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5 Ways to Embrace Autumn Days

The first daddy-long-legs have made their way in, the leaves are turning and I’ve started wearing extra layers – Autumn is here! So today I thought I’d share 5 ways to embrace Autumn days. 

5 Ways to Embrace Autumn Days Pinnable image with a photo of sunlit trees in Autumn.

5 Ways to Embrace Autumn Days

  1. Get outside as much as you can – it helps to have layers and raincoats handy with the changeable weather! Enjoy the Autumn scenery and the crisp air. And take advantage of any sunshine and blue skies we get before the darker months of Winter.

  2. Make a list of things you want to do to celebrate the season. You could:
    • Cook/bake with seasonal ingredients
    • Create a nature table/tray/display filled with conkers, acorns & multi coloured leaves
    • Have a pyjama day
    • Watch some Autumn themed TV or movies
    • Try a new hobby or craft…you could learn to knit/crochet and make yourself a scarf ready for Winter!

  3. Come up with some season specific self care ideas (I wrote a post about this recently)… what do you need this Autumn to take care of yourself? Here are some ideas:
    • Regular early nights
    • Using a good hand cream
    • Creating a vision board
    • Making an Autumn playlist
    • Trying some Cozy Yoga

  4. Make a list of all the things you LOVE about Autumn and make time to enjoy those things.

  5. Think of something you’d like to focus on this season (like a goal or intention) and schedule some time regularly to work on it. Imagine how good it will feel at the start of Winter if you’ve committed to it over Autumn. Examples include:
    • A new exercise schedule
    • Keeping a gratitude journal
    • Having regular ‘me time’ to do what brings you joy
    • Reading up on a subject that interests you
    • Getting back into a favourite hobby

Which of these suggestions will help you embrace the Autumn days?
What are your favourite things about the season?

Helping you Embrace Autumn Days

I’ve just released some items in my Etsy shop which are designed to help you make the most of the season:

Photo of printed Autumn Days Guided Journal surrounded my Autumn stickers. A cup of tea, a lit tea light candle and a pen also feature.

The Autumn Days Guided Journal is available in paper and digital format and provides lots of prompts that build on the suggestions above to help you celebrate Autumn. 

It has plenty of space for: 

  • setting seasonal goals 
  • making plans
  • exploring what you love about Autumn 
  • helping you make the most of and find the good in the season
  • creating an Autumn playlist (of seasonally themed music, TV, movies and books)
  • writing your own Autumn activity list
  • planning some seasonal self care
  • and capturing your memories of the season

See the DIGITAL version here.
And the PAPER version here.

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Embrace Autumn Days with the Autumn Days Self Care Kit

The Autumn Days Self Care Kit has been created to help you embrace Autumn and focus on cozy self care.

Each item has been carefully made and chosen to help you find joy in the Autumn days. All items are vegan friendly. And it includes:

  • A handmade Zipper Pouch in an Autumn fabric
  • Lavender Bath Salts/Foot Soak – made with lavender grown and harvested in my garden
  • Autumn scented candles
  • Colouring sheets and pencils
  • Seasonal drinks and snacks
  • Autumn themed stickers

View the SELF CARE KIT here.

You can also purchase the journal and self care kit together at a special price.

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Find the Good Everyday Rainbow Gratitude Journal with a rainbow pen and rainbow wooden ornament.

The Find the Good Everyday Gratitude Journal is a handy A6 sized journal printed in rainbow colours with space for 31 entries. 

This is a great starter for developing a regular gratitude practice. Why not try it every day for a month and see how it feels?

Each page offers space to write the date and list 3 things you are grateful for (feel free to squeeze even more in!). There is also a prompt on each page to help you if you’re stuck for ideas – flick through the prompts until something resonates.

See the GRATITUDE JOURNAL here.

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I am planning to create similar items for each season so please consider marking the shop as a favourite so you can see items as they are released.

Wishing you a wonderful Autumn!

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What does Find the Good Everyday mean?

Today I thought it was time to answer the question: what does Find the Good Everyday mean?

