Five Highlights From The Past Month | October 2018

@rawpixel

After an unannounced blogging hiatus, October was the month I hit the ball rolling again. October has been an absolute pleasure. It’s been productive, relaxing & crazy busy but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. 

Hitting Deadlines

I’ve been hitting a lot of deadlines this past 4-6 weeks & it feels so good! The closer it gets to Christmas & the New Year the busier life begins to get so to be able to meet deadlines is something I’m going to celebrate while I can. 

Term Three School Holidays

Some of you may know that I work at an Before & After School + School Holiday Programme. School holidays are definitely some of our busiest times of year, especially because in the holidays we operate for 9-10 hours per day rather than 5 hours during school term. It was the October holidays for the first two weeks of the month & we all had an incredible time. We had picnics, went Ice Skating & to our local Zoo. The kids did stone carvings out of Omaru Stone & made door stops from recycled teddy bears. Not only did the kids have a fantastic time, but us staff members definitely did too. 

Film - A Simple Favour

I walked out of the theatre wondering what I had just seen. It was definitely not what I was expecting when I read it was a  thriller. None the less, I realised pretty quickly that while it wasn’t what I expected, it was one of my new favourite films. I think if you’re going to watch ’A Simple Favour’ go into it with an open mind. Expect anything & everything. Don’t let the word ‘thriller’ put you off, neither let it raise your expectations. I just don’t know if ‘thriller’ is the best way to describe the film. Blake Lively & Anna Kendrick are incredible actress’ but when you put the two together, you have an unbeatable duo. Paul Feig, director, has done a fantastic job at selecting the cast & writing a fascinating story line. Because I don’t want to spoil the film, I’ll simply just leave the trailer linked here for you to have a peak at.

Haircut

So this one is more of a September highlight but I never got around to sharing it here. I CUT MY HAIR OFF! While my hair is still considered long to so many, it definitely isn’t for someone who has had hair down to her butt for the past 4+ years. My hair now sits at my boobs, so there is a significant difference. I’m loving my ‘short’ hair & while I was nervous about it to start with, it’s quickly become one of those things I wish I had done sooner. 

2019 Bullet Journal

I can’t believe it’s the end of October already. The fact that I’m setting up collection pages for my 2019 Bullet Journal is a little surreal. I’m really enjoying setting up all the spreads & bits I want to keep track of next year. While I’m excited for 2019, I’m sad that 2018 is coming to an end. But we’ve still got two months left & I’m so ready to make the most of the last two months of 2018. 

B x 

Mental Health Awareness Month

@mentalhealthnz

I’m a big advocate for mental health as many of you will know. And while Mental Health Awareness Week was from the 08 October until the 14 October I believe we should always be willing to have open conversations about mental health as a whole. 

Some of you will know about my personal struggles with mental health & how I came to be where I am today. I don’t want this post to directly be about my personal struggles, that’s for another time but I just want you all to know you’re not alone. Whatever it is you’re going through, whatever it is you’re struggling with, you’re not going through any of it alone. I can’t stress that enough. 

I recommend talking about whatever it may be that’s on your mind & if you’re not talking about it, try writing about it. Those two things may be two of the hardest things you’ll do, I know it was for me, but I can’t even begin to tell you how much better I felt when I started talking & opening up to my therapist. Please remember I’m definitely not qualified in any of this, I only speak from personal experience.  

B x 

Don't Leave Your Wellness Routine Out In The Cold

@rawpixel

The transition from short cold days to long warm ones can test even the strongest of us. And as we change seasons, we can’t leave our wellness routines behind. If you’re wanting to change up your wellness routine then now is a greater time than any. Five of my favourite rituals could easily become apart of your new wellness regimen. 

Moisturise

I’m the worst person to talk to when it comes to moisturising my body. Seasons rarely change without having havoc on our skin. The most notably being dry and chapped skin. Finding a rich body butter or moisturiser is quickly become your best friend. The Body Shop produce some of my favourite body products. Their products are hydrating and continue to keep skin hydrated for up to 24 hours.

Hydrate Your Lips

Dry and chapped lips is one the worst feeling ever. Chapstick has the most gorgeous Natural Papaw Lip Balm and it might just become one of your favourites. Natural + hydrating + natural oils & shea butter = AMAZING!

Get Your Greens

A tried and true favourite. Getting your green is a serious wellness punch. Regardless of the time of the year, you need your greens. Boost your immune system and keep your body full of the good stuff. One of my favourite supplements is ‘Good Green Stuff’. Its a powder full with over 75 nutritional ingredients. It has a potent  blend of selected fruit, vegetables and herbs - with added vitamins, minerals, probiotics, antioxidants and other essential nutrients. It’s brilliant and so versatile.

And for anyone who struggles in general with the change in seasons, take some time for yourself. Have a cup of tea, take a breath and take some quality time for yourself. You’ll get there and back into your routine in no time. 

B x 

How To Up Your Productivity Levels In The Mornings

@andrewtneel

Rewind to this time last year ago, I had my morning routine down packed. I’d wake up at around 8AM, have breakfast and get myself ready and then tackle the day. That was all well in good until I came across one small problem. I was running out of hours in the day. Naturally, I tend to be more productive in the evening but I wanted to switch things up and develop a routine that allows me to at least get 8 hours sleep and gets me ticking off tasks before the standard work day even begins. 

Going To Bed Earlier

It’s a simple one but even just going to bed a hour earlier should in theory make it easier when your alarm goes off the next morning. I like to be in bed no later than 10PM and lights off at 1030PM. If I was to stay up past 11PM, the next day I’d be an absolute horror to be around. If you find it difficult to go to bed any time before midnight, slowly start going to bed 5 minutes earlier until you find a time that works best for your routine. I’ll also go ham with the bed time rituals; a hot bath, face mask and essential oils. Treat yo’ self! 

