simple things that make my life easier
just the hits #34
This little notebook changed my life.
I purchased it to maintain my journaling routine during a busy, stressful stretch earlier this year. I started each day jotting down a quick gratitude list (rather than my usual 2-3 pages of manifestations and stream-of-consciousness journaling), and jump into the chaos of the day.
Once things settled down and I got back to my regular morning routine, I’d keep this pocket notebook within reach. I’d jot down rough notes for a Substack post, list out tasks that were rattling in my brain, or draft something longhand before typing it up. On a particularly anxious day, I jotted down a micro step to-do list (make the bed, eat breakfast, tidy the top of my dresser, answer a particular email).
I did it at the beginning of the next day, and the day after that. The planner I’d carefully selected for the second quarter lay unused, and is probably stuffed between the wall and the back cushions of our couch.
This little notebook, and the simple planning method I fill its pages with, transformed my days. As I reflect on previous month’s plans and flip through my old journals and the original pocket notebook (I’m well into my second one), I started to notice the simple things that have quietly made massive impacts in my life:
I rotate through the same 10 recipes for dinner. These are meals I can quickly through into an Instant Pot minutes before the kids get home, or I can easily prep during my own lunch break. Every night has a general theme, and Wednesdays are for pizza (usually ordered in, but sometimes a frozen Banza pizza).
I start each weekday with an hour of productive bed rotting. I do a quick meditation, journal 2 pages, and write for a half hour (usually a smart read or working on my weekend Substack). My kids are popping in and out and I’m regularly reminding them to tidy their rooms or tend to their morning chores, and mediating their arguments. Even if my bed rotting only lasts a few minutes (a couple of deep breaths, jotting down a line or two), it eases me into the day.
I rarely listen to podcasts anymore (ironic, I know, as I host That Desi Spark and
). I’ve learned to appreciate the quiet, and fill the space with gentle music, frequencies, or activations to keep my brain in a positive state. Reading ’s Sunny Side Up reminded me of the power of positive self-talk, and I will repeat the 6 manifestations I dutifully write out every morning throughout the day, whenever I feel the anxious and insecure feelings bubble up beneath the surface.I shamelessly rewear the same outfits in a week. I fold and store them on top of my dresser, and toss them in the hamper after the second (or third) wear.
I’m spending less time scrolling on my phone simply by using the Forest app. It virtually locks you out of your phone (I have a few apps on my allow list - Notes app, Spotify, Activations, phone calls) as you plant a little tree. If you cancel the timer before it’s finished, your tree dies (which is enough incentive for me to leave it). The more I use this app, the better I feel.
We enforce house rules with “we do” and “we don’t” statements. “We don’t watch TV on school nights” is followed by “we do read together on the couch until bedtime.” “We all clean up the kitchen after dinner” is a way to gently remind the kids to put away books and clean up the crumbs around their seat (always requires multiple reminders before they actually do it). When they inevitably push back, we remind them that “we are a team, and we help each other” (language I’ve borrowed from Jeanelle Teves).
What simple systems/tools/statements do you swear by?
Catch up on the latest posts:
On Instagram, I shared a recap of last week, our Pennsylvania home’s foyer and living room (you can check out the home tour here), a millennial vs. Gen Z ‘cringe or not cringe’, the one thing I do before starting anything (a new venture, habit, or getting unstuck), my Gentle Wednesday ritual, and a peek into my interview with Rooshy Roy (you can watch the full episode here).
Today is the last day to get 20% off my paid subscription - forever! (this link has a special discount, expiring on May 17).
This five minute makeup routine has made a noticeable impact in how I show up for the day:
I apply Typology’s tinted serum (a mix of shades 2 & 3) with a dense brush, and dab their tinted eye cream (shade 2) with an angled concealer brush.
I sweep this powder (in sand) over my forehead and down my nose and chin, and this blush (shade 1) over my cheekbones.
A few swipes of this mascara, a quick dab of this lip oil in powder pink, and I’m good to go.
I’m so here for a Seema summer.
If you were personally victimized by personalized bike license plates or keychains as a child,
is here to heal our younger selves.This piece from
is full of wisdom, tactical advice, and empathy. You’ll want to carve out some time to absorb it (and don’t forget to grab a notebook as well).It was a great week for new book releases. Some of my favorites are The Ambition Trap by
, Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan, Fitting Indian by (content warning: mention of suicide), The Charmer by Ava Rani, Maine Characters by , and The Singular Life of Aria Patel by .I saw someone compare Jordon Hudson (Bill Belichick’s new girlfriend) to the human Ursala, and I can’t unsee it. I’m inexplicably fascinated by her, especially after reading this.
If you’ve made it this far, THANK YOU. And if you enjoyed this Substack, please:
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Please take a break - or several.
xo,
HPN
Thank you so much for mentioning The Ambition Trap!!
omg yes, I absolutely have been personally victimized by every gift shop ever not having personalized items with my name on them!!! and yet, still I look...