Last week, my son wasn’t well. I didn’t get a chance to do one then. So, here is a new one. I really enjoy creating these and this one Ten Ways to declutter.
These are free to download and print and if wish to share with others then please do so.
Have a good week. I still have one more post for my Programme Winter Wellness to help you have a good winter. In February, I will be doing some Self Development training. It will also be free and will include blogs and videos.
If you subscribe, you will be notified when I post a video on my YouTube channel, linked above. You will get updates if you subscribe to this blog site.
It is now 2025 and boy am I looking forward to the new year. It means making changes to your life and make better than the last. Well try, I know many are snowed in, so I hope you get inspiration from my weekly Cheat Sheets I will posting every Monday to build your life so it is better.
Who watched The Grinch this year at Christmas? It is one of my sons favourite films and think Jim Carrey is brilliant and as I was watching thought about how we can all be the grinch and not have Christmas Spirit, but this can be changed.
Photo I took yesterday in Kingston and had a nice coffee in a cafe in John Lewis with a good view of the River Thames.
If you have lost someone in your life then don’t feel obliged to read this blog. If you live with others who do want to celebrate Christmas then let them do that, find a place you can go to grieve as, from experience we feel bad in lowering the mood and don’t want to upset those looking forward to Christmas and new year.
If you just feel fed up because of affording gifts then don’t buy a gift. Instead pay them a a visit to chat. It can cause stress because of money and do what you want and celebrate how you want.
I know Christmas is over but even the new year can effect our emotions and my dad never liked New Years Eve and I would get emotional over it and disliked it. I felt my life wasn’t going anywhere and the new year is going to be the same. I felt unaccomplished and wanted to be lifted off my feet by someone. I wanted my life to be a magical story. Yet now I see I have had a great life and more to come because I made a choice to either grow or just fade away not doing anything with my life. I am in charge of my life and don’t want to be rescued but grow for my son and for myself.
Life is full of ups and downs. There is a guy I see in Wimbledon and he talks to himself and shouting about that he doesn’t like this and waiting at the bus stop have seen him look at me and my son Henry and say that he doesn’t like kids but that is up to him. I don’t see him all of the time, but now and then, but I have no idea of what has made him feel he needs to express those negative feelings and try not to feel like I have to be negative to him. People will always have those who are against them, it is how you respond and react that can help you not allow their feelings to pass on to you.
I am not a fan of crowds when shopping and yesterday we went to Kingston and walking down the stairs I try to move over and had these two woman totally ignore the fact that I was trying to move over so I could let those coming up the stairs go passed and expressed my annoyance. Yet we had a nice coffee in John Lewis and had a lovely view facing the river and all was good again and continued to have a good day.
I have set my goals this year and have my life together and by changing my own outlook on life has helped me to not be like the Grinch and had a good Christmas. I didn’t go any parties like I used to when I worked in London, but had a nice chilled one. I did my Christmas walk I like to do each year, wrote a blog and had a nice dinner and yesterday after we got back to Wimbledon from Kingston had a nice meal and watched the new years celebrations and this morning had a nice coffee in Pauls in Wimbledon Village and then back home.
I wish you a happy new year and lets continue to build our lives for 2025.
So today it is an example of a gloomy day and it effects when not having enough light. I use these days to be cozy, make sure I have on some good woolly clothes, have a hot drink and then have a nice hot bath in the evening and read. I like to watch a bit of TV and making staple meals, like Sausages and mash, Pie and mash, casseroles, stews and roasts.
One place I love when picking my son up from school and enjoy the weekly walk and has horses and love Winter walks. I am going to be doing a Winter Walk in January 25th to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and is a 5K walk in London and so if you’d like to sponsor me then here is a link to my Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/typicallondongal?utm_term=YEkaAvGmE
It is good to get out a Scented Candle, making sure they are on shelf that your kids can’t get too and listen to some chill out music or any music that makes you feel content and take some time to write or watch some TV and create a good mindset even if it is dark outside and the one thing I love is putting on a pair of woolly socks.
