Day 3. Walking, Jogging & Unclogging

Today, our eldest son agreed to go on a walk with me for the first time in, well, ages.

It probably won't become a daily habit, my goal isn't to force habits on others, but the fact it happened is exactly why I am making these small changes.

In today's edition, I'll talk about the walk, why it mattered to me, and then the habits added and tweaked today.

My god, you might be thinking, content even before the content. How much time do you think I have to read this?

And, to that I would reply - you should try finding the time to write the bloody thing.

Walk on the Child Side

Let's just go with that pun, if it even is a pun.

Our eldest, as I have mentioned many a time, has pretty major additional needs and not the least of which is pathological demand avoidance - a condition that apparently only exists in parts of the country as only certain authorities recognise it. It is, I can assure you, very real.

Encouraging him to do certain things, even suggesting the very idea of them can be tricky. Getting him to do things - yeah, not going to happen.

When tired, you can slip into a state of just going along with it. He probably won't want a walk, so why try? There's no way he will want to come on a short walk to the local (quiet) shop, so why ask?

But, there is something about being in a positive state of mind, you approach things knowing they might be rejected, but accepting that is fine. A modern sport coach would suggest it is the process that matters.

I must have asked five times today - would you like a little walk? You can choose. Shall we go for a walk later (giving time for the idea to set in, rather than feeling like a demand for right now (to be fair, not sure I would want to quit Mario to go for a walk that second)).

On the fifth time, he answered 'ok then', this a surprise acceptance that had me quickly looking for my shoes so as not to let the moment pass.

D initially walked at a snail's pace and in silence - he hates 'chit chat' on walks, but we made our way to the local meadows. He met dog owner Gordon and told him he had 'a beautiful beard', later, speeding up, he ran down a bank, skidded and then said 'let's do it together, last one down is a Prune Pastry'.

It was glorious.

My little tweaks aren't so much about the changes themselves individually, who gives a shit if my diet is slightly better or, spoiler alert, I cut out a certain hot drink.

They are about attitude change and positivity, if you know you are making a change for the better every day it is very hard to feel too down.

I don't have a habit saying 'walk with D every day', but I am certain that, but for the last few days, the wonderful stroll in the sun would not have happened.

Jog On

When I woke at 6.30am - which I would love to claim was the result of being virtuous and setting an alarm, but was really because the bloody cat was miaowing for food - my first thought was 'hmm, what's a good habit to add today'.

I fed the cat. Still the thought.

I fed the dog (I prefer the dog, obviously, it's a dog, but the cat's miaows are bloody annoying hence it gets fed first. And then shoved outside). Still the thought.

I fed myself. Still the thought.

Maybe it will come to me on the dog walk, or, if not, when I go for a jog this evening.

And then it hit me.

Hang on a bloody minute, why don't I jog with the dog, an obvious solution and yet something I have done pretty rarely of late. When running, I value my Srava splits and other nonsense, when dog walking, I stroll and let her sniff.

But, here was a chance to make a positive change, to build a habit of getting more out of a daily routine. It's still time with the dog, but I get a bit fitter, she still gets to wander as she's quicker than me anyway so can afford a detour, and I get time back in the day - which, entirely coincidentally, seems to have coincided with a lengthier newsletter.

Running with Sunny won't be a daily occurrence, not least because it would be unhealthy for her, but I will consider it from now on and make it the default where possible.

Except Saturdays that is. Saturday is dog walk and bacon roll with flat white at the riverside cafe. That's a habit I have been working on for two years and it ain't changing.

My Cup Runneth Over - With Bloody Awful Hot Chocolate

The habit that's been cut? Nightly hot chocolates.

OK, I wasn't having one a night, I'm not 12, but I did have a fair few. The boys would get one as a treat - if something happens three times a week can be considered a treat - I'd have one too.

Except last night, it tasted awful, like a mug full of - well, probably exactly what it is, emulsifiers, additives and preservatives. I managed one sip before chucking the lot.

Positive changes make other healthy changes inevitable. It turns out that if you cut down on the crap in your diet, when you then do eat some crap your body, your tasetbuds even, recognise it as such. Quitting cheap hot chocolate doesn't take effort at this stage, it would take effort to down the stuff.

I'm hoping this becomes ever more the case, the first steps atre the hardest, but as you get healthier, introduce better habits and embrace positivity it becomes ever more self fulfilling.

I think our bodies and minds want to be healthy, if we give them the chance.

Any habit insights?

I have ideas, this would be a bloody disaster of a project in adding good habits if I had run out of gas on day 3 (and one of those days was just an intro), but I'd love to hear other ideas too.

What's a little tip that has helped with fitness, or positivity, or been of benefit some other way?

Also, let me know if you want 4 bags if Asda hot chocolate powder.