Category: habits

A drawing of a shiny gold star against a green background that is decorated with black spirals Go Team 2026: Be kind to yourself about frustration, please.
ADHD · advice · Go Team · goals · habits · motivation · self care

Go Team 2026: Be kind to yourself about frustration, please.

Christine Hennebury1 Comment

Hey Team,

I am solidly in the messy, frustrating middle of so many projects right now – fitness and otherwise.

And it is taking a lot of effort to keep working away at stuff instead of ditching everything and starting over.

The middle of any project is rarely fun but it can be especially dreadful for those of us with ADHD. The novelty has worn off, there’s a lot of trial and error, and everything seems very, very dull.

My brain really wants me to

  • start some new stories instead of working on ones that need revising.
  • try some new exercises instead of sticking with my walking/yoga/mobility routine.
  • buy new containers to store stuff instead of decluttering (decluttering = so many choices to make -ugh!)
  • try some new drawing techniques instead of improving my current skills.
  • invent different workshops and projects instead of finishing and promoting the ones I am already working on. 
  •  (don’t even get me started on my volunteer projects!)

But despite the noise my brain is making about this, I know that starting something new – in any category- will only be temporarily fun.

Pretty soon that new, fun thing will be at the messy middle stage and I’ll be annoyed all over again.

And, even though my brain has doubts, I know that I will REALLY enjoy when I finally finish something, when I can feel a difference in my body or my mind, and when I can see some of the progress I have made.

The only way to get to that real enjoyment is to keep inching everything forward, to add fun and novelty where I can, and to keep reminding myself that it is extra fun to actually finish something – even if that time feels very far away at the moment.

So, Team, even allowing for ADHD-related intensity, I’m pretty sure that ‘Why is the middle so annoying?’ is a pretty common feeling.

In fact, being annoyed with any part of any process seems pretty common.

You might be annoyed with the details required to get started or the details required to finish up.

You might find the middle incredibly tedious.

The unknowns at the beginning might get on your nerves.

Figuring out the last few steps might be frustrating.

All of it makes sense and it is all perfectly ok.

Sure, your frustration might lead you to use a slightly different approach or it could mean you need a little break or need a little more support.

But none of those feelings of frustration automatically suggest that this project isn’t for you.*

And when they arise, you can remind yourself that they are part of your process and then find a way to forge ahead – perhaps slowly, perhaps after a break, perhaps with a little more fun added to the mix.

I’m not saying that it is easy to do that, just that it is possible. 

And your effort will be worth it. 

In fact, speaking of effort, here’s our gold star for our efforts today – no matter which part of the process we are in right now. 

Go Team Us!

PS – Be kind to yourself out there, pretty please.  

*Meanwhile, if every part of the project is frustrating every single time, then it may be time to consider whether the project is a good fit overall.

Nat’s new motto “little and often.”
fitness · habits · Sat with Nat

Nat’s new motto “little and often.”

natalieh (she/her)2 Comments

As word of my retirement got out, I started receiving invitations to do cool things on weekdays.

One of those invitations was from my friend Heather to hang out in her garden. Oh. Maybe that was “work” but I just love her vibe and I’m happy to help anyone in the garden.

I tried to remember how we met. It was probably Food Not Lawns or The Carolinian Food Forest. It was definitely around growing plants!

In addition to gardening, we share a love of crafting, especially sewing.

I was so glad I got to see Heather this week. She procured scones and we enjoyed tea as we shared our hopes for our gardens.

Heather has beautiful gardens on all sides of her house. Some plants are for pollinators, some are for eating and still others are for pure joy.

Heather shared her motto for her garden this year: little and often. I love it and have decided I too will do a little amount of things often.

On Tuesday I was getting more work done on my tattoo. Kaley shared she had been doing some chopping of roots with her wife.

“I don’t know why gardening is framed as a gentle activity. I’m always moving wheelbarrows of stuff, lifting, digging, it’s hard work!”

Kayley is very wise. I often get caught up in puttering in the garden and forget how hard I’m working. A bit of weeding and light pruning can drift to chopping down a tree and hacking away at roots. Two days later wondering why my hamstrings are sore.

“Little and often” works not only my gardening efforts but also my crafting and writing. My goal is sustainable efforts that avoid burnout or injury.

