The Half Cut Blog

Self-Care for People Who Don’t Have Time for Self-Care

August 15, 2025

If the words self-care make you picture yoga and a perfect Sunday routine, this is not that post.

Some of us are juggling work deadlines, kids who are incapable of tidying up after themselves, and elderly parents who need GP appointments booked yesterday. We barely have time to drink a hot cup of tea, never mind “schedule a spa day.” I cannot remember how many cups of tea and coffee have gone cold because I got sidetracked.

Self-care is not a luxury for when life is calm. It is something you can weave into the chaos, so it supports you rather than sitting on a wish list. It is not the Instagram hun version with a 16 hour day and still fresh skin despite being up at 5am to worship the sunrise and having a picture perfect drink with friends in some ultra hip venue at midnight. That is both carefully curated and entirely unsustainable for us mere humans.

1. Redefine Self-Care

So forget the Instagram version. Self-care can be:
• Choosing toast over skipping breakfast entirely
• Drinking a glass of water before your next meeting
• Saying no to the extra thing you really cannot take on right now
• Doing 10 squats because that is the only exercise you can fit in when you are hiding in the stationery room for five minutes peace

It is about supporting your future self, not creating an aesthetic.

2. Think in Micro Moments

A whole afternoon or even a whole hour is unrealistic for me, so take ten or twenty minutes.
• Sit in the car before going inside and breathe for a few minutes
• Walk while on a phone call instead of scrolling
• Swap one doomscroll for a playlist you love
• Pick up a book and read a chapter

Small habits stack up without demanding more time than you have.

3. Pair It With What You Already Do

You are more likely to keep it up if it fits into your existing rhythm.
• Drink water while the kettle boils
• Listen to an audiobook while you fold laundry (I do not do this, which is why my house is not tidy)
• Dance while you cook
• Stretch your shoulders while you wait for the printer
• Apply hand cream after washing up
• Do a quick tidy of one drawer while you are waiting for the pasta to boil

4. Drop the Guilt

Some days will be all peanut butter toast and too many biscuits. That is fine. Guilt is not self-care, but curiosity can be. Ask, What might help me feel better tomorrow Then do one of those things.

Seriously, I am not a journaller, but I have found that writing down what I have eaten and how I am feeling means I recognise when I have reached for chocolate and crisps because I am so tired and have had a lot on. That in itself helps me make a better choice more of the time.

The Point

Self-care for busy people is about making space without having to find space. We are actually just too busy, but little tweaks make it easier. They become habit, and then more tweaks creep in. Do not try and change everything at once. There is no rulebook and no pressure. Just a quiet commitment to noticing when you need something and giving it to yourself in whatever size fits today.
What I Actually Eat in a Day (Give or Take)

August 12, 2025
Let me be honest from the start. This is not a wellness blog. There is no magic meal plan here, and I am certainly not trying to be aspirational. This is just real life. Mine, specifically. Somewhere between good intentions and a bag of Minstrels.

People often ask what I actually eat when I say I am doing intermittent fasting and eating a bit more Mediterranean-ish. Emphasis on the ish. So here it is. Not every day, but two kinds of days that happen often enough to paint a picture.

A Typical Good Day

Morning
I fast clean until around 2 in the afternoon. This is mainly because I like a glass of wine or a G&T (or both) after dinner so I don’t start fasting until about 10pm. The clean fast is just water (still or sparkling but not flavoured), green tea, black coffee and supplements, if I remember them. I am trying to do a little exercise, mostly because it feels like something I can tick off. Nothing fancy.

Lunch (around 2.30)
A salad made of what I have in the fridge or leftover. Spinach, tomato, cucumber, spring onion, and any herbs left lying around. Chicken or pork if we had it the night before. I usually add something creamy like guacamole or feta, something salty like parmesan, something crunchy like croutons made from old rolls, and a nut crumb I make by briefly blitzing the nut mix I have. I hate walnuts so shop bought ones won’t encourage me, we currently have shelled pistachio, peanuts, macadamia and hazelnuts. I often throw in some fruit too. Grapes, strawberries, satsumas, maybe a square of my healthier tiffin. That keeps me going.

