What’s Your New Year Going To Look Like?
A new year signals a fresh start for many people. A time to reflect on the past 12 months, to look at where you’ve been and where you’re going. To take a deep breath before jumping into another year. How do you want your New Year to look? What might help you to get there and make it a little easier, a little more productive, a little healthier, a little more fun, a little brighter? Forget resolutions, forget pressures. Just general ideas, goals and wishes. Here’s a look at a few product types that might help you kick start your New Year.
Stretch & Exercise Tools
Let’s ditch the “get fit”, “join the gym” and “lose weight” resolutions that too often aren’t realistic or enjoyable. Let’s instead make it simply about getting a little more movement in our days whenever possible, to whatever degree you personally can. Exercise doesn’t have to cost anything, so a little walking around the neighbourhood, stretches on your bed or dancing around in the living room all count. Doing squats while the kettle boils or push-ups on against the kitchen counter while waiting for the toaster to work its magic are two I like to do. You may find online exercise tutorial videos or yoga step-by-step diagrams for free online, too.
Some people may benefit from home exercise equipment and accessories to target specific needs, provide a little motivation and give you something to do indoors in unappealing weather. Home gym equipment like treadmills can be fantastic for cardio if you have the space and money for it. If not, you could consider smaller versions like fold-away exercise bikes and slimline elliptical machines. Or you can pare it back to the basics: small step machines, under-desk pedal exercisers, plastic steps, hand weights, exercise mat, yoga ball, resistance bands, etc.
The smaller items and accessories can be pretty versatile, not to mention cheaper and more suitable to those with limited space. You can build in small exercises in the day, just picking something up when you can and designing a mini workout that suits you.
Again, it’s not about olympic efforts. If you’re chronically ill, fatigued or disabled, “exercise” as is often advertised in the media may not be appealing or even possible. But any small movements count and they all add up to support your joints, cardiovascular system, your bones and muscles, your mental health and just about everything else in between.
★ MOTION Neoprene Hand Weights 1kg-5kg
Dental & Skincare
Looking after our skin and oral health is so important, but investing the time and effort can be tricky when we’re not well or we’re overwhelmed with other things that need doing.
With oral health, it’s more than just brushing twice a day. It’s about getting good brushing action, giving the tongue a quick clean, ensuring you have a good toothbrush, using mouthwash and doing a little of the dreaded flossing when possible.
With skincare, it’s our face and our body that should be tended to. I don’t get to moisturising my arms and legs in the colder months because I can’t bear the lack of clothing, but it’s a good idea to do a little here and there. Look after your feet, file and moisturise on occasion. Keep your hands happy with nourishing hand cream. Cleanse and moisturise your face, and use more specialised products to tackle any concerns.
Getting into a stronger routine with our skin and our teeth can keep us motivated to do it, especially when sticking to it long enough to see some results. If we make these self-care routines a priority on the to-do list, we’re more likely to find the time to do them, too. It doesn’t have to take long, so make sure you have suitable tools first off and then do a little when time allows because it’s better than nothing.
★ Oral-B Electric Toothbrushes
★ O’Keeffes Working Hands Cream
★ Vaseline Healthy Hands Stronger Nails
Products To Keep You Warm & Well
Winter warmers are often needed well into the New Year, especially in the UK. Many people with chronic conditions painfully feel the cold and it’s important to stay warm, especially if there’s extra vulnerability involved such as having a heart condition or being elderly.
If you’re heading out, think thermal socks, layering clothing, hats, scarves and gloves. If you’re indoors, think slipper socks, arm warmers, snuggly jumpers. There are also gadgets to help you stay warm. For instance, rechargeable hand warmers for cold paws. I use an OCOOPA hand warmer and find it pretty awesome, especially as I live with Raynaud’s and erythromelalgia.
Blankets to lounge on the sofa are great, but for when you need something to warm you up from the inside out, a heated throw may be just the thing. I’ve only just started using one and I absolutely love it as it’s large enough to wrap around me when propped up in bed and it has various heat levels. Electric throws, as well as under blankets for beds, are usually very cheap to run. It’s estimated (in 2022) that they can cost on average 3p an hour, which is a bargain compared to the extortionate cost of central heating, even if you only use the blanket instead of the heating for an hour or two a day.