Two hours in the garden caused me some lower back pain and some tender muscles. It’s humbling that what used to be a reasonable effort is now a bit too much, at least early in the season.

So I’m changing my expectations. I’m going for 30 minutes at a time for gardening, an hour at writing, crafting and housekeeping. Small, continuous progress always yields satisfying results.

I am so glad Heather shared her motto with me.

A pretty garden with a bicycle decoration. The best things in life!
aging · habits

Nonnamaxxing

Diane HarperLeave a comment

I’m not big on following trends, especially those using terms like “maxxing” but this one made me laugh because I may be a trendsetter.

What is nonnamaxxing? Apparently, it’s a viral TikTok thing that encourages people to adopt the habits of an Italian grandmother, or “nonna.” Things like cooking from scratch, daily walking, gardening, long family meals, real-world social interaction and reduced screen time.

I don’t do all of these things (especially screen time), but I do love to cook from scratch, garden, go for walks or bike rides, and chat with friends.

As the Miami Herald says, movement, real food, social connection and mindset are the pillars of a nonna lifestyle.

An older woman in white shirt and pants enjoys a walk along the beach
a small drawing of the number 5 5 Questions for World Creativity & Innovation Day
fitness · goals · habits · self care

5 Questions for World Creativity & Innovation Day

Christine Hennebury1 Comment

Today, as you may have guessed, is World Creativity & Innovation Day and I have a kind of thinky post underway for later today but for starters, I have a few questions for you.

My answers will be in my later post along with ideas and resources about the intersection between fitness and creativity.

1) What kind of creative practices do you use in your day to day life? (Creative problem solving counts!)

2) Have you used creative scheduling approaches to make it easier to fit fitness activities, movement, or wellness activities in your life?

3) Do you stick to the same fitness routine or do you get creative with your movements, exercises, and activities?

4) Have you ever used exercise to boost your creativity?

5) Have you ever found a creative solution to a fitness-related problem? (like figuring out a way to accomplish a difficult exercise or finding a way to a piece of equipment in a useful but unexpected way)

No pressure, of course, but it would be cool if you could put your answers to at least one of these questions in the comments.

I’ll see you later with my thinky post.

PS – Did you notice that I creatively repurposed one of my December number images for today’s image? 😉



a small painting of a happy gold star Go Team 2026: Pare It Down
ADHD · Go Team · habits · motivation · rest · self care

Go Team 2026: Pare It Down

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Hey Team,

I don’t know about how things are going for you but my brain has been rather uncooperative for the past few weeks.

It differs from day-to-day – sometimes I can do what I planned, sometimes it feels like my ADHD meds aren’t working at all, and sometimes I feel like I get up in the morning, get spun around for a few hours, and then I’m dumped into 9:30 at night without any sense of what kept me feeling busy all day.

Needless to say, this has not been a fun experience at all.

And I think I could just wait out the tiredness, the frustration, and the brain fog if my capacity wasn’t all over the place. The fact that I can do some things with ease (and speed) and other things (that are normally straightforward) feel so difficult and convoluted that I either can’t get started or I end up moving so slowly that I get on my own nerves.

The worst thing is that I know the things I need to do to feel better, I am just having such a hard time making myself do them.

Now this is the part where some people would be saying “You just gotta push yourself. Try harder! This is just resistance.”

I’m voting no on that.

Sure, maybe there is some resistance in the mix of my challenges right now but pushing myself or telling myself to “just” try harder* is not going to be the solution.

Instead, when things are tough like this, what I always need to do is to figure out a way to keep putting one foot in front of the other, to do what I can when I can, and to rest when I need to – all while being very kind to myself about the process.

I don’t need to push myself or to try harder, I need to pare things down as much as I can.

And if you are struggling in any way right now, I invite you to do the same.

If you aren’t up to a full yoga practice, spend a few minutes in Savasana on your mat.

If you can’t write in your journal, do a little voice dictation into your phone or do some drawing in your notebook.

If you can’t tackle that big project, is there a smaller section that feels doable right now? Is there someone who can help you with it? Can you do anything to adjust your own or other people’s expectations around this project at the moment?

If you have been waiting to respond to an email until you have composed the perfect message, can you send a ‘Here’s a quick answer but I’ll get back to you in a few days with the details.’ type of message?

