mental health

Food Guilt: 5 Ways to Cope with feeling guilty after “Overeating”

healthy living

Hey guys, welcome back to the blog, today we’re talking about food guilt. You’re probably familiar with the term and with the experience of the feeling as well. I would define it as feelings of shame and regret after consuming foods we deem unhealthy or after eating what we think is too much. This is something I’ve experienced far more times than I can count and it has to be one of the worst feelings I’ve experienced. The thing is, the food doesn’t even have to be unhealthy to trigger the guilt, sometimes you can be eating healthy and nutritious meals and still feel guilty if you feel like you overate. However, food guilt is something created by our own minds, it is as real as we make it. Often times I’ve found myself struggling with regret after a full day of eating simply because I thought I had too many calories or wasn’t healthy enough. It takes a while to snap myself out of that dark hole of shame and criticism sometimes, which is why I wanted to share some tips that may help you deal with food guilt. Before we get into it, this is a disclaimer that all of these tips are based off of personal experience and are not a replacement for professional medical advice. If you are struggling with mental health or what you think may be an eating disorder, please seek help or further advice, thank you.

#1. Know Your Triggers

If you feel guilty after eating, it may be helpful to know what foods or eating habits trigger that guilt. For some people it may be eating junk food, processed foods filled with sugar, or foods they just think is unhealthy. It might be binge eating, or eating late at night for you. No matter what it is, it’s important to know what does it for you so you can analyse why you feel guilty.

My food guilt is triggered when I eat foods I do not eat on a normal basis, especially if I’ve done so over the course of a few days. This comes from a fear of overeating, which comes from a fear of weight gain. Even though there is absolutely nothing wrong with gaining weight, we’ve grown up with the idea that weight gain is something negative. It’s only now that this mindset is starting to shift but it is still easier said than done. So triggers are often foods or habits that society has perceived as negative and any guilt resulting from that is also naturalised. But guilt after eating isn’t something that is supposed to be natural. Identifying what triggers your food guilt is the first step to deconstructing the reasoning behind the guilt.

#2. Write & Reflect

One method that always helps is to journal your food guilt, writing down what you did that day and your emotions throughout. Often times you’ll find that writing it down helps you feel more accountable of what or how much you ate, helping you realise it isn’t as bad as your mind is saying it is. However, this isn’t the same as calorie or macro tracking, you would only write down the emotions in that moment, not track every day. Writing down what you regret and then throwing that paper away can help you acknowledge the food guilt and be more mindful so that you can put it past you.

#3. Validate Hunger Cues & Cravings

One of the biggest struggles when it comes to food guilt is knowing when you are hungry. Often times we reprimand ourselves for hunger, but hunger does not always mean boredom, stress, or needing water. A lot of the times you’re hungry because your body needs nourishment and it’s important to acknowledge these cues as well.

We’ve cultivated this idea that cravings are wrong, but rather than suppressing your cravings every time, it might help to give your body what it wants. This doesn’t mean mindlessly eating foods which may not be the most nutritive. Instead, it means having the occasional bowl of ice cream or pizza. If you incorporate balance into your life and listen to your cravings every once in a while, you’ll find it much easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

#4. Move Your Body

Moving your body after overeating or when you’re feeling guilty doesn’t mean running on the treadmill for 3 hours as punishment. Often times we feel down or lethargic because we haven’t moved our body that day and that can lead to feelings of guilt. Moving your body can mean anything from 5 minutes of stretching or dancing to a daily walk. If you suffer from food guilt, move your body not to burn calories but to feel in control of your body in that moment.

#5. Do not Punish Yourself

My last and final tip is to never punish yourself for bingeing or overeating. If you feel like you overate, then you can feel content that you enjoyed your food or simply move on from it. If you overate at a family dinner, realize that a big part of these experiences with family are tied to the food you had. If you binge ate everything and everything at 2 am and you don’t even remember what or why, then realize that your body needs fuel and you can always put that to good use layer on.

I hope you found something useful here today. Although I’m not an expert, I’ve had my fair share of food guilt and know that it shouldn’t be naturalized even though it is. Food guilt can be a habit passed down from one person to the other, but it should never limit how you live your life. At the end of the day, when you look back on your life, you won’t even remember the guilt. So ‘if it won’t matter in 5 years, don’t stress about it for more than 5 minutes’ – Dekker. Thank you for reading, xoxo.