What gives you peace is it going out and visiting the shops. Are you desperate to see friends but live too far apart, so feel isolated?
There are places you can go to see people and since doing Volunteering work for my local hospital radio station I have met some great people and having good social interaction and met a lady today who also volunteers at the hospital administering medication. I did some courses at an adult community college and was a great to meet people.
I also like time for myself and hate having small talk and like my coffee I have each week in a coffee shop. planning and write notes for my blogs, books and videos. I like to have a good clear out too and Boy George for example does DJing, singing and in his spare time creating art. My aunty who is retired started doing a local class in flower arranging and made some lovely table settings for me when I got married and love hearing stories of people, in magazines, that have made what was a hobby into a small business. There is plenty of opportunity to go round. In the winter it is good to have a hobby as it can take your mind off the dark days and you can get SAD lamps too help you get a bit of light and I love fairy lights.
If you are struggling financially then you can go to a a Food Bank and it can feel shameful but honestly they are good places and you can have a cup of tea and socialise with others who are also struggling and I donate each month to support families visiting the Food Bank, for support.
With Christmas it can be more of struggle to afford food and presents and then Food Banks can provide food for you and if you like to donate toys or a gift for a family then you can donate them to go to a families who are struggling to put food on the table and keeping warm and still have a good Christmas or cook them a meal or let them join you, if it is a neighbour, a relative or a friend.
Also do something different each winter. Like visiting different places, like a friend of mine went to LA one year or go out for Christmas dinner with friends and family. My dad and my uncles, along with my cousin would go to the pub on Christmas day whilst my Nan cooked and my mum, aunties and I would play a game and yes be sensible as I don’t condone Drink Driving, but have a meet up with friends and often my relatives would go out to the a local park to play.
So you can enjoy winter by choosing what will make you have a good winter rather than dreading it.
If you like my blogs and like the content I share and want to be alerted then please subscribe.
Hello! Today is the beginning of my Winter Wellness programme that I have created to help you have a good winter when we can feel gloomy and fatigued all day and not wanting to get out of bed.
As I write this blog I am listening to Enya who I love playing when it comes to winter time. Yesterday I posted my printable on introducing this new programme I have created Winter Wellness Programme Begins
Image I took when we took my son and his cousin to the Winter Christmas event in Wimbledon.
So going to cover in this programme:
Wrapping up the year to get ready for the new year.
How to get through the darker days and nights
Cozy nights and what would you like to do in the Winter
Slowing down and do less
Setting goals for winter
Making the most of the daylight
Good Wellness Practices I use to enjoy the Winter time
My dad was never a fan of New years Eve as it is Winter here in the UK and I tended to get emotional about it. I would set resolutions that I never followed through with. So what I did instead was make life changes and helped me with following through and stick to the changes I wanted to make.
In the printable I have included a section to write down goals, go through your current routine and what you want to change and enjoy. Like what TV do I want to watch, meals I enjoy having and drink too.
I like winter walks and taking part in a Winter Walk this winter in January, in London and going to a pantomime or show. I like winter drinks, such hot chocolate, a mulled wine and winter ciders, making sure I am sensible, but just slow down and using the bleak days better by doing things I enjoy.
So in the work book go through what you enjoy and if it is to go on holiday to a warmer country then that is fine. One year I went away on holiday at Christmas. It was a brilliant experience and would like to do that again one Christmas time. I love Christmas and winter markets. I like to watch some old films and repeats of TV specials and new ones.
I am doing No spend January again this year where by I buy only what I need and still go out for a coffee to help stop me being on my laptop all of the time, but not spending money on clothes I don’t need or get carried away because of the New Year sales.
I like to plan my budget and planning for the new year and reflect on the year gone.
I really hope you get a lot of out of it, my Winter Wellness programme and if you’d like to be alerted when I post on this site and will be making videos too on my Educational Youtube channel too, please subscribe. Here is the link to this channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CarrieEducationalYoutube-ws4xp
A cup of tea and breakfast: I look forward to breakfast now and plan what I am going to eat that will boost my energy each day.