It’s a phrase that I came up with several years ago when I wanted to start a new blog. I thought of all the things I wanted to share and tried to work out the common theme. At the time I was keen to talk about my journalling practices (such as Morning Pages and keeping a Gratitude Journal), the benefits of my daily yoga practice and how we celebrated the seasons throughout the year. I tried to work out what all of these things had in common. And I realised that it was all about seeking ways to feel happier in everyday life.

With my shiny new logo I thought I’d create a video breaking down the name Find the Good Everyday and what each part means to me. You can see the 16 second clip below:

In case you can’t read my handwriting (!) I’ve typed the lists below:

Find…
  • Acknowledge
  • Seek/Discover
  • Celebrate
  • Embrace
  • Focus on
The Good…
Everyday…
  • (not separated for a reason!)
  • in everyday life
  • part of the routine
  • regular life
  • daily life – not just once in a while

I’ve realised over these last couple of years – while working on the blog – that Finding the Good Everyday is something that evolves over time. Part of it is being open to new ways to bring joy to everyday life. And also learning to let the things go that no longer work.

What does Find the Good Everyday mean to YOU?

  • Why not think about what Finding the Good Everyday means to you right now?
  • What are you doing in your everyday life to bring more joy to your life?
  • What would you like to be doing to bring more happiness into your everyday?

If you’re stuck for ideas I have a couple of suggestions for you:

  1. Take a look at my 30 day series – Find the Good in 30 Days. Pick one idea to try today or this week and see if it helps you find more joy!
  2. Sign up for the Find the Good Everyday newsletter. You will receive a printable workbook to help you Find the Good Everyday plus I create monthly freebies to help you continue to do so. Examples of past freebies have been a Self Care Brainstorm, Happy List templates and a Mid Year Review Journalling Worksheet.
So, tell me, what are you doing (or going to do) to help you seek more joy in your everyday life?

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The New Find the Good Everyday Logo

Hello – a quick post today to share the brand new Find the Good Everyday Logo with you! This has been in the works for a while and I am so excited to be able to share it here on the blog! The new logos will show up across social media and in emails from me from now on.

There’s even a little site icon too! (If you’re viewing this from a computer it should show up as a little icon on your internet tab).

The New Logo

When I first started working with the designer Toby I knew I wanted to feature rainbows somehow. I had a search online and found a few examples I liked to send through.

And I am so pleased with what he came up with…

There are a couple of variations of the new logo:

New Find the Good Everyday Logo - icon and text

This icon/image is made up of a ring of rainbow circles with a sun in the middle. I think it also looks like a flower. So a combination of rainbow, sun and flower – that fits well with finding the good everyday!

New Find the Good Everyday - long version

This other logo has rainbow circles laid in a line with the Find the Good Everyday name over the top.

Which new Find the Good Everyday logo do you prefer?

Where else you can Find the Good Everyday

You can find Find the Good Everyday in a few different places online. Come and spot the new logo!

Click on these links to visit:

Subscribe by email

You can sign up to receive blog posts by email so you never miss a post. There is also a monthly newsletter featuring a roundup of recent posts, an inspiring quote and usually a freebie (for example: there’s been a Self Care Brainstorm worksheet and a Mid Year Review worksheet).

Subscribers receive a free printable workbook sharing ideas and prompts to help you find the Good Everyday.

To sign up to receive blog posts or the newsletter (or both!) please click here and fill out your details.

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Finding the Good in Lockdown

Hello! It’s been a while – it’s definitely time for a little life update so I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to and how we’ve been Finding the Good in Lockdown.

What we’ve been up to

  • We’ve been staying at home since around mid-March. Official lockdown in the UK began on the 24th March.
  • My husband is working at home. He usually works from home a couple of days each week anyway and his company is well set up for remote working.
  • I have a son in year 5 so we’ve been learning at home. (This is the biggest reason for my absence from the blog – I’ve been busy supervising the learning and coming up with fun ideas to keep us busy. Plus he’s using my computer for school work!)
  • The dog is settling in well (he arrived in January) but all the work we’d previously put into leaving him at home and overcoming any separation anxiety has gone out the window! We will need to gradually build that back up as and when we can.