How To Deal With Physical Setbacks

healthy living

Be it an injury or limitation, physical setbacks are sometimes the most trying on not only our fitness and health lifestyle but on your mental health as well. Lately, I had to take some time off due to a physical injury for the first time ever and it was hard to go through, which is why I decided on writing this blogpost…

Tip #1 Try to remain active in any way possible

Unless you are severely injured or on bed rest, it’s beneficial to be active, if not immediately then when you feel slightly better. However, please remember to consult your doctor about your injury and what kind of physical movement you’re allowed to perform. If you have an arm injury for example, you can still go for walks and train legs.

Tip #2 Start small

I had a back injury a few months ago and did not work out at all for 1 month and when I started again, it was only walking and a few arm workouts. When you’re recovering, do not rush into your workout, you will only hurt yourself more, take it easy for at least a week, you will gain your strength again due to your muscle memory.

Tip #3 Nutrition

Do not try to severely cut your calories to make up for not working out, you will only slow down your metabolism. On the same line of thought, do not binge eat your stress away, instead stay constant with your healthy eating habits, your body needs it to recover.

Tip #4 Breathe and Don’t fret

The worst thing for me was the guilt; I wasn’t active for a month and I was afraid that I was losing muscle and progress and that all my hard work would go in vain. But that was clearly not the case, I built my strength back up in 1-2 weeks and got stronger. So don’t let the stress get to you and keep your mind busy with other things such as; reading, music, art or anything that interests you and is stimulating for your brain.

Hopefully, this helps you during your recovery, thank you for reading and please like and follow for more posts.

Self Care is Free…

healthy living

When we think of self care nowadays, we immediately think of luxury spa days, trips away and treating ourselves to an item on our Wishlist and while it’s absolutely fine to do that, sometimes we forget that self care is more than that. Self care doesn’t have to be materialistic or cost money, here are a few ways that self care can be free yet more meaningful…

#1. Consuming Meaningful Content – one way I include a lil self care on a daily basis is by listening to a podcast everyday and listening to whatever I feel like in the moment. Sometimes I choose on health health and self development and sometimes I just listen to music. This can be reading a book, be it fiction or non-fiction. With the hustle mindset we have around us, it can be natural to feel like everything we take in needs to be work or study related, but that’s what self care is for. So your next task is to consume something that will please you; whether that is a book about Greek Mythology or a series binge on Netflix.

#2. Saying No – this is something we all take for granted, we often feel obligated to please others and do what they ask of us but sometimes it’s alright to say no. If doing something does not serve any purpose and only drains you, then declining is doing yourself a favour. This can be opting out of an event, saying no to plans to spend time on yourself or saying no to helping someone else do their work before completing yours. It may seem selfish, but once in a while, it’s okay to say no.

#3. Being In Nature – taking a walk or going for a hike is a great day to shut off your mind and get in tune with your body. It is also helpful to do this without anything else distracting you, although listening to music and podcasts is self care, when outdoors it’s best to let your mind wander, you’ll find that this is when deeper ideas and thoughts emerge. Quiet time is essential and you wouldn’t want anything to distract you from enjoying your surroundings.

#4. Taking The Day Off – take a day off to do whatever you want to do, that can be baking, reading or absolutely nothing. Blocking some time off just to yourself is a great self care idea, sometimes we spend so much time around people that we forget to listen to ourselves.

#5. Give yourself permission – we often restrict ourselves in several aspects of our lives but sometimes we need a break, so take a day and allow yourself to do what you want. A healthy mindset means balance; if you want a night of Netflix and popcorn or to indulge in a sweet treat, have it! I believe in healthy living, but I also believe in enjoying the little things in life.

#6. Let go of the Guilt- this is something I still struggle with but it’s a critical part of our mental health… you need to let go of the guilt. We need to stop feeling guilty if we eat something unhealthy. Instead acknowledge that you had something less than healthy, but that you enjoyed it and there shouldn’t be any regret. Don’t let something that you ate rule your emotions, you need to learn to enjoy your decisions.

I hope this post helps you in some way and that you find something useful here. Let me know how you prefer to practice self care and please follow for more posts like this one.

5 Books You Should Read

healthy living

alex-loup-440761-unsplash.jpg

 

Reading is an essential part of my every day life and I find it hard to believe that at one point in time it wasn’t really my thing. I really became a book addict when I was around 15 years old and since then, I haven’t gone a day without reading a few chapters. Now I’m not asking you to read a book in a few days but a few pages a day is beneficial. Of course, I started with paranormal romance as my guilty pleasure (it may still be, don’t judge me) and then I delved into self-help books and psychology books. Status Update – I’m a self help junkie.

