Hmmm. Not sure these are paleo…. But I’ve admitted my laziness to myself and now indulge it at every opportunity. The woman who wrote Bad Therapy (amazing) had a throwaway line about a lot of humanity being lazy and it being a defining trait of humans. Accepting and laughing at myself for being lazy and then giving myself a mental cuddle anyway - huge improvement in contentment.
I also try to speak to my child-self as much as I can remember. I suppose it’s “being kind to yourself” - but it does work. Far more pleasant to hear yourself saying “oh darling thats a shame but don’t worry sweetheart” than “ffs you stupid bitch” when you eg drop a full pint bottle of milk on floor at 6AM.
Yes! I’ve been eating primarily paleo-primal for more than a decade, and it has been life changing for my health and my relationship to food and my body. AND, as you and this book make clear, it’s not just about diet. For me, limiting screens (haven’t watched tv since 2019), not scrolling (off all social media except Notes), time in nature, and getting good sleep are essential to well being.
Yes I’ve read that too and it was true for me. I rarely eat processed food, get lots of ideas from instagram on quick healthy meals and move around every day, walking or prancing around in the kitchen to music. I also took up weights and I find that very satisfying. Being strong is just joyful. I feel like I have a lot more life to look forward to and enjoy
Took early retirement and my feelings of smugness and pure joy can't be measured. I took jobs to survive and pay bills. Would have loved to work in the arts, set design or makeup. But needs must and I could not afford to train for these seemingly unattainable careers. Worked for years and years in offices which I hated. But now ..... I feel free, revitalised and so so content. I walk for hours in the forest, taken up painting, meet friends IN THE WEEK, and ran 5k today. I'm looking after my gut health and seriously looking at the ultra processed food I grab when I want a snack. Drinking wine is something I won't compromise on! We went for a cheesy walk holding hands last week and it was wonderful. So as far as I'm concerned I'm living my best life (and I don't feel guilty in the least)
A lovely post and will look forward to reading her book. I turned sixty and I’m far more content now than I was in my thirties and forties. Deleting my Facebook account was one of the best things I’ve done and actually not trying to people please (something I’ve done most of my life). I feel free..
It gets easier to be content as you get older. I’m 68 and very content just to be able to live independently and stay active, especially when compared to many people my age. It’s not an accident, it’s the result of decisions I make about food and movement for example. There’s much more jeopardy as you age but if you make good choices the contentment rises exponentially. Hope that makes sense!
I've stopped entering into the Competitive Business of being a modern working mother and have doubled down on not caring if my kids are online too much, or eat chocolate brioches for breakfast, and I say No to loads of things. I also take social media off my phone from Friday night to Monday morning and it's made a huge difference to how content i am.
I LOVE this post! (And I was worried it was going to be focused on eating green leaves…) I think the most ‘paleo’ thing I do is that I expect things to be difficult, inconvenient and/or exhausting at least 50 per cent of the time. I realised that I was causing myself a lot of stress and unhappiness by being surprised and angry about things not going perfectly. I think watching Succession (and all of those mad unhappy rich people) put it into perspective. If Logan Roy’s car didn’t arrive on time, if that man felt a slight breeze on his face, someone was going to get fired. But I can’t drive, and where I live (Margate) there are about three taxis - so if I can get a taxi from the train station it feels like getting at least five numbers on the lottery (I imagine). And I often think about how lucky I feel to have ‘a heart too soon made glad’ and how my emotional and physical cardio health is probably a billion times better than Logan Roy’s, for that reason.
Agree that you have hit the nail on the head with contentment over happiness, Esther.
Interested to read the book. (Just googled Clare Foges as her name was familiar but I couldn’t work out why. She only wrote Kitchen Disco. I loved that picture book!)
Definitely need to read this! I think my number one best Stone Age habit is reminding myself - when I’m knuckles deep in an Outnet search - that no amount of things or stuff will make you happy or content - you have espoused this wisely around clothes, Esther, and it is so very true. The bag, the jeans, the shoes from wherever - once the endorphin rush of ordering and receiving is through, they are just another thing to cart about and life is exactly the same as it was before you had them. Saying that, am looking at the Roxanne Assoulin bracelets I’m currently wearing that were an anniversary gift a few years ago and they bring me intense joy - ha! But I think that’s because they are the best version you can get of colourful bracelets… so maybe having one quality thing instead of lots of versions of the same thing is probably what they did in the Stone Age until it ran out and had to be replaced… you get my drift! X
I thought this was going to be a post urging me to give up pasta and cheese, and may I just say I am SO GLAD it is not that. However, I think I will have to read the book to understand whether I too am living the paleo life!
I also agree about contentment over happiness. Happiness is total bullshit and just makes us feel like we are failing because we aren’t skipping around happy all the time. Not helpful! X
I will definitely read this. Thanks for sharing. Books by Katherine May are also great for stepping away from our insane modern world. Wintering is a really excellent book xx
Hmmm. Not sure these are paleo…. But I’ve admitted my laziness to myself and now indulge it at every opportunity. The woman who wrote Bad Therapy (amazing) had a throwaway line about a lot of humanity being lazy and it being a defining trait of humans. Accepting and laughing at myself for being lazy and then giving myself a mental cuddle anyway - huge improvement in contentment.