Finding the Good in Lockdown

Finding the Good in Lockdown square pinnable image

I thought it would be interesting to share how we’ve been Finding the Good in Lockdown. Hopefully it might give you some ideas. And I think this will be great to document to look back on in the future.

Getting outside –

As part of the lockdown rules we are allowed outside once per day to exercise. We’ve been making sure we take this opportunity every day. The dog gets walked twice a day (once by each adult and our son goes with one of us). It’s great to get out of the house, get some fresh air and spend a little time in nature.

Other exercise –

We’ve also been having a go at some of The Body Coach’s youtube exercise videos. We found the first few of the daily 9am sessions a little too full on so have been trying some of the lower impact stuff which has been good fun.

Keeping some kind of routine –

During the week we try to keep a routine going. It’s flexible when needed but we usually do school work / home learning in the morning until lunchtime. After lunch we do a few more low-key things before finishing mid afternoon. Having this routine means we tend to just get on with it rather than having to convince ourselves to do it!

Planning the days –

As well as planning my to do’s (and very few appointments!) in my Bullet Journal we also have a daily plan for learning. We spend a few moments each weekday working out a plan for the day using activities jotted down on post-its. This is flexible but gives us a guide when needed. I also spend a little while on a Friday roughly planning the next week.

Keeping track –

I’ve created a few lists and pages in my Bullet Journal since lockdown began which I think have been helpful:

  • Postponements and other reminders – I’ve kept a note of anything cancelled or postponed because of lockdown. I’ve made sure to note down anything that was pre-paid as well as other things that will need to be rescheduled at some point.
  • Orders and Things We are Waiting For – I’ve used similar lists in the past. Here I track anything we’ve ordered or we are expecting to receive. Good for those online orders from various places. I note down the date ordered, item, where it’s from, the due date and then have a tick box for when it arrives.
  • The Positives of Lockdown – I’m trying to celebrate the things that have been good about this whole situation. For example – learning to make flat breads and slower mornings with no school run.
  • Looking Forward To – this is a list of things I’d like to do after lockdown – visit the seaside, see my Mum (and actually be able to go inside and not just drop things at her door!), the spa day with a friend that has been postponed etc. What would be on your list?
Time Out –

It’s been important that we each take some time to ourselves so we don’t go crazy. Some afternoons I take myself upstairs to read or have some quiet time. And we’ve all found our own ways of finding down time.

Being Gentle with Ourselves –

This can be tricky but it’s so important. I’m sure I’m not alone in having good days and bad days (in normal life, let alone lockdown!) and I am trying to remind myself that this is unprecedented and some days won’t go as well as others. That’s okay.

Stick with what works –

I’ve also tried to keep up with some of the things that help me Find the Good throughout the day. Things like morning pages and my gratitude journal. For more tips on Finding the Good throughout the day and at special times please click here.

Coming Up

Next week I am intending to play along with Week in the Life.

This is a project that Ali Edwards runs yearly. I love documenting our lives and looking back on previous times to see what’s changed and what has stayed the same.

I have taken part a couple of times before. You can see my last documented Week in the Life from May 2018 on the blog. I also completed Week in the Life in 2017 and 2011 (you can read a little more about those attempts here.) Most recently I took part in Day in the Life early March (before lockdown started).

My plan is to do a post for each day of Week in the Life. I will probably post the detail of each day the following morning. I’ll play this by ear depending on how this works with the kiddo being at home and doing school work.

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I’d love to hear how you’ve been finding the good in lockdown. Please share in the comments below or drop me a line. 

Find the Good in Lockdown pin image
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Travel Organisation Tips and Lists

Today I want to share some travel organisation tips with you. Including the lists I make for preparation, packing and returning home. Being more organised for travel helps me to enjoy my holiday. And as Summer is currently underway here in the UK I think it’s a great time to share these ideas and tips…

Travel Organisation Tips and Lists

Travel Organisation Lists

For me, being organised for travel is all about the lists! I don’t just have a packing list. There are usually several lists on the go. I try to have the list template ready as early as possible. I tend to set up the template in Google Drive in advance of a big trip or for smaller trips I set up a page in my Bullet Journal. Once they’re set-up I can add to them as I think of things that need to be done or that I need to pack. Here’s a breakdown of the different lists I use…

Preparation Lists

Itinerary Details

This is usually the header for my lists. It includes the destination and the number of nights we are away. If we need to leave at a certain time or have flight details these get added here too.