What’s also becoming quite popular are blanket hoodies, which look like oversize hoodies with a kangaroo pocket on the front. Not the most fashionable things but actually pretty awesome. They’re large and thus very comfortable to wrap yourself up in, but the quality, price and thickness does vary. Go for one with a sherpa-style inner if you want more warmth.
★ Hooded Blanket With Sherpa-style Lining
★ Bedsure Sherpa Fleece Throw Blanket
★ OCOOPA Rechargeable Hand Warmers
Supplements
Supplements can be good for anyone wanting to boost their wellbeing and generally support their overall health, top-up lower levels of certain elements, or target particular health concerns. There are so many brands and variants on the market now that it can be hard to know what’s effective, so do your research first, compare prices by taking into account the pack size and ingredient strength, and take a look at reviews. It might also be a good idea to get an updated blood test done to check for any deficiencies, especially for the basics like iron, B12, Vitamin D.
For basic supplementation, things like multivitamins, probiotics, Omega 3, Vitamin C and Vitamin D are popular, especially the latter as lack of ongoing exposure to the sun year-round leaves many people deficient in the so-called sunshine vitamin to some degree.
For targeting certain concerns are things like Magnesium (muscles, sleep), Glucosamine & Chondroitin (joints, arthritis), Biotin & Zinc (hair, skin), turmeric & curcumin (pain, joints), pre & pro-biotics (gut health), B Vitamins (fatigue), iron (fatigue & deficiency symptoms), collagen (skin), ginseng & ginkgo biloba (cognition, memory), Ashwagandha (stress, anxiety, sexual function, blood pressure, memory), CBD, and lots more.
Always speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting a new supplement, especially if you take other prescription medications or supplements, and ask a professional if you have any queries or concerns.
Always keep your eye out for deals and discounts. Sometimes it can be better value for money to stock up on things you know you’ll be using when they’re available on a 3 for 2 offer, such as most supplements at Boots (UK).
★ CBD : My top 3 brands + discount codes in the reviews – Orange County CBD (review), CBDiablo CBD (review) & Reakiro CBD (review)
★ Floradix Magnesium (review here)
★ Beauty Gummies @ Boots (Selenium, Biotin, Zinc)
★ Feroglobin Liquid Gentle Iron (Plus Vit D, Ginseng, Co-Q10)
★ Effervescent Multivitamins @ Boots
★ Glucose & Chondroitin Capsules (with rosehip, turmeric & ginger)
★ Turmeric High Strength Vegan Capsules
★ Vitamin D Gummies (and more information on the sunshine vitamin here)
Remember Your Supplements / Meds
How can you strengthen your supplement habit and stay on top of your medications? If you take various things, it can be hard to remember to take them as regularly as you should. Or you can be left scratching your head unable to remember whether you’ve just swallowed them or not.
There are a few ways to help you get organised and remember your meds or supplements. For instance, you could draft up a basic weekly tick-chart. You can write them out by hand but it’ll be more time-intensive. The more convenient way is to do one on the computer, say via Excel / Numbers, and print copies for each week. You can more easily adjust as required whenever you add or drop a particular product.
Another option is a reminder app on your phone. There are various options, paid and free, for setting reminders and alarms to repeat at set times on set days. It depends on your requirements but I have one to remember my mum’s evening meds, which she now uses on her own phone. I went for the basic “Reminder” app on the Apple App Store, which is really easy to use and offers good versatility for reminder presets and sounds. It makes the process of taking meds a little less rubbish when you hear a cat meowing or a baby giggling as your reminder.
What can help speed the process up in the mornings and evenings is a pill organiser. I’ve personally used AUVON pill boxes before and would recommend them. The ones I’ve bought on Amazon have been reasonably priced, good quality, easy to use, more comfortable for people with arthritis or problematic joints, colourful, and with clear text marking the days on the lids.
Again, it depends on how many meds you have and whether they’re split in the day as to what may suit. For instance, you can get a 7 day pill box organiser with one compartment per day, or a 7 day organiser with two compartments for AM/PM pill-taking. You an also get small boxes for taking your meds out with you, which I think are great to have to hand just in case.
★ Reminder App on the Apple App Store
★ AUVON 7 Day Rainbow Pill Box Organiser
★ AUVON 7 Day AM & PM Rainbow Pill Box Organiser
★ AUVON 7 Day 3x A Day Individual Portable Organiser
Stress-Relief & Management Tools
Do you find that stress is a problem for you? It is for most people, to some degree. In small amounts, it can be helpful and motivating, but chronic stress can take a toll mentally and physically. There are various tools and techniques to lower stress or help manage it, whether it’s through providing a little joy or providing a distraction.
