Sperrins guide Mairead McCallion: My goals are to get out there and get those quality mountain days logged – and if you want to get fit, get a dog

My morning routine consists of having breakfast, taking the dog for a walk and then having a shower before setting off on a 30-second commute to my upstairs office. I work as an administrator for outdoors experts, Far and Wild, who are working alongside the Sperrins Partnership to provide the programme for Sperrins Walking.

I like porridge for breakfast.

Maybe scrambled eggs (not made by me, as I overcook them every single time without fail) or else a big bowl of soup.

I try to stick to a mostly vegetarian diet, so dinners include spicy vegetable curries, pasta dishes or veggie tacos – anything with lots of chillies and lots of garlic are go-to meals for me.

I think it's definitely important to ensure your body and mind have everything they need to thrive and handle whatever life throws at them, so I try to get all my nutrients through my diet – I don't take any supplements.

Over the years I've invested some time into learning more about the food we eat and the impact it has on our bodies and the most important thing I've learned is just about balance – eat as healthily as you can, but have that slice of cake if you really want it: 80/20...

Homemade, wood-fired Margherita pizza, made in my Ooni pizza oven and served with lashings of super-spicy homemade chilli oil.

I spend as much time outdoors as I possibly can, whether it is walking the dog, swimming in the sea or exploring all the hills and mountains that Ireland has to offer. All of this goes such a long way to keeping me feeling physically and mentally fit.

Get a dog. It's a guaranteed walk or two each day – not to mention the hours chasing it around the house trying to get things out of its mouth that it shouldn't be chewing. Also, of course, hill walking – I'm looking forward to assisting with the walks at this year's Sperrins Walking. There are both moderate and challenging walks programmed and the walks are themed with talks and activities, such as foraging and exploring native plant species.

I loved PE in school. When everyone else ‘forgot' their PE kit when it was time for the bleep test, I most definitely had mine with me.

A little tipple – give me a good pint of Guinness or a nice small batch gin and tonic.

If we're talking just a few flights of stairs, I'll take the stairs – if it's 15 floors, I'll jump into the lift.

I have recently finished hiking the West Highland Way which took me to a lovely little bookshop in Fort William where I picked up a book called Witch Light by Susan Fletcher – it's a great piece of Scottish historical fiction.

Any sort of documentary, really.

How easily and quickly I can adapt to change. I used to have a really strict routine and didn't think I would ever be able to budge from that, but I've learned that change is okay. As a result, I'm way more relaxed now.

Board gaming – it has become my ideal way to relax.

The way I relax has changed dramatically over the last year – since I discovered the world of board games, which doesn't just mean Monopoly and Scrabble. There's a whole other world out there: cooperative dexterity games, RPGs (role playing games), social deduction and strategy games. There's even an app to log all your plays – I logged my 100th game play just yesterday.

I'm currently in the consolidation period to become a mountain leader – with that in mind, my goals are to get out there and get those quality mountain days logged and pass my assessment.

I don't have a set time for sleep – it happens just when I feel ready and depends on how crazy the day or week has been. Bedtime could be any time from 9pm onwards – who knows?

People not taking time to consider the impact they make on the planet. If everyone made some tiny changes to live more sustainably, we could really improve our future and the future for the generations to come.

Absolutely they have. My priority now is to spend time doing things I love, with people I love. I'm doing the things I want to do and saying ‘No' to things I don't want to do. Happiness is key.

Both the pandemic and things that have happened in my life have made me try to appreciate every day. We don't know how long we have, so I try to remember that and make the most of every day.