I believe reading can either be about losing yourself in another world and living thousands of different lives or it can be about growth and attaining knowledge. I find pleasure in learning and we learn every single day.

I have read all of the following books down below. They are self-help books that take different approaches towards personal development and I think that no matter where you are in life right now, you can find at least one which speaks to you.

 

1. The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey – definitely one of my favourites and one I keep going back to. This book has helped me understand my issue of procrastination and has taught me how to deal with it. Discover ways to improve your work ethic and surprising factors that actually harm your productivity. I’ve definitely seen an increase in my productivity after implementing the tactics in this book and it has helped me decrease the feeling of burnout.

 

2. Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey – if you find yourself easily distracted or unable to focus on one thing for a period of time, then this book is for you. Tap into your superhuman focus and learn to work smarter, not harder. (PS. I’m in hyperfocus mode right now)

 

3. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma – this book was not what I expected, I’d advise you to be patient at first when starting the book. I was sceptical about it at first and thought I wouldn’t be able to finish even half of it, but I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the book’s steady pace, it’s an enlightening read, it touches on mindfulness, human psychology and ways we can create a brighter life. Definitley recommend this one if you’re feeling a little lost or out of balance in your life.

 

4. The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes – I simply enjoyed the way the author voiced her message in this book, she eases you into the practice of gratitude in all aspects of your life without thrusting you into the ‘Gratitude frenzy’ going on all around the media (you know, the gratitude morning routine). It focuses on all aspects such as; wealth, health, relationships and many more. Again, as one who is often sceptical, I thought the book was all about the law of attraction and although it seems that way, I found another aspect to it. Just by reading the book I started to notice the things around me, it developed an awareness in me that has remained even months after.

 

5. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson – this book spoke to the sceptic in me, in other words I now live by this book. This was said to be the self help book for people who hate self help and it is a pleasure to read it. Now is there swearing every 3 minutes? Yes. Does it make it even better to read? Hell yeah, it does.To be honest, I often hear people say that you always have to be happy and grateful, but I am not always those things and I know you aren’t either. Social Media and even self help influencers indirectly lead us to believe that it’s wrong to feel that way, but it’s not. It’s okay to not be okay and this book teaches you that. 

 

Now before I go into a self love rant, let me leave it at that. As Always thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you found something useful here and I would like to remind you that it’s not just about reading the book, it’s about implementing the methods and advice in it. Unfortunately, we can’t just absorb a book’s powers, we have to put in the action.

Lots of love to all of my readers and please follow for more posts like this, xoxo.

6 Podcasts You Need To Listen To

healthy living

 

headphones-3435888_640.jpg

 

I believe that what you consume affects your mindset and therefore your life, but this doesn’t only mean your nutrition, it also means the content you feed your mind with. This is why continuous scrolling through instagram or facebook is discouraged, they give you a false, perfect outlook on life which doesn’t match your own life and this either motivates you in the short term or it bruises your self esteem and demotivates you. It’s usually the latter. So, filling your days with mindless or irrelevant content often does more damage than good, even if you get a small shot of satisfaction, that will pale in comparison to the feeling of gaining knowledge and a deeper insight.

These podcasts range from self help to fitness and motivation. They are great to listen to during a workout or when you’re performing mindless tasks. They are listed below in no particular order and I do urge you to give at least one of them a try because you’ll have the chance to connect with a wider community and possibly with yourself.

1. Earn Your Happy – Lori Harder – listen to enlightening conversations on how to empower yourself, advice for entrepreneurs that can be applied to your everyday life. This podcast delves into psychology, the world of business and everything you want to know to unlock your true potential.

2. Kalyn’s Coffee Talk– I love listening to this podcast whenever I feel a little lost. It focuses on a healthy mindset and achieving a balanced lifestyle, as well as helping you face truths often buried deep in your mind. A fair warning, once you start an episode you’ll want to finish it in one go, so make sure you allocate the time for enjoying this one.

3. The Model Health Show – I’ve actually just started listening to Shawn Stevenson’s show and it’s already one of my favourites. You get to learn the truth about nutrition and the myths behind weight loss, as well as discover a balance between the two. Highly recommend.

4. The School Of Greatness –  Lewis Howes – the name couldn’t be more appropriate. I find myself craving for the moments I get to listen to Lewis Howes’ s advice on pursuing a career, cultivating creativity and his riveting conversations with the most influential people. This is one you won’t want to miss.