I also try to speak to my child-self as much as I can remember. I suppose it’s “being kind to yourself” - but it does work. Far more pleasant to hear yourself saying “oh darling thats a shame but don’t worry sweetheart” than “ffs you stupid bitch” when you eg drop a full pint bottle of milk on floor at 6AM.
Yes! I’ve been eating primarily paleo-primal for more than a decade, and it has been life changing for my health and my relationship to food and my body. AND, as you and this book make clear, it’s not just about diet. For me, limiting screens (haven’t watched tv since 2019), not scrolling (off all social media except Notes), time in nature, and getting good sleep are essential to well being.
Palaeolithic man didn’t have a very long life
Yes I’ve read that too and it was true for me. I rarely eat processed food, get lots of ideas from instagram on quick healthy meals and move around every day, walking or prancing around in the kitchen to music. I also took up weights and I find that very satisfying. Being strong is just joyful. I feel like I have a lot more life to look forward to and enjoy
Great reccomendation!
Took early retirement and my feelings of smugness and pure joy can't be measured. I took jobs to survive and pay bills. Would have loved to work in the arts, set design or makeup. But needs must and I could not afford to train for these seemingly unattainable careers. Worked for years and years in offices which I hated. But now ..... I feel free, revitalised and so so content. I walk for hours in the forest, taken up painting, meet friends IN THE WEEK, and ran 5k today. I'm looking after my gut health and seriously looking at the ultra processed food I grab when I want a snack. Drinking wine is something I won't compromise on! We went for a cheesy walk holding hands last week and it was wonderful. So as far as I'm concerned I'm living my best life (and I don't feel guilty in the least)
A lovely post and will look forward to reading her book. I turned sixty and I’m far more content now than I was in my thirties and forties. Deleting my Facebook account was one of the best things I’ve done and actually not trying to people please (something I’ve done most of my life). I feel free..
It gets easier to be content as you get older. I’m 68 and very content just to be able to live independently and stay active, especially when compared to many people my age. It’s not an accident, it’s the result of decisions I make about food and movement for example. There’s much more jeopardy as you age but if you make good choices the contentment rises exponentially. Hope that makes sense!
I've stopped entering into the Competitive Business of being a modern working mother and have doubled down on not caring if my kids are online too much, or eat chocolate brioches for breakfast, and I say No to loads of things. I also take social media off my phone from Friday night to Monday morning and it's made a huge difference to how content i am.
I LOVE this post! (And I was worried it was going to be focused on eating green leaves…) I think the most ‘paleo’ thing I do is that I expect things to be difficult, inconvenient and/or exhausting at least 50 per cent of the time. I realised that I was causing myself a lot of stress and unhappiness by being surprised and angry about things not going perfectly. I think watching Succession (and all of those mad unhappy rich people) put it into perspective. If Logan Roy’s car didn’t arrive on time, if that man felt a slight breeze on his face, someone was going to get fired. But I can’t drive, and where I live (Margate) there are about three taxis - so if I can get a taxi from the train station it feels like getting at least five numbers on the lottery (I imagine). And I often think about how lucky I feel to have ‘a heart too soon made glad’ and how my emotional and physical cardio health is probably a billion times better than Logan Roy’s, for that reason.
Agree that you have hit the nail on the head with contentment over happiness, Esther.
Interested to read the book. (Just googled Clare Foges as her name was familiar but I couldn’t work out why. She only wrote Kitchen Disco. I loved that picture book!)
Definitely need to read this! I think my number one best Stone Age habit is reminding myself - when I’m knuckles deep in an Outnet search - that no amount of things or stuff will make you happy or content - you have espoused this wisely around clothes, Esther, and it is so very true. The bag, the jeans, the shoes from wherever - once the endorphin rush of ordering and receiving is through, they are just another thing to cart about and life is exactly the same as it was before you had them. Saying that, am looking at the Roxanne Assoulin bracelets I’m currently wearing that were an anniversary gift a few years ago and they bring me intense joy - ha! But I think that’s because they are the best version you can get of colourful bracelets… so maybe having one quality thing instead of lots of versions of the same thing is probably what they did in the Stone Age until it ran out and had to be replaced… you get my drift! X
I thought this was going to be a post urging me to give up pasta and cheese, and may I just say I am SO GLAD it is not that. However, I think I will have to read the book to understand whether I too am living the paleo life!
I also agree about contentment over happiness. Happiness is total bullshit and just makes us feel like we are failing because we aren’t skipping around happy all the time. Not helpful! X
I will definitely read this. Thanks for sharing. Books by Katherine May are also great for stepping away from our insane modern world. Wintering is a really excellent book xx
Content rather than happy. All. Day. Long. You’ve nailed it there Esther.