To Do Before Packing

I add all the things here that I need to do before I can start packing. Things like washing clothes, purchasing things needed, organising insurance or travel money.

To Do Before Leaving

This list covers everything from packing to the moment you close the front door behind you. For longer trips I add things like turn off appliances at the wall, checking the freezer and fridge are closed and emptying all rubbish bins.

To Do When Get Home

This is a magical list. It has standard things like unpacking, put suitcases away, do laundry and open post. But I can also add anything to this that I think of whilst we are away. This allows me to write it down and forget it until we get home.

Packing Lists

I also have lists of things to pack. These are usually split into these categories. Having the categories helps me to check we are not forgetting anything.

  • Hand Luggage (if flying) – things like passports, travel money, medication, booking confirmations and phone charges.
  • Important (a lot of this ends up in hand luggage!) – but if you’re not flying this is where you list all the things you need close at hand.
  • Clothes – this is where noting the number of nights away in the itinerary section helps – you know how many pairs of underwear and outfits you need. Something I find useful when writing this list is working out my outfits. If it’s a beachy holiday I like casual for day time and some dresses for dinner and evenings.
  • Toiletries – this tends to stay fairly similar for most trips. I add suncream (SPF) and after sun for warmer climes and summer breaks (and make sure I have sun hats on the clothes list!). I currently have a sublist under toiletries for First Aid (plasters, painkillers and I also include regular medication here too).
  • Other – Ah the good old miscellaneous column! Always tricky to remember things that don’t have their own category…I usually add Electronics, Games and Entertainment (for me that’s books, journals, magazines and pens!) here.
  • Kids (a list for each) – I have 1 kid and this is usually the easiest list. I add clothes based on the destination and number of days, pyjamas, toiletries, snacks, special toys or items and he’s pretty much ready to go!

Things to Consider

These are the questions I tend to ask myself to help me think about what we need to take and what needs organised…

  • What’s the weather going to be like?
  • Are there any special occasions planned?
  • Or activities planned that need special equipment? (For example – we usually take pool inflatables, snorkel and mask and diving weights if we are going somewhere with a pool)
  • How are we getting to our destination? Do we need specific things for the journey? For long car journeys we pack snacks and activities to keep our son entertained.
My Tried and True Packing List and other awesome travel tips

More Travel Organisation Tips

Booking travel is a great time to check your passport and drivers licence expiration dates. Make a habit of doing it each time you book a trip. And hopefully you have plenty of time to sort out renewals if required. If you’re in Europe don’t forget to check your EHIC card as well.

Here in the UK the Money Saving Expert website has heaps of useful information regarding travel money, EHIC, insurance, car rentals and all things money & travel. I recommend checking them out.

Try to organise as much as you can as early as possible. I always find there’s lots to do on the lead-up to travelling and I’m always thankful for the things I did early. Try to get insurance arranged soon after booking, start the packing list and make arrangements for house and pet sitters. I find this also helps build the excitement as you prepare for your trip!

Save your lists. I keep most of my travel organisation lists in a Google Sheet with a tab for each trip. That way I can just make a copy of a previous list if we are going on a similar trip. I can make amendments to the itinerary and it’s usually ready to go!

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I may add to this post as I think of more travel organisation tips and ideas for you. And I’d love to hear your tips – what makes travelling easier for you? How do you stay organised when planning a holiday?

This post is part of my ‘Find the Good In…’ series – why not have a read for more tips for getting the most out of your days?

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Find the Good When You’re Under the Weather

Today I want to share some ideas to find the good when you are under the weather.

This is a new post in my Find the Good In… series. Click to see the whole series.

