5 Things that changed my life

Hello people! I hope you all had a amazing September, Now I do need to start with a disclaimer I am not a all knowing yogi with eternal enlightenment, but these tips have truly made a change in my life and I only hope to help others through my personal experience. Most of these things I would put off for a long time because on the surface they didn't seem like huge life changers and I wasn't ready to make changes . Now lets go back a few months when I didn't have a clue what I was doing ( in general ) and felt like life was quick sand which I couldn't escape. I was desperately looking for anything to get me out of my rut, and here are a few things that really helped me.

Eric Thomas

 

 

I would hear his name come up all the time on podcasts in terms of overcoming procrastination, illness, loss and needing motivation when going through a difficult time. Eric Thomas was a homeless high school drop out who now owns his own multi million dollar company all because he changed his mindset. He has hundreds of motivational videos on Youtube and is mostly known for his series Thank God Its Monday where he gives you insane motivation to start the week. Not only is he a motivational speaker but also a author, activist and he even releases his speeches as mixtapes/albums which is PERFECT for the gym. I listen to his Podcast daily for inspiration, he gets up every morning at 3, yes 3am!!! He says the only difference between the successful people and everyone else is how they use their 24 hours. I swear to you its impossible to listen to someone daily who wakes up at 3am and Grinds non stop and then be a lazy slob. Now lets be clear he never tells you to do the same as him but he does encourage you to wake up earlier and earlier slowly over time and before you go to work or start your day to do something that will improve your wellbeing. Here is some of my favourite videos:

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Meditation

 

 

 

 

 

So this is something that was a game changer, when your down or going through a tough time sitting with your eyes closed for 5 minutes doesn't sound too appealing.I bought a meditation book from amazon called Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world which has a cd inside with 8 weeks worth of daily meditations. I bought this after extensive research on the best meditation methods and this has over a thousand 5 star reviews on amazon . Now I need to be 100% honest with you I used to hate meditation, loathe it, it wasn't until I researched the success rate for people dealing with depression, burn out and anxiety. I struggled so much in the early days with being consistant with meditation I would miss a day, not want to do it on certain days and feel so discouraged that I couldn't stick to something that appeared so simple. But my mum told me that just because something is hard I shouldn't give up on it especially if its good for you, So I put the c.d back in and restarted the 8 week program. I'm currently on week 4 and I have to say I feel a improvement in my wellbeing, I would suggest starting with 5 minutes with a app like Calm to begin with because anything over 10 minutes is quite hard.

 

 

 

 Do what you love.

 

 

 

Is there something you are particularly good at ? Can you spend hours doing it with out getting bored or fed up ? This could be anything from writing to a sport or cooking as long as it will profit you in the long run. Now I know this can sound cliché and obvious but one thing that has truly changed my life is how much time I spend doing things to feed my soul, that are productive but I can do for hours. I remember if I was ever feeling uninspired at that time I wasn't blogging or doing activities that were just for me. Now I love boxing I could box for hours dripping with sweat and still have a huge smile on my face, I don't see it as exercise, to me its a fun activity that happens to be good for my body. I first found boxing many years ago when two coaches came to my secondary school (I was 15) and did a class and later invited me to their gym, I spent the whole summer holidays going weekly having the best time of my life. During summer I went back to my old boxing club and started classes 3 times a week, and would you believe the highlight of my week are those classes? I find myself having laughing fits with my training partner because I'm in a amazing environment doing something I love and ultimately I feel free. Now I am not telling you to go and do an extreme fitness class to feel good, but you should find a activity that isn't exercise.... but is (confusing much?) by that I mean find something that is fun for YOU please don't get sucked into the latest fitness fad. If the latest trend is to do yoga ( after experience its actually amazing ) don't force yourself to do it because it sounds good, by all means try it but be open to other options.

 

 

 

 

There are many things out there that are great for your health but don't have to feel like a death sentence : dancing, kick boxing, ballet barre training, pilates, fitness DVD's, weightlifting, cross fit, outdoor running. I remember when I was trying to exercise regularly I would find it so hard to find motivation to train, I would dread long intervals on the treadmill and wish things could be different, what changed was I stopped trying to do what media was telling me and found something that was effortless that I was eager to go to every week. Simularly if you don't have a active hobby yet try everything! please I encourage not to fear something because you're new, I understand it can be intimidating to go to a new gym/class especially if you don't know anyone, and everyone there seems professional. But always try something as a date not a marriage, meaning you don't have to do this the rest of your life and you can try different options until you find the right one.

 

 

 

 

Get out.

 

 

 

 

I would read in books and online the power of being around nature and think really?  a walk in the park would stop weeks of built up stress? bear in mind I was judging before I even tried . I began to wake up slightly earlier and get out and take in everything around me, I noticed my mood would gradually lift and I would feel light and almost hippie-like appreciating mother nature and all her glorious gifts. Now I do understand if you work full time and blog it will be very difficult to put aside extra time for a walk, but my whole mindset changed when I realised the importance of my well being, a walk may not seem important but if it can give you time to yourself to recharge and be inspired its something that should be prioritised.

 

 

 

You don't even have to walk, if there is a spot near your home that you find peaceful or has a beautiful view you can sit and just enjoy your surroundings not worrying about the amount of work you have to do, or what bits and bobs you need from the shops. I read its best to go out without a purpose to do a errand, so go for a walk just to walk ( or sit ). Luckily I have many parks and quiet spots literally behind my house so for me its easy, but if you live in the heart of a city I would suggest going to a area with beautiful houses that you can walk around and imagine you living there ( I seriously do this ).

 

 

 

 

 

Tell yourself  'You can!'

 

 

 

I found myself feeling down and very confused about my future, I can imagine this is something most people in their 20s go through and something I really struggle with. I decided that I would seek help through self help resources and professionals, first I began to listen to confidence boosting podcasts and read books that claim to 'heal the mind'. One thing that repeatly came up is your self talk , the things you tell yourself daily and even every second. Many studies show that there is a direct link between your success and how you talk to yourself, if you expect to succeed in something ultimately you will. I didn't realise the importance of what you say and think about yourself from the moment you wake up, now in the morning I give myself a movie-like inspiration speech in my head before I even eat breakfast.

 

The only reason I live by this philosophy is because of how many people swore by this rule, entrepenuers and millionaires were speaking about before they reached their success they told them selves it was possible and visualised it daily. This is such a hard habit to get into because naturally negatives thoughts can bombard our minds daily, and you have to make a deliberate effort to think positive. I began to get major confidence when my self talk became 100% positive , I wasn't afraid to try new things and I became less conscious of what others thought.

 

 

I hope some of these tips help and I would love to know any resources that have helped you.

 

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 



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xoxo