So, we are all seeing the TikTok’s and YouTube videos of people trying to become ‘that’ girl and we’ve all thought, “Damn! How do they have the effort and time to do that?” I felt like I needed to get my shit together after watching them and I’ve been making a real effort over the past few months to establish this for myself. It’s not all about eating healthily and exercising loads, it’s about finding self love again, THAT’S the real deal. From starting this journey I have seen a real boost in my mood and productivity levels, so I am going to share with you a few ways in which I have done this.
1) Establish a morning routine you will enjoy
I usually set an alarm for either 1 or 2 hours before I start work at 9am depending on if I am working from home or in the office, as this gives me enough time to get up and have a proper morning routine before I start work. None of this getting up at 5am business as I’d be needing a nap before I’d even started work.
I make sure to set only set 2 alarms with the second being 5 minutes after the first. I ensure to wake up on the first alarm and give myself 5 minutes on my phone before I get up and I then make my bed before starting the day. Making your bed is such small thing but it is proven to make you more productive and sleep better at night.
I then get changed into gym wear and complete 20-30 minutes of exercise, whether it be yoga, a run or weights. Personally, I like to do cardio, abs and legs in the morning and yoga in the evenings, but it is all down to personal preference and remember that any movement is good! At the moment I am following Chloe Ting’s 2022 weight loss challenge. Exercising stimulates the brain, boosts mood and decreases symptoms of both depression, anxiety and stress.
I then shower, take time to properly do my skincare, get dressed and ready for work. I will then usually grab a large glass of water to hydrate and some breakfast to fuel my body for the rest of the day. I like to start the day with a high protein breakfast which is usually egg on crumpets with honey and chilli flakes, a protein yoghurt and fruit or porridge. I post quite a lot of my meals over on my instagram stories so make sure to follow me on there. Eating a high protein diet keeps you fuller for longer and also helps to repair and build muscle.
2) Stay hydrated throughout the day
Drinking anywhere between 2-3 Litres of water a day can have real benefits on your health such as:
Helping with digestion
Maintaining normal blood pressure
Help carry nutrients and oxygen to your cells
I have always been someone who struggles to drink a lot of water, I just forget and don’t really like the taste (yes I know it has no taste but just something about it I’m like ew) BUT I have found that if I fill a water bottle that has a straw in with a drop of juice and water, I will drink more than enough throughout the day without even realising.
3) Get your steps in
Walking has so many benefits for the mind and body which is why the target of walking 10,000 steps each day became such a big thing, especially the period of when we were in lockdown.
Some of the benefits are:
Improved sleep
Decreased anxiety and depression
Clearing up the mind
Helping with weight loss
So, put your headphones in, listen to a podcast or your favourite playlist and get walking. I like to go on a half hour walk each day during my lunch break as when I finish work it is usually cold and dark so at that point all I want to do is curl up in bed and watch Netflix. But let me mention one thing… you shouldn’t put pressure on yourself or knock yourself down if you don’t reach 10,000 steps each day as that is just not attainable for everyone. Feel proud at the fact you even got yourself out of the house!
4) Journal and reflect
Journalling has become rather a big thing and I am here for it. It gives you a moment evoke mindfulness, reflect and understand your priorities, desires and worries. Journalling is all about growth and in writing it all down you can easily track your progress. So set yourself goals both big and small, be at one with your emotions and get writing, you might be surprised with how you can gain confidence and become more aware of your own identity in doing this.
Some wellness journals I recommend:
5) Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep is so important for your mind and body and can have a huge impact on your productivity levels. It is recommended that you have between 8-10hrs of sleep each night and you don’t have to ask me twice to get an early night, trust me when I say I will be asleep by 10 pm most nights because if I don’t I will be a right mard arse the next day. (Sorry Lew!) But that is me, I have always been someone who needs 8+ hours sleep a night to even function.
However, leading busy lives can make it hard to switch off, which consequently can affect our sleep and cause us to have late nights so here are some easy ways you can improve your sleep:
Keep to a schedule, train your body to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day
Avoid drinking drinks that contain caffeine later on in the day
Don’t go on your phone before bed, this is hard I know but will really help your sleep. However, if you can’t completely leave your phone put it on night mode or buy blue light glasses.
Try doing yoga. You might think nope not for me, but honestly I did yoga the other night as I was a bit bored and wanted something to do and it absolutely knocked me out. I was asleep by 9pm (omg I’m an old lady already… HELP!!)
Read a book before bed, reading before bed takes you away from being on your phone and can help you wind down before bed time.
I could keep listing ways in which you can improve your mind and body but you would be sitting reading this blog forever and I don’t want to bore you too much. If you take one thing away from reading this post I want it to be that you should… take time to focus on yourself and what you want to achieve, you shouldn’t spend time worrying about the fact that you’re not where you want to be quite yet. Everything takes time and any progress is progress. Learning to love yourself and your own company through understanding your mind is an invaluable gift to yourself.