cermakalex The challenge is over. For 21 days, I wrote down every evening what I was grateful for that day. Some days, it really wasn’t easy – when nothing much happened, I didn’t go anywhere, and didn’t talk to anyone, it was a challenge. Sometimes, I ended up being grateful for breakfast, lunch, a snack… or cuddles with my extremely affectionate cat. Food brings me a lot of joy – which makes it even more interesting to see whether I’ll keep that good feeling when I switch to the Mediterranean diet. But food counts too! And thanks to this practice, even the gloomiest days brightened up a bit.
21-Day Challenge: Gratitude Journal
This Sunday marked the 21st evening I took a moment to reflect on the day and wrote down four things I was grateful for. You can look back at all of these days in my Instagram reels. Each night, it got quicker and felt more natural.
Building this habit is a great way to boost your mood and start seeing the world in a more positive light. It costs nothing – just a few minutes of your time and the willingness to pause for a moment. I definitely want to keep going with this. And I highly recommend it to you too!
Spa Survivor
On Tuesday, my daughter and I will be transferred from the hospital to a spa. We’re in for 56 “wonderful” days. Well, me and spas… it’s not exactly love at first sight. I mean – there’s a big difference between a spa and a “spa.”
This stay won’t be about treatments, wellness, and cocktails in hand. It’ll be more like a healing bootcamp: meals at a specific time and place (definitely not Michelin-star quality), morning exercise, a fixed routine, lights out at a set hour. Hopefully it won’t feel too much like the 1980s, and the nurses will be at least somewhat friendly. We’ll see.
Habit #1 – More Protein
I’m still trying to stick with the “three eggs and veggies” breakfast, sometimes with cottage cheese or something similar. And I have to say – the one day I skipped it, my body definitely noticed. By lunchtime, I was desperately hunting for something to eat. So this is something I need to automate. Even on days when I don’t have time to make breakfast, I want to have a plan – like prepped egg muffins or a cold omelet.
Protein shakes after workouts work for me too. I’ve read that some people struggle with them on an empty stomach or they upset their digestion. Luckily, I don’t have that problem – quite the opposite. It’s a big dose of protein that would be hard to get from food alone. And at the spa, where I won’t be able to adjust my meals, that’s going to help a lot.
Habit #2 – Better Sleep
I’ve started going to bed after 8 PM, trying to read paper books or sometimes use my e-reader. Though opinions differ – some say the brain perceives the e-reader as just another screen and it can interfere with falling asleep. Luckily, I don’t have that issue. As soon as the clock hits 10, I put the book down, get into my favorite sleeping position – and I’m out.
Falling asleep isn’t a problem for me. What’s harder is waking up in the middle of the night – around 3 AM, my mind starts racing with unfinished tasks. Right now, I’m mostly thinking about everything I need to remember to pack for the two months at the spa. They say it helps to write it all down in the evening and get it out of your head and onto paper. I’m trying that, but so far, it’s not working very well.
So wish me luck!
