Janine Langdon-Lee
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The Gift of Staying In

/ Inner journey, Life Lessons, Sleep

When Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday, March 23, that New Zealand would go into “Lock Down” for four weeks, I was at a café with a friend having lunch. Life was about to change in a big way for everyone. I felt uncertain and anxious about what this would mean. 

While the last eight weeks was an unusual and stressful time for New Zealand, as a country we did what we had to do during this time to reduce the number of deaths and save lives! The repercussions financially and mentally will stay with us for years. I was one of those weirdos who looked at the four weeks of restrictions as a gift. 

clock and cup

Slowing down  

Level Four felt similar to a shitty winter in Wellington and at the beginning I wasn’t ready for it. The optimist in me was trying to see the positives in this, however I struggled with my mental wellbeing in the first week and a half as we set about trying to create a new normal. The first week I binge watched a lot of streamed programmes. I wasn’t in the headspace to do anything else. 

Locked down sounded restrictive and made me feel uncomfortable so I started called it “Staying In” and while I wouldn’t call it a holiday, these two words helped with the mind set during this time. Suddenly I could see the benefits of what I could do during this time.  
 
I used the time to; 

  • Sort out a few spaces in the home. We moved furniture; decluttered the home office, scullery and garage.  
  • Rethink how I wanted the rest of my 2020 to look and feel!  
  • Take a break from social media. 
  • Stopped reading the news online and would only tune in for 1.00pm updates and the first 15 minutes of the news.  
  • Decluttered craft supplies. 
  • Continued to exercise. 
  • Read voraciously.  
  • Embraced my creativity, made candles, collaged and doodled in my art journal. 

I savoured the creativity time in the evenings; it helped to ground me, made me mindful, and calmed me when life felt tumultuous.  

two journals and two pencils

Change of Direction 

I discovered during this time that the downside of no longer being sleep deprived, eating well and exercising consistently was having an abundance of energy and the drive to live life at 100km an hour!  Prior to staying in, I can see how I was slipping back into busyness of life and spending more time in the “doing” energy and giving away “being” time.  

I realised that my sleep deprivation had been a gift of sorts. It meant I could only focus on one thing at a time because mentally and physically I couldn’t cope with a lot on my plate. 

While there is nothing wrong with slipping back into my old ways, I realised that I don’t want to carry on living like that anymore. I liked the life and flow I had created in 2019, which still allowed me to achieve my goals in 2019 without burnout.  

Having the space without the distraction of a busy life gave me the opportunity to pause. To tap into my inner wisdom and reconnect to self.  I came to the realisation that my original plans for 2020 no longer held the same spark for me. Those plans were what my old self wanted to achieve so I could say I was a success! It allowed me to explore what makes me happy and for now that is writing!   

When I write I am in my joyous place and I am excited to see what may come from that. Will it make me a shitload of money! Realistically probably not unless I got a big book deal or advance to write a book! Will it make me famous? No! However, that’s not why I want to write. I write to share my experiences and if it inspires or educates or helps another woman then that means more to me than anything else.  

red thread heart

The Heart of The Home 

Another spin-off of level three and four is Mike, and I continued to lose weight. We discovered new suppliers for our meat and vegetables and had them delivered throughout level four.  

We were mindful of what we’re eating, not wasting food because we could nip down to the supermarket to buy something new or replace it. Our menu planning was focussed and outlined all three meals for a week and it made the shopping once every eight or nine days easy for Mike.  
 
It made us more creative in the kitchen, if we ran out of an ingredient, we would substitute it with something else or do without. We made more meals from scratch and started using up the supplies in our freezer and pantry. We tried a lot of new recipes and enjoyed what we ate. 

turkey and raw salad vegetables

 
When we were told we were moving to level three; I was extremely excited that we could have takeaways such as Subway, Indian and good old Fish and chips. These meals tasted so good! I think this was because someone else had to make them other than Mike and I. 

I enjoyed having Mike work from home. We would have “smoko” breaks during the day and eat lunch together. I got used to having him home and going for walks around the neighbourhood with him. I was a little sad when my bubble buddy returned to his city office in Level 2.  