5. The Lavendaire Lifestyle – Aileen Xu – this is for more for my de-stress and relaxing routines (you’ll understand when you hear her voice). The podcast explores the hardships of careers and goals, fuelling your passion and promoting self love.

6. The Health Code – funny, entertaining and informative. This podcast is the best combination of health advice mixed in with comedy. Learn about healthy hacks and balancing your career, fitness and relationships.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post, all of the podcasts mentioned above are my personal favourites. Let me know if you have any recommendations of your own, I’d love to give them a try. Have an amazing day, xoxo.

10 Tips to De-stress & Unwind

healthy living

woman-1283425_640.jpg

  • Stretching – this not only relieves muscle tension but it also increases you awareness of your own body and physical state. It gives you a chance to slow down.

 

  • Listen to a Podcast – I love listening to self-help podcast episodes to help me gain clarity and relax. I listen to them while working out or when I’m doing mindless tasks. I have another post coming up about my favourite podcasts, so keep a lookout for that.

 

writing-828911_640.jpg

  • Put it on Paper – writing it out is the most obvious thing to do, I used to think it wasn’t helpful before, but now I reach for my journal whenever something is weighing me down. Don’t think about what you’re going to write (I’m not really into the whole writing a set number of things). Keep it natural and straight from mind to paper.
  • Escape for a day – now I don’t necessarily mean go on a trip to an exotic island or take the day off to hike in the woods, although that would be awesome. Escaping for a day could be anything from a road trip to just taking the day off for yourself. For example; I always have Saturdays off because of my religion, but today is Sunday and I decided that I just needed to take it for myself. I said no to going out because I needed to just slow down and be, which is something that’s key to de-stressing – learning to say no.

 

coffee-791045_640.jpg

 

  • Coffee/ Tea Time – I’m writing this post right now in my pyjamas, with a cup of coffee and I feel at peace. I drink coffee more for the process than for the taste and no one can interrupt this sacred me time. Find joy in the little things.

 

  • Digital detox – definitely something I need more of. Take a day (or more if you’re feeling adventurous) to put the phone, iPad, tv, laptop and any other device away. Stay off of social media for that period and actually pay attention to what’s going on around you.

 

breakfast-2575424_640.jpg

  • Do absolutely nothing – yes, that’s right. Sometimes you just need to do nothing. Don’t try so hard to relax that you end up stressing over relaxing. If you want to lie down and just stare at the ceiling for an hour, going through the things on your mind, go right ahead. Just don’t let that hour seep into a week.

 

  • Mindfulness exercise – now this can be concentrating on your breathing or doing a whole body scan type of exercise. It can also be listening to calming audios or stories. I’m not one for manifesting meditations, but you do you.

 

wellness-1021131_640.jpg

  • Self care routine – this is can be a pamper spa routine, reading a book or watching a movie, but developing whatever you do into a routine just helps reassure your mind that you have a system in place and it helps you believe in your process. Another good idea would be a self care kit, which I have coming up in another post.

 

  • Spend Time with a pet or an animal – animals help relieve our emotions and make us happy, that can be cuddling with your dog, riding a horse or staring at your goldfish. Trust me, it works.

 

  • Bonus Tip – don’t rely on potentially unhealthy factors. Besides the obvious harmful factors, even relying on food to help you with your emotions is a bad route because it will never be enough. At some point you will become intolerant to the happy hormones certain indulgences give you, so make sure you de-stress in a steady and healthy way.

 

Thank you for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed it and that it helped you in some way. Please follow for more posts like this, xoxo.

5 Ways to Be More Mindful

healthy living
  1. Start a Gratitude Journal– writing down only 3 things you are grateful for every morning can have a great impact on your day and on your life overall. Sometimes we fail to acknowledge the many great aspects of our lives, allowing us to take things for granted. Your list could include major things such as being grateful for your spouse or job or even little things like books and coffee. It really doesn’t matter as long as you’re being mindful of that person or object’s presence in your life.

Challenge #1: Tomorrow morning when you wake up, grab a pen and paper and write down three things you are grateful for.

2. Brain Dump– this is initially setting a timer and writing down everything that’s on your mind. This may be tasks you need to accomplish, creative ideas or even emotions. Having to keep all of that information in your brain is somewhat taxing, therefore by externalising it you are releasing your mind of the need to remember and the stress of forgetting.