Dinner (7.30 or so)
Tuscan-style chicken with courgettes, spinach, tomato and herbs. A side of smashed potatoes with olive oil, maybe a tomato and parsley salad. One or two glasses of wine.

This kind of day feels good. I have moved, hydrated, eaten well, and maybe even remembered to take my supplements.

If you like a score (I have a CustomGPT with my goals, example of my Zoe scores and my Medish aims):
- ZOE: 75
- Mediterranean-ish: 80
- Tania score: 85
I do not eat this well every day. I am not perfect or super human and living life sometimes gets in the way.

A Less Good Day

Morning
This one usually follows a social night with wine, gin and staying up far too late. I wake up tired, maybe forget to drink water, skip the supplements and feel a bit meh. So I eat earlier.

Breakfast (11am-ish)
Tea with milk and toast with peanut butter, I do at least try to have seeded bread here and reassure myself peanut butter scores well on Zoe. Comfort food. No veg in sight.

Lunch
Crisps and a couple of chocolate digestives. This is often because I am tired, distracted or just cannot be bothered, mainly the latter.

Dinner
Chicken and mushroom pie with chips or pizza. Absolutely hits the spot but not a single vegetable involved, except maybe mushy peas or some pepper on a pizza. A couple more glasses of wine or cider to finish.

No exercise. No water. My gut is unimpressed. So is future me.

Scores if we are going there:
- ZOE: somewhere around 30
- Mediterranean-ish: not really
- Tania score: best not to say
It Is a Rhythm, Not a Rulebook

Both days happen. That is the point.

I eat better when I fast. I tend to crave more nourishing food. I do not follow a strict plan. I follow a rhythm. I aim for 16:8 most of the time, and when I do, my tastes shift. I still love chocolate and crisps, but I want other things too. Food that fills me up and makes me feel good after I have eaten it.

When I am in that rhythm:
- I feel better in my body and in my head
- I snack less
- I cook more
- I listen to my hunger and fullness cues properly
- I find it easier to make good choices without making it feel like a punishment
Small Shifts That Help
- Add spinach to everything
- Grind nuts and use them like a savoury topping
- Bulk meals with beans or pulses like cannellini, butter, haricot or chickpeas (I hate chickpeas so I stick to beans I like)
- Keep frozen veg in the freezer
- Cook double when I have the energy and live off the leftovers
- Drop the guilt when the bacon sandwich happens
I do not do perfection. But I do try. And most days, trying is enough.
Mindful, not Magical

August 8, 2025

Mindfulness is one of those words that gets thrown around with candles, calm playlists and expensive retreats. And while I do like a face mask and a long bath as much as the next woman, that is not really what I mean here.

For me, mindfulness is the art of noticing. Noticing when I am reacting instead of responding. When my breathing is shallow, when I get irritable, when I am trying to do everything and hear no one, when I am so caught up in the noise of leading, thinking and fixing that I forget to feel anything at all.

In leadership, especially when you are the one who holds things together, it is easy to operate in forward motion. Problem solving becomes the default. But leadership without pause can affect performance. That is when things start to wobble. You say yes when you should not. You carry more than your fair share. You forget the nuance. You miss the humanity.

Mindfulness does not have to mean meditating cross-legged with incense. It can be five minutes in the car before a meeting with your phone on silent. It can be walking without your headphones, breathing in and out and actually noticing the weather. It can be putting your hand on your chest and asking, truthfully, what you need right now.

I started with just one question: what am I feeling in this moment? Sometimes it is pressure. Sometimes it is a long list. Sometimes it is just tiredness. But the act of noticing brings me back to myself. It lets me lead with a steadier hand.

Mindfulness helps me see the people in the room. To really hear what is not being said. To hold silence without filling it. To lead with intention rather than urgency.

