of days off, and I did not really sit down for long. Gone are the days of taking it as it comes, perhaps doing a thing or two in the afternoon after a lazy morning. Looking back at last year, I spent a lot of time doing just that. But that was ok too, because it was what I had to do at the time. Fast-forward to now, and by 0730 yesterday I was halfway through the second load of washing, the dishwasher was nearly done, the kitchen was sparkling, bed made, plants watered, I had had my breakfast and was on my second cup of coffee. This then continued for the rest of the day, and I got so much done.

Less procrastinating

This is a big one, and something the counsellor has brought up a few times too. He explains that procrastinating is when you are afraid of failing, that you don’t do things because you think you will fail at doing it. So you end up just avoiding it. It is better not to do something, than doing it and fail. Well it is to the procrastinator anyway…

However failing is not a bad thing! This is something I’m slowly coming to terms with. It is so obvious to me that I’ve not been doing what I want as I’ve been afraid of failing at it, or I might not get the results I want. This fear takes over. It sounds crazy, right?

I am setting you a challenge!

For the next week, have a look at what it is that is stopping you from moving forward. Grab the bull by the horn: what is it that you need to do? Break it down into small chunks then get it underway. Yes there might be a possibility of failing, but what is the alternative? That you don’t fail! If it turns out how you wanted then that is a tick in a box with great feeling of accomplishment, if not then maybe now is not the right time for that to happen, or it might not be for you at all. At least you tried.

-Rosita

Routine, habits and self-care

27/10/2019 / / 0 Comments

I’m back at work now following the operation on my hand. Needless to say, any routines I may have had before have now long gone, and I need to pick them up again. It is easy to forget how good it is to have good routines, to be efficient but more so for your own self-care.

Do what you love!

To me this is becoming more and more important. I spent a few years in a previous job where I was working all sort of hours and days, and was not able to do the things I wanted and needed to, at a time that suited me. Just think of it, working a 24 hour shift then going back to work following 8 hours break (including travelling to and from work, eating and sleeping) really messes you around. You end up in this vicious circle of only work, and not enough down time. And we all know where that got me, right? But I’ve learnt from this, and I’m still learning. The purpose of these blogs is to share my/our experiences so that perhaps some of you can make some healthy changes to avoid getting to this bad place.

Starting your day

For a long time, when I got up in the morning I only had enough time to shower, get ready and eat before heading to work. I always stayed in bed for as long as I possible could. Working long days means that there is no time in the evening for the good stuff, including spending time with Helen who is not a morning person but she is around in the evenings. This leaves me with one option: having good quality me time in the morning. After all, this is what the high flying, important, successful people do, right? I never thought I would also be advocating this. I fully appreciate that sleep is very important, but so is everything else.

Getting off to a good start

My alarm now rings 0530. This gives me a couple of hours before I have to leave for work. I make a very large cup of coffee then go through to the living room and sit down. This time of years is great in that I can light candles all around, and the smell and light is very calming. I normally take some time just there in the moment. Nothing fancy, just me sitting there in the glowing light. I try to empty my brain and fill it with positive thoughts. I find that if I set myself up this way, my mood is so much better, and I feel a lot more positive about the day ahead.

Write it down

If I have a lot to do, I make mental notes of what this is. For anything else, in particular the important stuff, I have both a notebook and a diary. I spend a couple of minutes looking through the diary. For most of last year I had to write absolutely everything down or it would have been forgotten about. I’m now in a place where I still write things down but I often don’t have to read it to remember.
Another advantage of writing things down is that I am accountable to myself. If it is written down it’s not as easy to get out of.

Get moving

Whilst sitting there I try to feel how the body feels. I often have niggles in various places, at the moment it is my lower back. So having finished the coffee it’s time to move. I spend the next few minutes (how ever long is necessary) on the floor, stretching and mobilizing the whole body. This sets me up physically as well as mentally.

Eat a good breakfast

A bowl of porridge and home made apple sauce sets me up nicely for the day. If I have time I will have some more coffee.

