5 Easy Changes You Can Make To IMPROVE Your Life!
And embrace slow living while being MORE productive...
5 Easy Changes You Can Make To IMPROVE Your Life!
Hello friends and happy Wednesday! I hope you’re all having a fantastic week! We had a great Labor Day weekend. On Sunday, we visited Palm Beach and toured around the area, which was really fun. Then we spent the next day closer to home, enjoying Barnes & Noble, getting cinnamon buns, and seeing the mall where we live. It was great! Mr. Baby had a great time and so did we. As well, yesterday we released the second episode of our podcast entitled, “How To End A Fight Without HATING Your Spouse!” so make sure to check it out!
Today I want to talk about a few easy changes I’ve been making that have really improved my life. These changes make every day feel more fun, productive, and healthy - and what’s better than that? I realized as I was putting this list together that in truth, these recommendations are all about embracing slow living. And who would have thought that slow living actually makes you more productive? As well, the great thing about these changes is that they are all incredibly simple to enact. They’re just little edits to your daily routine that improve your life as a whole. So let’s get into it!
Play music on your phone rather than a video. If you work at home or are a stay-at-home mom, you might notice that while taking care of every day tasks, you turn on a video or a podcast to “keep you company.” I know I do! It’s a way to feel like there are other people around, in a sense. But videos often make you move more slowly and don’t allow you to live in the present, as you’re constantly distracted. So recently, I started playing music instead and BOY had I missed it! It’s so easy nowadays to play everything except music in the background because there are so many other options. But music gives us the opportunity not only to live in the present moment, but to amplify the present moment with music that makes it even more poignant! For example, in the morning when I’m up with Mr. Baby, I’ve been putting on a Paris Cafe playlist and it makes everything more joyful. In the evening when I’m preparing dinner, I play a Romantic Jazz playlist and I feel more relaxed. It may seem obvious, but putting on music to accentuate the moment is such an improvement over listening to something that steals your attention.
Read a book instead of watching a TV show. Man, reading really is the bees knees! This past year I realized how many more books I’ve read than in years prior, and it makes me so happy. I love reading and learning and escaping into a good story or picking up a new idea, and often we get sucked into the ease of turning on the TV and slumping into our cozy couches. But I have loved picking up a magazine or a book or my kindle and reading a book instead. Now, I don’t mean you should never watch TV. I really enjoy watching movies with my husband - it’s a way that we bond and discuss art. But carving out time specifically for reading is a more productive activity that also falls under the banner of slow living.
Eat a healthy breakfast rather than a quick one. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how much I love breakfast and how important I think it is! Taking the time to enjoy a good, healthy breakfast sets a positive tone for the rest of the day. My go-to is making a hot cup of coffee, popping wheat bread in the toaster oven, and frying up three eggs - it doesn’t take that long to do, but it feels so luxurious to relish it! Even if it means you need to wake up 20 minutes early to enjoy breakfast on your own and feed your body, it’s a wonderful way to embrace slow living as well as productivity. Rather than eating a granola bar or instant oatmeal covered in sugar in a rush, I’ve devoted time to starting my day off on the right foot.
Take a bath instead of a shower. There is nothing more luxurious than taking a bath instead of a shower. Of course, you don’t have to only take baths - but taking a bath once a week, relaxing, reading a book or magazine (hey, double whammy with #2!) is such a great way to take care of yourself. It gives you some alone time, perhaps after the kids go to bed, and you can really unwind. Doing this regularly has helped me clear my head at the end of a long day and gives me something to look forward to in the evening. Instead of rushing to clean myself in the shower, I treat my washing routine as a little gift to myself!
Walk somewhere instead of driving. Last but not least, walking is such a great way to improve your life! Summer in Florida has really prevented me from enjoying my daily walks, but when the weather is appropriate, I’d much rather walk around then drive somewhere! If you live in a walkable area, consider walking to your favorite store or coffee shop instead of driving there. Not only are you getting in a little exercise, you’re also enjoying the journey instead of focusing on the destination - a hallmark of slow living.
Which of these changes do you want to incorporate into your daily routine? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
ANNOUNCING: Book Club Is THIS Week!
I’m excited to share this month’s book club selection! This month we are reading fiction (we switch up month-to-month) and the book we will be reading is…The Undomestic Goddess! Since we have been some doing some major reading, I thought it would be fun to do something more fun and laidback. A quintessential beach read to finish out the summer! And the values align perfectly with what we talk about here. I can’t wait to discuss it with you all! Book club is convening this Thursday (9/8/2022) at 8:30 PM EST.
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Welcome to Classically Abby!
I'm a wife, mama, opera singer, entrepreneur, YouTuber, and your guide to becoming the classic woman you've always wanted to be! Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to see how! And together, let's be classic.
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