A few examples: adult colouring, crosswords or sudoku, acupressure mat, Tisserand aromatherapy rollerballs, CBD, walking and getting out into nature, breathing exercises,
★ Tisserand Little Wellbeing Wonders Aromatherapy Rollerball Set
★ Escape To Wonderland – A Colouring Book Adventure
★ Mindful Mandalas – A Creative Colouring Book
★ Calm: Working Through Life’s Daily Stresses To Find A Peaceful Centre by Fearne Cotton
★ Bed of Nails Acupressure Mat – Use this link & the code BON15CAZ for 15% off (my full BON review here)
★ Adult Colouring Books – 8 Best Picks
★ 5 Super Simple But Underrated Stress Relief Tips
★ 10 Ways To Deal With News Overload & Emotional Stress In Uncertain Times
Clean, Organise & Minimise
There can be something very cathartic about decluttering and tidying up your space. Some people find busy-ness and stuff all around them to be comforting and energising, whereas for others it can be anxiety-inducing and frustrating. If you fall into the latter group, getting your home (or work) space tidied up and organised can be a big step to bringing some calm into your life. Then again, I feel like decluttering and organising in our house in a constant work-in-progress that’s never finished because we simply don’t have enough space, but it’s far better than before I started (I think).
If you have health or mobility issues, take your time and pace yourself. Put some music on. There’s no rush. Break down what can seem like a mammoth goal into teeny tiny pieces and celebrate each step of the way for a job well done.
If you’re wracked with indecision when decluttering, stop. Breathe. Think about whatever it is you’re unsure of keeping and what purpose it serves, or how you’d feel if it was no longer there. If you can’t decide and you’re getting antsy, take a break and come back when you feel more motivated and decisive. Again, little steps. Collate things along the way for recycling, perhaps selling online for earn a few pennies back, or donating to charity.
If you don’t need to declutter, how about deep cleaning? What about the places that barely get a look in, like the utensil and cutlery drawer? Scrub things down, attack the things you’ve been putting off, unblock the drains, clean the blinds, get broken things fixed and you’ll feel much better for it.
Cleaning up for a fresh new year isn’t just about the physical space around you, either. Is there anything else that might need decluttering, minimising and organising? Your relationships, your computer desktop full of documents, the countless blog post drafts you never finished, your email inbox, the thousands of photos on your phone. Put a list together and work through it, taking breaks as you go. It doesn’t all have to be done in one day, week or month. If you really want to get something done but it takes ages because you can only do a little at a time, so be it.
Maybe it’s time to kick start your new with a bit of a spring clean and a refresh with better organisation. In terms of products, I’ve found these simple white plastic boxes, no lids, to be brilliant as they come in various sizes for organising cupboards and drawers. I also like larger boxes with lids for larger items to go on top of wardrobes or for big storage in the garage.
What tools might you need? For organisation: Plastic tubs and fabric storage baskets. Funky desktop organisers. Cupboard stand inserts to organise your kitchenware, mugs and plates. Jars and labels for smaller items. For deep cleaning: Arm yourself with sponges, a bowl, clothes or paper towels, specialised cleaning products or natural ingredients (like bicarb of soda, water and vinegar).
For Example :
★ Storage Boxes & Storage Solutions @ Dunelm
★ Argos Home Steel Cupboard Organiser
★ Black Desk Organiser With Drawer
★ 16 Books To Declutter & Spring Clean Your Life
Bookish Inspiration For A Helping Hand
Self-help style books can be great for making us think and reflect, giving us the kick up the bum when it’s most needed, or providing us with a little inspiration. These are also good options for dipping in and out of whenever you have a moment, which is ideal when your concentration is shot. There are books – also available as Kindle or audiobooks – on just about every topic you could possibly want a helping hand with, from decluttering and organising, to boosting your confidence or managing anxiety.
★ Book Inspo : 12 Life Changing Reads
★ 8 Ways To Make A Difference In The World
Are you an over-thinker and over-stresser? Learning to give less f*cks about things, without turning to apathy, can be a good thing for the over thinkers among us. This ties into the desire for lower stress levels because worrying and overthinking the small things throughout the days is exhausting and can cause a lot of perpetual stress.