Fool Your Brain

Snoozing my alarm had become a habit I needed to break. The thing with snoozed sleep is that it isn’t good quality so I’ve been attempting to break the cycle. To do this I started going to bed earlier but also allowing myself an extra 15 minutes in the morning. That way I still get my extra sleep and it’s actually a proper good slumber. 

Do What You Need To Do To Wake Up

There’s lots of guides out there on how to curate the perfect morning routine and the one thing that sticks out amount them all the most to me is the suggestion on mediation. Mediation is great, don’t get me wrong it’s lovely to just have a moment to yourself but it’s just not something I can be doing first thing in the morning. So, for that reason I preach that you do whatever the hell you feel you need to do to wake up and to start your morning in the right way. Whether that might be reading a magazine, scrolling through social media or even a simple workout. Okay, it might not always be the most mindful but sometimes when you’re struggle to wake up, mindfulness is the last thing you need. 

Take Time For You

Instead of multitasking by inhaling your breakfast while checking your emails with your spare hand, take 20 minutes to just sit and eat your breakfast. That’s it. Allow yourself to just focus on one thing at a time. Listen to your favourite Podcast, have a YouTube video or the radio playing in the background. It’s actually really nice to just take that time for yourself while slowly working your way into a busy work day. 

Write A List

It’s really as simple as it seems. I don’t know where I’d be if I wasn’t writing down all the little bits & pieces that needed doing in my life. If I don’t have it written down, I promise you I will forget. I start each day curating a list of all the bits and pieces that need doing. I’ll pencil that to do list around any appointments and events for the day so I know where everything lies for the day. I’m left with a rough idea of how my day will play out and I’m able to see what I’ll be able to achieve. 

B x

19 Before 2019

@iamlisajacobs

’19 Before 2019’ is a goal setting challenge that you can participate in to make sure that you end your year on a high. It’s a chance for you to tie up any loose ends, in preparation for the New Year.

Lisa Jacobs is the original creator of this goal setting challenge and it’s one I’ve been participating in over the past couple of years. It’s a fantastic way to keep you focused as the year comes to an end. 

I would prefer to keep my ’19 Before 2019’ goals private this year but I wanted to create a wee post about it to encourage you to get involved & to finish 2018 on a high. 

B x 

How To Kick Overwhelm TO The Curb & Eliminate Stress

@jessicaarends

Do you ever find the topic of conversation with your friends or even acquaintances, about just how damn busy you are? Yeah, you’ve been there? It’s like we’re participating in a competitive sport. The bottom line is we’re all overworked, stressed and overwhelmed too. We’ve all got a load on our plate, whether you’re a mum of two trying to juggle school schedules or need to fulfil a client-set deadline, with two days to go. Our tasks on our plates are spilling down the sides and I totally feel you. On my current plate I have deadlines, projects and long work shifts. I’m possibly the busiest I have been in a long time but whilst feeling okay with it all. I’ve actively been trying to dial down the overwhelm that I’d usually associate with this kind of busy and I think it’s working. 

These tips aren’t going to be realistic or applicable for everyone but just incase one might click for you, I thought I’d share how I’m currently kicking stress and overwhelm in the ball. 

More Hours In Your Day

I get that not everyone is a morning person, because once upon a time I wasn’t either. Being up earlier and having the time to complete my morning routine allows me to set the day off on the right foot. Starting my mornings like mentioned above, means that my mornings are going more productive than ever, even when mornings tend to be my least productive time of the day. For example, I would wake up at 6am, get straight out of bed and have something ticked off my list before I even had breakfast. I still aim to be working at 6pm in the evenings but allowing myself to have that morning period of productivity means am allowing myself to get shit done, plus it’s helping to ward off stress thanks to the extra couple of hours I’ve given myself. 

Actually Getting It Done

I often hear people talking about how they just feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. When we’re feeling that way, you’ll often find the procrastination is our best friend. It settles in and before we know it, we’re watching Netflix. Often that fastest way to minimise & ease the feeling of stress is to actually get something done. It could literally be anything. How much better would you feel at the end of the day if you had ticked off two or three major tasks off your list. You’d go to bed with the feeling of contentment rather than overwhelm. When I don’t know where to start I often pick a couple of the easier tasks, just to find my flow. Then once momentum has picked up, I’ll go for something I’m dreading. More often than not, those tasks that I was dreading, they were easier to complete than I had first thought. Combined with some extra time and a planned break or two, stress doesn’t even have a chance. 

Time Away

With extra time in your day I would recommend scheduling in a short break or two. I use to never do this because I was worried that if I stopped for a break, I wouldn’t get my work momentum back. But in reality, pushing myself to hard all day was doing more damage that what it would if I was to take a small break. I just had to approach it in the right way. While trying not to burn yourself out completely, it’ll help stop overwhelm creeping in when it’s not wanted. Schedule time to have fun. Don’t worry about what you haven’t got done but instead be proud of what you have. 

B x

Where Have I Been? Why Did I Stop Posting?

@jessicaarends

Long time, no type. I’ve been away from my website for awhile now. I stopped uploading a couple of months ago when life just got busy and I struggled to find time for myself, let alone my website. There were a number of things that changed in my life and it’s take me awhile to adjust and find my groove again. But, I’m happy to say I’ve taken the time I needed to find myself again and I’m really looking forward to getting back to writing again. I’ve planned a number of different posts for over the next few months and I’m looking forward to sharing those. 

I want to point out that my love and passion for writing hasn’t changed. It’s still what I love to do and as long as I’m loving what I’m doing, I’m going to continue to do it. 

B x