Hazelnutty's New Start

newgirly

Hi Hazelnutty, good advice from crumpets there! Sounds like the new year blues , I hate New Year’s Eve and we stay in usually. Hopefully you feel a bit better today and all the people on Facebook partying away last night are hungover now, whilst you are hopefully rested and planning your fab year ahead

HAPPY NEW YEAR _party_

the_cross_rabbit

Sending virtual Hugs. Happy New Year Hazelnutty.
CRx

greent

I'd second unfriending people on SM - or if you feel you need to keep people on there then unfollow them so you don't see their posts. xx

Hazelnutty

Thanks everyone

I think you're all right on social media. I'm part of an academic network on FB that I find a great source of support and I use the selling pages but otherwise I'm going to limit my time on there as that's the main source of the blues (as people parade their unreal lives on there endlessly). I am definitely unfollowing people now, including that supposed friend who never bothered... it adds nothing to my life to see their updates and I'd rather concentrate on people who do. Twitter I use only for work so that's fine. I don't tend (touch wood) to get trolled or into personal stuff. I'm not on any other platforms.

Feeling a little more positive now although struggling to get back into work mode, probably like everyone else! Lovely short walk in the country park on our doorstep this morning with OH to get me going, which may be better than trying to run every day. Just the fresh air and natural light do wonders for me.

Finance-wise Christmas is a bit of a pain as my CC cuts off on 16th off the month, so most of my festive spending (presents, food and some sale shopping) is falling in one month. My CC will definitely be higher than normal, even if technically I'm within my budget by salary month (if that makes sense!) It should all come out in the wash though and I'll be on track again in Feb. OH and I have booked one night away near my birthday as a treat and I am doing some minor house spending (an outdoor storage box for the garden today) but otherwise trying to get back into good habits and save.

themadvix

I'd third the social media stuff and glad you've given it a go. I found I was pointlessly scrolling through FB too much, so I've deactivated my account. I do pop back on (maybe once a week, or less), but find I've not missed anything. I won't delete it just yet as I do use it for Brownies/selling groups, but life is less cluttered without it! I am also limiting my exposure to the news - I was finding it too depressing and becoming obsessed with hearing what was going on. I think I'm happier for knowing less!

The morning walk sounds lovely - nothing better than fresh air and daylight.

newgirly

That’s a good point vix, I read an article on mr money mustache’s blog a while ago about reducing exposure to the news and it made quite a bit of sense to me, it can be so relentless and depressing sometimes, I’ve cut back a lot although still watch question time /Andrew marr so I feel I’m not totally clueless

It’s not like the old days when you read the paper at the weekend, now it’s popping Up on your phone twenty four hours a day :eek:

Sorry Hazelnutty , hijacking your thread!

Hazelnutty

Not at all, newgirly! TBH I often have to turn the news off (my alarm is radio 4) as it gets me off to such a bad start. Sometimes it's the interviewers as much as the interviewees! I used to have a job that meant I needed to be on top of the political news especially, now I just couldn't do it! Unfortunately my dad bought me a subscription to a particular political publication for Christmas, so that's popping through our door every week! It's not that I don't agree with the content it's that I can't bear to read it as it's so depressing.

The person on my FB group suggested 5' meditation, 15' walk, 20' writing every morning and no email until lunchtime. If you added 'no news or social media' until lunchtime that sounds like a perfect recipe! I've downloaded a meditation app so going to give that a go.

We're off to OH's parents for a Christmas get-together. I dread these kind of things even though everyone is lovely. Groups are tiring for me, making small-talk and answering questions etc. The fact that one of the kittens nibbled on the cake OH spent the morning making for the event means she's not in the best of moods either. Just waiting for DD to get back from judo then we're off. Might fit in a quick jog around the park to clear my head...

Catch you all later

Karmacat

Hope the festive event went well - some events have been tiring this year for me, either too frantic or too loud or just not enough fresh air that day. It would be nice to think your walk in the park helped you get well set

Hazelnutty

Thanks, Karma. We were there for 5 hours instead of the expected 3 and I was knackered! But it went fine, mainly due to one of the cousins being there who's very much on our wavelength and helps mitigate the fuss and noise of some of the others.

Picked up a 2-drawer filing cabinet from my favourite hospice shop recently so spent a little while this morning sorting through paperwork to go into it. Found the final payment documentation for a car loan about 14 years ago so have put in an enquiry on PPI. Fingers crossed! I doubt it'd be much as it was a cheapish car and I paid it off early but let's see... Also prompted me to log into Plusnet to check on my broadband and phone contract. Have diarised to give them a call when my 2-year contract expires in April... I may be struggling with proper work but procrastinating by doing household management stuff seems to be working a charm!

themadvix

Hazelnutty wrote: »

The person on my FB group suggested 5' meditation, 15' walk, 20' writing every morning and no email until lunchtime. If you added 'no news or social media' until lunchtime that sounds like a perfect recipe! I've downloaded a meditation app so going to give that a go.

I love the sound of this, although I couldn't do the email bit as that's how my work arrives. I might have a go at implementing the meditation and walk. Was the writing related to the group's academic focus (I think you said it was an academic group!)?