1. Journaling: Journaling allows me to write out my thoughts and ideas onto paper. Writing in a journal is also a great way to put my prayers somewhere and then to wait and see how God answers them. My journal is a book that I can use to write whatever I need to get out of my head, good or bad. Journaling helps me to process my thoughts as I write them out and then I feel like I can leave them there with God and stop worrying. For me, I like writing digitally on my computer, but I also feel the need to write with an actual pen or pencil on real paper in a small, bound journal. Often, I just need to feel the pen writing on the page to get my thoughts out.
2. Podcasts: I have really enjoyed listening to some podcasts this year! It’s a great way to learn something new or to think about a different perspective. Podcasts can also share stories that can make an impact at how we view history or current events. Some of the podcasts that I have enjoyed regularly this year are Here’s Where it Gets Interesting with Sharon McMahon, The Next Right Thing with Emily P. Freeman, and The Lazy Genius with Kendra Adachi. I can listen to a podcast when I’m driving, doing chores around the house, or when I’m mowing our lawn. It’s a nice way to listen to something while my body is busy doing something that is monotonous and my main can be more occupied.
3. Home organization: There is still so much to tackle here because this is really a never ending project, but we have done a lot of organizing this year and it feels good! We have organized closets and cabinets and gotten rid of so many bags of trash and donated items! Last winter, we remodeled a couple of areas of our home and out of necessity, I had to clear out an reorganized cabinets in our master bathroom because we were taking a cabinet out to create a larger tiled shower. With that, we also went through our master bedroom closet and organized that. We also did some redecorating in our basement family room, craft room, and workout room, so we went through lots of things there and de-cluttered and I’m still working on that area. However, watching all of the episodes of The Home Edit show inspired me to keep organizing and their Instagram posts keep me thinking of new ways to organize and create ways to put away things in my home.
4. Movement: I love to walk our dogs and move my body by going on walks. I have also enjoyed a workout class that is a combination of cardio and dance types of movements, with core exercises and some kickboxing to keep it interesting! Going to this kind of a class with friends keep me motivated to go and we sweat together! We also redid our workout area in our basement and it is much less clutter erred and has space, so it’s a calming and inspiring place to workout and I feel good when I go there and accomplish something to help my body become more fit.
5. Writing: Something that I learned this year is that I am a natural writer and my words matter, even if I am the only one who reads them! As I said above, writing helps me to process my thoughts and it is good for me to get words out of my head and onto a page. Being a part of a Hope Writers Guided Circle this year got me writing and blogging again. It helped me to create a routine for myself and to see the value in continuing to write, even if it is for myself for a time or if it develops into something for a larger audience.
