My Intentional October

Sweet, I can make a salad.

Chuck some shit in a bowl, change it up every time, call it dinner and carry on with my life. 😂

BUT

Being intentional about making it, putting some music on, actually taking my time, sitting down and fucking eating the bloody thing?

Game changer.

Same salad.
Different energy.

Because apparently, I’ve discovered that when I stop treating everything like another task to smash through and actually be present, even eating a salad feels different.

And there are some bloody good benefits to that:

✨ More mindful eating — actually noticing what I’m eating instead of inhaling it.

✨ Better connection with my body — paying attention to hunger, fullness and what feels good.

✨ Less rushing — giving my nervous system a chance to bloody breathe.

✨ More enjoyment — because food doesn’t have to be another chore to tick off the list.

✨ A little more self-care — because choosing to nourish myself is an act of intention, not punishment.

This is my Intentional October.

Not becoming some perfectly organised wellness woman who meal preps 47 identical containers on a Sunday.

Absolutely fucking not. 😂

Just doing ordinary things with a little more intention.

Making the food.
Playing the music.
Sitting down.
Enjoying it.
Actually being there for my own bloody life.

THE MONTH OF BEING INTENTIONAL

Here's 5 things I've done this week to be more intentional with my life.

And honestly, it's been a week of feeling all the emotions, some rough moments with my mental health, and having to remind myself that just because I'm working on myself doesn't mean life suddenly becomes easy.

But I'm still showing up for me.

1. MOVED MY BODY
Not because I have to, not to tick a box, but because my body deserves movement and my mind sometimes needs it more than anything.

2. MADE TIME FOR CONNECTION
Surrounding myself with good people, having real conversations, sharing laughs, and reminding myself how much genuine connection matters.

3. FOUND MY WAY TO THE BEACH AND NATURE
Getting outside, breathing in the fresh air, listening to the ocean, noticing the little things I'd once rush past. Sometimes I need to get out of my head and back into the world around me.

4. NOURISHED MY BODY
Eating good food, slowing down, and making choices that support me rather than just running on empty.

5. GAVE MYSELF GRACE ON THE HARD DAYS
And this one's a big one. Being intentional doesn't mean forcing myself to be okay when I'm not. It means recognising when I'm struggling, taking a breath, adjusting my expectations, and remembering I don't have to have my shit together every single day.

This week hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. I've had some pretty heavy moments, but I've also had beautiful ones.

And I think that's the point.

Being intentional isn't about creating a perfect life. It's about being more present in the life you actually have.

It's the little choices. The moments you make for yourself. The people you let into your space. The things you do that bring you back to yourself.

October is my reminder to stop just getting through the days and start being more mindful of how I'm actually living them.

Not perfectly. Not every single day.

Just intentionally.

YOUR TURN: What's one thing you've done this week that's been intentional for YOU? It doesn't have to be big. Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest difference.

Being intentional hits differently when you live with chronic illness, because you never know when your body might pull the fucking rug out from under you.

When you live with a body that can change the course of your day without warning, being intentional becomes more than a buzzword. It becomes a way of living. A conscious choice to stop rushing through life, to notice the little things, to listen to your body, and to be present for the moments you actually have.

For me, if my migraine stays below a 5 and my vertigo stays below a 5, I can usually manage. I can function, get out, do things and feel somewhat like myself. But when those numbers start creeping up? Fuck, it gets hard. Really bloody hard.

I had planned to pull out of therapy today, especially after last week's absolute shit show. But I knew I needed to show up for myself.

My stomach is playing up, so coffee was a definite no-go this morning. Instead, I'm sitting here watching the birds, cruise ship in and boats going by, and taking a moment to just be.

And this is what being intentional looks like for me today.

It's choosing to slow down instead of pushing through.
It's listening to my body instead of fighting against it.
It's noticing the birds, the water, the boats passing by, and the beauty of the moment I'm in.
It's making space for myself, even when my body is making life fucking difficult.
It's recognising that I don't have to fill every moment with productivity to make it meaningful.

Being intentional doesn't mean controlling every part of your life. It means choosing to be more conscious of how you live the life you have.

When chronic illness makes tomorrow unpredictable, learning to be present today becomes even more important.

I can't always choose how I feel. I can't control when a migraine hits, when vertigo takes over, or when my body decides it's had enough. But I can be intentional about how I respond, how I care for myself, what I give my energy to, and the little moments I choose to notice.

Today, that looks like sitting quietly, watching nature, letting myself breathe, and reconnecting with myself.

No pressure to do more. No guilt for slowing down. No comparing my day to someone else's.

Just me, meeting myself where I am.

Because maybe intentional living isn't about creating a bigger life, a busier life, or a perfect life.

Maybe it's about creating a deeper one. One where we stop rushing past the moments that make being here worthwhile. ❤️

Your reminder today: Be intentional with your time, your energy, your boundaries, your self-care and the moments you choose to notice.

You don't need to have your shit together to live intentionally. You just need to start paying attention to the life happening right in front of you.

What is one small thing you'll intentionally make time for today?