July! Hack Your Way to a More Vibrant, Wonderful Life

Do you think that title is hyperbolic? Maybe it is but besides a reflection on my recent birthday here’s how, in easy peasy ways, I’m choosing to up my vibe this month

Howdy Readers,

My birthday was two weeks ago and as these milestones sometimes nudge us to, I chanced a check-in with my mortality.

What did I discover?

That, damnit, my earlobes are showing their age.

Yep, they’re 63, just like the rest of me. Seems they are wilfully softening up and expanding which means I can no longer manage a skill I obviously took for granted.

That skill? Putting earrings in with only one hand.

Now, in an effort not to draw blood as I stab and stab and stab at the hole that’s no longer where my proprioception tell me IT SHOULD BE, I have to slow down, squint into the mirror, and use two hands to guide the earring post into my recalcitrant lobe.

Why does this give me the poos? Well, it reminds me that we can only somewhat slow the marching of time and also, as someone who values efficiency, it makes my morning routine just those few seconds longer.

To little ole impatient me this is not how I operate, except that it seems that now I’m 63, it is, in fact, how I operate.

Heavy sigh! I really didn’t think I’d be bothered by this sliding into mid-sixties thing, but evidently...

Did you ever hear that the only things that keep growing as we age are our ears and nose? Me too, but turns out it was a furphy. The reason that they change is because of the previously mentioned softening and expanding of the tissue and because of yeah, that force called gravity. Bloody gravity.

But seriously, I’m actually chuffed to have made it this far. Back in the 80’s I lost friends and co-workers to the AIDS epidemic, I’ve lost friends and family to early cancer diagnoses and chronic diseases, and many of you know that my sister, Pippa, died of early onset dementia two years ago.

Guess how old she was? Yep, 63, ergo my mortality check-in.

So, what did I come up with in all my navel gazing? Well, exactly what I keep advocating - it’s time to live a life as VIBRANT as you can possibly make it!

How’s that for a segue into July’s Vibrancy Bites??

My June/July Hi Vibe Practices

I try to lean into my Seven Pillars of Health on the daily, sometimes with more or less success.

They are, in no particular order: Movement, Sleep, Nutrition, Mindfulness, Community & Relationships, Environment, and Creativity

MINDFULNESS - lose yourself in something enjoyable

First up, I have to tell you that I FINALLY finished my jigsaw puzzle from Christmas.

Yep, I’ve had a puzzle on my dining room table for literally over six months. Granted most of that time it was hidden under a towel (NB - never underestimate the power of “out of sight, out of mind”) but I always knew it was there, taunting me for not having the fortitude to finish it.

I am cutting myself some slack. The puzzle was a 1500 piece monster with gold highlights on each and every piece. Most of the pieces were ever-so-slightly-different-shades of blue. It was one of the hardest puzzles I’ve ever done.

So what changed? I guess I’d have to say accountability? My kiddo came over from Perth for a visit and since they love puzzling as much as I do, we started working on it again. It broke me out of my puzzle torpor.

There’s also the puzzling law of increased returns, you know, the closer you get to the end the less pieces there are to choose from so in theory you solve the puzzle at an accelerated rate.

I finished it on Sunday morning. Yay me!

Now, I don’t know about you but puzzling posture is not especially good for my body. I lean over and contort my neck inviting all sorts of strife and don’t get me started on the eye strain of trying to discern between those hundred shades of blue.

What did I do to ameliorate this? I moved.

I moved because I know it’s’a superpower.

MOVEMENT - ten minutes is all you need

I know you already know that “exercise snacks”, aka Movement Bites, are good for your health¹

Even ten minutes of movement can re-set your body. This is a key Vibrancy Bite not only for July, but FOR EVERY DAY, FOR ALL TIME, UNTIL THE END OF YOUR DAYS!

What do you like to do? Do it for ten minutes and notice how your mood and physicality have changed.

SLEEP - give yourself a bedtime

I’m reading a great book on how to de stress your life using nine simple rules. The very first rule is to give yourself a bedtime.

Not only should you give yourself a bedtime but you need a bedtime runway.

This is starting 30-45 minutes before your chosen bedtime to get ready for bed. What “getting ready for bed” exactly is for you to decide. Do you shower before bed? Do you like to give yourself 20 minutes of reading? The runway is whatever current You can you do to take care of future You to make your next morning as peaceful as possible.