If you are having trouble eating the way you would like to, is there a quicker solution that keeps you fed and isn’t taxing on your brain? (Some ideas )

If you can’t stir yourself to go for a walk outside, can you walk in your living room?

If your strength training routine is beyond you at the moment, can you do some mobility exercises or leg lifts or some calisthenics instead?

You can see where I am going here, right?

When things are challenging but you know you will feel better if you take action, you don’t have to summon the energy to do the big version of something – you can do a smaller version. You can pare things down until that activity feels doable.

You can be kind to today-you and tomorrow-you at the same time by scaling your actions to match your current capacity.

And this applies at all times, not just when you are struggling. It’s ok – it’s ENCOURAGED – to meet yourself where you are rather than being annoyed with yourself for not being somewhere else.

So, Team, however today finds you, I wish you ease and I invite you to consider whether you need to reduce the pressure in any area of your life by paring things down.

And I’m offering you this gold star in celebration of your efforts to take good care of yourself.

Go Team Us!

a small painting of a happy gold star
Isn’t this a cheery star? I’m going to prop her up next to my computer. Image description: A small painting of a happy-faced gold star with lines in the bottom left that kind of make it look like she jumped into the middle of the white card she is drawn on. The card is propped up between the keys on my black computer keyboard.

*Christine shudders in neurodivergence. Never EVER tell someone with ADHD that they aren’t trying hard enough – you can’t see the effort they have to put in to focus their attention, corral their working memory, and try to get their executive functions to, you know, function. It’s exhausting and takes A LOT of effort – and that’s BEFORE they actually start the task.

Go Team 2026: Be Even Kinder To Yourself
advice · fitness · Go Team · habits · motivation · self care

Go Team 2026: Be Even Kinder To Yourself

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Hey Team,

I didn’t realize it had been so long since I wrote a Go Team post.

Sure, it has only been since January but I always find February to be such a slog that it feels like it has been aaaaaaages since I offered up some encouragement for us all.

So, Team, today I am inviting you to find ways to be even kinder to yourself.

Maybe that means giving yourself a break.

Maybe it means taking an extra rest day.

Maybe it means giving yourself a pep talk – or seeking someone else to give you one.

Maybe it means giving yourself as much time as possible to work out.

Maybe it means speeding things up a little today.

Perhaps it means using the punching bag instead of going to Zumba… or vice versa.

Perhaps it looks like more time meditating or journaling or listening to calming music.

Perhaps it looks like exercising on your own or maybe it looks like finding company.

Maybe it looks like packing your gym bag in the evening or rolling out your yoga mat before you go to bed.

Perhaps it means going to bed early or staying in bed a little longer in the morning and maybe it looks like the opposite of that.

Look, I know that there are a lot of terrible things going on in the world and that you are probably also facing a lot of challenges in your own life. In the face of all of that, it can seem pretty insignificant to bother trying to be kinder to yourself.

After all, what difference does it make if you journal or go to Zumba or take a bit of extra time with your tea?

It makes a BIG difference.

Sure, it’s not going to address all of the challenges you are facing and it’s not going to fix all of the problems in the world but it sure as hell is going to make it a little easier for you to do what you can to face those challenges and to help out in the world.

(And you can be damn sure that being less kind to yourself won’t make anything better.)

Choosing to be kind to yourself, to give your body and brain the things that you need, will not only be helpful to you in the moment but it will also leave you with more energy and more capacity to engage with others, to seek solutions, to be who you want to be in the world.

And sure, my examples above are all related to fitness and well-being but that’s because this is a fitness blog.

I hope you will apply the same ideas in every facet of your life.

Self-kindness is not self-indulgence, it is self-support.

It is not wasteful. It is not harmful. It is not pointless.

You matter.

Your efforts matter.

Being kind to yourself matters.

Please give it a whirl at your next possible opportunity.

And, as always, here is your gold star for your efforts.

Wishing you ease, my friends.

Be kind to yourselves out there. Pretty please.

A drawing of a gold star
A star I made during a ‘Relaxing Creativity’ workshop I was leading on Monday night. Image description: a gold star drawn in shiny gold ‘art crayon’ against a pink background that is decorated with black lines that follow the same curves as the edges of the star. The drawing and the star are trimmed in black.

