I’ve been ill again.
Nothing dramatic, but enough to slow me down and remind me of something I already knew.
I often talk about what I call the boring bedrocks of style.
They’re not the exciting parts. Not finding the perfect jeans or a wow colour.
They’re the budgeting, the planning, the maintenance, the strategy. They do the heavy lifting and keep your wardrobe working.
And they apply to health, too. I’d forgotten them.
This time I’m writing about them because I want to remember. And perhaps it’ll help you remember, too.
The obvious ones first.
I walk every day because I have a dog. But that had become another job to do; I was multitasking, sending voice notes, listening to podcasts, my brain was whizzing.
So I slowed down, left my phone in my pocket (yes, I take it with me cos I’m a woman walking on her own, right)
And I noticed the trees, the cat peeping round the fence watching Delta, the squirrel darting along a branch, a robin on the path…
My food had drifted…..apparently, Liquorice Allsorts and Doritos aren’t quite as nourishing as a protein-rich meal. Who knew?
My body craves tea when I’m off colour. We are talking crazy amounts! Now I’m feeling better, I’ve replaced some of the tea with water, and my skin is thanking me.
Then the less obvious things. The ones that had slipped without me realising.
I take supplements for my skin. I love my Juvia, collagen and creatine.
But somewhere along the way, I’d stopped taking my medicinal herbs for my chest (no wonder it flared!)
It wasn’t a conscious decision; it was a drift. So they’re back, along with regular acupuncture and my daily lung exercises.
Which I hate, but now I pair them with wearing my heated eye mask because, yes, I also have dry eye!
Midlife is the gift that keeps giving.
It’s been SEVEN weeks since I went to the gym. It had drifted before I got ill, life got busy and I didn’t prioritise it. Which is ironic, considering I spend much of my working life encouraging women to make themselves a priority!
Funny how easy it is to teach what we forget to practise ourselves.
I’m waiting until I’m fully recovered before I go back, and I am excited to get lifting weights again. Sensibly!
The biggest lesson that this illness has taught me?
The boring bedrocks aren’t boring at all. They’re the foundations that allow everything else to flourish.
Whether it’s your wardrobe, your business, your relationships or your health, they’re the quiet habits that carry you when life gets busy.
Bring on the boring!