Healthy freelancing time

After a setback of nearly three weeks, I’m now in the right place to tackle my freelance working life. This week, I’m looking at exercise, as well as finding healthy snacks.

Regular activity

Every day, I plan to take a 30-minute walk with an audiobook but will be building up slowly this week as I’m still exhausted after the flu. I’m currently listening to Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land. I’m not aiming for 10K steps each day as that may not always be achievable, but I’m hoping to get up to at least 6K every day.

It’s not just about taking a long walk each day though. I need to move around more while I work. If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll have seen that I tried out a sit-stand desk for all of one day a couple of weeks ago. The desk itself looked great, but it was too big and heavy to suit my needs. So now I’m looking around for a suitable replacement. I need something that will hold my laptop with a keyboard and mouse below it. It needs to be lightweight enough to sit on our dining table and be moved and stored away at least once a week. I’m not having much luck so far, but I will keep looking.

In the meantime, I’ll be standing up for some of the day. My current set up involves having my laptop on a box on the dining table and my keyboard and mouse on the table in front of it. This isn’t ideal as when I stand none of it is at the right height.

Moving around regularly means I need to get up from my desk every 30 minutes or so. Fortunately my FitBit Blaze does remind me to do 250 steps every hour. I just need to take notice of it, rather than ignore the vibration on my wrist, which is so easy to do, especially when I’m engrossed in work. I figure that if I use this time to go into the kitchen for a drink, I’ll be rehydrating myself too.

Snacking attacks

I like food and could eat all day long. There, I’ve said it. I particularly like chocolate – though I don’t like biscuits and cake very much – and am quite happy with savoury snacks.

Thanks to this flu bug, I’m struggling with terrible sinusitis pain that has affected my teeth. I can’t eat anything that’s too cold, too hot, too sweet or too hard without wincing (or crying out in pain occasionally). Unfortunately I have gone back to eating some chocolate (yes, those pesky bad habits are starting to surface again) and I’m suffering the consequences in terms of tooth pain. So this needs to stop.

Our fridge is fairly empty and the food cupboards are quite bare, as I haven’t been out much to stock up on food. But tomorrow I’m off to buy lots of veggies so that I can fill up on soup for lunch and during the day. Probably carrot, sweet potato, celery, butternut squash combinations, as these will help to keep my sweet tooth at bay. Once I’ve managed to wean myself off the chocolate, I’ll be looking into how to keep my blood sugar in balance.

I would usually snack on nuts or raw carrots but I don’t think my teeth could withstand any of that. So I’m looking for other options. Hummus on its own is one suggestion plus banana, avocado or egg. Anything that’s filling and soft. All ideas welcome.

Back soon with an update! Follow my journey through this blog and also through Twitter – @HealthFreelance

 

 

Setbacks and steps forward

Earlier this week, I received a press release from the University of Leicester. Researchers have found that sitting for long periods means you deposit more fat around your middle and vital organs. This isn’t news to me as I’ve been researching into active working and sit-stand balance for a few months. Plus I know from personal experience that sitting down too much makes you pile on the weight. But it does reinforce to me that my lifestyle needs to change in the long-term as I have genuine worries about my health if my current lifestyle continues.

This should have been the week when I began making substantial changes to my lifestyle. But sadly there’s nothing to report (thanks to Aussie flu), though my eating habits haven’t been too bad (thanks to little appetite) and I can tell from clothes I’ve lost weight – no bad thing. What I haven’t managed to do is move around much. I wish there was an ‘illness’ setting on my FitBit Blaze – so it wouldn’t keep reminding me to do 250 steps in an hour when taking just a few steps leaves me exhausted and dizzy. But I know it has its ‘heart’ in the right place.

It should also have been the beginning of a week-long trial of a sit-stand desk. The company involved saw my tweets and very kindly extended my trial to two weeks. I was (and still am) SO grateful for that!! Sadly the desk did arrive and while it’s very well-made it’s not going to work in my limited office space on my dining table. It’s much heavier than I expected (though lighter than others on the market) and much bulkier too. I couldn’t lift it on my own.

So if anyone reading this can recommend a relatively lightweight and not-too-expensive sit-stand desk (available in the UK), please let me know. It needs to sit on my dining table in the week and then be light enough to remove and store away on a weekend. It is for a laptop, but I use a separate keyboard and mouse.

Spending the last 10 days in bed, or mainly in bed, has certainly got me thinking about my usual daily activity habits. I’ve spent most of my working life sitting at a desk. I barely get up during the day. And when I do, it’s often to head to the fridge or food cupboard.