Bonus:

This video cheers me up every time I encounter it on Instagram. I thought it might do the same for you.

An Instagram post from addytok2022 with a closeup view of a little girl’s face. She has blonde hair in a topknot, and she is wearing pink glasses, and she is looking intently at the nail polish bottle she is trying to open. Her nails are painted bright pink and she is wearing a black sweatshirt with the Grinch on it.
To do lists
advice · challenge · fitness · goals · habits · planning

To do lists

elan.paulsonLeave a comment

If, like me, you’re a habitual maker of lists, you know how enjoyable it can be to make one. I want to tell you about the two kinds of lists I tend to make.

The first type is a detailed, four-quadrant list that is legibly handwritten in a spiral notebook. It’s a strategy I learned from leadership training years ago: draw two lines bifurcating the left and right, top and bottom of the page. Top left: IMMEDIATE to-dos. Top right: TODAY to-dos. Bottom left: TOMORROW to-dos. Bottom right: LATER THIS WEEK. Now there’s four lists! 🤩

This 4-list system has helped me triage competing demands and deadlines in a busy life schedule. As the top half got completed by the end of the day, I’d feel that little list-hit of dopamine. More satisfaction would come when tomorrow’s items were ALL scratched off and became today’s.

My second style of list is a scrawl of half-expressed ideas onto the back of a mail envelope, program flyer, or receipt. These lists get folded and stuffed into my pockets or become bookmarks, only to be discovered later, partly deciphered partly forgotten.

Over the past few months I have not had the discipline of a tidy schedule. My flâneuse-style wandering has reflected in my list-making. I tried to make a type 1 list, but items didn’t easily sort when my “today” and “tomorrow” have been so fluid. Instead, the type 2 lists catch my daily thoughts before they dissolve, little messy scraps that reveal how I am figuring out what shape my life takes next.

A handwritten list on the back of a Saje sales receipt: CAAT, 4-piece snaps, unemployment (CHECK!), City of London, MOI.
List Type 2: A handwritten list on the back of a Saje sales receipt: CAAT, 4-piece snaps, unemployment (CHECK!), City of London, MOI. What does it all mean? I hardly know myself.

Adam Grant has a WorkLife episode on procrastination where he suggests writing a to don’t list to make visible what’s might be delaying one’s progress and help get yourself out of your own way. That’s not a bad idea, especially when big life transitions mean the work of processing hard feelings, managing stress, and trying to find small wins.

So I’m giving a type 3 list a try. Moving into my next life phase, which doesn’t yet have neat time-bound quadrants, I write neatly down the centre of the page:

  • Don’t be hard on yourself.
  • Don’t fail to appreciate what you have.
  • Don’t seek certainty at the expense of your joy.
  • Don’t not trust yourself. (Double negative, but you get it.)

This third type of list has turned out to be important, not because it tells me what I need to do but because it reminds me who I want to be.

A black and white tarot card – the three of cups – depicting three women in long dresses holding wine glasses in the air Adding a little woo to my fitness journaling
ADHD · fitness · habits · self care

Adding a little woo to my fitness journaling

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Hmm, if I were to pull a Tarot card before I started exercising would that mean I was doing a woo-kout?

Yes, I do find myself funny. Your mileage may vary.

As a writer, a storyteller, and someone who is intrigued by mysteries, magic, and ghost stories, I love Tarot cards, Oracle cards, story dice, and all of that kind of stuff.

Six rectangular tiles on a green cloth. Each tile has an image on it that will be used to interpret answers to a question.
A few tiles from a set of oracle tiles I created for myself out of wooden tiles, drawings, stickers, and collage items. Image description: six small rectangular tiles on a wrinkled green cloth. One tile has three candles and a striped background, one has a gold star against a background of black lines, one has a window or maybe a French door against a green background and there are flowers in a vase in front of the door/window, another has the word wonder cut from a magazine against a black background with gold polkadots, another shows a green puzzle piece against a background of gold and black alternating lines, and the final one shows a sticker of a snail moving up a green hill that I drew on the tile.

And I use those tools regularly for writing, storytelling, journaling, and reflecting.

