Prepare, dear reader, for some internal thinking that I’ve decided to just purge on this wee little blog.

First of all, it’s a new year and there is always something weirdly refreshing about a new year. I don’t really love the idea of resolutions because it always seems to be something that you break or don’t see through.

However, I do love the concept of a reset. I’m a big fan of “ctrl+alt+del” on my PC*, so I tend to apply that logic to areas in my life that I need to just completely reboot.

1st up on the “ctrl+alt+del” of life: emotional and mental well-being

I’ve lived long enough to know tricks and tips for day in/day out well being.

However, I think over the past few months, I’ve been putting “the work” of being truly emotionally/mentally well on the back burner.

I tend to be at my healthiest when I can:

1. consistently journal.
   • My journals are not super exciting or thrilling. There are no juicy tidbits like the journals of my youth. I’m not starting each entry with a sassy “Dear Diary, So obviously Anna hates me and I don’t ~eVeN cArE~ right now.” (So, in my youth, I did have a friend named Anna who I felt probably did hate me half the time, and I very much so cared. However, as an adult, I have another amazing friend named Anna who does not hate me and loves me dearly and it’s a friendship that is near and dear to my heart.) All that to say, my journal entries are more of “this is what’s on my heart and I’m feeling ________ about it” followed up with, at times, a written prayer, or a silent prayer to myself.
2. be in His Word.
   • I’m a Christian and while I fall short on my walk daily, I know that when I’m in prayer and spending time each day reading the Bible, my burdens are lighter and my anxiety softens. I know that for some people, religion does not bring them that same peace and that breaks my heart. I’m often too influenced by the world and when I run (not intentionally) from the closeness to God that prayer/journaling brings, my mental well being takes a nose dive. I’m not secure in friendships. I’m tense and on edge more often at work. I let all the negative and nasty internal voices swarm my self esteem and push me into spirals of self doubt and self hate. Not to say that being in prayer and reading from the Bible magically cures all of that, but softens is the best word I can think of to describe it. I’m reminded of who made me and His love for me is so powerful and beyond comprehension.
   • If you, like me, struggle to read the Bible – I strongly (strongly) suggest this book. I haven’t listened to the podcast, but I’ve heard great things.
3. exercise.
   • Let me be incredibly clear — my exercise includes walks/jogs around my neighborhood or the treadmill, dancing when I should be cleaning my house**, and Zumba. I know I need to add weight training, especially at my age, but baby steps, dear reader.
   • I prefer walking the most. It allows me to plug into a podcast, audible, or playlist and escape. Sure, I can sometimes have a running internal monologue, but for the most part, it’s a mental escape that my body can feel. That sounds lame and/or like cliché bullspit, but it’s truly the best way I can describe it. Endorphins is probably a more technical description. And, for the record, let’s not argue with the science. As Elle Woods so eloquently explained, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands. They just don’t.” *chef’s kiss*

2nd on the “ctrl+alt+del” of life: managing my finances

Anyone else feel like the deluge from Halloween to New Years just wreaks havoc on your finances? After the holidays, I was looking at my bank statement saying “It’s me. Hi. I’m the poor one, it’s me.” (Shout out, T-Swizzle!)

Overall, I’m fairly good about budgeting and keeping my finances in check. However, after the holidays, I’m re-evaluating my approach. At some point over the past month or two, a friend mentioned that she and her husband no longer use Amazon. While picking my jaw up off the floor, I said, “Wait. What?” She said they noticed they were always getting a package and filling their lives with stuff and that it felt incredibly wasteful. She went on to explain that her and her husband were much more intentional in their purchases, opting for used when possible in order to decrease new waste. Yes, my friends are awesome people.

So, here are some steps I’m taking in 2023 to feel more mindful of my finances:

1. Do not eat out for frivolous reasons.
   • I hope I’m not the only one to say “eh, I don’t feel like cooking” and then end up either picking up fast food or using that as an excuse to go out to eat with friends/co-workers on the fly.
   • Remember this mantra from my childhood: “We have food at the house.”
     • I hated hearing this as a child, but hoo-boy if mom and dad weren’t spot on. (Sorry for being an ungrateful brat, mom and dad!)
   • If I’m going to go out to eat, it needs to be intentional, not as an excuse to task-avoid cooking and cleaning the kitchen. Typing that out made me feel like an incredibly lazy POS, but yall — some days, I’m just an incredibly lazy POS. But, I hope to use this reminder to fight the lazy and just cook the dang food and clean up afterwards. My purse (and pants) will thank me.
2. Amazon fasting. I’ve done an Amazon fast during the month of January the past 3 years. It’s a welcomed break after two months of add-to-cart-itis. However, I feel like now is a good time to really evaluate “what do I need?” I’m not saying I’m going to do away with Amazon entirely, but the whole point of fasting is to be mindful. Thus, when we break our fast, it’s after thoughtful consideration. So, my friend’s experience with recognizing that she had a lot of stuff got me thinking. I have a lot of stuff. Move to…
3. Periodic Evaluation of Stuff.
   • I cleaned and organized my closet over Christmas break last month. I bagged up clothes, shoes, fugly purses, hair accessories, etc. and dropped them off at a donation site. It was wonderful. Between that experience and this new approach to my needs/stuff, I’ve selected three deadlines for 2023 to do house wide sweeps.
     • March 12th – perfect for “spring cleaning”
     • July 16th – perfect before back to work chaos starts (school counselor, here)
     • October 29th – perfect before holiday fun times
   • My goal? By each of these dates, I will have gone through clothes, shoes, books, housewares, etc and evaluate if I need to keep it, donate it, or toss it. Hopefully with each sweep, I’ll have fewer and fewer items due to the habit of being more mindful with my purchases.

I would say that I have a “3rd on the ‘ctrl+alt+del’ of life,” but honestly these two are pretty big and should really help control all other things that would require a reboot.

It’s all fun and games in January, so let’s just see where I stand come June. I’ll try my best to remember to update! 🙂

:::

*My home computer is my beloved Mac, but work is a PC. I’ve never had to reboot my Mac.. so just saying.

**It starts with the best of intentions when I clean my house. I’ll put on some music and dust my furniture and pick up clutter. But somewhere between surface cleaning and deep down cleaning, I’ll have a smooth 20-30 minute dance party. #sorrynotsorry