Reflections and resolutions

Last year...

Most of it was overshadowed by one big, bad event, and the fallout thereof.  It was both bad, sad, and good, all at once.  But one thing it was, was heavily stressful. 

This new year...

1. I'm going to be working harder on trying to build routines.  Last year, I had some (small) success, to the point I wasn't living in CHAOS* as much as I always have.  But then, I got hit with a series of health attacks, then Christmas's new issues...yeah.  The house got to looking like it'd had a tornado go through the insides.  I need to get the cleaning routines down to nothing but maintenance.  For me and for the kids. 

2. I'm going to start journaling daily again.  It's a massive stress-buster for me.  And the less stress I'm under, the less my own body attacks me.  I really didn't do enough of it last year.  I can see that, now, in hindsight. 

3. I'm going to be changing up some of my standard health routines.  I can't really add exercise, and if I cut calories further, I'll be into starvation diet levels, so I'm not going to worry about my weight.  There is, literally, nothing I can do about it, given my restrictions.  I can, however, try changing up what I eat, and I will try that.**  I can, and will be, cutting sugar out as much as possible, given that it's an inflammatory food substance, and I can't take NSAIDs any more.  And as I'm now over 40, I need to get off of the oral contraceptives for my health's sake.  

4. I'm going to get the kids involved in, and responsible for, the massive amount of paper they bring home from school.  I'm going to teach them how to sort and file stuff.  It's something I didn't learn, and am learning as I go for household paperwork.  I'm not finding it easy, and I'd like to shove the school papers off on the kids to make less for me to work with. 

5. I'm going to write every day.  Something I let slide starting in July of last year.  I think that's probably added to my stress levels, too, but whatever.  I'm going to start writing every day, even if it's just a few hundred words.

6. I'm going to set the laptop down early and read every day.  Paper books.  I've got a lot that I haven't read that I want to, and my brain's finally coming back online with the natural thyroid replacement, in ways it didn't with the synthetic therapies.  And there's a lot of books that the kids are interested in, that I haven't read, and don't know whether they're appropriate or not. 

7.  I'm going to read the Little House books to the kids.  They got a set to share for Christmas, and I started reading the first one to them.  They love them. 

Overall, nothing really huge.  Just...little things, that won't be too hard to implement.  I hope.

*CHAOS: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome.  From The FlyLady.  

**Less a diet and more guidelines of things I need to start eating more of...which means less of other things.  I'll be following the guidelines set out by the MIND diet...but not using margarine, and not reducing my beef intake.