So what do I mean by Under the Weather? I think it might be a British term. It typically means you are feeling unwell or in low spirits. So not seriously ill or out of it with the flu – more when you know you’re not feeling 100%.

Find the Good When You Are Under the Weather

Ways to Find the Good When You’re Under the Weather

Slow Down

This is probably the first thing to do when you realise you’re not well. I can usually feel a cold coming as it starts as a scratchy throat and lots of sneezing. At the first signs it’s good to take it easy as much as possible. Try and fit in some early nights and if need be – cancel plans.

Take a Me Day

Along a similar theme – see if you can take a Me Day to make you feel better. It’s probably best if this is a slow, self-care filled day rather than a day of exciting adventures. You could combine a few activities from below as the basis for your Me Day. And check out my Self Care Ideas as well.

Get Outside

This one is weather permitting. But certainly if the sun is shining and conditions are right – try to spend some time outside. You could go for a gentle walk or find a seat to soak up some sunbeams. Even sit on a blanket on the grass in the back garden. Sunshine and fresh air can do the world of good when you’re feeling out of sorts.

Gentle Yoga

Some gentle stretching can really help when you’re feeling a bit bleurgh. Adriene has some lovely gentle practices to try which are available for free on YouTube. I have tried and can recommend:

Build a Comfort-Camp

This is something I’ve done since childhood when I’m feeling poorly. I gather up blankets, pillows, books, magazines, movies, a water bottle, journals, pens and maybe some snacks either on my bed or the couch. That way – I don’t have to move if I don’t want to! I can read or watch a movie or nap. I might use all of my “camp supplies” or none of them but I feel better surrounded by things that bring me comfort.

Journal

Sometimes when I’m feeling under the weather it’s time to journal. Which means that sometimes I am complaining about feeling miserable! Sometimes that gets it out of my system. If I’m struggling for journalling ideas I often write a list. Check out my Everyday Life Journalling Prompts for ideas.

Happy List

If you already have a list of things that make you happy why not read it? Often re-reading my lists will make me smile and/or inspire me to do something that makes me happy.

And if you don’t have a happy list why not write one? You might get ideas from my happy lists (list 1 and list 2). I also shared ideas for creating a happy list as part of FTG30 (happy list prompts can be found at FTG30 day 22 and day 29).

Re-read a favourite book

When I’m not feeling at full capacity I often struggle to read new (to me) books. When my mind isn’t as switched on as normal it makes it difficult to keep track of characters and storylines. So when I’m poorly I often find myself re-reading old favourites. For me – that’s usually a romance by a favourite author.

Watch something funny or nostalgic

I find comedy really helps me when I’m not feeling great. It’s good to laugh! I also enjoy the nostalgia of watching TV shows and films I loved as a child. I love re-watching films like Big and The Goonies. When I got chickenpox (aged 27) I watched Mr Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and now it’s become a firm favourite for cheering me up.

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I hope these ideas to Find the Good When You’re Under the Weather are helpful. I’d love to hear what you do to take care of yourself when you’re poorly or not feeling your best?

And if you’re reading this because you’re not feeling well – then I wish you all the best for a speedy recovery! (Do let me know if these ideas helped!)

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Find the Good at Christmastime (including a gift guide)

Today I want to share a few ideas to help you Find the Good at Christmastime. I’ve paired each idea with some gift suggestions – these might be good for adding to your own wishlist or for other people.

Christmas can be tough for people for a variety of reasons. But hopefully there’s some way to find some hope or magic somewhere. Recently – rather than festive spirit on the lead-up to Christmas I’ve noticed people becoming more stressed and angry. That doesn’t seem quite right does it? How did we lose our way? I’m sure watching several movies on the Christmas movie channels will help me answer that question and Find the Good at Christmastime!

Tips to Find the Good at Christmastime

Find the Good at CHRISTMASTIME

1. Embrace the season

I’ve spent festive seasons on both sides of the globe and found that celebrating Christmas in Summer has very different benefits to a Winter Christmas. Wherever you are in the world why not take some time out to enjoy the season?
When we lived in New Zealand we loved making plans to get outside and enjoy the sunshine over the festive season. Since returning to the UK I still like getting outside (away from the stuffy central heating) – I just need more layers!

