I am currently going through a stage where I am really conscious of how everyday actions affect me. Life with a newborn is a marathon, not a sprint. After three months of night feeds, severe C-section-related back pain and getting into the groove of freelance writing, I am finding that a new mantra has emerged.

A very daggy mantra: Walk, salad, stretch.

I try and do these three simple things every day in order to stay sane. If I manage two out of three, I am happy as a clam. Three out of three? On top of the freaking world.

My number one priority is caring for the Tiny Person.

My number two priority, quite selfishly, is looking after my health because if I get sick, we’re all screwed.

When I go off the reservation, I start falling apart. My mood nose dives, my stomach claps out and my coping mechanisms jam.

So salad: alkalising, has loads of fibre, antioxidants and nutrients.

Walk: gets me out of the house, moving and breathing, especially in crappy weather when it would be so much easier to stay home.

Stretch: helps relieve the stress of a crying baby, short deadlines and a chronic lack of sleep.

It’s working for me.

What works for you? I would love to know!