I’m not particularly mystical about using them. I know that some people are very engaged with the rituals around Tarot but I generally think of myself as in conversation with my subconscious rather than with an unknown force. (The woo in my title is more about playing with perceptions than about my approach to engaging with these tools.*)

I like the way that Tarot or Oracle cards give me a container for examining my thoughts, feelings, and reactions to a situation.

And given the speed at which my ADHD brain seeks context, generates ideas, and weaves a web of connecting thoughts, it can be a relief to have a structure I can borrow to organize my thinking.

So, when I found myself planning to journal on the question, “What could make it easier for me to exercise?, it made sense for me to turn to my Tarot cards for some guidance.

 I drew the Three of Cups.

A tarot card for the three of cups
This particular three of cups card is from the Phantomwise Tarot by Erin Morgenstern and the images are related to her book The Night Circus. Image description: A tarot card is propped up between the keys of my black computer keyboard. The card depicts three feminine presenting figures in long dresses and black opera gloves lifting glasses high in the air towards each other in a ‘Cheers’ sort of gesture. The occurred itself is black, and all of the images are in black white and grey.

The interpretation of this card seems pretty straightforward (although there are ways to dive deeply into the meanings of any card, of course.)

This card is about friendship, joy, support, and connection and it resonated with me in terms of my exercise practice.

I know that all of those things can be helpful for any ongoing practice but I hadn’t really thought about whether I needed to include them in my fitness plans.

But ensuring that friendship, joy, support, and connection are part of the plan seems like a pretty good place to start making my exercise easier to do.

So I changed the nature of the questions I was asking myself.

Instead of just ‘What could make it easier to exercise?’ I asked myself:

How can I make the exercise process more fun?

How can I make exercise a more social activity?

What kind of support do I need to make it easier for me to exercise?

Now, I know that all of these questions have come up for me before.

They’ll probably come up again.

But since the initial question occurred to me now and those other questions arose as a result, they’re worth exploring.

I don’t think I would’ve thought along these lines without drawing that card.

I probably wouldn’t have considered whether I needed a social element or more moral support right now.

But since the themes of that card resonated with me, I’m going to explore how they might be helpful to me.

A different card may or may not have resonated but, at the very least, it would have guided me to different questions to consider.

And journalling without pulling a card would have probably been helpful but my thoughts may not have been focused and they likely have sent me off in a whole different direction.

So, just as I had hoped, pulling a Tarot card gave me a container for my thoughts, a way to direct my inquiries that felt purposeful.

And even if the card hadn’t resonated, I would have been able to journal about why that definitely wasn’t what I needed – a helpful piece of information in itself.

Anyway, I’ll let you know about any useful answers that arise from my journalling in response to these questions.

And now I have a few questions for you:

Do you ever use Tarot as a way to guide or contain your thinking on a given topic?

Have you ever found Tarot useful for your fitness practices?

Would you like me to pull a card to help guide your thinking about a fitness question?

If so, please let me know in the comments!

*If you have a more mystical or esoteric approach to using divination tools, please don’t think I am dismissing you here. I am aiming for a clear description of my approach not a dismissal of yours.

Fit is a Feminist bloggers: our favourite non-alcoholic drinks
fun · habits

Fit is a Feminist bloggers: our favourite non-alcoholic drinks

natalieh (she/her)Leave a comment

I love a good group post. Last month I did a three part series called “Thirsty Thursday”. It got a lot of traction, especially from friends and colleagues, people want to talk about other options than drinking alcohol while out on the town or celebrating at home. Here’s our favourites.

Catherine

Honestly, right now I’m treating myself to the occasional fresh-squeezed orange or grapefruit juice. Several evenings this week I poured myself a small glass half-full of OJ, and drank it with great pleasure. The tart citrus, the texture of pulp, even the bright orangey-yellow color are sensory delights during the dark cold winter. It’s intense, so it’s perfect for sipping. I am squeezing grapefruits myself for the next round of after-dinner citrus concoctions. Yes, you add grenadine for color/flavor-sweetness, and/or seltzer or tonic for fizz, but at the moment I’m into the pure power of citrus.

Sam

I’m a big fan of Geez Louise. The company is Canadian and women-owned. The drink is
prebiotic sparkling water with 5g of plant-based fiber, zero sugar, and no sweeteners. I like Melon Mint best,
Lemon Lavender second best, and
Grapefruit Basil third.

