Hi! So now that staying home most of the time is part of our new daily routines, I wanted to share some tips that I have found really helpful during this unusual time. It's important that you look after yourself, not only physically but mentally, and with it being mental health awareness week I thought now would be a perfect time to write this post.
I will start by saying that I am aware my life is incredibly easy in comparison to those who are still having to work right now, not to mention those who have unfortunately lost their jobs. I have spoken about my increased anxiety during lockdown on my social media before, and that is not to take away from the hardship of others, this is me simply bringing awareness to those of us at home that have struggled to adapt to this change in lifestyle.
To start, I have found it much easier to keep track of what I'm eating throughout the day as oppose to mindlessly snacking between meals like I'm used to. I don't count calories, I believe you should enjoy food and eat what your body is craving in moderation. I personally follow Kenzie Burkes '10 day reboot' using food combining. This basically means I don't mix carbs and proteins together in a meal as this can cause bloating, and I have seen a dramatic difference since starting this method. I recommend you find a method that works great for you, I will leave her instagram here if you want to check it out, and to access her '10 day reboot' I will leave the link here. You don't have to follow a new method of eating either. Just making sure you are taking care of your body by being mindful of what you're eating and then indulging little and often is the way to go in my opinion! I completely stand by the 80/20 method of fitness, 80% of your results coming from healthy eating and 20% coming from actually working out.
I move my body everyday, but I don't always feel up to do an intense full body workout, so some days I really enjoy just taking the time to stretch and do some yoga. This is also a great way to relieve your muscles of some stress you may have put them under from previous workouts, so a good stretch session a few times a week is great to relief muscle tension. I also use yoga as a way to relax, spending time to really connect with your body and remembering what an incredible home it is for you everyday is an amazing way to work on your body confidence too. For my intense workouts, I really enjoy using the B_ND resistance bands, I have been using them for years and they're a game changer for leg workouts, also totally vegan too!
I'd say one of my favourite things about staying home so much more is not wearing makeup as much, I've started buying less makeup and more skincare. I've gotten into a great routine of self care, it's important to take care of your physical body just as much the mind. I love putting on a thick body moisturiser as soon as I get out of the shower, morning and night, and also doing face and hair masks at least twice a week is helping so much too. You don't need to indulge on products either, most of my products are under £20 and there are so many amazing cruelty free options for skincare. I love Glossier products, this brand is my go to as everything from the website that I've tried I've fallen in love with. I also use a lot of The Body Shop products, their body yoghurts are amazing super-fast absorbing moisturisers for summertime. Find yourself a good morning and night routine for taking care of your body and I promise you will feel a big difference.
The most powerful habit I have added into my daily routine is meditating. I wake up every morning and set my intention for the day, I write my to do list in my notes on my phone, listen to a podcast on daily affirmations, and then when I shower I picture my life exactly as I dream it. I usually wake up and within about 10 seconds my anxiety kicks in, so the first few steps in my morning routine are really important for me. Once I have showered, I get into some comfortable clothes and spend some time meditating before I have my breakfast. This is time for me to think about everything I am grateful for that day, and it puts me in a really good mood. I recommend using the app Headspace, I recently upgraded to the premium version and it was the best decision! The app has so many daily meditations you can practice for anything you need. You can also practice manifestation whilst you meditate, I like to watch videos on YouTube to help me practice the techniques needed to manifest effectively. If you try just one thing from this blog post I really think meditating is the most powerful, it sets the tone for the day and reminds you what a blessing it is for you to live each day to its fullest potential.
I hope you're staying safe, remembering to take care of your mind just as much as your body, and don't feel pressure to do absolutely everything in one day. If your day didn't go as planned, that's okay! sit down, practice a short meditation and reset your mind in that moment, start again, even if it's 10pm. There are no rules to meditation and you are allowed to do whatever works best for you. Keep improving everyday, try your best at everything you do and enjoy this time to work on yourself however you want to.
Thank you for reading, I hope this helps you in some way! Love always, Chloe💫