Reading: I love a good book to read and its nice to do a bit of reading and helps build my knowledge and helps me with my writing.
Go for a walk: I read at the doctors last Monday, as I had my Mental Health review and on the wall was a leaflet saying, that just a 10 minute walk is still exercise and vary my walks and routes I like to walk that is peaceful and love a pond or a river.
Do some studying: I have been doing a lot of courses and this has helped me use my time wisely as there is so much I’d like to do and helped me with writing my blogs and focus on my own wellbeing and understanding the body and mind, and love studying and learning new skills and building my knowledge on life to help me and pass on my knowledge to others, build their wellbeing.
Set your goals: A lot of time we can feel overwhelmed when we hear about setting goals and take a lot of time, but that is not the case. Focus on what you want and can be a small goal or a large goal. I did my 2025 goals and didn’t take long at all and looked the areas and things I enjoy and will help me feel good and enjoy life as much as possible as it goes to fast.
Change jobs and lifestyle: I have worked for many large companies, like I was a steward at Fulham Football club, the manufacturer Philip and International Tennis Federation and Diners Club and it has helped me shape my life and found the working world suited me, because I like earning my own money, but often found I would get bored and as soon as I found myself dreading the day, knew that it is not for me anymore and moved on. I currently do volunteer work and I really enjoy it. I work for Epsom Hospital Radio and have my own show on Sunday’s 4pm to 6pm, and been focusing on the things I enjoy and why I have been doing courses and getting back into fundraising. I am doing a Winter Walk in London in January and so glad to be able to do these events again as I have had battles with my Mental Health and so focusing on what I really want to do, like writing and working on radio, doing more volunteer work.
Family Time: I like family time and taking my son out and playing sports and walking. I feel privileged to be his mum and love that he loves my attention and this week after dinner and bath time, in the evenings been watching Deal or No Deal and playing table tennis. This week was his birthday and I was nervous about it but seeing him enjoy himself and love his presents make me appreciate time I have with him and with seeing other members of the family, because it flies by and like feeling like I have had a good day being productive and love the little things, as well as the big things.
Sometimes we just need a break. From devices, cleaning, socialising and do nothing, which Mel Robbins has talked about and it so true: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNPgn_qfoNk to recharge.
Yesterday we went out for my sons birthday and did a bit of planning using my notebook and Notion and taking a break to have a bath, watching and listening to the football scores and listening to Epsom Hospital Radio.
I have forgotten how good it is to do nothing. On Saturdays I love spending time sitting on the sofa listening to Marcus Tattersall who does the Saturday afternoon show on Epsom Hospital radio and can be heard in the UK and so please check it out. I also do a show show on Sundays, 4pm to 6pm. I’m not doing my show today, Sunday, as I am celebrating my sons birthday but back next Sunday and is free to listen.
It is good to sit and be present, taking in what is around you and so just chilling with a brew and with family is so fulfilling and love having days where I don’t need to go anywhere and stop in, so I get a good boost to go out on somedays but not putting too much pressure on myself and helps aluminate stress.
After my son came back from celebrating his birthday, going to the Ninja Warrior Adventure Park and it was good to take my makeup off, get into my Pjs and one of my nieces loves staying in her Pjs at the weekend and there was a time I did this too on some weekends and not having to lift a finger. I like to be ready to get back to sort the home out, going to appointments and just the daily grind after the joy of doing nothing.
I like Sunday mornings watching repeats of Cheers, Match of the day and normally my son will go to a rugby club, but he didn’t want to go, but is going to his football club later and I get to see it as I normally be doing my radio show.
So it is good to just relax, take some well earned time to just be doing sweet FA and enjoy.
I am going to do series of blogs called Body and Mind and making sense of the things we fear and how to control our mind and understand what our minds are trying to tell us.
To clarify I am Coach, Writer and Radio DJ and so not a medical expert, but from experience want to teach you to have a better look off life, with its obstacles. I suffer with anxiety and feel anxious a lot and now I use to help me, but not haunt me.