Gift suggestions to embrace the season
  • Books about the seasons such as:
    National Trust 2019 Nature Month-by-Month – A Children’s Almanac
  • Appropriate attire for getting outside (wooly hats and scarfs in winter, sun-hats and suncream in summer)

2. Set the scene

Watching movies and reading books with Christmas themes helps me find my festive spirit. What are your favourite movies and books to indulge in at this time of the year?

Gift suggestions to set the scene

3. Remember self care

The lead-up to Christmas can be crazy busy for a lot of people. It can also be a lonely time. I’m going to make sure I mark out time amongst everything else for myself. As an introvert – I go a little crazy when I have to be social constantly! So part of my self care will be planning days with no interactions other than with my husband and son. We all love a pyjama day and will be planning at least one between Christmas and New Year.

If you’re stuck for Self Care Ideas please have a look at my list – designed to spark ideas that work for you.

Gift suggestions for self care
  • This would differ so much depending on the person but how about creating a self care kit? You could create one for a friend or loved one and perhaps gift yourself one this Christmas.
  • And new pyjamas might convince someone to take a PJ day!

4. Express gratitude

It’s the days where I struggle most to find and see the good around me that I most need to try! That’s why I keep a Daily Gratitude Journal.

And this is such a great time of the year to start. You can use a blank notebook, the notes app on your phone or add a line to your calendar/diary on a daily basis. To get started why not set yourself a reminder each evening before bed to write down something you are grateful for.

Gift suggestions to express gratitude
  • As a HUGE lover of stationery and notebooks I would always suggest giving the gift of a lovely notebook and pen.
  • There are some beautiful gratitude journals available. But even a simple, small diary for 2019 with equal space each day for noting down gratitude could work.

5. Help others

Perhaps one of the ways we can find our festive spirit is to help others. It’s easy to get caught up being busy with all the things we must do at this time of year – why not take some time out to do something to help someone else? This could start close to home – offering to help neighbours or family members with shopping or wrapping or what about some of the suggestions below…

Activity suggestions to help others
  • Write a Letter to an isolated, elderly person (deadline for sending letters is 14th December)
  • Donate to the local food-bank or homeless shelter (it’s best to contact them first to check what items they most need)
  • Give a one off donation or set up a monthly donation to a charity close to your heart
  • Contact a local charity to see if they need volunteers

6. If need be, hibernate

Hibernating definitely makes it onto my self care list! If you are feeling stressed or too busy – try to take a step back. Plan a cosy evening or hour to just sit and do whatever you like. This is where the Christmas movies, books and self care ideas come in!

Gift suggestions to help you hibernate
  • Cosy blankets or scarfs
  • Twinkly Lights
  • Movies and Books
  • A Notepad and pen (I’m fairly certain I could find a way to add stationery under every suggestion!)

7. Reach out

If you’re really struggling and not finding your festive spirit then reach out to others for help. You could make a date with a friend to try some festive hot drinks and cakes. Or send some notes/letters out with your Christmas cards. A text or a phone call to a friend or family member might make you feel better and also make their day too!

Gift suggestions to help you reach out
  • A letter writing set to send some old-fashioned mail
  • Stamps for posting letters or notes
  • A coffee shop gift card to encourage the giftee to meet up for a drink

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I’d love to hear your ideas to Find the Good at Christmastime. Please leave a comment below if you have any suggestions. And what’s on your wishlist this year?

Read More about Finding the Good…

Find the Good In...series

I’ve shared other posts for Finding the Good at various times. You can find all of the posts in this series HERE.

In January I shared some ideas to Survive and Thrive in Winter which may also be useful.

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Find the Good in your Afternoon Routine

Today I want to share the little things I do as part of my afternoon routine to Find the Good.

This is part of a series I’m creating. I’ve already shared How I Find the Good in the Morning and the Evening.

Out of all my routines – this is probably the hardest one to stick to at weekends and during school holidays. The school pick-up acts as a signal to start doing these things and without it I do struggle and lose track of time.

