"Every small step I take today is a building block for a stronger, healthier, and more fulfilled future."
Hello all.
Today was another fulfilling day of following my routine, although I did end up arriving at work half an hour late. Despite that little setback, the morning started on the right note as I got the house ready before heading out. Keeping a structured morning routine has been a great way to start the day with clarity and purpose, even on the days when things don’t go entirely to plan.
Teaching the Logic of a Compass: A Lesson in Programming and Problem-Solving
At work, the primary focus of the day was teaching in our Year Six class, where we worked on programming a digital compass. Teaching coding to children is always an interesting challenge because it requires breaking down complex concepts into manageable steps. Today’s session was all about using logical conditions like "greater than or equal to" statements, "if" statements, and "if-else" logic.
To get started, I provided the students with a basic compass that already had North and South programmed into it. Their challenge was to figure out how to add the necessary code for East and West. It was fascinating to watch their problem-solving skills in action—some jumped right in, while others needed a little extra support. After about 20 minutes, they had successfully added East and West, which felt like a victory in itself.
But, as with most things in coding, solving one problem only leads to the next challenge. Now, we had to add the remaining intercardinal directions—Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest. This required them to work with angles and divide them appropriately to ensure accuracy. At this point, what started as a computing lesson quickly turned into a maths lesson. Fortunately, the Year Six teacher was on hand to help those who were struggling with the calculations.
An hour later, success! Every student had a functioning, fully programmed compass. Seeing them grasp such a technical concept and apply their logic to make it work was incredibly rewarding.
A Light Day on the Admin Front
Compared to some of my previous workdays, today was lighter on the admin side. Fewer emails meant I had more time to focus on teaching, which was a refreshing change of pace. I still handled some general IT support tasks throughout the day, assisting teachers and students where needed, but the bulk of my energy went into the classroom.
Diving Deeper into Wim Hof Breathing
Back home, my main focus was investigating the Wim Hof breathing technique. Over the past few days, I’ve been thinking a lot about whether deep breathing could help me manage my restless legs, swollen knees, and eczema. It’s fascinating how powerful the mind-body connection can be, and I wanted to see if this technique could bring any relief.
I started my evening by spending some time with Fearne, practicing her spellings together. Afterward, she surprised me by writing out her own routine on her whiteboard, deciding to tick things off as she completed them. It was heartwarming to see her embracing the idea of structure and discipline—sometimes, kids have a way of reminding us just how valuable our habits truly are.
Once she was asleep, I finally had some quiet time to try out the Wim Hof breathing exercises. I found a YouTube video with 10 rounds of breathing, gradually increasing the breath-hold times from 1 minute up to 2 minutes and 30 seconds. While I followed along, I noticed that the breaths felt too shallow for my liking. I didn’t experience the deep bodily sensations that many practitioners describe, nor did I feel any immediate relief in my restless legs or eczema.
That said, I did feel noticeably relaxed by the end of the session, which led to a good night’s sleep. So while it wasn’t the outcome I was hoping for, it’s still a promising start. I recognize that real change takes time, so I’m committed to continuing this experiment for a few weeks before drawing any conclusions. Tomorrow, I’ll try a different video with deeper breaths and longer breath-holds to see if that makes a difference.
Reflections on the Day
Overall, today felt like a balanced mix of productivity and learning. The success in the Year Six programming lesson was a definite highlight, as was seeing Fearne embrace routine in her own way. My Wim Hof breathing session didn’t yield instant results, but it reminded me of the importance of patience when it comes to self-improvement.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from today, it’s that progress—whether in teaching, personal growth, or health—often comes in small, steady steps. I’ll keep experimenting, keep learning, and keep refining my routine.
Gratitude for Today
I’m grateful for:
✅ The opportunity to teach and see students have "aha!" moments.
✅ A lighter day on the admin side, allowing me to focus more on teaching.
✅ The time spent with Fearne and her eagerness to embrace routine.
✅ A relaxing breathing session, even if it didn’t deliver the exact results I wanted.
#RoutineMatters #TeachingLife #ProgrammingFun #WimHofMethod #DeepBreathing #Mindfulness #SelfImprovement #HealthJourney #Education #PersonalGrowth #DailyReflections
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