The following contains a paid advertising feature for Berocca. All images and thoughts my own.

Since lockdown began, we’ve all had to find ways to maintain our wellbeing while sticking to guidelines to stay home and keep ourselves safe. As you may know, I’ve worked from home for years now and I’m total homebody/introvert… Yet, even I’ve struggled with not being able to get out and about as often as I would normally. As a result, I’ve had to use different methods to help create a new routine and I try to incorporate most or all of these little habits on a day to day basis to ensure I can still have a great day if I know I’m going to be home all day.

I was approached by Berocca, to talk today about all the little things I do each day that have been helping me stay on track whilst adhering to the current guidelines. 

Now, I’ve taken Berocca on and off for many years now, it’s such an easy way to consume vitamins without having to take lots of different supplements. I’ll admit I don’t love swallowing lots of different tablets, so being able to simply put a Berocca in water, watch the effervescent tablet dissolve and easily drink it means I’m a lot more likely to do it every single day.

Of course, Berocca knows a thing or two about helping people stay on top form every single day. It’s packed full of 11 vitamins and minerals* and they contain all eight B vitamins (also known as the Vitamin B complex which are so important to health) as well as Vitamin C, Magnesium and Zinc. Vitamin B1 and B2 help naturally release energy while Vitamin C, B3, B12 and Magnesium all help to reduce tiredness. Plus, they are sugar-free, caffeine-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

While there are always plenty of ways I could improve my own diet and exercise regimes, there are a number of different things that I do that help me have a good day, every single day. Nothing is terribly difficult so I thought I’d share some really easy and simple tips for when you might need it.

Quick and Easy Healthy Breakfast

I think I’ve had this breakfast at least 4 times a week every week since March and I still love it. Cereal is such a quick and easy breakfast but so many are just packed full of sugar. I choose the lowest-sugar granola I can find for mine and add plenty of mixed seeds as well as a small handful of dried fruit just for a bit of sweetness.

I top it up with Oat or Almond Milk too. While I still can’t shake the habit of having a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, I’ve been able to reduce it to just one a day. After that, I drink Green Tea the rest of the morning. I find starting my day with something a bit healthier than sugary cereal or some toast gives me plenty of energy to last throughout a busy morning. 

Getting My Water In

We all know how good water is for us, right? Well, I used to just fill up a large glass with water each day to sit at my desk but I found that I would empty my glass and then forget to go back and refill it so I wasn’t really drinking enough. About 6 months ago, I purchased a large water bottle that I only have to fill twice a day and have found myself drinking so much more water than I used to – about 2 litres every day now! It’s so much easier to carry around the house and now it pretty much never leaves my side!

I’ve also been trying to cut back on drinking alcohol during the week – the temptation to just grab a cold beer out of the fridge is too great! So now, I will often pour myself a glass of sparkling water during the week to reduce my alcohol consumption. I fill a large glass with ice, cut up some lemon or grab some mint from the garden to throw in and the sparkling water makes an incredibly refreshing drink. Plus, when you treat yourself to dressing it up like this, it feels a bit fancier than just plain tap water! 

Meditation

I try to meditate at least every other day now and it’s just such a wonderful way to centre myself again, especially when watching too much news raises my stress levels. I started meditating some time last year, but it took me a long time to really got the hang of it as my mind would wander far too much! Like just about everything else, the more I did it, the better I got. 

If you’re struggling yourself to quiet your mind, I would recommend trying guided meditations. I find if I’m ‘tuned in’ to a relaxing voice who’s telling me to concentrate on my breathing and where music has been chosen to make you feel quiet and calmed, it really does make things so much easier. I would also recommend going somewhere you will be able to fully relax – either in a really comfy chair or laying down on a sofa or bed so that you can truly just be in the moment.

There are so many guided meditations available on YouTube or you might consider downloading an app like Headspace. I adore sitting in my garden when it’s lovely and warm, lighting some incense, putting my earbuds in and just breathing away all the worries going through my mind. 

Daily Walks with the Pup

Of course, regular exercise is also so important, and as we’re allowed to get out and exercise as much as we like, I try to get in at least a few good walks with Wayne and the dog on most mornings. We’ll do a longer walk on the weekends too. The River Severn is only a few minutes away from where we live, so we normally take the dog along the river here in Shrewsbury.

Not only is it great to get outside, get the blood pumping and getting some exercise each day, but it really fills me with so much joy living in such a pretty town and watching all the seasons change. Witnessing nature do its thing and getting out in the sunshine boosts serotonin (the happy hormone) as well as your immune levels, so take advantage of it by getting a walk in every day.

Getting Creative

As I spoke about in my last post, one of my favourite things to do to keep my mind clear and my energy high is to delve into creative projects. I have been working so much on creating beautiful candles with a view to selling but the creative process itself brings me a huge sense of calm. Allowing your mind to just enjoy the process is so important and while so many people will say, ‘Oh I’m not creative’ it’s simply not true. We are all born with the ability to create – that’s why children are naturals when it comes to imagination.

Somewhere along the way, we end up losing that, feeling too conscious of the end result and that it needs to be perfect when in fact, it’s the process of creating which is the most important to our well-being. So next time you are feeling anxious, why not pick up a paintbrush, a macrame kit, some clay or even some candle wax, wicks and fragrance? 

Gardening

And finally, one of my favourite ways I’ve kept my spirits up during lockdown as been throwing myself into our garden. While we have plenty left to do, just being able to see the things we’ve planted thrive, watering the potted plants each day, dead-heading the flowering plants, pulling weeds and mowing the lawn is bringing me far more joy than I ever thought it would. There’s something incredibly uplifting about being out in nature and I couldn’t be more grateful to have this space to enjoy each day.

So now, it’s your turn! Tell me what little habits have you created to ensure you’re going to have a good day? I’d love to hear what you’re doing – is it daily workouts, creative activities with the kids, working on home improvement projects or something else? The comment box awaits!

Disclaimer: Thanks to Berocca for sponsoring this post. I only work with brands I really like and think you’ll like too. All images and opinions, as always, my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Swoon Worthy.

*Contains Vitamins B1, B2, B12, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Biotin, Magnesium, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin C and Zinc.