2020 - 'Nothing in your life will change until you make the decision to change'

jwil

HairyHandofDartmoor said:

I think there'll be a lot of mental health problems when all of this is over and some people may feel anxious about going out after being in for so long. It looks as though the lockdown will be phased out gradually though so that may give people time to adapt.
 
I'm glad you managed to stock up the food cupboards, I can never work out what the best time to go to the supermarket is but I think it's early in the morning. 

It's great news that you're saving so much money on the nursery fees . What are you doing with the extra money?

I think going mid-week is best, and I've been going around 4-5pm.  It seems to be quiet, but after 5 picks up again, as often when I go in it's quiet and when I come out there's a queue.  DH goes on a Friday and it's really busy.

The money from nursery fees is going into my house emergency fund so I've got money there should anything break down or eventually when we come to renovate.

jwil

savingholmes said:

I think it is good you are working on your mental health too. I have found getting out in  the garden  more a great help.

I think I need to, it's something I keep putting off and it's not helping.  I need to start forcing myself to do stuff.

savingholmes

How about if you made a list of what makes you happy - either now or has done in the past - and then see if you can add 1 or 2 of those activities into your life?

doingitanyway

Great news on being able to boost your emergency fund.
Wondering how your living space is right now. I had been feeling 'off' and setting my alarm for really early and starting to improve my living space really helped me. 
I hope you find something to make you feel a little better today.

jwil

savingholmes said:

How about if you made a list of what makes you happy - either now or has done in the past - and then see if you can add 1 or 2 of those activities into your life?

doingitanyway said:

Great news on being able to boost your emergency fund.
Wondering how your living space is right now. I had been feeling 'off' and setting my alarm for really early and starting to improve my living space really helped me. 
I hope you find something to make you feel a little better today.

Thank you both.  Great suggestions, I will try and do them. 

I just feel like it's all a vicious circle at the moment.  I hate my living space but can't do much about it as it's not my stuff.  DH is working through it all, but it's taking a long time.  I used to have loads of energy and enthusiasm but it's all gone.  I try and do stuff, but get disheartened if it doesn't turn out the way I'd hoped, or if I can't see immediate results, I don't have the energy to sustain projects.  I keep thinking about doing stuff, but it seems to take so much effort to get started, and then I spend my whole time beating myself up.

What a moan.  I'm sorry.  I need to remember, that even doing 5 minutes of something is progress, and I've got to get out of my all or nothing mindset.

doingitanyway

I would start very small. A project doesn't have to be big. An example is I recently decluttered my tea. I had about 12 boxes of tea. I disliked 8 of them so I threw those away. Now I have only 4 types and it is easier to choose. The space is clearer. As I am always selecting tea I am not constantly making a choice and moving boxes aside. A tiny project but the 4 teas I like are now in recycled jam jars all clearly labelled with a sharpie pen. Then move on to another small thing until you gain momentum. Worth a try? Identify a tiny project maybe?
And if not, just wait it out. I've followed you for a while and you ALWAYS bounce back.
Be kind to yourself. We are human beings not human doings

jwil

doingitanyway said:

I would start very small. A project doesn't have to be big. An example is I recently decluttered my tea. I had about 12 boxes of tea. I disliked 8 of them so I threw those away. Now I have only 4 types and it is easier to choose. The space is clearer. As I am always selecting tea I am not constantly making a choice and moving boxes aside. A tiny project but the 4 teas I like are now in recycled jam jars all clearly labelled with a sharpie pen. Then move on to another small thing until you gain momentum. Worth a try? Identify a tiny project maybe?
And if not, just wait it out. I've followed you for a while and you ALWAYS bounce back.
Be kind to yourself. We are human beings not human doings

Thank you.  This is exactly what I need to do.  I have a tendency to look at the big job and not bother as it's overwhelming.  I need to do the small things,  Thank you

jwil

I'm not sleeping well at the moment, this is probably not helping as much as anything else.

I've made an effort to read some of my CBT book today.  I will look out the resources my GP gave me as well last year.  I have considered going back to the GP but as I haven't made the effort with the non-medicine advice they gave me, I think I would be wasting their time (and mine!).  I need to do a small amount each day.

I've been working today, but I've also made some chocolate brownies and did a bit of my book.  I had to rearrange my workspace this morning quickly as I was asked to attend a video meeting and I didn't want my 'background' to be piles of stuff.  I managed to get it so it was the garden and my bookshelves, much more pleasing.

As I want to get the listings on this week, I need to catch up with all DH has prepared.  I'm sure I'll be moaning about all the posting again soon, but at least things will (hopefully!) be leaving the house.  Our post seems to have got more regular again, so hopefully RM are over the worst of the disruption.

Payday on Thursday and I still have £hundreds in the bank.  That has never happened to me before!

HairyHandofDartmoor

With big de-moralising projects you should definitely take the elephant approach and take one bite at a time. Can you take before and after photos of any tidying or de-cluttering you do? As it's easy to forget how bad it was before and just look at what needs doing rather than remembering how much you've already done.

I hope you feel more motivated soon.

[Deleted User]

jwil said:

Hope everyone is well

I broke my 'no online shopping' rule the other day to order the new Stephen King book.  I chose the 'no rush' delivery on Amazon to get the £1 discount, and although it was originally meant to arrive next Thursday, it arrived today, only one day past the prime date.  Very happy with that!

I know this is an oldish post but just catching up, I got this the other day too! Although I pre-ordered it last year OH is a huge Stephen King fan so I started reading a few of his books and now tend to read the new ones before he does x