PHOTO-A-DAY CHALLENGE

Happy Habits

Second Week of October

When I was called to come back to work in person I worried I would not adjust well. I worried that I would really miss the extra couple of hours a day I would again spend commuting. I worried that I would feel too exhausted to keep up with many of the healthy habits I had adopted.

I worked from home for 18 months. Now, I have been back at work for three months. This week I have been reflecting on my adjustment and ways to preserve my happy habits.

Day 1

While driving I have often found myself focusing on beautiful sunrises and other interesting sights. Other times I’ve been noticing a lot of urban issues such as trash piling up in the streets, people using needles to do drugs, and burned abandoned cars. I spent a lot of time wishing I didn’t have to waste so much time in traffic and thinking about how most of the things on my agenda could be done from my home office. My thinking was becoming frustrating.

Recently, I set an intentional look-for challenge to add variety and improve my mindset on the ride. It was kind of like my own game of I spy.

I have been looking for things that have been planted. I was very impressed with this living vertical wall garden above an entrance door. This building was abandoned for years and just recently turned into a space for creatives. What a nice improvement. Seeking positive look-fors is becoming a happy habit.

Day 2

Exercise is one of the things I was most worried about not having time for. I have actually been doing quite well. Making sure my workout clothes are ready the night before has been the key to keeping this habit alive and well.

Day 3

Making the commute enjoyable by queuing up my favorite music, podcast, and audiobooks before hitting the road has been helpful too. I sent these two screenshot audiobook choices to a friend so she could better understand my obsession with awe.

Day 4

Having less time means I need to make sure all of my free time counts. I have been trying to focus on my happiness goals as a guide to how I spend my time, and more importantly how not to waste any time.

I love mapping my time in my pretty flowered calendar. Most recently I marked out my days for a Thanksgiving trip to visit my son in California. It makes me happy to know that I have fun things planned for my time off.

Day 5

Today my commute hack was to take a different route. I rediscovered a great mural I had forgotten about.

Day 6

Planning regular outings with friends helps me work toward a consistent work-life balance. I think I want to just stay home and read, write, and rest but when I go out I enjoy myself. It actually makes the weekend feel longer. This fountain light show was a great way to relax, be entertained, and have fun with friends. (And get a lot of fun photos.)

Day 7

Healthy eating is a priority goal. Meal prepping my lunches helps me save time. This week I tried meal prepping lunches and dinners. There is a lunch and a dinner in the fridge for myself and for my husband for every day this week: salads, chili, and other dishes with ground turkey, chicken, salmon, and many different veggies as sides.

The verdict is still out on how this will impact my week. I hope it means I will eat well and have more writing time! That will make for one more happy habit!

Thanks for reading. I hope my happy habit ideas help those that will have to go back to work soon or anyone that needs to lighten the load in their routine.

Thanks to Dennett for starting this challenge. See the rules here if you want to join:

Thanks to all of the others that have joined:

Erika Burkhalter/Anne Bonfert/Lisa Bolin/Juan O. Aguilera/Mia Verita/Susan Alison/LensAfield/Barbara Radisavljevic/Diana Lotti/Barbara Dalton/Kim Zuch/Sandra Barrett/Shruthi Sundaram/Gustavo Mendez/Olive Wilson