You time...

We live in a society where we have to be busy and maybe this is a way most people distract themselves from any bigger things going on in their lives. I know myself going from doing pretty much nothing on a daily basis just after finishing University to now the opposite within less than a year, whenever I have the time to do nothing I immediately feel guilty for just sitting there and try and find myself something worthwhile to do.

I think it is important to find the right balance between keeping busy and still making sure you embrace those days where you really have nothing to do.

It seems like people assume that the busier you are the more successful you are and giving yourself a rest can be misunderstood as laziness. I suppose its difficult to truly rest when we live in a society where nothing ever really stops. Even when you decide to treat yourself and have some time to relax, we are still obsessing over social networking sites and immediately feel guilty for sitting there in your dressing gown.

I think that even though being busy is linked with being in control it is still so important to allow yourself time to relax and rest. We should all be able to have moments where we are selfish and prioritise hobbies or just the little things that make us happy. Life shouldn't just be filled with things we have to do but also things we want to do! Make a 'To do' list with all the things you want to do (no matter how big or small)  instead of all those chores or deadlines.

I love days when I think of something to write about on my blog, and have the time to just sit down and let the typing take over. Recently I have also been doing some Yoga every week by myself using 'Yoga with Adriene' on YouTube it is really good to just take as little as 20 mins a day to have some you time! Go on, Treat yourself :)

  

Tuesday Pep Talk... #2

We are always told to treat other people how we want to be treated ourselves but yet we are often our own worst enemies.

It is all well and good being kind to other people (& please don't stop doing that) but what about being kind to ourselves?

Whenever you have a tough day with whatever it may be, you should make an effort to be kind to yourself instead of punishing yourself.

At the end of the day instead of feeling angry or annoyed about something that has happened or how you have been feeling you should do something you enjoy and/or treat yourself!

Have a bath, read, watch a film, do yoga, drink a hot drink, watch crap TV, have that takeaway you can't stop thinking about! Do whatever makes you happy! :)

The Benefits of Yoga

Numerous people including my doctor recommended that I starting doing Yoga or Pilates as a technique to ease the symptoms of my anxiety. 

 In all honesty again I was quite skeptical about joining a class and just like the stereotype goes I thought it would be all old ladies in leotards who trump a lot. I struggled to find a local class which I would be able to go to until I saw a leaflet for a class starting near by at the beginning of the year. A combination of doing a bit of research and having not done much in terms of exercise for a couple of months I decided I wanted to try something new. Having never done anything like yoga before except attempting a couple of poses on the Wii fit I wasn't really sure what expect. 

So we joined the class in January and have been going every week for 12 weeks. I can honestly say I cannot believe how good Yoga is both physically and mentally. It has without a doubt helped me in a variety of different ways. We have learnt so much in the short time we have been going and they are all little things you can remember and do at home as well. 

Below are a few of the never ending list of benefits Yoga can have on your body, both physically and mentally;

• Although you don't get a sweat on and you don't particularly feel like you are doing anything physical at the time, you stretch every muscle in your body during each class and it definitely feels like you've had a workout the day after. It has definitely made my muscles stronger and improved my strength. The first time I went back to my circuit training class I was dreading how I was going to feel the day after. Surprisingly I didn't ache like I used to at all and during the class I noticed I could do more reps without my muscles feeling tired as quickly. Although Yoga isn’t a direct route to weight loss I have noticed that my stomach is gradually getting more toned. So a combination of circuit training and yoga is the perfect balance for me. 

• Doing also Yoga improves your sleeping. It is never something I have ever really struggled with but I would really recommend it if you are someone who struggles with insomnia. The night after doing a Yoga class I have the best nights sleep and sleep solidly all night without waking up once. 

• Not only does Yoga make you feel relaxed and calm during the class by doing the breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and just generally helping you to clear your mind, I have already noticed a difference in myself, overall I feel much calmer, the amount of 'wobble' days I have had has got less and the extent of my panic attacks has reduced . 

I am thinking of doing a series of blog posts sharing the different poses, stretches and techniques we have learnt at Yoga and I will go into more detail about specific areas. 

Picture from Pinterest