Beat the Sunday night blues...

You've had a great weekend, eaten good food, got some good workouts in, seen friends and family, spent it with your loved one... then there is this feeling, it sets in around 4pm, the Sunday blues, the oh man the weekend is over and I have to go back to work blues. 

This is normally reserved for people in jobs who don't like them that much, know they have a hard week ahead, or if your like my dad who works away from home, leaving your loved one at home whilst you stay away for the week! 

I personally don't get the sunday blues that much any more, I don't mind my job so much, I get it more on an early shift because who likes a 4am wake up call but in general I don't mind it. 

But here are some ways to beat the sunday blues and make sure you make the most of your weekend without worrying about the week ahead! 

• Get the boring stuff done first - But I have so much to do I hear you cry - especially if you have kids, it takes a lot more time to get things done! So prioritize the chores that need to be done when they are occupied or napping, or if they are old enough get them to join in! Get the boring stuff out the way first then spend the rest of the weekend enjoying your time. Once they have gone to bed that is you "me" time, spend it with your partner, watch some tv and enjoy the peace and quiet! If you are without children its still applies it just means you have less distractions! 
• Take a bath - a hot bath with candles is a perfect way to end a weekend. Turn off the lights, light some candles, shut the door and breath. It's amazing how much better you can feel when you just shut everything out and just relax. 
• Clean bedsheets - argue with me that there is nothing better than climbing into a clean bed and I will argue with you right back! I LOVE clean sheets, the feel, the smell - yes I never want to leave the bed again but it makes me feel so good, especially after my relaxing bath I feel ready to settle down.
• Read - don't watch tv an hour before bed, especially in your bed! Put the laptop down, the phone away and any other technology and open that book. The read doesn't have to be relaxing, I love crime thrillers - not exactly bedtime reading but it works for me! 
• Make your bedroom your sanctuary - I make sure my bedroom is for sleeping or bed activities.... nothing else, no eating, no working, no stress. My boyfriend does everything from bed... We have a small house and when I am downstairs he claims upstairs... I don't agree with this, by him working in bed, eating in bed and basically doing everything in that room I think he associates it more with stress without realising, he won't listen to me of course but I know that since I have stopped doing all those things in bed I have slept a lot better
• Think positive - if you are feeling stressed write it down. By the time you are finished you normally feel ten times better, you have vented to the person who understands - you - and you have let your feelings go. When I was really stressed about things in my life I used to write a list of everything that bugged me and then I would burn it as a way to let go. It helps it really does, it may sound strange or stupid but I would give it a try! We have all seen the valentines ritual on friends right? Where they burn the picture of ex boyfriends to break the curse? Well this is the same thing just be careful with fire we don't want the fire brigade out! 

Try these any night of the week your feeling stressed, but try to introduce them on a Sunday for a nice end to the weekend, and don't get to bogged down in the little details of the week ahead - a positive mind set is key to a healthy positive lifestyle! 

Monday Mantra

Sometimes you will suck

Weird title when promoting positivity right?

Well it is kind of true... its not a permanent state of course, but everyone has their off days, we are only human after all! 

Picture this - so last Sunday, I went to the gym as usual, I was having a low confidence, bad body kinda few days - I was bloated, felt out of shape, tired, stressed etc but I powered through thinking the gym will fix this. 

I got there and we began the training, all was going well, I had a few hicups, banged a weight against my shin, couldn't get the balance quite right etc, almost winded myself during leg press (came down way to quickly) then I moved on to squats - now if you follow me on Twitter on Instagram, the squats have been progressing nicely, so I start my sets and the squats are fine, nice and low, great posture - excellent - then I come to rack the weight, and I can't, so my boyfriend helped me, I laugh it off and get ready for the next set - same pattern exercise is great but I cannot rack this bloody weight! After 3 attempts again I had to be helped, this time I walk away take a few breathes, then come back for my next set - yup same thing happens again and I just loose it and start CRYING in the gym - full blown stress induced, frustrated tears - cue sympathetic but slightly uncomfortable boyfriend asking what was wrong and I just reply I suck, I can't even rack the weight... he turned to me and said welcome to work of weight lifting babe - some days will not be your day, the next day you will be the best again. 

I spent a lot of Sunday reflecting on this, and decided that yes ok parts of my workouts had sucked but I had still worked my butt off (literally) and overall it wasn't so bad! 

