This Time Next Year Tag

It’s been a while since I’ve done a blogger tag. So long in fact, I can’t even remember the last time I did one. The This Time Next Year Tag is not one I’ve heard of before, so it was nice to have been tagged by my lovely blogger friend, Ami, aka Undercover Superhero.

The Rules

1. Thank the person who tagged you.
2. Write your goals for the next year.
3. Write how you’re going to achieve these goals.
4. Tag at least 5 blogger friends
5. In 365 days, write a post about whether or not you’ve been successful (optional). 

If you haven’t read Ami’s blog, you’re missing out. Alongside being one of the loveliest people in the blogging community, she’s a fantastic writer and she does incredible work raising awareness of disability and chronic illness. Undercover Superhero documents Ami’s recovery and rehabilitation after a 9 month hospital stay, her life and experiences as a disabled mum, and of course, all things Marvel. Go check out her blog if you haven’t already!

Goals

I really liked how Ami set out her goals so I’m going to attempt to do a similar format for mine: mental health, me, blogging, health. 

Mental Health

It’s been an interesting couple of years in terms of my mental health. Covid shat on my OCD recovery and my mental health Jenga has been close to toppling over for a while now. A good dose of low intensity CBT helped with my anxiety enough to leave the job that was causing it to spike, and I’ve coasted through the final few months of 2021. However, the run up to Christmas and the uncertainty that the new covid variant has created has well and truly meant that it’s been a rough couple of weeks. I’d really like to get my mental health back to some sort of positive level in 2022 – not necessarily full recovery, but just enough to stop me from having an IBS flare every other day. 

Me

I’ve really not done well with the whole self care thing in 2021, so it’s definitely something I need to do more of, especially with my mental health in the fragile state it is. So, I’d like to spend more of my spare time doing stuff that’s just for me – no blogging, no housework, just full on self-care tasks where I can switch off for a bit. Easier said than done of course.

Blogging

I’ll be completely honest, I’ve struggled a lot with blogging this past year. I feel as though I’ve become a bit disconnected from the community where I’ve not had the time to catch up on blogs I would have read normally, and I’m ridiculously behind on responding to comments. I’ve ended up on two unscheduled breaks this year where I’ve gotten so behind with writing new posts, and that’s a combination of things, but largely, its come down to having the time and having the motivation. There have been days where I’ve really not wanted to write anything, because I can’t think of anything decent to say. It amazes me that you’re reading this even now to be honest. Before, I had so many blogging goals in terms of followers and monetising it, but it just hasn’t happened. At this moment in time, I’m not sure it will, but I think that’s okay. I know by putting pressure on myself, things will only get worse, so again, I think I need to give myself a break and just keep going. 

That’s why in 2022, I’m going to go back to basics with my blogging goals. I want to finally complete the blog audit I started near-18 months ago, updating old links and content, and I want to get a decent structure going so that I can schedule more posts in advance. I’d also really like to get back into a routine of reading and commenting on other people’s blogs.

Health

I mentioned last year that I wanted to sort out my diet in a bid to try and improve my IBS. It happened, but only really in a half-arsed way. I attempted a few switches to low FODMAP foods and ingredients, but I honestly didn’t see much of a benefit until I did the CBT, so perhaps that’s the indicator that my biggest trigger is anxiety. So, on that front, my mental health goals fit in with this one. However, I’m well aware that my current diet isn’t exactly the healthiest. While I won’t necessarily be going back to low FODMAP, I want to make a few changes to help things along, such as drinking more water, cutting down on the booze, and trying to eat more fruit and vegetables.

I would also really like to get back into exercising. I did pretty well getting through Couch to 5k during the spring/early summer months, but the slightest hint of bad weather would cause me to stay inside and not actually do any alternative – in the end, time went on and it was either too dark or too cold for me to want to go out. Don’t worry, I’m well aware that’s a complete piss poor excuse. I’ll admit, I’m really not an outdoor-exercise kind of person. Although I really want to complete Couch to 5k just to prove to myself that I can. So, maybe that can be one for the summer. In the meantime though, I think it would do me good for a number of reasons to get into something. Whether I get back into the Blogilates workouts or try something different, I’m not sure. Please send any recommendations my way!

Finally, there’s also some general health admin I’ve been putting off that I’d like to get sorted. I’m ashamed to say it’s been 3 years since I’ve visited the dentist – largely because I started working a 9-5 job and that’s basically the only hours dentists here are open. Again, I know that’s not really an excuse – but who wants to go and get their mouth prodded and be patronised about not brushing your teeth properly during a week’s annual leave? Now my new job has a bit more flexibility, it’s something I really need to get done. I spent many years with awful teeth and nearly 2 years trying to straighten them, so I don’t want to mess them up now. I also have a lump on my head that I want to get checked again. I had it looked at back in 2020, and the GP said it’s nothing to worry about, but I think it wouldn’t be a bad thing to get it checked again just to be on the safe side. Get your lumps checked folks. 

How I’ll Achieve Them

Mental Health

I’ve downloaded the Calm app (for some reason, I really couldn’t get on with Headspace), so I plan to try and make time to meditate once a day and complete the daily mood check-ins that feature. You may also remember on my Revised 30 Before 30 that I wanted to complete some form of OCD/anxiety workbook (there’s a whole untouched stack on my bookcase), so I’m going to factor this in too.

Me

I’m going to aim to read at least one chapter of a book each day, as reading for me is a really good chance to switch off. I’m not thinking, I’m not looking at my phone, I’m just reading. I’m also going to make time to carry out at least one “self-care” activity per week – even if it’s just something small like a face mask, a bath, or doing my nails. 

Blogging

Each day, I’d like to spend at least half an hour doing something blog related – preferably writing, planning or uploading content. Alternatively, I’m going to aim to edit 3 old posts each day, and read/comment on 5 other blogs. It already feels like a lot but I’m determined to do it!

Health

Again, keeping them simple. I plan to increase the amount of fruit/vegetables that I eat and aim to drink 2 litres of water each day. I think it might also be a good idea for me to eat small amounts throughout the day rather than a large meal in the evening, again, to try and make things easier for my IBS. Exercise wise, I desperately want to try and do some sort of workout at least once a week. Finally, I need to register with a dentist and book those appointments I just mentioned.

Over To You…

I’ve loved doing this challenge and it’s really helped me clarify some of the things I wanted to do for 2022, so a huge thank you to Ami for tagging me!

The next part of the challenge is to tag 5 blogger friends, but because I’ve not really been engaging with the community much lately, I feel it’s a bit unfair of me. So, I’m leaving this as an open tag – if you’d like to complete this challenge, feel free! Let me know in the comments what your goals for 2022 are!