• I dim the lights all over the house (this sometimes drives the hubby crazy but I am a big fan of lamplight)

• I put out my clothes for the gym or for work if I have an early class to teach. (they are the same thing, lol - workout gear, I swear I have spent my entire life in workout gear)

• I write my next day’s to-do list to unclutter my mind and make it easier to sleep

• I try not to leave a pile of dishes (try being the optimal word here)

• Before I climb into bed I have to adjust the bedding (does anyone else have wars with their partner over bedding?)

• Once in bed I make room for the cat because this almost 18 year old lady has decided that between my legs is the place to be for the next seven hours!

• I do a short breathing practice and then it’s lights out (bedside lamp & my consciousness)

ENVIRONMENT - weeding for the win

Usually I am up before the hubby so more often that not I take the dog out for her morning ablutions.

While she does her business I do mine. I pull 20 weeds. Yes, I count them!

Sometimes my brain says, “why are you wasting your time, you could never, ever fully get on top of these things?” but mostly I tell myself, “now there’s 20 fewer weeds than there were before.”

It’s very easy for me to connect with the outside environment because of where I live but I would encourage you to get yourself outside for a few minutes every day.

Do you need to pull up weeds? Yeah, Nah. But… if you wanna come over and help me tame the property I wouldn’t dissuade you.

COMMUNITY & RELATIONSHIPS + CREATIVITY - plan something with friends around a creative event

OOOOOhhhh, this month I have two exciting things that fit these two Pillars of Health.

You know I love a bit of culture and as I’ve explored before, being an audience member is good for your health.

The Surprising Health Benefits of Seeing Live Art

What’s happening in your neck of the woods? An outdoor concert? A talk at the library? A new movie release? Pick something, phone a friend, and go and do it!

I wonder what you’ll choose?

Here’s what I’ll be up to:

1. Our local council hosts an Art Studio Trail every weekend this month. Each weekend the trail takes you in a different direction and artists throw open their studios for demos and questions and connection. I’ve been wanting to go for years and just confirmed with two friends that we’ll be hitting the southern trail at the end of the month.

2. Mid month I’m also going to the ballet with one of my Ballet Babes cohort, we went to the same production last year. She’s only been a ballet fan for a couple of years so the day is a blast because she’s really enthusiastic about it all.

NUTRITION - keep up on your fluids

I won’t lie, deep in our sub-tropical Australian winter, it’s been a bit chilly. I know chilliness is in the body-temperature-regulation of the beholder but trust me, it’s been rainy, foggy, and chilly. (you’re right, I can’t actually bring myself to say it’s been cold)

I’ve been lighting fires in the wood stove and eating more “hearty” food but I’ve noticed that I’m not drinking close to the amount of water I do when it’s warmer.

Counterintuitively, you can get dehydrated when it’s cold² and staying hydrated in winter is important for your health.

Here’s my hack: Drink more tea! I’ve at least quadrupled my daily tea intake and I do have quite the tea collection so it’s been fun to choose which flavours I want next in my cup. You can make it special by choosing a favourite mug.

Now I know that a lot of you fabulous readers live in the northern hemisphere and not only is it not winter where you are, you’re probably experiencing some crazy, wacky, overly warm summer weather instead. Well then, you know that hydration is super important for you as well, so drink up.

When it gets blazing hot here I am the iced tea queen, the fruitier the better. And for a little bit of zhuzh I might throw a squeeze of lime, some cucumber slices, or some mint into my water.

That’s it for this missive and waaaaaaa, it started raining again, so I’m going to sign off and go and put the kettle on.

I hope you have a fab month and hmmm, I wonder which Vibrancy Bite you’re going to start with?

Be well, xBec🤎

the puzzle box - look at the gold! / finding the border, Christmas Day / progress mid June / getting closer / Sunday morning - done! / this has never happened before but there were four duplicate pieces in the box - I feel sorry for the folks who got the puzzle these should’ve been a part of

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And, in case you missed last week’s book review podcast:

S2 E14: Irresistible Advice, You Actually Don’t Have to Have a Dream

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6527142/

2. https://www.massgeneral.org/news/article/the-importance-of-winter-hydration