Part of dealing with this is about working out priorities and what matters to you. Another part of it is letting go of what other people think, as well as letting go of the pressures we put on ourselves.
Life is a funny thing. At the end of the day, it’s your life and – cheesy cliche incoming – you only live once. What matters, what really matters when all is said and done? What worry and anxiety is useful or warranted, and what only causes you hurt?
To get you in the frame of mind for less overthinking and over-stressing, there are books that may just give you the perspective shift you need and the motivation you need to put it into practice.
★ The Subtle Art Of Giving A Fuck by Mark Manson
★ The Life-Changing Magic Of Not Giving A F*ck By Sarah Knight
★ You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
★ F**k It The Ultimate Spiritual Way by John C.Parkin
Hobby Gear
Do you already have a hobby that you can enjoy and lose yourself in? If so, great! If not, would you like to find one? It’s hard when unwell and when you don’t have the time or energy to spare to even consider a hobby, but perhaps there’s something you can do that gives you a little pleasure, helps you express yourself, or gives you a sense of achievement.
Think big and small hobbies depending on your situation. For instance: Creative writing, exercise, hiking, walking, yoga, reading, blogging, online courses, painting, drawing and sketching, diamond art, photography, jewellery-making, stone painting, knitting, collecting, digital art, sewing, puzzles, scrapbooking, flower pressing, writing a book, poetry, gardening. Let’s make your new year about finding what works for you and making time to indulge in the things you enjoy.
What do you need to start your hobby? Are there online tips and resources you can use for free? Are there any products you need to research and buy?
★ Hobbycraft (UK) has a brilliant range of arts and crafts goodies for countless interests and hobbies.
★ Desk Organiser For Stationery & Pens/Pencils
★ Arteza Real Brush Pens For Watercolour Art
★ POSCA Pens / Paint Markers for Glass, Stone, Plastic, Fabric, Metal, etc
★ Diamond Art Kit under £10 – Various Designs
★ Spear & Jackson Potting Tool Set for Gardening
BPA-Free Reusable Water Bottles
Keeping hydrated is important, and reusable water bottles can be a versatile solution that benefits both you and the environment. Water intake needs aren’t the same for everyone so it might be worth calculating your average intake to see if it’s optimal for your needs. Remember too that there are dangers of drinking too much.
At home and out of home, I tend to just use my BPA-free reusable plastic water bottles. With painful joints in my hands and a new degree of clumsiness, carrying a bottle and using the wrist strap means no more accidents going up and down the stairs. When out and about, I need water on hand because of dry mouth and for taking medications.
Water tastes gorgeous out of these bottles, too. They’re easy to clean, so you can just wash it out before refilling and give it a proper washing-liquid clean once or twice a week. The only problem is leaving them can lead to them smelling funky, so you might need to add some bicarb and do a good wash out if it hasn’t been used in a little while, even if it’s just a few days.
When looking for a water bottle, check that it’s BPA-free because it’s better for your health. Then think about what you need. What size is suitable? I have a 500ml one I use at home, and a smaller 350ml one for taking in my bag. How do you want to drink out of it? My main at-home bottle has a flip-top lid and small spout, which I find easier than a screw-lid and larger hole, and easier to clean than one with a straw. However, if I can’t sit up properly then a straw is ideal. It depends what you prefer.
Maybe you want to make one of your New Year goals to help your health with good fluid and nutrition intake. You can get your fluid intake through water or squash in your reusable bottle, and boost your nutrition through juice or smoothies.
There are various brands and designs available but most of mine have been Super Sparrow that I’ve bought on Amazon. Reusable bottles aren’t usually cheap but I’ve found them to be a great investment.
★ Super Sparrow Bottles Review
★ Super Sparrow Titan Sports Bottle (various colours & sizes)
★ Super Sparrow Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated (hot or cold use)
Monitor Your Health
Modern day manufacturing and technological advances have brought us a plethora of new devices and gadgets to help us monitor our health. Whether you want something relevant to a specific health concern or you just want to keep an eye on things generally, there are different ways to do it.
A few examples: Blood pressure monitors. Glucose monitors (not just for diabetes but those with concerns over high or low glucose levels throughout the day). Smart watches and fitness trackers. Finger pulse oximeter (which usually measure heart rate as well as oxygen levels). Home blood testing and health check kits. Bathroom scales (basic or advanced for calculating BMI and transferring data to your mobile).
