For those who know me, know I am a huge advocate for mental health. Yes, a lot of the content and posts that I do points in the direction of physical health and while that is just as important, it always coincides with mental health. I know many people who make the mistake of only working on their physical health, often neglecting their mental health and the importance of it. I always say that you can work on your physical health and fitness as much as you like, you can go to the gym 7 days a week and do cardio 5 times a week but if you aren’t addressing the demons you have going on in your mind, you’ll still be unhealthy. 

When I talk about mental health, I am talking about the WHOLE spectrum. You don’t necessarily need to be suffering from depression or be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, even things such as every day stress affects your mental health. The longer you leave it, the more detrimental it can become. That’s why from high school, I have always made a conscious effort to ensure that not only am I constantly working to improve my physical health and fitness, but my mental health too. 

Don’t get me wrong, the suggestions following below are not ways to cure mental health illnesses or the stresses you may experience from day to day. Regardless of the things you do, you will have days where you don’t feel so great and all you really want to do is lie in bed, eat ice cream and binge Spinning Out for the third time this year. And that is OK! But what I do wish to encourage you to do is be proactive, conscious and respectful towards yourself. Being sad and then purposefully watching something sad or listening to sad music will ultimately make you more sad. DUH. But don’t do that, don’t allow it to consume you and let you waste valuable time that you could be spending working on yourself. Our Egos are big ugly things that are typically the “Devil on your shoulder”. The Ego is something that is often spoken about in Psychology, I have recently been reading (and loving) Jen Sincero’s book “You are a badass” and she likes to refer to the Ego as the “Big Snooze” or “BS” (conveniently) because that is exactly what it is. She goes on further to state that the Ego is, “The shadow self, the false self or the self that makes us act like a weenie, it is the part of us that is driving the bus when we do things to sabotage our happiness”  It is what stops you from going out and doing things your better self wants to do, the self that has no fear and enjoys learning and experiencing new things regardless of the terrifying outcome. It stops you from GROWTH! You just need to have the self-discipline to push past the Devil’s words, and create the happiness and the life you know you can have.

I may seem like I am rambling but stick with me, it is all valid. All too often I see friends and family members, friends of family members, family members of friends allowing the negatives of their lives to consume them. Heck, even I have done it before. We all do. This is because it is easier to wallow in self pity than it is to go out and make a change. There is something intoxicating about feeling low because you feel like it gives you a sort of “leeway” to not do anything. It is assumed that it’s a valid excuse because you’re sad, you don’t have to make your bed because you’re sad or you don’t have to eat healthy today because you’re too busy and stressed. It gives you a reason to not move forward in a positive direction because it’ll take lots of hard work and practice.

I think us, as humans enjoy finding excuses to not deal with the internal struggles we have going on because it is easier. But if there is one thing I have learned over the past few months is that finding distractions, people to fill the voids and unhealthy habits to waste time is only going to extend your healing process and pain for a lot longer. You are only damaging yourself more.

“Feeling the need to be busy all the time is a trauma response and a fear-based distraction from what you’d be forced to acknowledge and feel if you slowed down”

What I am ultimately trying to get at is that as difficult as it is to face what hides below the triggers, you need to do it in order to allow yourself to heal and to grow. You need to have the discipline, respect and love for yourself to be able to face the ugly head on to work on and create the beautiful for yourself. (You can see this lockdown has given me time to think, lol!)

With that said, use these next 2 weeks as an opportunity for growth. Work on the parts of you that you have been so busy ignoring, do things that you’ve always found excuses to not complete and do it for you. That is what I am doing and I am so much happier for it. Let the pity parties stop here, let the Big Snooze sleep & stay sleeping and let yourself receive the things you deserve to receive. 

Here are 6 things I have recently added to my self-isolation routine to improve my mental health:

Reading self-development books 

You are never going to learn to grow if you don’t open yourself to new ideas, opinions and perspectives. Reading motivational, self-development, self-help books all offer you a new perspective on how to live a healthier, happier and more fulfilled life (if you follow what they say). For the past week I have been reading Jen Sincero’s “You are a Badass” self-development/help book and I love it. It is easy to follow, witty and all round helpful. 10/10 recommend. 

There are plenty of options online on what books to read. Decide where you are at in your life, what you want to work on and then narrow your options down to the books that relate and interest you currently. 

Look after myself more (Do more things for me)

I am definitely one of those people to put other people’s needs and wants ahead of mine, it is one of the traits I value in myself – especially when it comes to people I care about because heck, they deserve it. But often that leaves me forgetting about my needs and my wants, so I have really been practicing looking after myself even in the slightest ways which in turn makes the biggest difference to how I feel. Examples of this would be doing a face mask every Sunday, lying in the sun and reading a book or listening to music and using a facial roller every day, twice a day (Gotta keep that skin looking youthful). The more you do these things, the quicker they will become habits and the sooner you’ll start to feel better. 

