February 2020

5 Steps to Beat the End of Season Slump

February 14, 2020

Do you feel it? It’s that time at the end of a season when you’re just over it and ready for a change. Right now in Melbourne the end of summer has tossed in a serving of clear skies and 98% humidity just to let us know she’s not finished with us yet. Many of you know it’s been a beast of a season. We’ve had bushfires, smoke smothered cities, thunderstorms with golf ball sized hail, flooding and even ‘red rain’ (the unpleasant offspring when a dust storm meeting thunderstorm system) that had the local car wash businesses booming. You can understand that I’m ready for the long blue sky days of autumn the way those of you in the Northern Hemisphere are ready for the first signs of spring.

Now you know I’m not one to give in to this sort of thing so here are the five mini-superhero steps I’m focusing on to keep me on track for the next few weeks.

Get the day in order the night before. It’s an oldie but goodie and I aim to finish my day on paper the evening before it begins. I’ve been taking 10 minutes the night before to prioritize three ‘needle-movers’. These are the things I need to focus on to make progress towards my long term goals.

Do the routine stuff routinely. I put all the ‘must do’ things on autopilot and don’t think about whether I actually like emptying the dishwasher, doing laundry or cleaning the bathroom. I just do it. In the morning I toss in a load of laundry, empty the dishwasher as my tea brews and quickly clean the bathroom while my parched skin drinks up moisturizer. Before I know it the worst of the boring stuff is done. These little things add up and dealing with them before chaos ensues makes every day just that little bit easier.

Meal plan and shop with a list. This is such common sense but I have to remind myself to make it common practice. When I write that list and check the refrigerator and pantry before I shop means I don’t waste time wondering what’s for lunch or dinner and there’s no doubt I eat much more healthily.

Get out of hibernation mode and move it. Yes the struggle is real… but just getting myself out the door to walk or take an exercise class makes a huge difference and I’ve been working on keeping it consistent which is another big plus.

Add a bit of fun to the day. At the moment that means something as little as a break at my favourite cafe. They put up with me taking up a table while I work, drink their excellent coffee, stay cool in their air conditioning and use their fairly decent wifi. Bookshops are another retreat of choice and here in Melbourne one of the best is across the road from my favourite cinema so I get two treats with one car park.

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And Before I Go

Make the time to read more. I had fallen into the habit of thinking of reading as something I did in the evenings before bed. This month I’ve been fitting in reading wherever I can throughout the day. I’ve added a book to my bag as I leave the house ‘wallet and glasses, keys and phone…and don’t forget my book!’ This means I read on the train or in a park and not just while I slowly sip a coffee at a favourite cafe.

What’s my favourite this month? It’s the latest installment in the Dr Ruth Galloway series and my favourite so far. Elly Griffiths writes so well that you can jump in and read it as a stand alone novel but if the series is new to you I recommend starting at the beginning so you can enjoy getting to know the whole cast of characters in these delightful detective novels that have a dash of Jane Austen style society snapshots.

Perhaps we need a Book Knight reading group Yes that’s a truly ‘ouch’ name for it but as I’m often asked what books I recommend this is a way we could read together. At the start of the month I could post my current reading on Instagram Stories and if you’re interested you’d have time to find the book and read along. Let me know what you think.

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