Find the Good in your AFTERNOON routine.png

How I Find the Good in my Afternoon Routine

  1. Transition from School to Home. When we get home we have certain activities we try to do every day – a snack, reading, spellings & sometimes jobs around the house like taking the recycling out.
  2. Empty/Check Bags – I get my son to check his school bag for notices and empty lunch/snack boxes when he gets his reading book out. If I’ve been out and about I unpack anything from bags that I’ve brought back with me.
  3. Change out of uniform – I encourage my son to get changed into non-uniform as a signal that school is done for the day. It means the uniform is less likely to get dirty/damaged with playing.
  4. Know what’s for dinner before it’s time to cook. I do a weekly menu plan and try to check it each day so I know what’s for dinner and how long it will take to prepare.
  5. Tidy the Kitchen before preparing dinner. We don’t have a dishwasher so I often find myself washing up 3-4 times a day. It always helps to start meal prep with a clean slate.
  6. Take a Break – usually by this point I’m ready for a quick sit down before I tackle dinner!
  7. Check my to do list/bullet journal – to ensure I’ve completed any priorities for the day and tick some more items off if needed.
  8. Start preparing dinner – trying to keep the kitchen tidy as I go.

After dinner I transition to our evening routine.

Other Ways to Find the Good in your Afternoon Routine

  • If you struggle with an afternoon ritual why not set a daily calendar reminder or alarm? This may help you transition from daytime to evening time.
  • Keep an eye on laundry. If I’ve done laundry that day – I do what needs done next (hanging up, folding, putting away). There’s nothing worse than remembering the washing machine is full of damp clothes at bed time!
  • Tidy your “work space”. When I worked in an office I usually tried to tidy my desk at the end of each day as a signal it was nearly home time. *NOTE TO SELF: I think I need to build in a quick 10 minutes tidy into my afternoon routine to keep on top of clutter.
  • Start thinking about tomorrow – is there anything you can prepare now (food, outfits, paperwork etc) to save time in the evening or the morning?
  • Take a break – if you feel like the afternoon is dragging by – stop what you are doing for a few minutes – grab yourself a snack or drink and move around to revive energy levels.
  • If you’re more awake in the afternoon plan in your most important tasks then. But if you tend to flag have some items on your to do list that are a little easier!

I find when we get little jobs done in the afternoon it makes the evening run much smoother. Do you have a specific afternoon routine? What does yours consist of?

Find the Good In...series

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Before you go…do you subscribe to my newsletter or blog posts? Subscribers receive a free printable workbook “How to Find the Good Everyday”. It includes more tips for daily routines to get the most out of every day.

I’d love it if you subscribed! Click here to sign up and receive your copy.

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Find the Good in the Evening

Today I want to share how I Find the Good in the Evening. I realised a long time ago the importance of having a routine for the evening. A series of things that help me prepare for the next day and wind down ready for bed.

Find the Good in the EVENING

My routine has changed over the years – especially when I used to work away from home a lot and then when I had a baby. I have a list of things I do most nights – they have become such a solid part of my routine that I don’t need a physical list to remind me. But I think it’s handy to document these things. It’s always good to return back to (and amend if need be) the routine after a change in circumstances.

Find the Good in the Evening

1 Tidy my space

I blatantly don’t do this every day but I do try. Washing up and tidying the kitchen gives me a headstart for the next day.

2 Yoga

I practice yoga daily – I don’t have a set time that I do it each day but if I haven’t got it done during the day it becomes part of my evening routine. My favourites for winding down are Adriene’s Yoga for Bedtime (20 mins) and the shorter Bedtime Yoga (7 mins).

3 Put the screens away

Since the start of the year I’ve been charging my phone overnight away from the bedroom. I’m glad I implemented this.

4 Skincare

If I’m wearing make-up I take it off and I make sure I pamper my skin with some moisturiser and sometimes a face-mask for sleeping.

5 Light a candle

There’s something about the softer light that helps me relax. I currently use a plug in salt lamp but I also use candles too.