Challenge #2: Set a timer for 15-20 mins and write down everything that clicks in your mind, take your time while doing this and let things come naturally to you rather than trying hard to focus.

yogurt-1442034_640.jpg

3. Learning more about food– one thing we all need to do in 2019 is to be more mindful of what we put into our body. This involves reading the ingredients list of the foods we buy and listening to how our bodies feel after taking certain foods. Being more conscious of our food will also help us to improve our energy levels.

Challenge #3: The next time you go grocery shopping, read the ingredients list of the products you buy and that day, write down each one of your meals and your energy levels (out of ten) after eating.

4. Declutter– this allows us to be more mindful of the things we buy and also helps to declutter our mind. Decluttering is a whole process in itself, but you can always start small. Perhaps start by decluttering you office area or closet, if an item doesn’t bring you joy or you haven’t used it in the last month, it’s probably time to let it go. You can choose to donate the items if they’re still reusable or pass it down to someone else.

Challenge #4: Choose a small area in your home to declutter and take out some time to declutter the space. It might be hard at first but it’s definitely worthwhile.

5. Digital Detox– taking out some time to spend without our devices or the internet is essential to calming our mind and being more aware of our surroundings. We often forget there is a world outside of our screens.

Challenge #5: Schedule in one hour or two and turn off all your electronics (perhaps you should notify a few people before doing so). You can choose to spend this free time reading or going out in nature. You may find this process almost addicting and next time you’ll try it for a whole day.

I hope you enjoyed this post and if you have your own techniques in mindfulness, feel free to comment them down below.

Self Love…

healthy living

We often forget the importance of self love for the health of our state of mind. Reducing stress and clearing our mind is crucial to obtaining our ideal health and body. When we neglect our mental state we find ourselves letting our physical health slide as well, chronic levels of stress leads to high cortisol levels thus contributing to weight gain. So here are 5 self care habits to help you de-stress and unwind.

  • Stretch routine– sometimes a full blown workout isn’t what your mind and body needs. Stretching allows you to both relax your body and center your mind, making you more aware and present. When you feel stressed, try 10mins of yoga or stretching to calm yourself and rejuvenate your body.
  • Journaling– I’ve mentioned journaling before and it isn’t something that should be underestimated. Sometimes writing out your thoughts and emotions help to clear out and organize everything on your mind. Have you ever had something bothering you but you just couldn’t figure out what is was? Well journaling can help you realize or come to terms with issues located deep in your subconscious.
  • Rest day– taking a day off of your workouts is necessary to let your body relax and heal. No one can handle workout out vigorously every single day, so take a day off (I usually take Saturdays) and focus on other aspects of your life.
  • Filter your social media– we’re usually unaware of the effects of social media. Seeing endless pictures of perfect models probably isn’t helping you love your own body, instead you’re now analyzing and being critical of your own body image (keep in mind that this excludes fitness influencers or mentors). So filter out the type of people you follow or are subscribed to; if they don’t inspire or motivate you, it’s best to set them aside. Trust me this goes a long way to help you de-stress.
  • Digital Cleanse– this is one of the most difficult yet most effective habits, taking a break from screen time. That means ignoring your phone, laptop, tablet and tv for a set time (this doesn’t include sleeping hours so don’t cheat). This helps you to be more present and it actually forces you to be more creative or outgoing as you find other ways to entertain yourself (unless you lay in bed staring at the ceiling for hours).

I hope you implement some if not all of these habits into your life and I hope they help you in any way possible. Thank you for reading, please like and follow for more posts like this one. See you next time xoxo.

1 Week Body Detox

Uncategorized

A body detox not only helps to heal the body but the skin and mind as well. Sometimes our bodies need a break and our digestive system needs time to heal and a detox is a great way to do that.  To be able to complete a detox we need to focus more on the benefits and the foods we get to eat rather than the foods we are depriving ourselves of. By trying this 7-day detox, you can get a feel of how turning to a healthy lifestyle can make your body feel. You can decide to keep practicing some of these habits if you wish, however make sure you are taking in enough calories for you body type and not over exercising. Be sure to never fall into the extreme side, don’t deprive your body.