★ RENPHO Smart Scales for Carpets & Hard Flooring
★ OMRON X2 Basic Blood Pressure Monitor
★ Medichecks Home Blood Tests – Use code INVISME10 for 10% off (my Medichecks review here)
★ OxiPro2 Finger Oximeter (NHS Supplied)
Calendar or Diary
If you’re anything like me and can’t figure out what day it is or remember when certain appointments are, a calendar or diary is pretty vital. It’s personal preference as to how you do it, but we have a calendar in the kitchen so everyone can see what’s what, quickly and easily. For the last couple of years I’ve also kept a calendar on my computer with a little more information, where it’s easier to search back for certain events by keyword when required.
If you’re going for a calendar, pick something you really like and you’ll want to use. We have a memo calendar in the kitchen, which is usually pretty cheap and gives you a space for writing with dry-wipe pens at the top. If you’re going for a digital calendar, you might already have the app you need built in to your device, such as the Calendar on iPhone, iPad and MacBook. This way is really helpful as they can be linked on the Cloud, allowing you to view your calendar anywhere on any linked device. If not, there are free and paid-for apps that give you flexibility over your calendar input so you can make it work for you.
★ Boxclever Press 2023 Week-to-view Diary
★ The Little Calm & Happy Planner [Undated Weekly & Monthly Productivity Diary]
Journalling
Fan of journalling or curious about giving it a go? A journal or diary isn’t just for teenage girls, as recent years have helped to prove. More people are finding the value in journalling, of all ages and genders and lifestyles. It’s totally yours and you decide what goes in there, how much detail you go into and how often you write.
You could set a goal to write each day, or just write when the mood takes you. The main thing is you find some benefit from it. Perhaps it’s a sense of relief to get your emotions and thoughts down onto paper. Maybe it helps you sleep better if you write it all out before bed. Maybe it keeps your thoughts in order, or helps you to express yourself rather than having all that rumination building up with nowhere to go.
Choose a journal you like the look of and that best suits your preferences, like whether it’s wire bound or not, whether it’s lined or not. Get yourself a nice pen and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. It’s your journal, your choice as to how you use it.
★ Leather Journal A5 Ring-bound & Refillable
★ Tree Of Life Journal Hardcover
How Will You Kick-Start Your New Year?
Caz ♥
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39 comments
Great Comprehensive post Caz! i love all of your ideas. I’m 4 for 5 right now out of the list and I’m happy about that. Starting slow and building. Have a great start of the year and thanks for all of the great ideas! 💗
I’m glad you like the suggestions! And I think slow and steady is always the best way. I hope 2023 is a great one for you, Cindy 💜 xx
I did and I so agree Caz. I do as well.. Cheers to a great one for us all! 🙌🏽
Stretching tools … I’m always being told I need to stretch more, but I keep not doing it. Maybe because it’s uncomfortable. Of course I also hear that if I were to stretch then stretching would be less uncomfortable. It’s a conundrum all right … I do have home exercise equipment though. I’ve had an old Bowflex for at least 20 years that I bought off a friend who was using it as a quilt rack, and a rowing machine that my wife wanted that she doesn’t really use anymore, but I still do. I credit the rowing machine with helping me not die during The Event, so definitely got to keep that up. Happy New Year!
Chaplin: “And when it comes to stress relievers, Mama and Dada are lucky to have us!”
Charlee: “Yes, I’m helping Dada relieve stress right now by sitting on his lap and making muffins on his fuzzy blanket!”
Lulu: “I hear giving dogs belly rubs is also good for relieving humans’ stress.”
Charlee: “That may be true but then Dada would have to interrupt my muffin-making by getting up, and that would cause more stress than belly-rubbing would relieve.”
Lulu: “More stress for Dada?”
Charlee: “More stress for me.”
I used to have a rowing machine, they’re awesome. Keep it up. As for stretching, I see your point. It is a catch-22. Have you ever been able to reach over and touch your toes? Either sitting on the floor or standing, I’ve never been able to do it. Maybe I just have really short arms because I used to be able to get my legs behind my head, and I know I don’t have long legs. Shame there’s no stretching exercises to make your taller, eh.
