Maintaining Motivation: When The Going Gets Tough...

Since finishing university and entering the working world I've found myself often falling into a bit of a hole. Motivation sometimes escapes the best of us and recently I've had conversations with multiple friends about how they have struggled over the past year or so. After two or three years working, it starts to feel a bit repetitive, day in, day out, tube there, tube home. I know two friends who are currently feeling this way, one is thinking about switching things up and moving abroad, the other is still trying to find her motivation and I hope that a few of my words on here will give her a little something, a hand, because we've all been there and we know that we'll be back at some point in the future. It's getting to know yourself, what keeps you happy, motivated and energised day to day for the good things to come!

Respect Your Body
This can be a number of things but taking time to respect your body is key. For me this means eating a healthy diet, heading to the gym or practicing yoga. I'm not lying - it's science! Giving yourself those happy endorphins is going to make you feel soooo much better. Also, I think its pretty obvious that you're gonna feel a lot better whipping yourself up a fresh meal rather than having a greasy takeaway. I'm not saying to not treat yourself, far from! I'm a big believer in treating yourself to a chocolate brownie or a pizza but if you're feeling rubbish, rubbish food is not gonna make you feel any better.

Take a Break
Don't overwork yourself! Learn that there's a time for 'go' and a time for 'stop'. If you don't set these boundaries your work is going to be a lot less productive and the quality of your work will slowly deteriorate, the lines will blur. Your time is vital to maintaining a happy state of mind. Whether your you time is reading a book, taking a bath or meditating, whatever your thing is make sure you're taking at least 10 minutes a day to let your mind rest and restore.

Keep the Balance
There's a reason people say balance is key. Work, play and relax! Take time for all three, you can't fully appreciate each one without the others. If you're working hard and have to stay late at work treat yourself to that glass of wine, go for cocktails with the girls but still attend that Boxercise class on Saturday morning. That said if you're knackered, sleep in! Listen to your body, there's a reason why it asks for different things.

Keep Those That Matter Close
Keep those that are positive around. You know what pushes you further when you're feeling down - bad vibes! If you're in a negative environment it's going to rub off on you. Over the past two years, I've started to recognise those friends that have a positive impact on my mental state and you know what? I spend a lot more time with them now and this makes me a hella lot happier!

Try Something New
I love trying new things. I realised a few years ago that I used to hold back from the unknown, you see I'm a fairly organised person and when I don't have order I can get stressed and anxious. Slowly, slowly I started to introduce doing new things, whether they were new activities, going to new places or even spending more time with new people and I realised that I love it! Don't get me wrong, there's always a chance that you're going to stumble across a few things that you don't like. This weekend I went to my first ever spin class and went wreath making and I bloody loved both! Trying new things gives you a chance to learn more about yourself and isn't that fun? 

Learn to Say No!
Don't want to do it? Just say no. Too tired? Say no. Too stressed? say no. We are all scared to say it but the reality is nobody really cares that much, you're allowed to say no and you won't be penalised if you say it occasionally.

Don't Let your Anxt Win!
Often when you lack motivation you don't really want to leave the house. Here's an example: It's a Saturday and you've not made any plans, so what do you do? I know I've had days sitting at home feeling sorry for myself and it can get to 7pm and you've not even left the house - but you know what, kick your ass into gear! Head out for a walk, go do your weekly shop, start your Christmas shopping or go visit a friend, because I'll tell you a secret, sitting doing nothing... does nothing. Crazy, I know right?! Even if you feel really rubbish, sometimes you've gotta force yourself, because at the end of the day YOU are the only person that can maintain your motivation!

Foodie Fresh: How I've Changed Up My Diet

With so many of my friends changing up their eating habits and becoming Pescatarian, Vegetarian, and even Vegan, I took a step back and started to analyse my own diet. 

This started whilst I was on holiday with my family in February. My sister had previously tried out a Vegan diet around November time, but by this point had found her happy balance by becoming a Pescatarian. I decided to try it out and join in whilst I was on holiday, and traveling around Thailand and the Maldives actually made a Veggie diet fairly easy. I'd been playing with the idea for around a year as my best friend has been Vegetarian since she went traveling. I've always been aware of gross animal farming and the mass effect that it has on the earth, but let's be honest, for those of us that love the taste of meat taking that first step is bloody hard!

Now I'm nowhere near a saint for doing this, there is no way I could become vegan, I love cheese and milk too much (and wine and beer), but taking the time to observe my diet and make a few changes has for sure left me feeling fitter and more energised. 

After a few months of going full-out Veggie, I've found myself a middle ground. I realised that after a while my meals became a lot more carb-based as I was trying to fill myself up without having meat. So with a bit of trial and error, I have now decided to include fish in my diet to try and find that balance.  

I know that for sure I am a lot happier with cutting down on my beef intake and that by making these dietary changes I eat A LOT more fruit and veg a day, dare I say more than my allotted 5... and I'm feeling a lot better for it. So keep your eyes peeled for a good few recipes coming your way. I'm really into my veggie burrito bowls, baked cod, chili and prawn tagliatelle and aubergine curry!

New Year, More Me

So I know the title of the blog post seems pretty self-absorbed and vain, and yeah, although pretty abrupt and quite self-centered, that's what I am to be a bit more of in 2018. 2017 was a year that taught me a lot of lessons, all good, and I feel was a year of growth. Now 2018 has begun I am making a conscious effort to do what makes ME happy. So many of us go about our daily lives and routines, forgetting one key ingredient to life, being happy. So starting now I am going to put myself out there. And here's how...

1. Get out and about doing activities that I enjoy.

Go to all those art exhibitions I said I was going to see but never did, see those films that I think look pretty damn cool, and try that doughnut shop that I've been drooling over on Instagram for months.

2. Make more time to see friends (those that bring joy to my life).

3. Make career choices and steps that contribute to my lifelong goal. Put in the extra hours if needs be, and voice my opinions and ideas when needed.

4. Exercise. I've always been pretty good with this one, but I want to change up my exercise routine this year. I've been stuck in a rut for a while doing the same stuff over and over, so maybe I'll try out a new class or start exercising with a friend, this will boost my moral and get me seeing some progress. 

5. Diet. when people hear the word diet they so often think about cutting their calorie intake and taking out all your favourite fatty and sugary foods. Well, I'm not talking about diet in that regard, I'm talking about changing my diet to a healthy and sustainable one. Since the winter months started to creep in I often find myself reaching for ready meals, quick and easy right? Well, my skin and energy levels have definitely been paying for it. I'm going to try my hardest to cook all my meals from scratch, and make sure that I've got a hell of a lot more fruit and veg in my daily diet, because I've noticed a mental change since putting this into action since Jan 1st (yes after devouring a tube of smarties to help cure my hangover from NYE). I'm even going veggie for the majority of my meals- also a great way to save some extra dollar (another goal of mine for 2018!).

So there you have it. New Year... more me!