Doing at least one active thing a day 

Like I said at the beginning of this post, physical health and mental health coincide with one another. ESPECIALLY during lockdown where all we can pretty much do is sit on your butt and watch tv, it is important to move. Get the heart rate going, blood circulating and body groovin’. (Was hoping that would rhyme, poor attempt). Even if it’s something small. One of the major advantages of Social Media is the convenience, there are plenty of at home workout videos to follow on YouTube and Instagram. If working out isn’t your thing, trying some Yoga or Pilates. I just deeply encourage you to try and move about for even the smallest fraction of your day, I know it makes me feel good and productive and it is bound to do the same for you!

Social Media declutter 

Sounds weird, sounds unnecessary but what you surround yourself with and the things you follow are the things your subconscious “manifests” for you. If you constantly follow negative pages or read sad quotes, chances are you aren’t going to ever really be happy because you’re always relating to the dimmer side of things.  So I did a Social Media “decluttering”. Anything that was no longer serving me any positivity and inspiration I unfollowed, whether that be meme pages or quotes, people I knew or didn’t know – what’s the point? Get rid of it if you feel no sort of value coming from it. If you aren’t too keen on the unfollow bit which I admit, I was to a certain extent, the mute button is a great tool and one I take real advantage of and NOT sorry for it! You gotta be thinking about yourself when you do this, not how they might feel. 

Meditate

This one is still a bit new to me. I still find it a bit strange learning how to empty my thoughts and just be in the now. But I have been doing this very casually every night for 5 minutes before I go to bed and I find it really calms me and my thoughts. Meditation is also really lovely for those who suffer from anxiety and stress. It allows you to not think of the future but to remain present, focus on your breathing, learn to relax and relieve you of any stresses you’ve been holding onto for the day. You don’t need to know how to do it off the bat, if you ask me I don’t really think there is a right or wrong way to do it. You just start off small, a few minutes every day and if you want to, you can expand from there. 

“You spend your entire life in your head, make sure it’s a comfortable place”

If there is one other thing I can ask you to do, is check on your friends during this time, even the ones that seem the strongest. You know how the saying goes, ‘Everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about’. During this lockdown, it is easy to over think and to over feel, knowing that there is someone there for you can go a long way. Let’s try make this world a little softer for those who need it, including ourselves.

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?”

We have all been at a stage in our lives where we haven’t been able to workout or what we like to think is a valid reason but is actually an excuse, right? There have been many moments throughout 2018 where the last thing I ever felt like doing was going to the gym or for a jog because I was drowning in tests and assignments! Well, I can tell you that this year is going to be no different, although I want to make more of an effort to be active – when I cannot go to the gym or if I just run out of hours in my day, I want to ensure that I’m still helping myself remain healthy and fit the best way possible. Here are 5 tips I have found help me!

Take the stairs not the elevator, walk or cycle to your destination don’t drive. We live in world where convenience really is at our fingertips, it’s easy to just hop onto a lift whilst on your phone or to drive to get there a bit quicker – however, it’s definitely not the healthiest way to go about your day. Instead leave a few minutes earlier, look on maps and see how long it will take you to walk or cycle to your lectures or your meetings and plan your day around that. You’ll be getting some fresh air and keeping active while going to the places you need to be at!

It starts in the kitchen. If you know you’re about to have a crazy week where you’re not sure you’re going to have time to breathe ned alone go to the gym, clear your kitchen of all the foods you know aren’t going to help you reach your health and fitness goals. Keep foods that are wholesome, organic and colourful – keep it clean and you’ll feel a difference sooner than you think! Of course you can treat yourself here and there but do it all within moderation.

Stay hydrated. Whenever I am feeling a bit hungry, I always have a glass of water beforehand. Many people always mistake their hunger for thirst, so drink a glass of water before every meal and make sure to drink 1L of water for every 25KG’s that you weigh, that way you can ensure you are keeping your body hydrated and drinking the right amount of water for yourself! If you struggle to drink water, put some lemons in or fruit to make it taste a little less like nothing. You’ll probably find that drinking a glass of water before eating will result in you eating a little less too which helps keep large food portions to the minimum.

Look after yourself. Get a good night’s rest, when you are busy from morning to night your body needs some time to rejuvenate and reset. If you are feeling stressed, take a few moments to try and destress, it’s known that your body tends to hold onto extra weight when you are stressed – so do some things that you know work for you in order to feel relaxed whether that be kicking your feet up with a good book or putting on a face mask. Looking after yourself and your body are key aspects to your fitness and health journey!

Give up the excuses of why you shouldn’t and find reasons to why you should. Although these points are all valid and can help lead you to a better and healthier life, you do need to make the time to fit in some workouts. They don’t have to be for hours on end, some of the best workouts are only 20-30 minutes you just have to change your mindset! If you go in with a negative mindset, you won’t come out feeling fulfilled. Ask yourself why you can’t gym at the moment, plan and structure your weeks and days ahead so you can do any sort of activity you love to help you get to your goals a lot faster. Give yourself some well deserved ‘me-time’ amidst the chaos of work, uni and life! There is no race, it’s you against you – even if you just do something active on the weekend, that’s fine! It’s a start and we all start somewhere, just don’t put pressure on yourself.

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