On the days I do get out for a walk, I love being outside, feeling the fresh air (even if it’s cold) against my skin. I love the freedom of walking – whether it’s in the park or on the road. And now with audiobooks to listen to, the incentive to keep going for ‘a little while longer’ is there. I’m really frustrated that I haven’t been able to get out and about over the last week or so. Looking forward to get back to it next week.

Well that’s all from me for now. Look out for my tweets!

On my way

Officially I’m not starting my journey to ‘Healthy Freelancing’ until Thursday. But until then, I’m planning my approach and taking some initial steps, mainly to get myself into the right mindset.

I haven’t called this blog post ‘New Year, New Me’ as it sounds far too corny.

My life won’t change drastically just because I get healthier and fitter. I won’t be a different person. Yes, I hope to be thinner, have more energy and fewer aches and pains, wear clothes in my wardrobe that haven’t fit for years and feel more confident in public. But I’ll still be me inside. The same slightly anxious, not-always-confident person, just with a more comfortable exterior (and hopefully healthier interior) – back to the person I was several years ago.

It’s hard to get into a routine after two weeks away from one, with no work, kids off school, husband off work… That’s one reason why I decided to make Thursday my official day for lifestyle changes as by then my daily routine will be easier to manage.

BUT I have already made a conscious decision to improve my eating habits and go for a daily walk from today. I took my initial step by setting up this blog and the associated Twitter account a few weeks ago – writing this blog post as 2018 begins proves to me that I haven’t forgotten my task and I still intend to stick with it.

So that’s my first hurdle (or two) overcome. 

Today I received an email from the MyFitnessPal app, with the image below:

I’m hoping that some of these little steps will help to change my lifestyle for the better, even if I don’t incorporate all of them into my regular routine. Even as I’m typing this my FitBit is telling me I have to do another 150 steps this hour to reach the minimum 250. So I’m now going to stand up and have a walk around the room. I’m particularly looking forward to my week-long sit-stand desk trial that’s starting soon.

I won’t be blogging daily, but hope to blog at least once a week. Plus I’ll be on Twitter when I have the time. Follow my journey… and keep in touch!

 

New beginnings

It has been a little while since I wrote a blog post on here. Real life got in the way – work… family… basic survival needs… the usual.

But I haven’t been idle.

From January 2018, I’ll be making some changes to my lifestyle. I’ll be exploring and trying different ways to become a healthier and fitter full-time freelancer working from home.  Over the last few weeks, I’ve been doing some research and making plans.

So what progress have I made?

1. I’ve created a list of healthy snacks and healthy lunches.
2. I’ve started going for walk listening to an audiobook – one I can’t put down (Sweetpea by SJ Skuse, in case you wondered). This isn’t daily yet, but that’s mainly because of the weather. My FitBit reminds me when I need to take more steps, which is helping me move around more.
3. I’ve arranged to trial a sit-stand desk in January – so I’ll blog more about that in the new year – but I have been trying a sit-stand working routine anyway and I like it so far.
4. I’m finding better ways to deal with stress, other than grabbing the nearest item of unhealthy food – watching some TV, reading, mindfulness, general fun and going for a walk.
5. I’m organising the household – getting on top of washing, ironing and other chores, which helps to create a more relaxing work environment.
6. I’m taking better control of existing health problems, whether this is through self-help measures or suitable medicines.
7. I’m working on better sleep though I still have a long way to go on that.
8. I’m organising my day into achievable chunks with ‘to do’ lists, reminders in my diary to eat, drink, move, unwind, stretch… I think this can be hard when you work from home and don’t have the routine of an office and other people around you.
9. I’m taking on new challenges and looking forward to the future. I’ve gone back to a huge project I’m working on – to fulfil a childhood dream. Maybe more about that one day too.
10. I’m setting realistic goals. I figure I’m more likely to achieve them that way.

See you in 2018!

Follow my journey on here and on Twitter – @HealthFreelance 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Tips on Sticking with New Year Resolutions

Over the next few weeks, many of us will be writing a list of plans for 2018: our New Year resolutions. The changes we want to make to improve our lifestyles and achieve our hopes and dreams, helping ourselves and maybe others too along the way.

Should we choose ultimate challenges?

Things that are currently so far out of reach that we have to really push ourselves to achieve them.

Should we choose things just out of reach so we can push ourselves a little bit further in 2018 than in 2017?