Lulu, Charlee, Chaplin: I’m not sure about the muffin making guys, but getting your hooman to do their daily wellbeing therapy is a good job, well done! xx
These are some great suggestions Caz! I’m one of those people who can’t stand to be surrounded by a lot of “stuff.” When my work area gets cluttered it just completely throws me off and I find it hard to get anything done. I’m always looking for new ideas to make it easy to keep things clutter-free. Happy New Year to you sweet friend – I hope this upcoming year is your best yet!
Thanks, Terri, and I’m glad you like the suggestions! I’ve found the same with “stuff” and the need for less clutter, more organisation. Happy New Year to you & yours – I hope 2023 treats you kindly 💜 xxxx
Hi Caz. Those Tisserand aromatherapy are good. I benefit from using those when I take time to so.
I have another one I picked up recently, but a different brand, Fearne Cotton Happy Place.
I hope to maybe get back into drawing this year. It’s been over 20 years since I last drawn.
I will be focusing on other things too, like growing plants, some edible plants.
I’m glad Tisserand has been good for you. I’m glad to see the brand is still going and doing well. I am very excited by the idea of you drawing again, that’s amazing! I wish I could get back into some kind of art but I’ve never been very good at it and I can’t bring myself to do it. There are always too many other things to do and I don’t have the energy for it anyway. There’s always an excuse. Maybe I should take a leaf out of your book, kick myself up the bum and just try a little drawing again. I must admit I do miss having a creative outlet like that. Will you be showing us some of what you do? I hope so because I’m looking forward to seeing what you draw already (and seeing some of those plants)! xx
Decluttering… yes… that’s what I really need.
One day…! It feels like a never-ending obsession but it’s quite refreshing to do it 👍
I recently started doing Yoga again, Caz. I definitely needed the ‘stretching’ benefits. Also the deep breathing associated with yoga has helped to clear my lungs! I can now breathe quite deeply without coughing, which was becoming a habit.
It’s amazing how we forget to take care of ourselves at times. Your advice here is fantastic. Mind you: I believe you have about ten posts in one! You must have been really busy assembling all the info, links and pics. Well done to you…
xoxoxo
I’m glad you’re getting back into yoga and finding it’s helping with your lungs – that’s a bit of an unexpected benefit but it shows the power of simple stretching, strengthening and relaxing tense muscles. I’m really pleased you like the post and yes, it was a bit tricky to put together as I realised there was a lot to include so I had to streamline a bit 😂 I hope you have a good end to your week my friend, take good care of yourself xx
What a fabulous post full of great suggestions Caz. I adore my Sherpa blanket hoodie (in fact I may even have a couple of them…!). Yes I look hideous in them but at least I’m warm whilst looking hideous 🙂 I also love my wearable hot water bottle which works wonders on the really cold days.
Wonderful journal, book and self care suggestions – so much to think about.
Sarah xx
I’m glad you’ve got some lovely snuggly blankets, too 💜 They’re the best, aren’t they? Can’t beat snuggling up, no matter how ridiculous it may look! Glad you like the post – thanks for reading! Hope you have a lovely weekend, Sarah xx
Caz, your blogs are always so filled with useful suggestions and products!
Anita and I try to walk between 1.5 to 4 miles per day, usually settling for about 2 -2.5 (3.2-4 km) and now we are enrolled in something called Hinge Health from the University of Kentucky (our sad version of UK, not the ‘REAL” UK! 😄). HH provided us with an ipad and some sensors to wear, and an exercise regimen to stretch my aching and aging back. Like John Wayne said, “Getting old ain’t for sissies.” 😂 The exercises are pretty easy, but there ARE 40 levels, and we are in the first 10.
❤️&🙏, c.a.
Aw thank you – I’m really glad you like the suggestions! You and Anita do very well with your walking, that’s awesome! Hinge Health sounds like a fantastic initiative. Is that something included in your health insurance? It sounds fab but 40 levels? That to me sounds like cruelty 😂 Good luck with it – hope you both enjoy it and benefit from the extra movement! Don’t forget the WD40 oil for your creaking back. x
I can’t think of anything you’ve missed, Caz! This is a good, comprehensive list that I will enjoy exploring. I hope this year will treat you well, my friend.
Thank you lovely 🙏 I hope 2023 is a good one for you & yours! xx
I adore Mark Manson’s ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’! The book came into my life at just the right time. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it and I cite it often..