There’s a lot I can’t drink now, coffee after noon, very carbonated beverages any time. Luckily I’m happy with plain water most of the time. Also, mint tea. But the Jeez Louises taste good and don’t upset my stomach so they’re a win.

A picture of four cans of Geez Louise Melon Mint.

Elan

I haven’t tried this yet but the Juicer at Pearl Morrisette, One of only a few two Michelin star restaurants in Ontario, creates a tisane with herbs infused in water, then mixes with a fresh pressed juice. The result is depth and complexity without too much sweetness. Try infusions with basil, nettle, sea buckthorn, oregano, or lavender!

Martha

The Carbon Bar has a great mocktail menu. My favourite mocktail is any variation of a Moscow mule. I love the zip the non alcoholic ginger beer gives to fruit syrups!

It’s in Toronto. It’s also quiet, conducive to conversation and the meal we had there a few years ago was lovely.

Diane

I love my sparkling water with a splash of flavouring. I use a SodaStream because it creates less waste, and preferred flavours are lemon or some sort of shrub (an old syrup recipe that I make using fruit, vinegar and sugar). You can find the recipe here:https://siglindesarts.wordpress.com/2024/01/01/rhubarb-shrub/

A funnel shaped crystal glass containing a drink the colour of ginger Allie on a white lace tablecloth.

Tracy

Day to day I like flavoured sparkling water. But my favourite two mocktails are both at Planta: the cucumber mule and the cosmic colada. So good.

Nicole

I have had some good shrubs and similar in restaurants, but really, I’m happy with good coffee – or – a Diet Coke!

Cate

I like RISE hibiscus kombucha for a sparkling middle of the day treat.

Nat

There are so many great mocktails. My favourites are Edna’s mojito. It’s crisp and served over a glass full of ice so the tall can goes far.

Clever G&T is available at grocery stores in Ontario and is a modest price point.

Chill Street Gin Fizz from Nova Scotia is tangy and blueberry flavored.

As a side note, I loved reading everyone’s go to drinks. I remember the first fresh squeezed orange juice I ever had. It was in Florida and it tasted like sunshine.

Often I’m looking for complexity or intensity of flavour, a different kind of stimulation than water, tea or coffee.

I hope you found inspiration to try something new!

a photo of a collaged heart with text reading February to the bottom right Christine’s Two Experiments For February
ADHD · goals · habits · health · self care

Christine’s Two Experiments For February

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

After last week’s post about January’s experiments, my plan was to just explore the questions I was asking myself and then carry on with the same activities throughout February.

But then, on Sunday morning, I woke up with the idea that I wanted to add two things to my plans for February.*

a small drawing of the number 2
Sure, this 2 is a little wonky but it’s grand that way. Same could be said for many of us, hey? 😉 image description: the number two drawn in red with gold trim against a background of red dots. The card the drawing is on is also trimmed in gold and it is resting on my black computer keyboard. I borrowed this drawing from my Dec 2 post.

My first instinct was to talk myself out of it – I’m already working on several things and I don’t want to overload myself – but then I realized that these two small things fit in quite nicely with the ways I am trying to establish practices and processes overall for myself in 2026.

So, that’s why I am going ahead with adding at least a 1 minute wall-sit and adding 1 more serving of veggies to my lunch this month.

These practices both feel like a good way to work on trying something imperfectly (which was the topic of one of my questions in last week’s post!) and they will be beneficial to me even if I don’t get to them every single day.

Both of these things can be helpful for my blood pressure (I’m on BP meds already and just keeping an eye on my numbers.)

I really want to eat more veggies anyway so the structure of ‘1 more at lunch’ is a straightforward way to start.

The wall-sits will take very little time, they feel doable and they are good for my glutes and my knees – both of which need some attention.

So, even though these things are ‘extra’ they will help me with my big picture goals., they have lots of potential benefits with minimal effort, and if they don’t work out?

No big deal!

These are experiments – if they don’t work, I can try something else.

But if they do work I will have practiced more practices, strengthened my legs, eaten more veggies, had more satisfying lunches, taken good care of myself, and maybe even done something good for my blood pressure.

Let’s see how it goes!

*Convenient, hey? 2 things for the second month? Sometimes my brain is so TIDY!)