It’s time for another episode of The Baggage Reclaim Sessions.
In episode 71, I cover:
Career stuckness: I sent an email earlier this week about my book and in it, I shared a story about what dissatisfaction with our career can teach us about settling for less in our relationships, and I received a number of emails from people who were going through exactly the same thing. I share a bit of that story along with some other examples and I explain some of the factors that contribute, including failing a big exam and fear of someone else’s financial position.
Getting into a self-care routine: Taking care of you with small steps every day pays big dividends. I explain why self-care is so pivotal to the quality of your life and your resilience and why dedicating a little bit of time in the morning, middle of the day and in the evening (your ‘self-care sandwich’) is so transformative.
Examples of self-care habits: Journaling, affirmations, prayer, time outdoors, time to learn, time to read/listen, being deliberately slower, deciding on your priorities for the day, shrinking your list and being focused on your priorities, healthier lunch, drinking water, practising gratitude including noting ‘3 Good Things’ and having a gratitude mindset where you shift your focus to noticing positives, stretching, exercise, legs up the wall pose, lying flat, foot baths with Epsom salts, taking vitamins, early nights, switching your phone off, social media diet
Minimalism: I recently watched the Minimalism documentary on Netflix and it resonated with a number of things that have been niggling at me for a while about living with less to enjoy more in other ways. I’m looking to do Project 333 (wearing 33 items for 3 months) and was curious as to whether anyone else had done this.
Listener Question: Karen wants to know how to deal with her irrational jealousy about her boyfriend and her friend.
What I Learned This Week: I need to slow down so that I can taste life.
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Listener questions can be emailed to podcast AT baggagereclaim DOT com and if there’s a topic you’d love me to talk about, let me know!
Nat xxx
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Awesome you highlight legs up the wall. That is my daily, returning surrender pose when I have little time. So healing, so simple. Thank you for changing the trajectory of your blog. Good stuff.
Thank you EmC! Legs up the wall is one of life’s wonderful pleasures.
I wear 33 things by default lol just a bit unwealthy. I do find myself trying to get myself to shop for key pieces of items because otherwise I’d waste my money. I have..4 pairs of shoes, all functionally their own. Magenta suede flats, black ankle heeled boots, black shin boots, and trainers. But like I said…. It’s best to find quality pieces to rotate through that work well for many things. I’m still working on that!
Thanks so much for this – been lurking this site for years and this is my first comment. Read your blog through breakups and the time in between. Now I’m settling into my own place for the first time and this article becomes so timely for me. I will set out time today to think about the questions you posted. 🙂
Thanks Amrit! I agree about quality pieces that can rotate. I’ve realised that I need to have a good yearly cleanse of my wardrobe instead of being a hoarder and I’ve used this couple of weeks to really pay attention to what I actually wear, which ironically, despite having more than 33, probably falls on that number of items that I return to again and again. I’ve found that I really have to give some thought to what I will wear and when. I am struggling to include shoes in the number though as I rotate through a few pairs of trainers, which sounds ridiculous writing that–am chuckling away to myself!
And welcome! xx
Hi Nat,
I don’t know that I own 33 items of clothing; maybe 20, and I’ve never been happier with my choice in clothing and get compliments all the time for my pieces.
I believe in quality over quantity. I love fashion but am on a budget, so I get to be creative.
I only own three pairs of shoes: everyday sneakers and two pairs of boots (one pair doubles for hiking and snow). I also only have one winter jacket that I am very in love with. The winters can be harsh here, but it does the trick.
I also own no expensive jewelry and only wear homemade pieces (the joy I get from finding them and meeting new artists is abundant and ever flowing).
I try to stay connected with nature and lavish oodles of love on my senior dog and not fall prey to over consumption, though I know I drink way too much caffeine and eat way too many sweets.
Silvercloud, I always imagine you as being this super hip chick so it doesn’t surprise me that you can pull this off! I agree that quality is definitely the way to go and I don’t buy any fast fashion (stuff made super cheaply and affordable but not ethically) plus I don’t follow fashion so I buy what I like. But, I’d like to have a smaller wardrobe of well-loved and regularly worn pieces and part of that is letting go of ones that used to be loved but aren’t functional anymore. Other than my wedding and engagement rings, I don’t own any expensive jewellery.
The thing I very rarely mention… I don’t like and never drink… coffee!
Good to hear from you lovely lady x
And you, as well! Thank you! (Oh mah coffee habit *le sigh*)
I have very classic, simple tastes– but seriously, how many black, long sleeve T-shirts does one need? I have crewneck, v-neck, scoop neck, square neck, deep v-neck, boat-neck, then throw in all the same only 3/4 sleeves, then again the whole mess in short sleeves. Add to that the same for navy blue tops. Then thrown in about 20 more assorted colors and neck lines.
I have at least 20 pairs of jeans in sizes thin, normal and WTF?
I have 20 pairs of black and a few assorted colors of leggings.
Don’t even ask about shoes.
I think I may have to thin the herd.
My favorite minimalist is Marie Kondo. She espouses choosing what to keep based on the joy it brings you. She has a wonderful guide/book called “the life changing magic of tidying up”. It is rather prescriptive but if you can trust the process, the effect on your life is simply transformational. I highly recommend her approach.
Thank you so much for this post. This is my 3rd time listening to it. I’m very interested in the topic of self-care. I find your list of question very helpful in finding customized self-care routine .
I am a minimalist, it isn’t a lifestyle I chose deliberately. I just get very stressed out by stuff and stimuli. I grew up in a disorganized hoarder family, it must be an over-correction.
For the past 15 years, I own only 36 hangers. When they are full, I stop shopping. The lack of choices is liberating, it frees up mental space. I spend less time choosing outfits and I don’t waste time shopping every weekend like my friends. This isn’t for everyone. I know some girls enjoy varieties and their boyfriends appreciate seeing them in different looks.
I think Project 333 is a bit too restrictive. If you want to try a minimalist wardrobe for a season, I recommend Jennifer Scott’s “10 item wardrobe”. It’s a Parisian fashion philosophy, in which you own 10-12 core items that are very high quality. And you can have all the “extras” that you like, but they must all go well with the core items. She has a TED talk on the topic.