A Recipe for a Good Day
Now that we’ve been in the house for a couple of months, I feel like I’m slowly finding my rhythm in these four walls, both for how I live day-to-day but also for creating a really good day. Humans are simple creatures, really. We just require daylight, water, food and a little social interaction. Right?
Slowly but surely, I’m learning which ingredients are necessary for a good day, Mish’s Version.
First, a rested start to the day. I’m in my 10-hour sleep era, after learning that the eight hours is actually a recommendation for men. And it makes sense! There’s a lot going on in a woman’s body, especially with hormonal cycles that aren’t 24 hours’ long. Since prioritising sleep, I’ve noticed huge differences with brain fog, everyday fatigue, how I handle stress, my hormones, bloating… It’s been so positive that I am always down for being in bed by 8pm. Hot water bottle, a good book, aromatherapy diffuser, Simba Hybrid Mattress, and hot water = my perfect sleep system. Of course, 10 hours’ sleep is a distant dream much of the time, but I’ll always aim for it.
Next, a delicious and hearty warm breakfast. In my quest to balance my hormones last year (and the year before that), I discovered that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, women’s bodies run warm and we must eat particular foods to nourish our bodies. Take this with a pinch of salt, of course, but I’m finding this to be another positive change for me. My current favourite is toasted bagels with tofu scramble and Everything But The Bagel seasoning, or the Strong Roots cauliflower hash browns with grilled cherry tomatoes, vegan sausages and my homemade smokey beans.
Afterwards, I often require some outdoors time. Sometimes I do the dog walk before breakfast, but this is my dream day, and that dream includes not having to explain away a rumbling stomach to fellow dog-walkers! My phone goes on Do Not Disturb mode and straight in my pocket, and then 45 minutes of quality time with my dog, Milo, begins.
A hero ingredient to a good-day recipe is a glug of time with books, a blanket and a good drink. Some time to escape the perils of reality is essential, and I’m thankful that my dog agrees! Or, I suppose, any cosy hobby time, which should be a non-negotiable but often feels like a luxury these days.
Since I’m a tiny librarian for the Little Free Library that I steward, it’s a good day when I’ve managed to pop over and tidy it up, check on the books that’ve been left, and leave a few of my own. I absolutely love this side job of mine: I always wanted to be a librarian!
Next, a splash of writing time! I’m a copywriter in my day job, so I write nearly every day, but a little time for personal writing and to squirrel away at my novel is also good. As a creative, my brain feels far clearer when I’ve had some time to clear my mind on paper.
I’m an introvert through and through, but my soul feels shiny when I’ve spent some time with each my boyfriend, my sister, and my dog. Ideally, this includes a country walk followed by a cosy pub lunch with my boyfriend, talking about everything under the sun. Or, a snug sister night in where we paint pottery or canvas and catch up, making food together to round it all off.
Lastly, a pinch of self-care in the shape of my full skincare routine always has me feeling good. In a world that seems to constantly push us to do more, constantly, quicker, all the time, it’s a luxury to press pause and spend half an hour on yourself. It’s essential, after all.