This is not about being perfectly calm or endlessly wise. I still lose my cool, get over-attached to outcomes and forget what I was doing mid-sentence. But when I practise mindfulness, even imperfectly, I show up more fully. I remember that leadership is human. That presence matters. That it is not just about being in charge. It is about being in tune.
Healthier Chocolate Tiffin

August 1, 2025

Let me be clear from the start, this is not a health food. It is not sugar-free, it is not low calorie, and it is not going to land me a book deal. But it is a more nourishing version of something I love, made with ingredients that leave me feeling better than the original.And most importantly, it tastes good.

If it didn’t, what would be the point? This started as an attempt to break up with my late-night biscuit/sweet tooth habit. I still wanted something sweet, still wanted a bit of crunch and a bit of chew, but without quite so much processed sugar and empty filler. So I fiddled, and I found a balance that works for me. This is fridge cake, but not quite. Chocolate tiffin, but grown up a bit. It hits the spot when I want a treat but do not want to derail everything. I asked ChatGPT is it had any suggestions based on what it knows about my eating habits and goals and tweaked until I found something that is healthier (it scores enjoy regularly on Zoe for me) but still tastes good.

The Not-So-Precise Recipe

This is approximate. You do not need to weigh everything unless you really want to. Swap things for what you have in the cupboard. Taste as you go. The spirit of this is: use what you have, and make it work for you.

Ingredients

Mixed nuts – about 80g (almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts, macadamia… whatever is knocking about, I started making my own mix of nuts because you can bet there is one I don’t like in pre-bagged mixes, I can also add extras like dried goji berries or cocoa nibs for that little extra plant diversity and to add taste as I am avoiding salting them)

Wholegrain biscuits – 4 to 6, lightly crushed (I use Oaties but use what you like)

Dates or other dried fruit – 8-10 chopped dates or a handful of other fruit you like

Peanut butter – 2 to 3 tbsp (crunchy is best, but again, your kitchen, your rules)

Dark chocolate – 100g, at least 70%, melted gently

Olive oil – 1 tsp (trust me, you won’t taste it)

Maple syrup – 1 tsp (or honey, if that’s what you have)

Method

1. Prep your tin – a small square container lined with baking paper or clingfilm will do unless you use silicon ones.

2. Chop or crush your dry bits, biscuits and nuts – you want texture, not dust.

3. Melt your chocolate gently over a pan of simmering water, yiu can domit in the microwave but I always getbdistracted and worry it will burn.

4. Stir in the peanut butter, olive oil, and maple syrup into the melted chocolate.

5. Fold in the dry mix – the nuts, biscuits, and fruit. Get it coated. Taste it.

6. Scoop into your tin and press it down. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours until set.

7. Cut into squares and store in a container. It keeps in the fridge but I have no idea how long as its never got beyond 4 days before being finished. Apparently the other half and the child quite enjoy this too…

Why This Works for Me

It still feels like a treat. But I am getting fibre, protein, good fats, and that slow-release energy from nuts and oats that helps me avoid a blood sugar crash later on. It also scratches the itch of I want something now, without the regret of whatever supermarket snack I might have inhaled otherwise. As it is quite rich, one square is satisfying enough usually and I have absolutely no guilt about reaching for a square, it contains lots of things that are good for your gut.

Notes

Try different things according to your taste, the only thing I would not swap is the chocolate (although I might increase the quantity) as its the fact it is dark chocolate that makes this much healthier.

I’ve recently tried popcorn (homemade, great snack that is also not too unhealthy until you pile other stuff onto it but I do make a caramel sauce for it occassionally) and rolled oats. I think I actually prefer this tweak to the original but I might fancy the more biscuits texture next time and it doesn’t tend to crumble quite as much as the popcorn version.

You could add a little salt, or cinnamon, play with it, it’s pretty forgiving.
Embracing the Med-ish Lifestyle: Enjoy Food Without Guilt

July 30, 2025

Real food, real life, and a refusal to feel guilty about bacon butties

Let’s be honest. It is a lot easier to follow something like the Mediterranean diet when you are sat in the sun, local veg in front of you, a bit of grilled fish, maybe a glass of something cold, and nothing urgent on your list.