I also decided to change my mind set - if I didn't like what I saw change it - make the tweaks you have been promising in your diet and push yourself harder in the gym, lift heavier and work to your best potential. 

So I walked into the gym that Monday and I worked for what I wanted - lifting heavier and leaving the gym feel awesome and proud of myself - and as it was arm day a nice little pump going on! 

What I am trying to say is, having an off day isn't the end of the world, it is just one day - move past it and focus on the bigger goal you are trying to achieve! 

Monday Mantra

Summer is approching and I feel alive.
I love autumn and winter but when it gets past Christmas, I am over it! I miss the sunshine, the lighter mornings and evenings, the smell of hot air and fresh cut grass (minus the hayfever) and of course the BBQ season!

I feel positive, like there is light at the end of the wintery tunnel, there is nothing more relaxing than laying in the garden or on the beach feeling the sun on your face and basially just feeling healthy.

I have been feeling alot more positive lately - March was a bad month - but I am moving past it and looking forward to the future.

So if you do one thing today, step outside, even if it is slightly dull, overcast or even freezing! Step outside, step away from the stress and enjoy your life, it's a good one, even if you have to look very hard to find it!

The most important relationship you will have.

Self love is something I have struggled with for years. 

I don't ever remember a time I was fully comfortable in my own skin and happy with my weight, body or shape. 

It is only recently that I have fully learnt to accept and love who I am. My strengths, my weakness, my perfections and my flaws - funnily enough when I wrote that sentence the first time I started that sentence with the negative not the positive.

Really what it comes down to it positive thinking and focusing on the small things that make you beautiful, individual and you.

I looked for love and acceptance in the wrong places - from friends, boys and family - they could never give it to me because I would never let them.

Not matter how many times my parents would tell me I am beautiful I would dismiss it thinking they had to say it. 

Boys were never the answer, letting myself being defined by if they fancied me, bought me drinks on a night out and if they would text after a first date. 

I read somewhere that until you love yourself no one else can love you.

I was sceptical when I read this at first because my mind set was people should love me then I will accept myself - sounds awful because I have an amazing family and friends, but I still couldn't get there.

I lost weight for myself, thinking just one more pound and I would be happy and guess what when I hit the magic number I still wasn't there.

Everything changed when I met my boyfriend - my best friend and one of my biggest supporters outside my family. 

At first I thought it was him who changed me and taught me to love myself because when I was with him I was at my best, but after time I realised he had only taught me to think differently about the way I approach things - my confidence grew, my workouts changed, my eating habits also changed and because of this and him I found myself becoming happier. 

When we were apart I felt a little lost and like I was falling backwards, and I didn't want to become the needy, desperate girlfriend that couldn't be away from her boyfriend, so instead I channelled what he had taught me and changed my mind set on my own. 

Sure the encouragement came from him, but in the end it was all down to me to make it happen. 

I found as I worked on this our relationship became stronger, but also the relationship with myself became stronger - so I guess it is true, well sort of I found love and in turn found love in myself. 

Now every morning I look at myself in the mirror and choose a nice, positive thing about myself - my shoulders, my eyes, my lips for example. 

A small feature, but it makes a big impact on my day. Like any girl I like to feel pretty, I also like to feel in shape, lean, muscular, so I look for these things every day, making sure I find at least one positive thing to focus on. 

Sometimes I don't pick a body feature, other days it will be going up a weight on lifting or running a distance faster. 

My point is less negative more positive - smile more often and pass it on, happiness is infectious and I like feeling positive and happy. 

There are so many dark things in the world, your self worth should not be defined by numbers on a scale, what a boy says to you or what others think. 

There is nothing more amazing than a woman who loves herself and thinks the best of herself! 

Wordless Wednesday

Thoughtful Tuesday

Happy Monday

After a tough 3 weeks and spending most of yesterday in tears, I finally got the news I was waiting for, and now after much encouragement from my parents and boyfriend this is the way I will be living my life from now on.

No more panics, no more worries, no more stress! 

Take each day as it comes and be happy, and try not to worry about small things like ok for example, telling my boyfriend I love him, I have never done that before and after it slipping out from him a few weeks back, and my awkward reply, it slipped out from me this week. 

So we put it out there without actually saying it to each other LOL! Such dorks, but its out there, and soon it will be directly said. I hope! 

ANYWAY! 

Happy monday people, here is too a good week and a Positive Mental Attitude!