No social media

I used to spend maybe 30 minutes every morning just mindlessly scrolling through the usual social media accounts every morning. This accomplished the great total of absolutely nothing! I never gained anything from it, on the contrary I felt there were far too many cool things out there and places to go and I’d never get there. If anything, I felt more depressed and anxious because of it.
I have gradually reduced the time I spend on social media. I now spend just a couple of minutes in the mornings checking the news.

Reading

A few minutes are spent looking at useful stuff, such as books I like to read, training I would like to do, a show I want to see and suggestions for days out for me and Helen. I also spend time reading books. At the moment I am reading computer books as well as life coach/mindset books. I only read a little at the time, and this keeps my brain happy too. The other day there was some maths to be done in the computer book and I loved it! So note to self: read/do more to stimulate the brain too.

Ready to take on the day

Having spent the morning this way I feel ready to get on with the day. We all know what we need to do in order to keep ourselves physically and mentally happy, but it is often not easy to do just that. If you implement just one little tiny change tomorrow morning, try it just for tomorrow and see how you feel. It may well be a game changer.

Setting up good routines, good habits and looking after yourself is so important. We sometimes forget this, or we simply don’t have the time. I urge you though to make a few little changes here and there, it can change a lot!

I hope you have a great Sunday wherever you are. I will be at work, having had some quality me-time in the morning.

-Rosita

The road to recovery

28/09/2019 / / 0 Comments

Facebook poll

A couple of weeks ago we asked on Facebook what blog you would like to see. The options were mental health conditions, signs and symptoms or how can I help myself on the road to recovery. It was a close call between the two options but with 57% it is the road to recovery. Rosita will take you through her recovery and Helen will take you through hers in Wednesday’s blog.

A road walked

This is a road I walk every day, some days more than others. It has become a way of life, making sustainable and healthy changes. I have come a long way from completely losing the plot having drunk Helen’s glass of juice. You know you’re in a bit of a mess when something so trivial tips you over the edge. It certainly put things into perspective for us. The next day we went to the doctor who signed me off for 2 weeks. 5 months later I resigned from work, having not been back to work. I spent the first few weeks/months crying and not doing a lot. Pretty much everything stressed me out. Most of this time is a bit of a blur. We made a few changes which helped enormously and that is why I am in such a good place today. 

Not going to work

It soon became obvious that my job was the main reason for me no longer functioning. I probably knew that before but could not see a way out of the situation. I loved the job itself, and the good days were fab. But working in the public sector, for a service with over 50,000 officers and staff, became difficult. There were a lot of changes made by people having to justify their existence at work, none for the best in my opinion. There never is a need to reinvent the wheel. I love helping people, and I’m damn good at it too. It got to a point where I could no longer do that. This is all very clear to me now, but it has taken a while to realise that, with a lot of conversations with the professionals and Helen. In the end, the job I loved broke me. Simple as that. 

Leaving London

We had been talking about leaving London and took action. This resulted in us finding a lovely flat in Scotland which also has a little garden. Having outdoor space means the world to me. I can make coffee and sit outside in the sun. You might think this is nothing, but to me it is what keeps me sane. It involves coffee, me-time, fresh air and hopefully sun too. All of this is pretty essential. 

Medication

Being prescribed medication was a massive thing. I only started with the pills after a couple of months, when I realised that I was not getting any better. They have made a huge difference, and I was able to get more from the counselling as well as my brain started to calm down. Constantly crying is hard and tiring.

Counselling 

Counselling gave me a lot of advice and tips, which was essential to my recovery. I have high standards for myself, our home, nutrition and exercise, to name a few. It became apparent that I could not keep this up. So the counsellor suggested to ask myself this: “if I don’t do this particular thing now, is anyone gonna die?”. The answer is simple. This helped me to lower my standards, giving me more time for me. This was when I was really struggling to do anything.

