Taking positive steps

Hey everyone!

So, how are we all getting on with our new years resolutions? I hope they're all going well for you!

Today I want to talk about the steps I'm taking to try and live a more healthy life. Now this doesn't mean cutting out everything that could be classed as 'bad food' because then we start entering the realm of fad diets that realistically have very limited effects.

My first step isn't even really diet related, I've spent the last week trying to established a healthier morning routine that prevents me from waking up on work days with only just enough time to get changed and leave to get to work on time if I'm quick about it. For the last 6 days I've been adjusting to waking up earlier. Not LOADS earlier than I'm already used to, but just early enough that I have enough time to actually wake up when I wake up. My day starts at 6:30, which at the moment gives me enough time to lay in bed for a good few minutes while I adapt to being awake at that time. It also gives me enough time to shower which helps with the whole waking up thing, and most importantly it allows me to spend bit of time on myself and move forward with my day in the right frame of mind and with a more positive mental attitude. To do this I've been working with an app that I've previously heard a lot of great things about when it comes to meditation and mindfulness, it's called Headspace. This routine is designed to combat any negative feelings that come from having to wake up early and go to work and trust me I am not a fan of the whole getting up early thing! Like I said it's been 6 days so far, and between that new routine taking shape and the new diet I'm following, I feel more motivated and healthier both physically and mentally than I have in a long time. A big part of this is due to breaking the usual constraints of 7 day, week by week goals, instead I'm working on 10 day goals and getting rid of the whole 'oh I'll just start on Monday' thing. It's shocking really, just how much coming out of the weekly routine can help you achieve so much more. The end goal of this step, because of course there is one, is to be able to get up, exercise, shower, meditate and then go on with my day knowing that I've spent time on myself and taken steps towards living heathier.

Step two is to watch what I eat and like I said that doesn't mean avoiding everything that could be considered unhealthy because I'm never going to maintain that. From previous experiences, I believe that the best way for me to maintain an overall healthier diet is to still allow myself treats now and then, just being more careful how much and when. Everything in moderation and all that. So far it seems to be working although I say that only being 6 days in, but I already feel like I'm more on the path of sustaining it than before, as clique as that sounds! So the diet I'm following is the Paleo diet, which is known as the 'cave man diet'. The idea is to only consume foods that would have been accessible to our ancestors, resulting in eating only fresh, natural foods. The meals are delicious because really the earth does provide so many flavours and while there are some restrictions, it basically boils down to not eating anything processed. No processed meats, no processed fats, no processed sugar and no processed carbs. Everything is natural.

So between the two first steps in my journey I can already highlight three bucket list items that these actions will help tick off.

1. Getting to a size 12

2. Quitting Citalopram

3. Learning to meditate

Naturally the diet and further down the line exercise will help with the loosing weight thing, and naturally using headspace will help me learn to meditate. So the big one here is quitting Citalopram. For those of you who don't know, I've dealt with anxiety for years and Citalopram has been the pill that's helped me deal with remaining calm and overtime has helped me completely cut anxiety attacks out of my life. I haven't had an anxiety attacked in probably over 9 months, but I haven't come off Citalopram out of I guess the fear of them coming back. When I started this blog one of the first items I put on my bucket list to quit Citalopram but I had to make sure I was ready to do it before jumping into something that maybe I wasn't ready for even if I did want to do it eventually. So I'm hoping headspace is also going to be the final push I need come off the pills now that I have a more natural replacement for staying calm and deal with stress.

So that's my epic lifestyle change story so far... but what else have I been up to? Well I can tell you that I have MUSE TICKETS FOR THEIR TOUR THIS YEAR! My parents got the tickets to see them as my Christmas present and I am so excited to be able to tick such a long standing bucket list item off this year! Epic thanks to my parents for that one. Me and a few friends are also planning a trip to Amsterdam this year! So that'll be another item to tick off and it's all very exciting!

When I sit back and look at the five items I've just mentioned that are going to be achieved or start to be achieved over the next 12 months it makes me very excited for the year ahead! I can already feel myself starting to heal, you know its a really something when you wake up one day and your first thought isn't of the person who broke your heart, but of excitement for what the future holds. I experienced that for the first time a couple of mornings ago an I just felt like this massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. They say that people who are trying to get over something will just one day wake up and be over it, like you'll go to sleep still completely not over it and you wake up the next day like there was nothing wrong with the last 5 months of your life, it's just completely gone and you're moving on. I'm not saying that has happened to me yet, maybe it wont happen for a while yet, but I feel like I'm on the right road to getting there!

Here's to progress, positivity, healing and of course, the future

Until next time

Rx