The best laid plans - part 2

I have a confession to make – I am exhausted. And as always, the best laid plans of mice and men got sidetracked. In my head, I would have written several blog posts, filled my freezer with good healthy food, filmed videos for the blog, as well as everything else on my to do list. In reality, I am returning to work after my fractured ankle, still attending physiotherapy, and trying to get back into some semblance of a routine. While all of you reading this may not be in the same position, I know that are a few of you who might also be starting the year off feeling a little bit off, or not having as much energy as you would like. The beauty of having set a theme for the year, is to embody it regardless of how I feel, while accepting that it will look different at different times of month or at different points during the year. For me, my theme this year is Nourish, and here are 4 things I have done (and you can do too) to keep myself nourished during this period.

1.       Nourish the body by drinking more water – my sister will be cheering on the sidelines if she sees this!!! She LOVES to force feed me water when she thinks I have not had enough to drink. This is a simple but effective vital ingredient for the body to function, and dehydration can really deplete our energy, so it is important to stay hydrated. There are varying opinions on how much water a body needs, and while I cannot claim to be drinking 8-10 glasses a day, I have definitely increased my water consumption, and thrown in some herbal and fruit teas (unsweetened) for good measure. My favourite at the moment – 3 Tulsi tea which a friend gave me for Christmas. I hear it is an adaptogen that is good for me but I also love the taste and find it refreshing, so I am sold!

2.       Nourish the mind by reading – I made a commitment late last year to read one chapter of a book each day, and I know other persons who have made various commitments – 10 minutes a day, 1 book a month or even to listen to an audiobook on the commute. I find reading to be extremely pleasurable, but as a friend pointed out to me at the time – as much as I like reading, I never made time for it. That was my treat to myself – to finally work my way through the pile of books on my bedside table threatening to engulf me during the night. I am not committed to any particular genre and so I managed to read one nonfiction, and 2 fiction books so far. I will do a separate post about these for those who are interested in what I am reading. I find this activity very nourishing, but to those who may not like reading, perhaps a podcast, listening to your favourite music playlist, or even a quiet meditation may be just the thing you need to nourish your mind.

3.       Nourish the soul by spending time with close friends or family – My sister bought me a Scrabble/Monopoly combination for Christmas, and since then, we have spent many a pleasant evening playing a board game – either just the two of us, or with friends. I love spending time with my friends and playing a board game suits me just fine, as I find it deliciously relaxing (even though they are all SUPER competitive!). For those who don’t play board or card games, perhaps have a movie night, or invite friends over for lunch, dinner or afternoon tea! Or grab a friend and go for a nice stroll in the sunset. Good company nourishes the soul in my opinion!

4.       Nourish your space by decluttering – this takes slightly more energy, but I find it is a huge weight off my shoulders and super useful to do a little decluttering. Pick a shelf in your cupboard, or throw out all the spices that have been there since the turn of the century. I tackled my paperwork, and have committed to working on small amounts every day. It is the perfect task for sitting on the couch with food TV on in the background!

We may not always feel as if we have the energy to do anything major and drastic, but sometimes even the little things we do to nourish ourselves can lift our mood and raise our energy. Last but not least – I am choosing to nourish you my readers hopefully with some juicy ideas in this post.

What do you do to nourish yourself when you are tired, unwell, or just plain busy? Please leave a comment below.

Big love from a small island!

PS - Confession time continues - I was too tired to think of an original name for the post (I am pretty sure I wrote one last year with this same title, although the content was different) and while I may not have posted this photo before, a sunset is definitely not an original concept for me! However, until I can return to one of my other favourite nourishing activities - walking on the beach at sunset, this photo will have to suffice...