Me-time

I started taking time for me. This involves me doing things I love. To name a few:

  • Listen to music
  • Read a book
  • Taking photos
  • Going for walks
  • Sit and drink coffee
  • Being outside in the sun

These are just a few things that give me a buzz. All of which, apart from drinking coffee, I had stopped doing because I was stressing too much to get chores done. I can now take half a day or a few hours or even a whole day and do nothing. Nothing to me involves me-time. We now have a saying in our house that it’s time for me-time, and this overrides all chores. You should try it. You need to look after yourself. 

Helen

I know not everyone has partner in these circumstances, and I do not know what would have happened had I not had Helen by my side. She’s been, and still is, my rock. Words can’t emphasise enough how I feel. So I will just say this: thank you buddy.

-Rosita

Helen swimming in Norrkrog

Waiting to go in to the water

The Power of the Mind

31/08/2019 / / 0 Comments

The mind is so very powerful, and it is great when it is working properly. I feel as if my mind has been doing it’s own thing for the last few years (and not necessarily working to a satisfying standard), but every now and then it now comes back and shines. The buzz this gives me is immense! It gives me a little hope and I feel as if I am starting to turn a corner. This in turns makes me more relaxed.

I am proud

Following on from Helen’s posts about going on holiday and holiday blues, we’re now back in rainy Scotland, having had a fabulous time away. It is hard to believe that Friday last week we were in Sweden, having swum in the sea! I am so very proud of myself for doing so, and I will tell you why.

Swimming

We both went swimming in the sea in Sweden a couple of years ago now. It was about 14 degrees in the water that day. For anyone wanting to know, this is cold. It is just enough to get in, get under the water then back out again, wrapping up warm very quickly. Helen took a few minutes to get in then spent about 20 minutes swimming and having fun. I thought she was crazy as it was far too cold, and as a Swede you just don’t do that when the temperature is so low.
However, I did not want to be beaten by a Scot. I decided I would get in too.

Too late to go back

I felt that I could not go back on my decision, but I had to go in. It was so cold! All the while she was just swimming around and having a great time. To cut it short, it took me about 15 minutes to get in the water. Once in, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Since then we often joke about this, her being a bit nuts for being in the water for so long when it is so cold, and the amount of time it took me to get in the water at all.

17 degrees

She wanted to go swimming again this year. On our day out last Friday we brought our stuff so we could go swimming if we found a suitable spot. It was also a bit drizzly that day and cold so not the best day for it. Towards late afternoon we got to a place called Norrkrog (have a look on Google maps here). I checked the water with a thermometer (very important to a Swede) and it was 17 degrees. So warmer than 14 but still freezing. It was also windy and the air temperature was cool. We got changed and Helen got almost straight in. I started to go in then felt that it was far too cold, that I’m stupid for getting in and that it will take forever to get in. I also did not want to spend 20 minutes trying to get in the water.

The power of the mind

I took a moment and said to myself “imagine if you just go straight in, how amazing would that be?” A part of me felt that it would actually be possible, and this made me excited. I knew I was going to get wet and cold but also how great would it not be? Finally swimming in the sea in Sweden with Helen, something we keep talking about!
So in I went. It took perhaps a couple of minutes, and not before running around acting silly. But in I went. I swam, I went under the water, I swam out to the jetty where Helen had set up camp whilst watching me getting in the water. And I felt so immensely proud of myself. I made the decision and acted on it straight away.

You might think it’s nothing

To me this is a massive thing to achieve. It shows that I am not the somewhat useless person I often think that I am, that my mind is actually great and I can do great things.
Over the last years I have learnt that this is what anxiety can do. It is not rational at all. There is no reasoning with it. I still have good and bad days, and I always will. And that is absolutely fine too.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Think of me when you’re relaxing and having a great time, I will be working in the rain outdoors around Glasgow. That is also absolutely fine, I might get wet but I will dry.

As always, please get in touch if you want to, for any reason at all. We are always here, happy to listen and to help.

-Rosita

Holiday Blues

28/08/2019 / / 0 Comments

Holidays can…

Holidays can be interesting experiences. They can make you see, hear and taste things you may never have experienced before. They can make you experience cultures and adrenalin sports that you swore you would never try. They can make you happy, alive and laugh more.