That is not my life.
My life is toast for tea sometimes.
My life is rain in July and dodgy tomatoes from the supermarket or spring onions that got forgotten in the back of the fridge.
My life is busy and messy and includes people (i.e. the other half until recently) who think a “no meat day” is a personal attack.

But here’s what I have come to realise, you do not have to go all in to feel the benefits. I call it Med-ish. OK, I’m probably not the first but I like it!

I still like a steak and a burger. I cannot stand lettuce, and rice and pasta are not my favorite. I mainly understand what the Mediterranean way of eating is, and I try to take what works. Not because I am chasing thinness (although, yes please I’ll take it as an outcome), but because it feels good.

And yes, it does help with weight loss, slow though it may be. Especially when you combine it with fasting. But for me, it’s about how I feel, less bloated, more nourished, fuller for longer. And, crucially, less likely to go rooting through the cupboards half an hour after I have eaten.

If you want to make it stick, start small. That’s my biggest piece of advice. Do not overhaul everything all at once. That’s how guilt creeps in. You reach for a snack or a pizza and suddenly feel like you have “failed.” And from there, it is easy to throw the whole thing away. I have done that. More than once.

So now I go the other way. I make tweaks. Take a curry. I still eat it fairly regularly but I add spinach (yes, I add it to everything), peppers, onions, and a tin of beans – butter, cannellini, haricot whatever I have and whatever I fancy. Suddenly it is richer, more filling, more veg-heavy, and still delicious.

And if I want a bacon butty on a Saturday, I have one.
Because honestly, what is the point of being healthy if you are not happy?

There is a lot of new science coming through about plant diversity and the microbiome. ZOE have been at the heart of it and I have followed a lot of Tim Spector’s work. Gut health really does seem to be a major player in how we feel, how we digest, and how we live.

Forget “five a day” , I am trying to get more variety in. More colour, more types of veg, more fermented things when I remember or have the inclination to make something. But again, I do not go all in. I tried the ZOE programme for a bit (twice) and honestly, I found the scoring disheartening. Unless I went basically vegetarian, I could not crack 80+ on a regular basis. Vegetarianism does not suit me or my family. So I’ve gone back to -ish.

I follow it-ish.
I fast-ish.
I move-ish (though more exercise is still on the to-do list).

And all of that is still better than doing nothing.

We have a meat-free Monday. I add more veg. I reach for pulses and nuts. I try to swap refined carbs even if I love bread. If I find myself with a G&T and a cheese toastie on a Thursday night after a long week, I am not going to feel bad about it. I am going to bloody enjoy it.

The Med-ish way works for me. It means I feel better most of the time, but I do not live in fear of meals. I am not obsessed. I am not exhausted by it. And it means we can still cook one meal for the household without a side of moral panic.

I am probably perimenopausal. My weight loss is slower than it has ever been but I am still getting there.

I might never be thin. I will be well-fed, satisfied, and happy. And if I fail, I will fail with a glass of wine in one hand and something delicious in the other.

Because life’s too short not to eat good food.
Fasting Isn’t Magic. But It Helps

July 27, 2025

Thoughts on food, rhythm, and listening to your body

Let’s get something clear straight away. Intermittent fasting is not a diet. It’s not a fix, it’s not a miracle, and it won’t make you a better person. But for me, it helps.

I’ve stopped and restarted it more than once. Usually when life gets a bit too much or stress takes over and structure feels like another thing to fail at. That’s the thing about rhythm, it only works when you’ve got enough room in your head to do it.

But when I’m in rhythm, it makes a difference. Not just to how I eat, but to how I feel.

I try to follow a 16:8 pattern most days, fast for sixteen hours, eat within eight. I aim for that six days a week, but I do not make a fuss if it doesn’t happen. Life happens. Sometimes I want breakfast. Sometimes I just need to eat something early because I feel off. And that’s fine.

