Life Update & 6 Month New Years Resolution Check-In

So we are (more than) 6 months into 2022 already, how is that even possible? Lots has been going on in my life and I haven’t had a lot of time to spend here in this little corner of the internet. So, I thought I would sit down and put together a life update to share and take a moment to check-in on my New Years Resolutions.

Life Update

The last 6 months have flown by. I feel like time has been running through my hands like water lately, I just can’t seem to hold onto it. I’m struggling to feel present and take in each moment to slow down how fast time is passing.

The biggest change and update is that both my husband and I have started new jobs! This has been a long transition for both of us, and a welcome change. While both of us loved our previous jobs, it was time for something new. Changing jobs is always stressful, it’s lots of work, and emotional to say goodbye to an old workplace, and lots of learning and stress starting a new position. This is partly why I have been so absent on here in the last month or so. But, I am very excited to be starting a new chapter.

My husband and I have also been continuing to settle into and work on our new home. I have been enjoying sharing updates on the small changes we have made over on Instagram – if you’re interested in seeing that sort of content, you can follow me there @hblogz. It feels so good to set down new roots and have a home that we can make more our own. It really is different than renting, not that there is anything wrong with renting, but there is something special even just about painting walls and knowing in your heart that you won’t have to paint them back when the lease is up.

HBLogs turned 2 which still seems so wild to me. It still feels new to me and yet feels like I have been writing here for a lot longer than 2 years. If you want to read the birthday post, you can check it out here.

Unfortunately, I have been struggling with chronic pain and chronic illness flare ups in the last few months too, and that has also meant adjusting my expectations a little (or a lot). I am hoping to share more about living with chronic pain and illness here at some point too. I think it is important to talk about especially as it is often shamed and stigmatized.

I have lots of posts and ideas for more blog posts and poetry, but I am still working out a posting schedule now that I have changed jobs. It would be great even if I could just get up 2-3 posts a month, we’ll see if I can make that happen.

Mostly, I have been navigating a new routine, and trying to prioritize hobbies and activities that bring me joy when I can. I am trying to soak in the present and bring more calm and meaning into my day to day life.

New Years Resolutions

I’ll be honest, I haven’t looked through my resolutions more than maybe 2 times since setting them in January. And that’s okay, I’ve talked before about the pros and cons of New Year’s Resolutions and I am not here to judge anyone on what they do or don’t accomplish in a year. If you haven’t read my original News Years Resolutions post for 2022, you can check it out here.

That said I did think it could be interesting to look through them and share a brief update on whether or not I have made progress working toward those goals.

Overall goal: to enjoy life more, feel more joy, and to feel healthier physically and mentally.

Looking back at my overall goal, I’m really proud of myself for setting this goal. It’s simple and yet, packs a lot into it. While I don’t think I have fully achieved it, and really don’t know if its possible to 100% of the time, I do think I have made a lot of progress. I have made progress on my mental and physical health, and I have been prioritizing things that bring me joy, setting firm boundaries with myself and others, and honestly cutting out the things that don’t make me feel good or fulfilled.

Read More: I have been loving reading this year, and actually I am on track to beat my reading goal that I had set on Goodreads. Last year, without setting any goal, I managed to read 6 books which may not seem like a lot to others maybe but was a huge increase in what I had been reading. I’ve always loved reading but sometimes struggle to set aside the time. And with chronic fatigue, I would often fall asleep too quickly into reading at night. I hope to share some more about what I’ve read this year in a future post.

Explore other creative hobbies: While I’ve had lots of ideas of how to meet this goal, I haven’t really managed to unfortunately. I have been writing a little more, and have worked on some poetry. I’ve dabbled here and there with some coloring and painting, but this goal is certainly one that has fallen to the wayside a little.

Putting my physical and mental health first: I think I’ve made significant improvements on both of these in the past 6 months and I’m really glad that I have. I have been taking time to rest without guilt, and I have been making time for movement that I enjoy. I’m not going to be an olympic athlete or anything, and that was never my goal, but I can feel my body moving a little easier and stronger and that’s huge for me. In terms of my mental health, I’ve made big changes to my routine to reduce stress, as well as cutting out as many sources of stress and anxiety that are not necessary. I’ve also been surrounding myself with positive mental health influences: books on mental health, mental health social media accounts, people who have a positive effect on my mental wellbeing, and taking some time for things like meditation and deep breathing. There’s still lots to work on here, but considering how much I struggled at the beginning of the year, I’m proud of myself for prioritizing my needs and valuing myself enough to take the time to care for myself.

Less time scrolling on social media: This too has been a significant change. I am consciously limiting how much time I spend on social media, and probably most importantly, who I choose to include in my feed. I recently did a huge purge of the accounts I follow across platforms (Instagram, Facebook, & Youtube). Anyone who I wasn’t really following anymore, content I wasn’t interested in anymore, or people’s whose content made me feel bad or insecure I simply removed. And it has left me with a much more positive feed, and helps me not endlessly scroll or watch even when it isn’t something that feeds me. Instead when I’ve caught up on all my favourite creators’ content, I turn off my feed, and go do other activities that I enjoy.

Get outside more: Especially since moving to our new home, my husband and I both have been able to spend a lot more time outdoors. We are loving going hiking, going to the beach, even just walks on our neighborhood trails, working on my flowers in the backyard, and sitting outside on my patio. We have camping later this summer too which I am very excited for. The other day after an afternoon spent at the beach, I really noticed how peaceful I felt. It really does nourish my mind and soul to have my feet on the ground and the fresh air in my lungs.

Get more involved in activism (social justice): I am sad to say I haven’t really managed to accomplish this one. And in fact, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about what is the best way to get involved, and also what causes do I feel the best suited to getting involved with. However, this is something that I very much still want to do, and I am trying where I can to find small ways to support others’ efforts.

I really enjoyed looking through my new years resolutions. It helped me realize just how much I have improved on this year and also reminded me of some things that are really important for me and things I want to keep working on. Might I be coming around to the tradition of setting New Years Resolutions?

I’m really glad I’ve had a chance to catch you up and to just sit down and take in the last few months. I am hopeful I will be able to carve out more time in the coming months to write, and most importantly I’m excited to do so.

I hope you are all doing well, and thank you for coming back to share this written journey with me.

Write soon,

Hannah B.L.