3 Things Saving My Life in February

The main thing that has helped me in February is: if in doubt, say no. This is not a forever thing, just a winter thing.

It has meant that life hasn’t sped up too fast yet. I know that once Spring hits, life tends to speed up. So I’ve sat with the slow and loved it. Not only this, but I find when you say no and create space, other good stuff tends to happen with people that matter.

Prime example, I had fallen off my weekly dance class for months. It took a low key half term to muster the energy to get back into it, especially given the timing on a monday evening and worrying that I’d find the routines even harder to pick up than before!

Also saving my life:

• Waterproof Socks - my woodland walks (and occasional runs) are my absolute therapy. However this is one of those soggy winters - we get these every other year, right? There comes a point where it becomes impossible to walk in the woods without wellies - and I cannot walk or run in those.

  I have an 86 year old friend in the woods who recommended me waterproof socks. Life changing! Your trainers might be sodden, but your toes have no idea about this! These socks are now pretty muddy looking but, just like cashmere, I’m terrified to wash them lest they lose their magical powers.

  So this February, rain has not bothered me. They say there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing. I don’t fully agree - when temperatures drop super low I worry about getting ill more (based on recent experience) so it limits me. But rain on a normal day in the UK? Bring it.

• Optimisation rather than build. My 30s were a build decade - masters, kids, home, career. It all sounds so tiring now!! This year I ran my usual Jan / Feb Career Vision Masterclasses, and I loved optimising them rather than having to build them from scratch. I could focus on the participant experience, tweak things and put time into that part. I love editing. I like noticing areas of my life where I’m in optimisation rather than build.

  What about you - where are you building v optimising? Wherever you are in build, notice the energy demand and expectation.

• Related to this, the gym, and when outsourcing can keep you stuck. I’ve spent years blindly outsourcing all the gym thinking to a PT, which was great when I had zero headspace (because of all that build), but I’ve realised lately it’s kept me stuck.

  Not only this but I had become so habituated and passive in my outsourcing that I often turned up late to my PT sessions (because I was doing ‘important’ things before). Would I turn up late to coach a client? So why am I giving myself less as a client??

  Now that I’ve seen progress in what I can lift ( took ages to build that foundation), and started going by myself last year, and with the help of AI, I’ve taken ownership of the full schedule, and love optimising it.

  Perfect for my questioner brain. Every week I am running this schedule I am finding tweaks - e.g. after heavy leg day, my body is craving a swim, not a run. My PT helps me stay safe and push myself, but just like our health, I’ve realised I need to be the main owner of this. I’m the one who holds the big picture, and I’m a big picture person. I used to see my PT as the ultimate expert and think that by showing up, my work was done, and that she was designing it all for me. Maybe at one point in my life that was the case. Now though, I realise she is one piece of the puzzle, which also includes physio and all the other learning I’m doing.

  I now aim to show up 10-15 mins before and start doing my warm up which includes some pilates moves (mainly dead bugs) because pilates is clearly having a moment and helping all my niggles. I’m not doing badly at this!

  I’ve not figured out the walk runs and cardio yet but this current schedule allows for at least 2 days rest for each strength type (push, pull, leg), a logistical feat in a 7-day week! Should I share the actual schedule?

P.S. I’ve also been loving America’s Next Top Model: The Reality — such a blast from the past, and genuinely fascinating (and unsettling) to revisit now with fresh eyes. I’ve been watching Nobody Wants This too, and if I haven’t mentioned it already, The Voice of Hind Rajab, unbelievably proud of my sister in law for her involvement in this film.