Movement

Hi friends.

It's been weeks since I shared a blog post. Things are tough in so many ways, and right now I'm making the most of my calmer moments by getting in some much needed rest. A few areas of my life are suffering as a result, but burning myself into the ground won't make me a better friend, sister or student in the long run. Right? Anyway, those of you who support me, even with a kind word here and there, are like stars to me. Can't even express how much I appreciate you.

Without further ado, let's talk about movement. What does that word mean to you?

For so long, movement for me meant shrinking myself. Shaping myself, conditioning myself, conforming to expectations. It was about will-power, force and dread. Driving my body at full speed when my mind and heart sought rest. Movement was self-destruction and obligation, and I know I'm not alone in this. I see now that I did not move for myself, but for the version of myself I felt I should be.

I think so many of us get wrapped up in societal expectations and pressures, so that we forget the real magic of moving our bodies. In all of this, our reasons get completely muddled and lost. I want to make one thing clear: I believe that pushing ourselves both physically and mentally is totally awesome. I have always admired the strength and determination of athletes, in the same way as I look up to writers, artists and philosophers. The key, though, is realising our own motivations and limits. This is why comparison is futile - we are all built differently and with unique potentials, which is really cool when you think about it.

I was born with a healthy body, but I have mistreated it for so many years. Rather than embracing its positive potential, I have pushed it so that it suffers, weakens and tires easily. Accepting this has been huge for me. My body is a gift, and I won't take it for granted.

So, that said, I've been changing my attitude towards exercise. Maybe you'll join me?

Now, I move because it feels good. I exercise not only my muscles, but my mind, my imagination and my creativity. I move because I have the space to do so, and because my body is capable of amazing things. Not because I hate it, but because I love it, and because I deserve that much respect. I move in the knowledge that I must care for every aspect of myself in order to reach my full potential.

Art work by Dallas Clayton

How do you love to move? Are you a walker like me, who finds comfort in the peacefulness and scope of nature? Do you like the sense of belonging that comes with team sports, or the energy and buzz you find at the gym? Discover (or continue to pursue) what you love, and accept that only you will know when you've found this. Be honest with yourself, because you owe yourself that. You are brave and strong.

If it costs you your peace, it is too expensive.

Love,

S x

P.S. I un-froze my gym membership, and I terminated it altogether. At this time in my life, it isn't for me. I'm done with running for miles and getting nowhere.

The Art of Single Tasking

Happy Monday!

Just wanted to share a really quick and simple productivity tip. This is especially for those of you who are always multitasking in the hope of getting more done. I'm the worst for this! Until recently, many of my meals were eaten at my desk, whilst trying to get a college assignment finished. I can't remember the last time I watched a movie, without absentmindedly scrolling through social media alongside. I am all for taking breaks, but switching the tab to reply to facebook messages every five minutes is not productive. I fiddle and fidget, and always feel the need to be doing something with my hands.

I have been a huge multi-tasker, but often at the expense of my best work, or the most meaningful experiences.

from powerofpositivity.com

So I've been practicing something new. It's pretty simple, but so effective. All I do is try to focus on a single task or activity, devoting all of my attention to it.

"We have to dispel the myth that if you're only doing one thing you're not doing as much"

- Dr Rouse

 This falls in line with mindfulness, and delayed gratification as I've mentioned before. I've not perfected the skill yet and I still find myself multi-tasking on a daily basis, but it has been so effective when I've committed to it. Not only do I complete tasks sooner and to a higher standard, but I am far more mindful and appreciative of the the things I truly enjoy. According to Huffington Post, 'unitasking' is allows mindful people to complete tasks 50% faster, and with 50% less chance of errors. Try it out some time!

"Rather than divide our attention, it is far more effective to take frequent breaks between intervals of sustained, one-pointed attention"  

-Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness at Work 

This week is half term for me, and I can feel myself becoming overwhelmed by the amount of work I have to get through. My three essays and research project won't write themselves, so I'm setting myself a new challenge for this week. I'm super excited to see how it goes (yeah, I'm a bit of a nerd). I've taken from this list of reminders for single tasking, and I've a few of my own. Prior to today, neither of these three things ever happen; they're still things I need to work on:

1. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with my phone out of reach for a week
2. Watch a movie from start to finish without distractions
3. Listen to an album all the way through

 So far so good! Here's to a productive week! Hope you have a good one.

S xxx

Minimalism: My New Journey

Hello again!

Another introduction type of post here; just thought I'd get these out of the way so that there's some context to what I ramble on about.

Over the past few months, I've come across (and done a great deal of research into) a new concept: minimalism. It instantly appealed to me, so much so that I'm in the process of making pretty big life changes. I'd love it if I can document these via this blog.

Delving into the topic of minimalism was overwhelming at first; there are so many online resources and each seems to define it differently. One of my first realisations was this: minimalism is a personal endeavor, from which one can take what they seek. Fundamentally, minimalism is about living a more meaningful and purposeful life, with less. This extract from The Minimalists blog got me hooked:

Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we've built our lives around. Real freedom.

That sounds amazing, right? I knew I wanted to pursue it somehow, right from the offset.  The blog I mentioned above is an awesome starting place if you're interested in this, so check it out. Jenny Mustard's becoming minimalist videos on YouTube are really wonderful also; Jenny has been one of my greatest inspirations.

