Day 10: 28 days in a row of anything might be a myth...

Except breathing. It might be the only thing I do consistently. The past 10 days have been brilliant! But did I manage to avoid scrolling aimlessly through social media? Almost. did I stay sober and only eat healthy? Next question. Did I meditate every day and stay positive? Yes and Yes! I actually did that and have been super focused on spreading the positive vibes. I feel like I’ve received a C-grade in a test I created myself. At least I didn’t fail. That’s a win in my book. Low standards guys. Key.

Here’s the breakdown:

HEALTH

It started off well and then we had family over on the weekend. I blame them. They brought a beautiful baby and pastries. What awful people. The baby was perfect but the pastries were as well. I don't buy sweets for the house because I'm me, but if someone brings it, forget it, game over. I managed however to get back on track and be more balanced then I’ve been in awhile. Minus a couple of cheeseburgers. What can I say, sometimes a girl needs a cheeseburger or two. And pizza.

What I learned:

My triggers for going off balance are mostly being tired, hungover or crossing a certain sugar limit. Sugar is the slippery slope. I can have a bit, but I definitely slipped a few times into the sugar ditch.

What I will focus on:

Knowing my limits and if I have something that’s not super healthy, making sure the next meal is.

SCREEN USE

I cannot believe how difficult it was to wake up the first day I couldn’t touch my phone. It was impossible! I just laid there, paralysed. What did we used to do before phones? I don’t remember. Did we just get out of bed? Just like that? Brush our teeth and get on with our day? I don’t believe that. It’s frightening when you realise you’re a slave to something you thought was a choice. I kept accidentally catching myself on Instagram throughout the day. Every time I had a transitional moment like waiting for something or someone, I had started scrolling through Rihanna’s feed and before I knew it I’d wake up in the middle of a trance confused about how I even got to laughing at random videos of dogs and babies. Slave. It got easier throughout the week but I’d find myself on Facebook or Buzzfeed instead a bit too often. I would sometimes scroll through the news in the mornings which I told myself was better and in some ways it is, but I’d always end up on an article about something like Ariana Grande’s and Pete Davidsson’s engagement and feel weirdly invested in it. Also I’m not supposed to be on my phone in bed in general so scrolling is scrolling and I know that. I'll be working on the shackles until they come off for good.

In terms of no TV, now that was just dumb. I’m sorry but no TV is dumb. That’s like saying no smiling. Or no laughing. TV makes me really happy and why should I stop doing something that makes me happy. I loved ordering pizza with boyfriend and friend the other night, watching Chigago and discussing how ‘THAT’S how you make a musical’. Or checking out Broken Promises, HBO’s new adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s latest novel starring Amy Adams. It’s very interesting. I love TV too much guys. I love what I do and I love being a cheerleader for the medium itself. Go TV! As long as I prioritise other things and keep it to a minimum with no Friends reruns I don’t see the problem. I did end up reading a lot instead so I’m slowly picking up some good new habits along the way.

What I learned:

Again, being tired seems to be the culprit for most of my bad habits. It’s then or when I’m waiting that I tend to reach for the phone.

What to focus on:

I wanna bring back waiting. Or just doing nothing. I met an old friend of mine for lunch last week who said he tried to never reach for his phone when he was waiting around. To just be there and look around and feel secure in that. I’m inspired to do the same. Or if I must do something I’ll read a book or listen to music.

What I’m reading instead of scrolling and staring:

LESS by Andrew Sean Greer. A pulitzer winning novel about a writer from San Fransisco that embarks upon an expedition around the world to avoid having to go to his ex lovers wedding. I feel a film adaptation coming on.

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FUCK IT! THE ULTIMATE SPIRITUAL WAY by John C Parkin. A brilliant approach to modern mindfulness and saying ‘fuck it!’ to the things that we allow to live rent free in our heads too often.

POSITIVITY

Not to brag but these past 10 days I’ve been kicking negativity’s ass. I was ok before that but easily taken down by a curve ball. This time I’m ready for all of them. I've got my pink sparkly baseball bat and I’m knocking them out of the park one by one. Oh dear, I think I’ve been in America too long. I credit my new found spark to true determination and meditation. I do 10 minutes a day using the Headspace app and it’s slowly changing my life. Everyone who meditates says that because it’s true. If you haven’t tried it yet, join the club. You’ll be admitted immediately.

What I learned:

It’s about constantly checking yourself. Slowing your thought process down and making a choice in the moment about how to react. Not to say i didn’t hang up on the boyfriend when he told me he put the bananans in the freezer when I asked him not to. I’m not perfect.

What to focus on:

No one’s happy every second of the day. But most of the time it’s actually possible to shift your mood easily. I’m gonna try and recognise when I need a shift, and that can be as easy as reminding myself how lucky I am in my life or doing something that makes me happy.

So, I think it’s safe to say that 28 days in a row is a myth in my book. But that doesn’t diminish all the good things that have come out of this challenge so far; I’m reading two books and listening to a third one, I made pesto, and it’s vegan, and I did macrame, fucking macrame! It’s hanging above the bed and I bloody love it. So I’m feeling pretty good right now I gotta say.

And in the spirit of ‘Fuck it! The Ultimate Spiritual Way, for everything that didn’t go as planned?

Fuck it.

H