Sweden

Sweden was amazing. I ate loads of Swedish ice cream. Swam in water about 15 degrees warm. Was terrified of falling out of the sea kayak when we went on an archipelago island trip. Saw family that I hadn’t seen since last year. I saw parts of Sweden I had never seen before too. Slept lots and laughed my little socks off. Both of us had an amazing time.

The holiday has been and gone

The holiday has just that. It has been, as I say it was fantastic, but it has now gone away too. The holiday blues remain though. I would say that this is a normal feeling. You have gone from long lie ins, to sunshine, to iced cold drinks by the pool, to doing what you want when you want. Suddenly you are back to your alarm going off at 0600, the work “to do” list as long as your arm and you are counting down the days to the next holiday.

Holidays can also make you reflect

This is very true, a holiday can make you think about your life, your family, your work and your goals as well. When Rosie and I were on holiday in February of this year we started talking about 2 Spuds and here we are several months later with a website, blog, Instagram page and hopefully much more still to come. When we were in Sweden, we did speak about 2 Spuds and the direction we wanted to take it. This is what we are working on now. Sometimes you need to go away from your normal routine to make sense of life around you. All I can say at this point is stay tuned for exciting news to come.

Make a change

Here is the thing though. If your work is not making you happy, if you goal is too far out of reach or if you feel like you should be on a different adventure then make that change. Yes, it can be a scary thing to make a change but at the end of the day it is your happiness that we are talking about. A holiday can make you reflect on these questions and perhaps even make a plan to help you reach whatever goal you want.

Love the work, hate the sales

I love the work I do. I love working with gym clients or standing at the front of a class instructing it, but I hate with a passion that my job seems to involve targets and sales strategies. Now, I am sorry, but if it is so important for me to be doing sales then why is it not in the personal training qualification. I am fully aware that I need to promote personal training and how it can help you as an individual but complying by a number is not my style. It infuriates me no end. From our trip to Sweden it is making me think long and hard about what my next steps may be.

My point

A holiday can be fun and exciting, but it can also make you reflect which leads to questions, realisations and perhaps even change.

-Helen

Holidays

21/08/2019 / / 2 Comments

It is that time of year when everyone seems to be going on holiday. Cases get packed and left in the hallway ready to go. You finally manage to get that airport transport booked and the passports are checked for the thousandth time. Here is the thing though a holiday can take you anywhere. It can take you away for a weekend, a week or a month if you are lucky. You could go anywhere in the world. A few miles down the road to a spa hotel for instance. Or it could take you three flights and get you to the other side of the world. As I say it could take you anywhere but it would still be a holiday.

What is a holiday?

For me a holiday is that ultimate me time. The time that you dedicate to you and you only. It can be a time to relax, spend time in the warmth of the sunshine, read a book all day drinking an iced lemonade. Well this is if you are good at relaxing. However, me time to me is being active, not really a surprise. I like to go on long walks, swim in a lake, run around doing a garden or house project, see cultural things that I may not get to see being at home. As I say I like to be active on holiday. If I get chance I also like to do adrenalin filled excursions like sky diving too.

Sometimes we forget to take holidays

This is very true. I have done it twice in the personal training world. The first year I was in the industry I put it down to the fact I was just starting and getting used to it. I had changed careers in the March, started as a personal trainer in the May and then kept going till the December. We had gone to Sweden for Christmas and I caused great concern when I slept for around twelve hours straight. It was up to Rosie to explain why to her parents and that I was ok. You would have thought I had learnt my lesson after that but no. When I first moved to Scotland, I started the new job in the January and worked straight through till the December. The only days off I had last year were for my Wedding. Not good, not good at all. I was tired, I was irritable, I was grumpy, my body hurt as I kept pushing forwards and I knew I was exhausted.