6 Review today’s and write tomorrow’s To Do List

I check my calendar and think about what I need to get done the following day.

7 Add an entry to my sentence a day journal

(I use an older version of this one). It asks a question each day and there are spaces to answer the same question for 3 different years. The questions range from fluffy to more thought provoking.

8 Write down my Daily Gratitude

I currently write 5 things each day that I am grateful for. Click here to read more about my Gratitude practice and some tips for starting your own.

9 Reading

Reading relaxes me. I read paper books (not using an ebook reader/screen) and usually have at least 1 on my bedside table to dip into when I reach the end of the day. The only drawback to this is when I’m reading a really good book and can’t put it down…and end up going to sleep way past midnight!

Other Ideas for your Evening Routine

  • Drink some chamomile tea or something soothing (I did this a lot when my boy was a baby to help wind down at the end of the day)
  • Have a bubble bath
  • Pick out your clothes for the next day (I do this if I’m travelling or have an early start)
  • Watch a favourite television programme
  • Go for a walk
  • Meditate
  • If you’ve not had the time to work on your goals that day – do one small thing that moves you forward with them
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What things do you do each day to Find the Good in the Evening? Do you have a regular routine to wind down? I’d love to hear your ideas.

Find the Good In...series

This post is part of a series I’m gradually creating. Click here to see how I Find the Good in the Morning.

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Find the Good in the Morning

I want to share a peek at the routines, rituals and things that help me Find the Good in the morning when I wake up. Getting each day off to a good start usually helps me stay motivated and focused and makes me happy!

The Little Things Add Up

Find the Good In...series

I’ve been thinking lately about all the little things throughout each day that help me Find the Good Everyday. This has led me to trying to be more aware as I go about my day to pinpoint these things. It’s always good to have a list to refer to later. Little routines and habits can change and sometimes fall astray and it’s good to know what I do now so I can revisit later if I lose my way.

I will start documenting these things through a series of blog posts. I will look at different times of day, weekends and holidays and possible other areas as well.

I’ve already shared a couple of posts that I think fit well with this series. They are:
How Do I Find the Good Everyday
Twenty Quick, Free & Easy Ideas to Find the Good Everyday

Find the Good In the MORNING

How I Currently Find the Good in the Morning

  1. Opening the curtains a notch to see the sunlight reflect rainbows around the room through my crystal hanging there
  2. Writing Morning Pages
  3. Cuddles – far better to start the day with a cuddle before the “I’ve told you three times to put your shoes on” school rush!
  4. Recognising my skincare & shower routine as Self Care
  5. Eating a healthy breakfast sets me up for the day. Almost everyday I have an apple with breakfast.
  6. Using a plate that makes me smile (my latest is my floral bunny plate, I also have rainbow pencils and jelly beans designs)
  7. Exercise – I try to either walk to school or walk for at least 20 minutes after the school run and before I do anything else. I’ve just started C25k so currently I’m aiming to “run” 3 mornings each week.

Other Ways to Find the Good in the Morning

I’m not doing these things currently but I’ve either done them in the past or would like to try them in the future

  1. Get up earlier (I do this every now and again but haven’t managed to make this routine stick – especially in the Winter months when it’s cold and dark. Perhaps I should make it a summer routine?)
  2. Drink Hot Water and Lemon
  3. Meditate
  4. Affirmations
  5. Miracle Morning (in fact meditation and affirmation are part of Miracle Morning!)
  6. Yoga (I do yoga everyday but it’s not always in the morning)
  7. Spend time outside in nature (I do try to walk most days but even on the days I don’t walk I’d like to get in the habit of getting outside amongst nature…even in my own back garden!)

 

Free Printable Workbook

If you subscribe to my monthly newsletter and/or to receive my blog posts by email you get a Free Printable Workbook: How to Find the Good Everyday. The workbook contains tips for morning and evening routines and rituals to make the best out of everyday.

Click here to subscribe and receive your copy.

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How do you Find the Good in the Morning? What gets your day off to the best start? I hope these ideas are useful for you and look forward to sharing more ideas in this series over the coming months.