Things we can achieve as long as we stay focused.

Or should we choose things well within in our reach but not yet tackled?

Things we know we can achieve to give us a boost but are different from our current ‘norm’.

The choices are endless.

Little things or big things? Old things or new ones? Personal achievements or those that may benefit the wider world?

Decisions, decisions…

A mixture of all of the above is probably best. Things we can action easily and see where they’ll lead, as well as targets to aim for.

Long-term approach

Even once we’ve made these decisions, our journey is only just beginning though. We’ll need to keep on track, dealing with setbacks and staying in focus.

So how can you stick with your New Year resolutions for longer?

1. Decide in advance – don’t wait until the evening of December 31st to make a decision about your New Year resolution(s).

2. Ideally make just one resolution, so you can focus all your energy on that, rather than overstretching yourself. Though this often isn’t possible.

3. Write down your resolution (or resolutions) and keep this visible on your phone. Or use it as a screensaver on your computer.

4. Set a date to begin. Make it work for you. January 1st may not be the best day for you – January 4th may be better. But whichever date you choose, stick with it.

5. Prepare in advance. If you’re giving up smoking, remove all ashtrays, cigarettes and lighters from your home. If you’re losing weight, replace the unhealthy food with healthier choices. Think about your resolution and how you can break it into smaller achievable goals, one step at a time. Research shows that breaking down our resolutions into smaller targets can help us stick with them.

6. Stick Post-It notes around your home – on mirrors, doors, the fridge, anywhere that will act as a constant reminder – with motivational words or phrases.

7. Send yourself calendar reminders – daily, weekly and/or monthly – and maybe even write a diary to track your progress. Make a note of all steps forward, as well as steps backwards.

8. Tell family and close friends about your plans. They may provide extra support and give you a helping hand.

9. Reward yourself along the way. Give yourself a treat to aim for – new clothes, an evening out, a holiday etc. But also little treats for every little achievement.

10. Don’t give up at the first setback. Get back up again, working out where you went wrong and what you can do to fix it. Persist for long enough and you’ll get there in the end.

My own choices

I’ve made three New Year resolutions for 2018. All are achievable if I stick with them and stay in focus. They are all very different and are personal achievements that I’ve been dreaming about for years. I’ve told no one what they are. Not because I worry I’ll fail, but because I need to do this on my own – for now.

Follow my journey, and you’ll see how well I get on with my main New Year resolution – becoming a fitter and healthier freelancer.

Who am I?

If you’re new to this blog (and admittedly it’s a new blog so it’s likely you are), you’ll possibly be wondering who I am in the real world. I don’t have a name on this blog or the Twitter account attached to it, or a photo.

Why not?

I haven’t started this blog just to build up followers on WordPress or Twitter (though both would be nice and hopefully I will). I have started it for me.

I already have a fairly big following on Twitter elsewhere, talking about things other than freelancing, working from home and health. I haven’t told them about this blog or Twitter account. I haven’t told my family, friends or work colleagues either.

It doesn’t matter who I am at present – just what I’m trying to achieve. I’m not famous (or infamous). I’m a relative nobody. Just a journalist trying to make a living – one who needs to sort out her health and fitness levels before it’s too late and she ends up ill or worse.

I want to be honest in this blog. I don’t want to worry that people reading it will judge me  because they know me in the real world. Maybe some time in the near or distant future, I’ll put more details on here or associate the real me with this account. But not yet.

Honesty first

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m overweight, unfit and generally unhealthy. I’ve been working from home for over 20 years. My health and weight have fluctuated up and down in that time – currently downwards. As a journalist, I thrive on deadlines and I need constant challenges. So by writing this blog and putting everything down on virtual paper, I figure this is the first step to providing both.

I will be setting challenges. There will be setbacks. There will be times when I wish I hadn’t made this commitment to myself.

But this is the only way that I’m going to stick with a change in lifestyle. I have set myself a target and a major challenge – which I can’t reveal just yet. If I don’t succeed in getting healthier and fitter and losing weight, then the challenge becomes meaningless.

So I’m here to stay.

Follow my journey from January 2018. That’s my first milestone deadline, with not long to go. I’m getting ready physically and emotionally to take these steps forward, assessing my diet, exercise habits, posture, stress levels etc.

I’ll be looking at some of the medical evidence behind different approaches, trying out new things and telling everyone about it on this blog and via Twitter.

Watch this space!

Follow my blog if you want regular updates. Find me on Twitter too. And please do come back and visit me soon!