This year

This year I made sure I took holidays and that is why I am writing a blog on holidays. I am off on one tomorrow morning (well if one particular airline does not strike). I am off to Sweden until Monday. We have forest walks and swimming planned, barbecues, a trip to the big sports warehouse and Rosie has a surprise planned for me too. I have been to Sweden so much over the last five years it is like a second home now. We stay with Rosie’s parents in the middle of the Swedish countryside which means it is quiet, full of forest trees, wildlife and my favourite, a starry sky. A tranquil place to recharge the batteries, have some fun and just have some me time.

Work, work, work

As I have said we sometimes forget to take holidays. We have a major report due in, in two months’ time that we need to spend every waking moment writing. We have to meet the sales targets, or our job is on the line. We have to make sure that we attend that weeklong course we are booked on so the company can proceed forwards. We have to manage teams, attend meetings, make sure there is enough tea in the cupboard and so on.

Home, home, home

Then there are our home lives. We need to make sure the family are fed. That we look after our elderly relatives. That the kids schoolwork is complete on time and that volcano project you spent every night working on is handed in. We need to make sure the grass is mowed so the neighbours don’t start talking and again so on.

Take it from me

In short, take a holiday. Give yourself two days off for just you. Trust me. You will feel better, refreshed, relaxed and happy.

Saturday’s blog

Rosie and I discussed what we would do here. We could write the blog in advance and put it up or we could give the blog a holiday. As we have never been good at the towing the line thing and we march to the beat of our own drum, we have decided to give the blog a holiday. It is only one day after all. We will of course be back to it next week.

-Helen

Birthday cake with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi and physalis

Happiness

04/08/2019 / / 0 Comments

I have had a couple of great days now, and I feel very grateful and happy. Mental health can be a heavy topic so I want to try and share some of my happiness. I feel it is as important to share the good stuff as it is the bad. This post will look at what it is that has made me feel this way.

Time off

This is self explanatory. When you work long shifts with 5 or 6 days in a run with only 2 days off in between then you really appreciate having 6 days off. We had already made a few plans over these days, and it has turned out to be a very busy few days. I really try to make the most of them, and I get to spend more time than normal with the wife. So amongst the chores we planned some good stuff too. I’ve been looking forward to these days a long time now, and that is one of the points I want to make here. Put a date, or several, in the diary. Plan fun things to do and do them. This could be absolutely anything, but it is important that they are things that you think are fun. I think it’s great to have things to look forward to, that helps me a lot.

Spending time with loved ones

It is easy to take your partners, friends and family for granted. Helen and I booked a day away for Friday just gone. Something we love doing is going away on little adventures, and we had planned to go to Crieff to do Segway and air rifle shooting. We had a fabulous time! I loved the Segway in the morning, Helen less so but then she had a very close encounter with a tree. Now this was apparently because she did not want to scare the horses nearby. This is one of those things that makes perfect sense to her but no one else. Following lunch on a blanket in the sun it was time for air rifle shooting. I was quite bad at this and I find it hilarious that Helen, who always needs her glasses, took them off whilst shooting and she did way better than me!

This was followed by a walk in the gardens at Drummond Gardens. They are absolutely amazing, and we learnt that they were used as one of the locations for Outlander.

Drummond Gardens

Photography

I’ve started taking photos again, and that in itself makes me very happy. For a long time I did not take any at all, but I’m now getting back to it.

Cake and flowers

It was my birthday on Friday. What I appreciated the most was that I was off and so was Helen. As mentioned above we had made plans for a fun day, and we did have a great day. She also made me a cake with lots of cream and fresh berries. She did a marvellous job! It is delicious. We make sure we have smaller pieces and still do lots of exercise.

She also presented me with 5 (!) bouquets of flowers. I am so lucky!

Pink, yellow and red rose

Top up the good stuff

As you can see, the last few days have been full of things that make me happy. There are a few mundane chores too, but I’ve planned them in with the fun things. What also works is getting rid of the boring chores first so that what is left is the fun stuff.

Get some dates in your diaries for the things that you know you want to do but never get around to. Have some fun!

-Rosita

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