The happy list update

So if you’ve been around here for a while you’ll know that after the last loss I decided I just needed to focus on getting myself back to a happy place. And so I wrote ‘the happy list’ of things that I wanted to do for no other reason than they would make me feel good.

I gave myself the deadline of my birthday (which for the record is August 11 – in case you’re thinking of making me a cake 😉

I’ve had a few of you asking how it’s going and because the deadline is FAST approaching (seriously where the hell has this year gone?!) I thought it would a good time to see what I’ve ticked off and what I need to make time for.

The Happy List

Take a solo retreat. Nope. Suggestions?! What should I do?

Try aerial yoga.  Done! I went to two classes and loved them.  Now I just need to talk Andrew into installing one in our house!

 Get a massage.  I had the most amazing massage from this beautiful man in Noosa. Divine. 

Take a kid-free weekend away with Andrew. Yessss! Amazing that we’ve actually managed this one.  Andrew bought me a voucher for my birthday last year so I really had to book this one in. It was amazing. A thousand thank you’s to Karmen (Andrew’s sister) for having the boys (who by the way told me they didn’t miss me, they missed Daddy. Huh!). 

Make the ensuite renovation happen. Sooooo change of plan here.  I’ve decided that I’m going to set up to run some Mum & Bubs yoga classes downstairs, so we’ve put the ensuite to the end of the list so we can re-do the downstairs bathroom instead. SO excited to get in and set up for these – I’m hoping I will be ready for classes by October. 

Take a family holiday away and completely switch off. This feels like such a long time ago now. We went down to Palm Beach for a week during the Easter holidays. Switching off is the best bit – and the good news is you can do this without going anywhere!

Continue reading a book per week. I think I have ADHD when it comes to books. I seem to be unable to read only one at a time. Anyway I’m giving myself a tick for this one. I’ve been reading more than one book some weeks, though I would like to get back to reading fiction – more recently my nose has been stuck in non-fiction and mostly about hormones and how the body works. Fascinating – but not necessarily relaxing for my brain. 

Eat veggies from our own veggie patch. So far we’ve eaten our own bok choy, kale, broccoli, sweet peas, lettuce and we have an abundance of tomatoes at the minute. I have a new found respect for food. Do you know how much effort goes into growing one broccoli? It’s insane!

Take myself out on weekly coffee & book writing dates. So I’m not doing so well on this one.  I’ve done it a couple of times, but definitely not regularly and not even close to weekly.

Feel strong and healthy in my body again.  This has really only properly shifted for me in the last month.  I feel like I’ve finally got my hormones back to normal after everything and this has a massive impact on how good I feel. Seriously, if you’re feeling like crap – get your hormones checked out. Preferably by a naturopath. Life – changing. 

Full moon sunset drinks on the beach. Haven’t done this yet! Maybe I’ll do it in August as a birthday celebration. Who wants an invite? 

Organise a ladies nights out. Done and done.  Andddd I’ve got another one organised for later this month. Who even am I now?

Try Barre Body. Still to do.

Take an online course in something… Just. For. Me. So early on I decided that instead of an online course I would do Julie Cameron’s The Artists Way instead. I never got through the whole thing though, so this is a good reminder to finish it.

Pick up my real camera again regularly instead of just my iPhone. I’m a bit hit and miss with this one.  I think I struggle because my camera is SO big that with all the other kid stuff I lug around it just doesn’t seem worth it. But it takes such pretty photos… must pick it up more. 

Date nights x 2.  Winning!

Go to the movies. hmmm does it count that I’ve seen Lego batman and despicable me 3? I think not. Ok must book this one in. 

Bonfire on the beach. Perhaps I can combine this for my birthday full moon party?

Fix up / decorate the front verandah. Not done yet though we have managed to sell the bed and chair that was cluttering it up.

Redo our bedroom with new linen/ clear it out. New doona that actually fits king size bed. Check. Cleared out. Check. Filled back up with regular household bits and pieces. Check. (DAMN)

So out of the 20 happy things I’ve completed 11, I’ve decided not to do 1 and I’ve got 8 left to do. Not so bad. 

I can’t conclusively say it’s the happy list alone, but I feel a million times better than when I first wrote this list down.  It’s definitely something I’m going to continue on after I tick off these last few things.  I think the perspective change has been good for me, because NONE of these things are about achieving anything.  There are no prizes for doing any of them. There is no raise. No new job. No praise. No one cares, other than me.

The prize is literally that I feel good. I feel happy. Why don’t we live this way all the time?

Did you end up writing your happy list? Have you checked many things off?