A three months into 2020 and this year is not what I had imagined it to be. AT ALL and I am sure some of you reading this are already nodding along with me. I love the beginning of new things, I love Mondays and I love new years – it is an opportunity to start fresh, a second chance of doing things differently, I guess you could call it a do-over. Opportunities to do new things, old things differently, form healthier habits and finally do things you have wanted to do for years now.

But here’s the thing, nobody talks about the pressure that comes with this “motivation” for a new opportunity to create healthier habits, or how to self develop and work on the parts of you that need to grow. The assumption that because we have been given this opportunity to spend quality time with ourselves and our family, it is almost mandatory to get on this health train both mentally and physically. I am here to tell you that if you feel no different to what you did before this outbreak occurred, if you still have no energy to wake up early or still struggle to drink water and get 8 hours of sleep – that is okay. It is okay and don’t allow society to make you believe differently.

You don’t have to be or feel ready nor do you have to pretend you are doing these things to make a big change. If you are struggling to find motivation to live up to society’s norm of a new and improved version of you, then that’s okay. You just have to keep going, it will come and when it does, it will feel great. In the meantime, just be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to feel these things and make small changes each day that you know will make you feel better. Even if it is just making your bed or doing that face mask you’ve been meaning to do for the past four weeks. You don’t need to worry about anyone else.

I created this post with the purpose of helping lift some of the weight off your shoulders that you have been carrying around so heavily since the beginning of this pandemic. I want you to know that your self-isolation routine does not have to match your favourite influencers or that you don’t have to always do jump squats in order to keep fit. There are many other ways to be productive, find what works for YOU. Things will soon fall into place, just remember you aren’t alone. We are all in this together, quite literally. Lets lean on one another during these difficult times and encourage improvement from all sides of the spectrums.

Here are 4 small steps on how to get out of a self-quarantine slump;

1.Read a book

There are a lot of negative things in the media at the moment and I want to try and encourage you to not get sucked into the worm-hole of politics, conspiracy theories and COVID-19 updates – yes its real, yes it is important to know what is going on but don’t let it consume you. Reading is one of the most therapeutic ways to switch off from the world a little. Whether it be self-help, self-development, fiction, non-fiction or an autobiography, anything that helps you escape from the realities and go into your own world of creation – read that. 

I recently read “The girl on the Cliff” by Lucinda Riley and it was amazing, it took me a week to finish and now I am reading David Attenborough’s “Adventures of a young naturalist” and I am loving it. It is so cute and witty! If you are looking for a bomb self-development book, I recently purchased Jen Sincero’s book, “You are a badass” and I bloody love it! 10/10 recommend and I haven’t even finished it yet! 

2. Find a hobby

I read something the other day that mentioned how this generation doesn’t know how to have hobbies anymore and I couldn’t agree more. Everything is done so that some sort of benefit can come from it, rather than just doing it for the pure enjoyment of the activity. I deeply encourage you to find something you enjoy doing and try and do it at least once a week. It could be journaling, going for walks in the forest or along the beach or taking up rock climbing.

A good opportunity that has come from self-isolation is that we have been given a lot of time to figure out what we like and what we don’t like, in our OWN time at our own pace. So hopefully by the end of this period you would have found a new love for something!

There is no right or wrong, these points are all about giving you ideas in order to help make you feel happier both mentally and physically during this difficult time. 

3. Eat whole foods

This one may seem a bit strange but feeding yourself artificial sugars, preservatives and constantly having take out will in no way make you feel better. Maybe in the moment it’ll taste good but afterwards you won’t feel nearly as good as what it tasted and chances are you’ll make yourself feel guilty for eating badly again and the whole cycle will repeat itself. 

I am a true believer in prevention is better than cure, so instead of trying to talk yourself out of feeling guilty for having take out the third day in a row, rather be proactive and prepare your meals on a Sunday. That way they are ready for you when you are starving (and once you have prepared your meals, it is easier to get than ordering fast food) and plus, it is also cheaper and healthier which both sound like a win to me! It is also one of the more natural ways of ensuring you are getting all the necessary nutrients and vitamins your body needs to help yourself and your immune system healthy!

4. Make self-attainable goals with no expiry date

Firstly, you don’t have to create goals if you feel like you don’t want to. But, if it is something you do want to pursue during this very confusing and strange time then make sure they are for the right reasons. Set yourself goals that are easily attainable for you and your lifestyle, not anyone else’s. It is also important to remember that you don’t have to share your resolutions with strangers on the internet if you don’t want to. This time round, do things for you. 

I find it a lot easier to stick to my goals when I have a friend who has similar one’s to me, we keep each other in check and accountable when it gets a bit difficult to always follow through. So if you don’t want to share your goals, find a friend you can trust and share it with them. Maybe they are wanting to achieve similar things to you.

Always remember that you don’t have to prove anything to anyone else but yourself. So don’t put so much pressure on yourself regarding the norms society has so quickly created and just go at your own pace. You’re doing a good job!

“Every day you re-invent yourself. You’re always in motion. But you decide every day: Forwards or backwards?”

I am both shocked and appalled by how quickly these last six months have gone! I feel as though January was just the other day and now I am writing my first blog post for December! Holiday Season is just about in full swing for almost everyone (and if it’s not for you, let’s pretend it is cause lets be real, you deserve the break too!) and what a better way to start it then by kicking it off with some healthy habits!? 

