Our bodies get a bit of a hard time, don’t they? We are always putting them down, whether that’s in the way we talk or even, think about them. I know that mine for sure never gets enough credit that it deserves.

So for this post I thought I’d whip up a few little things we can do to be kind to our body today.

1. STRETCH

When was the last time you had a real good stretch? (That’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d say today). But seriously. I’m not a scientist but I think there’s a reason why stretching feels so good. It can only do our body well, especially if you are sat at a desk for most of the day. Stretch those limbs, gal!

2. TRY BODY BRUSHING

I’ve done this for about a year now and I promise, it makes such a difference! I use mine in the shower and although at first it might feel a bit harsh, it really works wonders for the body. Brushing away toxins, and making everything feel a bit firmer too. It’s a win win situation.

3. MIX UP YOUR WORKOUTS

Sometimes we get in a rut, and the same goes for our workouts. I know I’m probably not the only one who can sit on the gym bike and just refresh Twitter, without putting in the effort I should. So today, mix this thing up. Do something different and see how your body reacts. Whether that’s a different yoga move, fitness video, or just going for a quick run around the block… change feels good!

4. NOURISH

Whether you’re a fruit girl like myself, or love a stir-fry, getting in your 5 a day can sometimes feel a challenge and all I really want to eat is a cup of tea and biscuits. Learn to notice the signals your body is telling you, and if you feel sluggish after too much sugar, maybe indulge in a green juice every now and again.

5. TAKE A DEEP BREATH

Living our usual day to day lives, we forget to take a good deep breath and appreciate the moment we are in. So as you read this, give yourself and your body a big pat on the back and thank it for keeping you well. Plus, take 3 deep breaths too.

Do you plan on doing any of these today?

I think in all areas of life, we don’t shout about something until we feel we’ve ‘achieved’ it. We don’t celebrate our journeys to the goal, only the outcome.

We feel we have to have the best blog, a like-worthy Instagram feed, and be able to nail a yoga headstand just because everyone else can seem to. Lets not think about the time and effort it takes to get there, we want it now. We don’t want to seem like the new girl who’s lagging behind, quite like me on the 800m in high school.

We don’t embrace being a beginner.

The beauty and excitement of starting something fresh can invigorate us and make us feel alive, it shows us that life can be whatever we want and our possibilities are endless.

Yet we shun it away and act like it’s something to feel embarrassed or ashamed of. We don’t want to admit that we don’t quite know what we’re doing yet, we haven’t figured it all out. (Spoiler: no-one actually has it figured out either, promise)

I want to start celebrating the fact that YES I am a beginner in this. Yes I’m trying out a new Instagram theme, yes I’m learning new yoga poses, and YES where my blog is concerned, I’ve only just begun. And really, how bloody exciting is that?

Life is what we make it, and there’s nothing quite like starting something new, and being a beginner. Hold on for the awesome journey that’s to come.

Are you going to join me in celebrating being a beginner too?

Having a diary works wonders for my life, in all ways. It keeps me organised, feeling in control, and lets me be as productive as I possibly can! I wanted to chat today about how I plan my week, incase you were interested in starting a diary too, especially if your a lover of routine like myself! Lets get into it..

ESSENTIALS

First up, we have the essentials. These are things like lunch, dinner, work, sleep! The stuff we need to do, and also the things we have to do. Other tasks like doing the food shopping and paying bills also comes into play here, so make sure you schedule those in too.

DOWN-TIME/WELL-BEING

Also just as important, is your down-time. Time to rest, relax and re-charge. Make sure you include at least 2-3 times this week where you are doing something for your own health. That could be having an early night, a pamper routine, or taking yourself on a solo cinema date- anything that will benefit your physical or emotional well-being.

PLAY

The fun part, right? An afternoon writing blog posts (or maybe the afternoon off?), a coffee and cake with a friend, or cooking dinner for a loved one. We all need a bit of fun in our lives, so lets go out there and make it happen. My fun comes in lots of areas, my yoga class, family time, baking, even just going out for a meal with Dan. They keep me happy.

BLANK SPACE

It’s necessary to leave some blank spaces in our lives, and diaries, incase anything surprising pops up. I like to leave one or two evenings free a week just so that if we want to be spontaneous, we can be!