It’s nice to hear you’re also a fan of Manson’s book and I’m glad you found it right when you needed it. It was a bit like that for me, too. Drowning in caring too much, being overwhelmed, constant stress and worry and generally giving way too many f*cks. His approach is novel and it really works. x
Getting into better shape mentally and physically is a must. Doesn’t matter how you get there, just get there. I love it when people are excited about the New Year and want to change.
I love that – “Doesn’t matter how you get there, just get there”. Doesn’t matter what age you are, the circumstances, how long it takes you on that journey. It’s so worthwhile. Thank you for the fab comment! xx
Thank you for that! Loved your post.
Happy New Year Caz. This is a great post full of a variety of tools that can help us have a more positive start to the year. I love that you’ve also included free options for each one, like walking out in nature and breathing exercises – they always say the best things in life are free! I absolutely love journaling, it’s made such a massive difference to my mental health and in tern my physical health so your post has given me the nudge to buy another journaling book to help. I also love what you say about how exercise doesn’t have to be intense. Gently moving our body has so many benefits. I also do what you do and squat or do calf raises while waiting for the kettle to boil! Thanks again for a great post. Lucy xx
Thank you very muchly for the awesome comment, Lucy, I’m glad you like the post! 🙏 The free things in life are always good, right? I’m glad journalling has been so beneficial to you. I hope you can get another book and keep it going. I might take a leaf out of your book and get back into it. I hope 2023 is a good one for you 💜 xx
Caz, thank you for this treasure chest of useful products and helpful suggestions for 2023. I feel like a kid who behaved well at the dentist! trying to choose my reward! I am leaning toward a couple of new pill boxes! Happy, Healthy New year to you and yours! <3 <3 <
Aww I love that you got that feeling from this post, Cheryl! You know, I’ve always thought it extremely unfair that we don’t get stickers from the dentist as adults. If anything, we deserve them more as we age 😂 I hope you like your pill boxes if you do get them. I love the Auvon ones, in part because they’re so colourful! Thank you for the lovely comment and I hope 2023 is kind to you 💜 xx
Aha! Just as I sent an email saying I can’t connect, you reappeared in Reader. This is an extraordinary amount of helpful guidance, Caz. Thanks for all the work you put into it. All good wishes, Annie xxxx
Aha, I’m glad it seems like maybe it has righted itself! 🤞 Technology, eh? Thanks for letting me know and I’ll keep my fingers crossed there are no repeat problems in future, for as long as you wish to read or comment that is, and I want you to know that I really do appreciate you here, Annie. I’m glad you like the quotes and thank you for supporting my blog. I hope 2023 is a good one for you! xx
Great list! I wish there were more hours in the day or days in the week for more stress relieving activities. Yoga and nature walks are a big thing for me. The new year is always such a great time to refresh! Happy New Year!
Yes! Just not enough time, right? That’s my problem too, but I don’t know where the time goes. I lose a lot not being well enough to function then I spend the rest of the time busy with mundane stuff trying to catch up… then I blink and another week has disappeared with zero stress relieving activities 😂 Maybe we just need to ‘make’ that time. Reprioritise somehow to put the activities we want to do for our wellbeing, like you said with yoga and nature walks for you, at the top of the list and ensure we get the chance to do at least a little here and there on a regular basis. Way easier said than done of course and I’m not sure how to do it for myself either, but I know it’s doable. I hope you can find a way to get more of the good stuff in the New Year! xx
A great way to kick off the new year. We’re doing most of them.
Have a fabulous day, week, month and year, Caz. ♥
I’m glad you’re already doing a lot of these, Sandy, that’s brilliant! In that case, I hope 2023 brings you both more of the good stuff and I hope you find the time to do all the things you wish to do that bring you joy 💜 xx
I bought my husband Heat Holder gloves a year ago. Sometimes he has to remove them during our morning walks in the frigid cold to cool his hands! There is an absolute wealth of well-researched information in your blog. Thank you for being so helpful to others.
If that’s not a glowing recommendation for how good Heat Holders are, then I don’t know what is! That was a great gift idea for him and I’m glad he loves them. Thank you for your kind comment about the post, I really do hope it might be able to help just one person or give someone an idea that could be useful. I hope 2023 is a good one for you both! 🌻 x
So many great & helpful products you’ve listed here. Time to go shopping!
There’s always a good excuse for some shopping 😉 Glad you like the post, thank you! Hope you have a great week x