Filed Under: Inner journey, Life Lessons, Sleep

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Want to create a brighter future for yourself? The Want to create a brighter future for yourself? The secret lies in your daily routine!

You can unlock a brighter future with a successful routine! 👇👇👇

🐢Start small by changing one or two habits and build from there. 

🐢Consistency is key, so aim to do your new habit at the same time every day. 

🐢Keep track of your progress to stay motivated and to help you stick to your goals. 

🐢Remember, building a routine takes time and effort, but with patience and persistence, you can see big results
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🎂I recently celebrated my birthday by spending a night alone in the inner city, reflecting on the past year and journaling about what I want to embrace at 54. I then spent my actual birthday with Mike in the Wairarapa, and the highlight was enjoying fish and chips for dinner while drinking champagne at home. 

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📵I stopped using the WW app & program after four years because I was tired of tracking. I have embarked on a new part of my wellbeing journey. At the time WW gave me the structure I needed, Now I am experimenting with what works best for me now.

🏥A family member had an extended hospital stay, this led to comfort eating, & withdrawing from life. Later on I recognised the impact of stress and created a list of things to look out for in the future to better recognise stress to improve my overall wellbeing.

🐌In 2023, I chose "Savour, Slow & Simplify" as my word of the year. After a stressful few months, I decided to declutter my home and donate items to the Hospice shop. I am trying to be more intentional with my consumption and breaking up with my attachment to "stuff".

🧎‍♀️I have been dealing with a knee injury since January, which has prevented me from taking walks around the neighbourhood. Despite previously disliking walking, not being able to go out 3 to 4 times a week has been a challenge for me. However, I am a solutions-focused person and decided to hire a treadmill, which has been helping my knee slowly improve. I am now enjoying using the treadmill.
April commitments: Simplifying my space, diving in April commitments: Simplifying my space, diving into my TBR pile, and nurturing myself with slow moments and seasonal rituals 🌸📚💆‍♀️ 

#selfcaredaily #decluttering #declutteringmyhome #bookworm #slowmoments #simplify #wordsoftheyear
Embracing mistakes as learning experiences, practi Embracing mistakes as learning experiences, practicing self-compassion, celebrating progress, and sharing our stories are all important steps in cultivating resilience and growth. Just like Kintsugi pottery, we can use our imperfections and challenges as opportunities for transformation and empowerment.

✨️Embrace mistakes as learning experiences: Just like how Kintsugi uses gold to highlight and enhance the cracks in pottery, we can use our mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve ourselves. Instead of being ashamed of our mistakes, we should embrace them and use them to become better versions of ourselves.

🙏Practice self-compassion: When we make mistakes or face challenges, it's important to be kind to ourselves. Just like how Kintsugi treats broken pottery with care and respect, we should also treat ourselves with compassion and understanding. By showing ourselves the same kindness we would show a close friend, we can build resilience and bounce back from tough situations.

🎉Celebrate progress, not just perfection: Kintsugi celebrates the beauty of imperfection, but it also celebrates the progress made in repairing broken pottery. Similarly, we should celebrate our progress and growth, even if we're not perfect. By focusing on progress rather than perfection, we can build confidence and motivation to continue moving forward.

🎤Share your story: Kintsugi pottery tells a story of resilience and transformation. Similarly, sharing our own stories of overcoming challenges and embracing imperfection can inspire and empower others to do the same. By being vulnerable and sharing our experiences, we can create connection and support for ourselves and others.

How do you celebrate progress in your personal or professional life?
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Create your own list of activities that bring you peace and make them a part of your weekly routine. 📝 Whether it's taking a stroll in nature, reading a book, or simply enjoying a cup of tea, make time to acknowledge and appreciate those slow moments. 🔆

Remember, to be intentional with your time and prioritise activities that bring you joy and inner calm. Don't feel guilty for taking time to slow down and recharge. 🙏 Share in the comments below what activities you enjoy to find your slow moments!
Choosing a word of the year has been a game-change Choosing a word of the year has been a game-changer for me since I discovered this 12 years ago.

This year, I have three words &, I am focusing on savouring, slowing down, and simplifying. These words act as my North Star and remind me of what truly matters.

What's your word of the year for 2023?
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