I’m a firm believer that you determine how your day is going to be from the minute you wake up, the thoughts in your mind and how you allow yourself to feel about the day ahead. Let’s be honest, we all know of someone that wakes up 10 minutes before they have to leave the house causing them to be rushed, late and a little damn frazzled – I wouldn’t say it’s the best way to start the day and sometimes we just need to be exposed to new ways on how to do something. Here are 3 things I do to start my day off;

Wake up early

Now, I know what you are thinking “I am on holiday, the last thing I feel like doing is waking up early” and thats completely fair. Allow yourself a week to recharge, sleep in, mosey around the house and do things that will give your body the break it deserves and when you feel it is right – you can implement this step into your routine. I have never been the type of person to wake up late, even if I tried! So if you are like me, this step may be a bit easier but if you love your sleep and you aren’t so much a morning person then inevitably it will be a little more difficult. However, once you get into the habit of it – it is a game changer! Waking up early allows you to have time to wake up, breathe and think about what you want to achieve for the day and the things you need to do – if you know that you often rush and don’t have time to have breakfast because you wake up late and just jump out of bed, chuck on some clothes so you can get to your next destination on time – maybe it’s time to re-evaluate and try something new! 

I always find that your morning determines how the rest of your day is going to be. I’ve gotten into the habit of waking up earlier then I need to and I find that it really helps set up a productive day for myself. We all love to sleep, but we also love not feeling rushed. Sometimes compromises have to be made, even if that means waking up 15 minutes earlier then what your alarm is set – it’ll make a world of difference. 

Drink warm lemon water

Whenever my body is feeling a bit run down and in need of a good boost, I often turn to warm lemon water. I usually make it 20 minutes before I eat which will help kick start your metabolism and digestive system. Lemon water also has so many other health benefits such as keeping your immune system strong, ridding the body of toxins and luckily for us, it doesn’t taste half bad either! 

Read and take time for yourself

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is get up, make myself some herbal tea and breakfast and sit down and read my book – I enjoy reading self development books, especially before the day has started. I find that it is a motivational and encouraging way to start the day. You don’t even have to read a book, I know many people don’t enjoy reading but luckily we live in an age where we can easily have access to audio books or even podcasts, you find what works for you and do that. Another thing is that you could go out onto the balcony or garden and have a cup of tea or coffee. Just something to give time to yourself, focus on you and be mindful of the present, away from your phone and chaos of the day ahead.

As you can see, it is the small changes in your routine that will make the biggest difference. Often people thing that you have to make the most drastic changed in order to be productive but in fact, it is quite the opposite actually. Do one small thing each day and it will lead to big results!

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR and hello to a fresh new beginning!!

If you are anything like me you will highly appreciate the fact that the first of Jan fell on a Monday, that pretty much means that there’s no room for error. Everything has to go smoothly and there is absolutely no chance that you can’t fall off the resolutions bandwagon, or so i thought… A few days into the new year and there I was struggling to stick to my list (that’s probably as long as 2017 was, but you know – one at a time) I just felt like, and hopefully I am not the only one that’s has been feeling like this but I have been feeling very uninspired and unmotivated. My brain is so excited to get going and reach my targets/goals but my body seems to be one step behind and struggling to catch up!

So what better time to write up some solutions on how to stick to your new year’s resolutions, right? Now, before we get into it – you must know that I am one of those people that has to practice what they preach and let me tell you, the more and more I practice these little things – I’m starting to feel the flames ignite again!

No.1. Don’t be so hard on yourself, take it at your own pace. 

You’re going to figure things out & everything will fall into place, it doesn’t all have to be done in one day. Now I’m not saying don’t push yourself but also remember we have been given the opportunity to have another 365 days to reach our goals and get to where we want to be, you don’t need to burn yourself out in the first week of Jan. You should be in no competition to rush. Take it as the pace that your body allows you to whether it be physically related or mentally. If you believe that you will make it there, you will. I have no doubt.

No.2. Find an activity you love outside those grey walls. 

This may sound a bit “ugh”but inspiration can often be lost between the concrete walls of your room or office space. Being inside 24/7 whether it be behind a desk or in the gym can begin to get boring and you may begin to feel constricted as to what you can and can’t do. More often than not finding something new you love to do can be a refreshing and new place to find inspiration from.

No.3. Read. Read books, personal development books – books that can inspire you.

You may be wondering how reading personal development books can inspire you enough to help you stick to your NY resolutions but if you find the right book, it will do more than just that! Yes, reading fictional books can often be more interesting and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, if you love reading those – keep reading them but add self development books to your pile. I promise you the best thing I ever did was pick up The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, it just changed my perspective on most things and made me want to work harder at the things I wanted to become better at. Sometimes it’s important to read something and understand it from someone else’s perspective.

No.4. Plan, plan plan.

When we have thoughts and ideas bouncing off our brain walls things may seem a bit overwhelming and foggy. You may struggle to find a place to start. What I have been doing (thoroughly if i might add) is planning. I’ve written all my ideas/goals/resolutions/future plans etc. onto pieces of paper and from there i’ve sorted them into their respective groups whether that be blog, uni or just life in general. If you plan things and put it in your diary there is more of a chance that it will get done and it won’t get lost in that busy brain.

No.5. Consistency.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, consistency is key! Let me put it like this, if you are making a fire & put a lot of logs on at once the fire will burn out quickly, but if you add the logs slowly and consistently throughout the night, your fire will burn for longer, it’s the same for us. Doing a little bit each day will get you further than big amounts every other day and it will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed.

I hope that these points have helped in one way or another and have helped put things into perspective. My main piece of advice would be to think about your goals and how much energy you truly want to put into them and go from there – you’re doing life for yourself, no one else. Make the most of it!

I have some great content coming this year, if you are keen to see what I have in store be sure to be following me on   >> Instagram << or like my >> Facebook page << I really hope to inspire and motivate you all.

May 2018 be YOUR year!

“You do not wake up and become the butterfly – growth is a process”

Lots of love, Jeanna x