Fasting is not about punishment. It is not about control. It is about finding a rhythm that gives you space to actually feel hunger again, and just as importantly, to notice when you’ve had enough.

I am still fat. I am, in fact, clinically obese even if I don’t feel it. I’m losing weight slowly and steadily, and I am not miserable. I am not denying myself anything. I eat what I want. I just do it more deliberately, and usually later in the day.

And something interesting happens when I’m in that rhythm. My tastes start to shift. I still reach for a ‘sharing’ bag of Minstrels or a packet of crisps sometimes. Let’s not pretend otherwise. But more often than not, I find myself wanting food that feels a bit more nourishing.

Real food. Cooked food. Things that actually satisfy but that does not mean boring food. I still want it to taste good. Who wants healthy food you do not enjoy? Not me. I’ll be sharing some of my recipes or tweaks soon, though calling them recipes might be generous. Tip number one: add spinach to pretty much everything.

Fasting is not entirely backed by large-scale clinical studies yet, so let’s be honest about that. But there is growing belief that it may reduce inflammation, support metabolic health, and help with focus. And I have to say, I do feel clearer in the mornings when I fast. We have all had that post-lunch slump, the fog, the urge for a nap. Fasting takes the edge off that for me, makes me more productive well into the afternoon.

That said, I’ve also noticed that longer fasts, say 20 hours or more, sometimes mess with my sleep. I tend to feel more wired, and not in a productive way. Though to be fair, my sleep isn’t always a strong point anyway — not when TikTok or a good book keeps me up far later than I should be, especially when I’ve got work in the morning.

This is not the only thing I’m doing, but it’s one of the things that’s helping. I feel more in tune with my body. I find myself actually listening to hunger and fullness cues rather than eating just because it’s time, or just because something’s there.

If you’re curious, Fast. Feast. Repeat. by Gin Stephens is a good place to start — warm, practical, and not pushy. And the team at ZOE have a solid overview of the pros and cons if you’re more science-minded or just like to know what you’re working with.

But let me be very clear. If you’ve ever had disordered eating, or if food control makes you feel powerful, or if you tend to punish yourself with restriction, this is not the answer. It is too easy to slide into starving yourself and call it discipline. That is not what this is about. Please take care of yourself first.

Fasting is not about fixing. It is about giving yourself space to feel again, especially in a world that is constantly shouting about what you should be doing.

It is not for everyone. It will not work for everyone. And even if it does work, it might not work all the time.

But when it does, it feels like clarity. It feels like peace. It feels like one part of life finally asking a little less of you, not more. Lord knows, not worrying about breakfast or mid morning snacks has freed up much needed brain cells for me.

And that, right now, is enough for me.
What Halfcut Means to Me

July 26, 2025

I should start by saying that Halfcut is not just about drinking.

Although there is something beautifully honest about being just a little undone. Not falling apart. Just softened around the edges. Like what happens when you finally stop pretending to be on top of everything.

Halfcut is where I seem to live these days. Between meals. Between knowing and forgetting. Between wanting to get things done and deciding not everything matters as much as it once did.
Between what leadership is supposed to look like and what actually works with the time, energy and headspace I have.

I used to think being polished meant I was doing it right. Now I think polished often just means tired.

It turns out you can live a good life in the halfway zone. Eat well enough. Lead well enough. Love people properly, even if the laundry is still in the machine. You can wear clothes that mostly work and open a fridge full of things that do not belong together and still make something decent. It counts.

That is what this space is for. The almost-good meals. The scrappy days. The moments no one claps for but still matter. The quiet effort it takes to hold things together, even when no one notices. The sudden wave of grief that catches you out on a Tuesday when you are just trying to get a form submitted. The snacks you eat while thinking about it and then feel guilty. The small things that made a hard week feel bearable.

Halfcut is not giving up. It is not falling apart.

It is real life, on real terms.

And if you are here too, you are not alone.