I don't want this to be too long, so I'll let you do a little googling if you're interested. But I have learned a lot about myself so far, including (not limited to) the following:

• I own a lot of things
• I only love a small percentage of these things, and I use even fewer
• I buy things to fill some sort of hole, particularly when I am suffering emotionally
• My wardrobe doesn't reflect my true style, but rather a mish-mash of impulse purchases, as well as far too many pieces which never see the light of day
• I've spent much of my life valuing quantity over quality, not the other way around
• I am stressed out and weighed down by the amount of possessions I am surrounded with

With these realisations, and with the help of some really informative and empowering social media accounts, here are my goals:

• To spend money more consciously, purposefully and compassionately
• To support more individual, ethical and creative businesses
• To gradually reduce my possessions to those which are essential, useful or which I truly love
• To practice gratitude on a daily basis
• To value experiences over possessions, and to pour my energy into meaningful relationships, adventures and projects

I'm so excited, and have already donated loads of my things to grateful recipients. My dream is to move to a new city later this year, and I don't want to be hauling great reams of stuff there, either. However I want to emphasize that minimalism is not so much about reducing your possessions, but on shifting the focus to more important things. 

S x

Delayed Gratification to Achieve Your Goals

Hey friends.

Happy Monday! I'm currently curled up on my bed while dinner cooks, with my fairy lights flickering and my fluffiest jumper on. I'm learning to accept moments like these as not only normal, but necessary. A girl's gotta chill out, right?

Anyway, I just wanted to share something that's helped me a lot recently, especially since I've been hit by a wave of college deadlines, and life feels super hectic. Let's talk about delayed gratification. Or, put simply, the practice of waiting, and holding off from immediate pleasure or reward until later. It was this video by Vegan Family TV which got me thinking about it. If you watch it, take it with a pinch of salt; you might just find a few gems of inspiration.

We all practice delayed gratification at times; it's human nature. As a child, I distinctly remember gobbling down my peas in two minutes flat, before slowly savouring each mouthful of golden roast potato. Then, scribbling hurriedly through my homework sheets, just to enjoy that 7:30 TV show. Or you may have seen that experiment on TV, where a marshmallow is placed in front of a room of salivating pre-schoolers. They're told that they can eat it now, or wait fifteen minutes and be given an extra one. Apparently profound psychological conclusions can be drawn from this, and while I accept that some of us are predisposed to be better at practicing delayed gratification, it's something we can all do with a little self-discipline. But, unlike my homework example above, it shouldn't mean jeopardizing the quality of the task at hand, but rather completing it efficiently, and without procrastination.

It's a concept we can all relate to, but recently I've been making a concerted effort to put it into practice. I can honestly say, it is improving my quality of life! No exaggeration, I promise. Already, I've noticed an increase in my productivity and, consequently, my self-esteem. Not to mention, I am heaps more mindful and appreciative of the things I used to rush and take for granted.

My morning mug of steaming coffee tastes so much better if I hold off for a while, and drink a big glass of water beforehand. Let's face it, water doesn't taste great, and it's not what I fancy first thing in the morning (especially in these colder months). But I am forgetful and lazy when it comes to hydration, and I know this morning drink improves my mental clarity. Plus, this way I have a head start before breakfast, and taking care of myself is, actually, super productive. (yeah guys, it is!) I also try to get my bed made, and my bag packed on college days, before enjoying that coffee. I sip slowly as opposed to gulping absentmindedly, and damn guys, my coffee has never tasted so good.

That's just a little example. Here's another: I had a pretty lengthy sociology assignment to complete over half term, and in true Sally-style, I left it all until the very last minute (we can talk about study tips at a later date, when I've figured them out for myself, sigh). So here I was, with four essays to complete, and maybe thirty-six hours, into which I also had to factor classes, food and sleep - nice one Sal. Anyhow. Previously, I'd have crumbled under the pressure of this and most likely turned in either a sub-standard piece, or nothing at all (which wasn't an option in this case since it counted towards my final grade, aaaah!) My concentration is appalling and I am so easily distracted, so that what could be worked through in twelve hours, easily eats up an entire week.

Then I remembered my new friend, delayed gratification. I sat in my uncomfortable library chair and I thought: what would be really luxurious and relaxing right now? What I came up with was something along the lines of a warm bath, fluffy pjs, hot chocolate and netflix. I let myself float in this thought for a moment, before telling myself: okay. You can close your laptop, catch the bus home and have all of these things, but you won't really enjoy them because of the deadline still looming over you. Or, you could persevere, switch off your phone, and get busy. Complete this damn assignment, even if you're in the library until closing, and then you can go home and take a deep breath. Knowing that you're done, and can truly enjoy your relaxation time.

Guys, it worked! I calmed my anxiety, I told myself that panicking will not change my situation, and I got it done. All the while, promising myself I'd learn from my mistakes and prioritize it earlier next time. But baby steps, right? I had such a relaxing evening (albeit an evening which started at 9pm), and I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and calm about the day ahead.

Since then, delayed gratification is one of my favourite tools. It's a way of factoring in those little things you love, whilst at the same time, getting shit done! For you, it might mean getting your blood pumping on a chilly sunday morning run, before coming home to a cosy breakfast with your family. Perhaps you could do the ironing and cleaning bright and early on a saturday morning, then enjoy a chilled weekend knowing that it's out of the way. Maybe even something little, like washing up the pan you cooked with, before sitting down to enjoy your dinner. Although let's be real, I'm never doing that.

An end note: I am all for self-care, and I am so against the notion that relaxation should be earned. No no no. This is just a little tip for when you're struggling to get cracking on that dreaded task, or when you can't get motivated to implement that healthy habit you know is good for you.

Have a chilled evening,

S xxx

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