So here are some of the benefits of this detox:

Benefits:

  • Removes toxins from the body
  • Improves skin health and mental well-being
  • Heals the gut and improves digestion
  • Aids in weight loss
  • Reduces feeling of tiredness

leaf-3070153_1280

Foods and Drinks That Aid in Detox:

  • Lemon water with mint
  • Green Tea
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Blueberries
  • Chia seeds
  • Oats
  • Quinoa
  • Tomatoes
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Cucumber
  • Citrus fruits
  • Almonds
  • sunflower or pumpkin seeds
  • Avocados
  • Cinnamon

Foods To Avoid:

  • Sugar/ soft drinks
  • Any processed foods
  • Reduce coffee intake
  • Red Meat
  • Gluten
  • Soy
  • Dairy
  • Any sauces
  • Unhealthy oils (opt for olive, coconut, and avocado)

HABITS for this week:

  1. Exercise everyday for this week- mild exercising as you may be reducing your calorie intake.
  2. Drink at least 2-3 liters of water per day-  dehydration is a major cause of sluggishness.
  3. Try some mindful reading, anything from a self care book to daily sayings.book-759873_1920
  4. Obtain at least 7-8hrs of sleep– to let your mind and body recuperate.
  5. Avoid eating carbohydrates after 6pm- your body won’t be using up the energy at night and it will be stored as fat..
  6. Wake up early everyday- to stimulate your brain and get a head start on your day.
  7. Have either lemon water, green tea or any unsweetened herbal tea.planner-1873485_1920
  8. Organize your life- be it your work space, closet or schedule, it’s time to start picking up the pieces. It will help clear you mind and you’ll be able to focus more on yourself.
  9. Kill the stress– do something that relaxes you; it can be working out, painting, hanging out with friends or enjoying some alone time. Dedicate this week to yourself.
  10. Journaling– write down anything you like into a journal or diary, you thoughts, emotions, how you feel physically or even your diet plan. There’s something calming about writing that typing just can’t compare with, so give it a try in these 7 days, remember we’re detoxing the mind as well.

After completing the detox week successfully, you should feel an improvement in your skin, mental alertness and physical health. It is your choice if you want to continue the detox for a longer period. I have implemented most of the habits into my lifestyle, however there are some that I struggle with, which is completely fine. You cannot change things overnight, gradually implement these changes with time as you see fit. I hope this has helped you in any way possible, to strive towards a healthier lifestyle, it may not be the easiest process, but it has the best results.

Leave me a comment or follow my blog for more tips. xoxo

 

Tips for Fighting Stress

Uncategorized

Tip #1. Playing with Essential oils- scents like lemon, lavender and peppermint are know to relieve stress and anxiety. You can either light a candle, a diffuser or use a mist to help relax yourself. My personal favorites are lemon and vanilla.

Tip #2. Take a break from social media- Most of us wake up and immediately scroll through Instagram or Facebook. Without knowing it, social media sometimes gives us a negative point of view of our own lives.

Tip #3.  Take a day off studies/ work – a weekly getaway is essential to reduce stress, it allows our body and mind to rest. I always take Saturdays off to regenerate and relax, it helps me start my week off positively.

Tip #4. Write a journal – writing down your thoughts and events in your life, even minor ones, can be an outlet for anxiety or stress. It helps to be more mindful of your life and yourself, as well as remembering motivating thoughts or quotes.

Tip #5. Organize yourself – this can be simple as using a planner or writing a to-do list every morning. You’re more likely to get things done when they are planned and feeling less under pressure and more put together will help fight stress.

Tip #6. Read a book or listen to an audio-book – it can be a motivational book or anything that might pique your interest, it distracts you from issues of your day-to-day life. It’s a gateway into another world, people who read get to live 1000 lives.

Tip #7. Have a pamper routine – Treat yourself, that could be an at home spa day or a skincare routine. Take the time to take care of yourself and unwind from daily struggles. However, this is better suggested for women.

Tip #8. Enjoy your workout – I know it seems almost impossible, especially when we have our lazy moments, but if you don’t look forward to working out and you dread it then you’re probably trying out the wrong one. There are so many ways to be physically active; swimming, dancing, running or hitting the gym, you just have to find the right one for you. Exercising helps to release tension and could make you feel so much more relaxed.

Tip #9. Try a new hobby – just like with working out, it’s good to change your hobbies  from time to time. Exploring different things stimulates the brain, reading, sketching, cooking and writing are some of my favorites and who knows, you might discover a hidden talent.

Tip #10. Have some alone time – as much as you may enjoy family events and parties with friends, we all need some time to ourselves- to center ourselves and figure out where we stand and where we’re going. Sometimes we just need to embrace the moment and relax.

Thank you for reading, I hoped these suggestions were able to help you in any way. Keep reading for more posts and updates. xoxo.