This is the first blog called, Thinking of the Worst Case Scenario:
I think it can be easy to the think the worst and there was a time where I would be fearful of my own shadow and when going out would be paranoid about having my belongings taken, missing the gap between the trains and platforms especially when travelling with my son and my anxiety became too much. Now though seeing things differently, I have come to see that our minds protect us and this is from a person who can and have been careless at times and thinking the worst is not always a bad thing.
Its our minds helping us, to see the danger, to warn us, of the worst case scenario, reminding us that life is full of unexpected events and seeing the dangers before they happen, to put things into play for potential risks and dangers.
This is what I do, to keep myself safe to stop the potential thoughts, thinking the worse case scenarios happening:
I do routine checks, so before I go out and or go to bed, check to see if my back door is locked and that the front door is locked.
In the mornings make sure my son has his water and snack as he has his lunches at school, as I always fear forgetting to do that, and not being able to fuel up and stay hydrated. Doing positive habits.
Make sure that my phone is fully charged each day. I was born during the time where there was no such thing as an mobile phones and so it amazes me, how times have changed and that my phone is a tool, so my sons school can get in touch with me and keeping in touch with friends and family and have my calendar set up and put notes into my phone, aswell as writing it down, so I keep track of health appointments and will be implementing another way of keeping tabs of appointments and special events by carrying around a diary with me, aswell as my phone.
I don’t disclose my personal details when vlogging or to scam emails and phone calls, along with messages.
I make sure address labels on packaging are destroyed when disposing packaging and that I wrap up food and the bins have been put out ready for the bins to be emptied by the dustmen and washing my hands after I have touched the bins and I keep areas of my home clean and food is not left out and open.
Be vigilant on buying chargers and electronic devices secondhand and make sure they are in good condition and things are not left on charge and electrical equipment is lying around and not switched on all of the time.
I have put phone the TPS system on my mobile to stop cold callers and make sure anyone calling is someone I know and if I sniff a scam that it is dealt with immediately by ending the call and anything on my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are reported and blocked and I do my research when it comes to being followed and are legitimate followers.
Making sure I am aware of roads and not, unless it is a park, have my earphones on and fully alert.
Create habits that help you not to worry and don’t avoid the thoughts that can cause a negative movie in your mind and you have reassurance by taking precautions and have more good days, rather than bad.
Hello! Second week of half term and it has been tricky to get bits done, because my son had a dentist appointment and wanted to go to Sainsburys, so just go a bit of time to read and get my weekly Cheat Sheet posted. It Different Ways to Plan Your Days.
So I have a cut of point of how long I will be working on content, checking emails, writing and filming, so I can focus on doing dinner, getting ready for bed and allow my body and mind to wind down, to relax and I stop working on my laptop around 2pm and do bits from 5pm to around 6pm and is working for me. So set yourself a time to stop being on your devices and have a bath or I will read.
In the mornings I am currently working on my next book of a series I am creating, then I will have breakfast with a few cups of teas, get dressed and ready for the day. Today I walked on the treadmill, helped my son get ready for school and I did some leg exercises and weights and helps me to wake up and then I stop on my laptop before 7am and then back to it when I my son leaves for school, up to the times I have written above and so I used it to sort out my room as it needs decluttering.
I find if I am on my laptop late at night I struggle to get to sleep because my mind is still active and by setting a time now to stop has helped me sleep well and spend time watching TV with my son and have him to some reading and some days I will pop out to be out in the fresh air. It does me wonders for my productivity and having a time to be with yourself and your mind, helps me to be present and love walking where there is a lot of nature or plenty of things going on and being a different environment.
Being in the same walls can make me so claustrophobic and so just being out doors, hearing the birds, saying good morning to people, doing some writing in a coffee shop once a week and tomorrow I am off up to London, helps re-energize and not be stuck in one place all of the time.
So make it a ritual of settling down with a book, with a cup of tea or coffee and allow your body relax and many meditate, but for me it is reading or watching a bit of TV at the end day and then set time to go to bed once I am fully tired, by setting a time to stop looking at my phone, switching it on silent and not on my laptop has made a huge difference for my wellbeing and health.
Everyone can build a castle 