Top Tips:

• Always have something to look forward to, it keeps you feeling positive.
• Plan your days in advance by at least 3 days. That should be enough time so you don’t feel overwhelmed, or frantic and unorganised.
• Share your calendars with the important people in your life so everyone is connected!
• Try bullet journalling and get doodling!
• Organise some time each day to look at your diary for the days ahead so you feel in the loop.
• Treat yourself to some personalised stationary and make it pretty.

  Do you plan out your week? Does it look different to how I do it?

I’ve always loved sleep. It’s a well known fact in my family that I slept through the night for the first time when I was a tiny baby (My mum loved me!)

Over the last few years my sleep routine has been non-existent, and I’ve been known to get up late, plus stay up super late with an over-active mind that won’t shut itself off, then repeat the cycle forever. However, this past couple of months I’ve been working on it and I’ve got back a really good sleep routine, that I’m actually super happy with, so I thought I’d share what works for me in today’s post!

Be consistent

One of the most important things that works for me is going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. I set my alarm for about 8:20 every weekday, and usually fall asleep about 11pm every evening, that means I’m getting at least 8 and a half hours, which I so need. After a few days your body clock gets used to it, and you naturally wake up at that time (without an alarm) and start getting sleepy when the evening wears on. It’s a bit freaky and at the same time wonderful how in tune our bodies are with what we practice regularly. On the weekend I let myself stretch the boundaries a little (although not too much) by adding 30-45 minutes on each end.

Don’t go to bed hungry

I hear a lot of people say not to go to bed on a full stomach, but for me, it’s don’t go to bed hungry! Granted I don’t have a 3 course meal at 9pm, but I always have a snack an hour before bed so I feel satisfied. Plus, sometimes you can feel naturally sleepy after you’ve eaten too which helps. I usually have a bit of dark chocolate or some fruit, and I always wake up ravenous and ready for breakfast anyway, I guess I’m just that kind of person!

Be organised

This isn’t so much with your sleep routine, but with general day to day life. I always plan my diary 3 days in advance so I feel prepared for the days ahead, and I’m not awake worrying about how I’m going to get everything done at midnight.

Find what works for you

This sounds a bit vague, but whether it’s having a cup of tea before bed, or watching a Youtube video, do your thing. I find watching vlogs super relaxing, so I’m not one of those ‘don’t touch your phone for 2 hours before bed’ kind of people. Personally, I read for a good half hour and spritz a pillow spray. Sometimes I even stretch to the odd self- foot massage and it feels glorious!

Body scan

This is probably my fail safe ‘I can’t sleep but really want to’ tip. It might be a bit hard to describe but I’ll give it a go!

Basically, you start at your feet and clench one foot super tight, into a really small ball, hold this for 10 seconds, then release super, super slowly. The slower, the better. Then you do the other foot, before moving upwards towards your legs, arms, hands etc. This is a well-known relaxation method and it works every time for me, I’ll usually be fast asleep before I even finish it.

Do you have any good sleep tips?

I wanted to pop up a little post about my travel/holiday skincare routine, as I was using some pretty great products (if I say so myself!) and wanted to share the love about them on the blog.

MORNING

My morning skincare routine wasn’t too lengthy, I just used the mini Garnier Micellar Water (I still prefer the Simple one though) and applied the Caudalie Moisturising Sorbet afterwards before applying my body and face SPF.

I used the Hawaiian Tropic in SPF30 and because it was oil-free, it didn’t seem to break my face out either which is usually a worry for me and my sensitive skin!

EVENING

In the evening is where I get my skincare game on a little more! I cleansed using my favourite Decleor 3 in 1 cleanser, then applied the Alpha H liquid gold as a toner.

Once that has sunk in a little, I went in with the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, (I love this stuff and my skin much prefers it as a evening moisturiser for some reason) and the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream. I treated my skin to the Origins Drink Up Intensive Mask every night while we were there, and it lapped up the hydration! It smells like oranges too which is a bonus.

I then popped on some Birthday Cake Balm dot Com and I was ready to catch up on some Love Island viewing before bed and hitting the beach again the following day!

It’s been a while since I did a skincare post but I really enjoyed typing up this.

Have you used any of these products?