Hello !
To kick-off my very first blog-post I want to firstly say hi ! Expect everything coffee, horse, body positivity, mental health & personal style in my monthly posts here ;) .(My life story is a long & complex one, but I promise to share a little of it in every post so that we get to know each better too !) That being said, I wanted to touch on the key lessons I've been learning so far in lockdown with you all. :) On that note ,if you are reading this from the U.K. you'll currently still be in some phase of lockdown being lifted (Scotland is still in the first stages of this!), whereas my international friends will have to bear with as I ask you to cast your mind further back to when it first began. Admittedly, initially when I first heard the news I was confused but not panicked. Reason being I have a really strong faith in God & am extremely blessed to say when worry surrounds me, my trust goes up to God as I know he is bigger than anything this world has in store for us. The very initial lesson (being totally honest) was the gratitude for my faith . Even when numbers were rising, my own Papa got sick with the virus (he's 78 this year but has since fully recovered!) ,when friends were feeling pain in their lives as a result - I did not worry or get wound up or despaired for too long as the reminder God is GOOD & for LOVE & sees & hears it all, brought me back to balance. Making real time every Sunday for virtual Hillsong church with my family (if you want to join an online service here's their webpage : https://online.hillsong.com/), actually reminded me of the fact I've not been prioritising my spiritual health up until now so sorting this out was key ! Lesson 2 - how much TIME I actually, genuinely spend doing what activity each day & it says about my priorities ! Taking huge time blocks that you would usually spend at certain jobs each day out of the equation when beforehand barely being home during the week , definitely made me take time expenditure more seriously as an important value. It is one of the only aspects of life you can give but never get back. So began the planning & scheduling of my days . Now don't get me wrong- not every single day have I been 'Kon-Marie' style organised (anyone that knows me closely can appreciate the reference here- Marie Kondo super-fan in the making ;)), because you have good days where you're basically super-woman ,then more down-to-earth days when you're super-distracted (doesn't make you less of a superwoman in general though, just saying). However, I purchased a planner that was 1-dateless & therefore took the pressure off & 2-filled with different sections to plan in different styles (perfect for my butterfly-like-at-times mindset!). Time spent on those & what you love, is honestly never wasted. Actively making time in your daily schedule for these aspects should be a priority ! Would highly recommend scheduling out your next week & weekend - not only to be more efficient & organised, but also to get REAL with yourself & what you're truthfully giving value to! Third lesson came in the silhouette of energy & where mine was going. You can directly link this to time management in a sense, but I noticed the energy of those I was speaking to had direct impacts on my own (& also how much my nutrition affects this too-more of that further along though!). If I did not stay mindful of my personal mindset when entering specific conversations with negativity, I could feel the surrounding impact of that on my conscious. Choosing to exert energy in places that were serving to myself & therefore allowing me to give back REPLENISHED rather than depleted - gave freedom to my positive ,up-beat energy & allowed me to carry this into area's where it was maybe not so obvious . Such as my ladies wellness group I set up on facebook for everything uplifting (join in as a member here :www.facebook.com/groups/2731258036973543/aboutabout) ! Horses have always been my 'happy place' as well as my workouts so I've been sure to give the 2 main guys (a pure-bred Morgan horse called Cheerio who's in his 20s & a miniature Shetland rescue pony called Tigger who's in his teens) I've been helping to care for since I was 14, plenty of TLC at the moment especially! One of my favourite parts of the warmer ( I say that in humour as Scotland isn't known for it ) weather is the horses losing their winter coats to reveal their beautiful short & (if you're horse-nutrition is on point) glossy coats ! They've also just been bought citronella fly repellent gel - so they basically walk around smelling like summer too ;). Their fields are directly next to a public pathway so their 'fan-club' of adoring passers-by has been steadily growing also! Energy to make sure REST is a priority is actually really important. That's always a work in progress but learning always from those who have truly achieved this ! :) Side note for a minute : I'm literally loving the fact I can use this time to experiment with personal style but alternatively be able to live in matching workout gear ! I'm big on supporting clothing lines with a just cause & recently started as an ambassador for an Italian clothing company that directly supports cancer support in East Africa as the CEO is a breast cancer survivor (breast cancer is something close to my heart as my family has had direct experience with it so supporting this is really important to me) ! (Find them at : mionovafashion.com, where 30% of their sales are donated to breast cancer patients -go check them out & keep tuning in for discount codes you can use too;)! ) 4 - NUTRITION & FITNESS ! As a fitness coach, we are trained to follow in accordance with all the latest proven tips , guidance & programmes when it comes to what we eat & why , yet I found myself not being completely mindful while going about my day- to -day so decided to educate myself further to not only benefit my clients but also myself as well to staying on track ! I really made eating enough everyday (I get so busy in my 'to do list' ,accidentally forgetting to eat is surprisingly easy to do at certain times!) a clear priority with reminders to myself ! One of my hands- down best tools that I use myself & with my fitness challengers - is definitely the superfood smoothie blend ! Not only have I found it curbs all my chocolate cravings (this is a breakthrough for me ;) ), contains the protein I need for growth & repair of my muscles for my work-outs, it also has countless digestive & immune system benefits PLUS its ethically & sustainably sourced (also comes in whey OR vegan !)! Fitness-wise I have just completed my 2nd round of the Barre blend programme I've been doing for 8 weeks now & starting round 3 with my sister so look out for my updates on social media for how it goes !:) I can't believe how much overall stronger I feel! What I love about this one in particular is it honestly challenges you physically ,improves you mentally & makes sure you improve your flexibility. Every single workout is different so if you're like me & don't appreciate predictability - this one is for you ! Being so busy throughout the day I also really appreciate (& so do many mumma's I work with!) the 30 mins base workout time ! (Get your superfood blend/start working out with me online by hitting the 'connect with me' button on my homepage & dropping me a message - alternatively join my June Fit Challenge Group for Ladies at : www.beachbodyondemand.com/groups/5aad4f60-cffa-451b-aa9f-fbcb2c8fac11/2103008 & for Men at: www.beachbodyondemand.com/groups/6d3ef908-0ceb-4470-9689-5a644fa62a0d/2103008!). Having the ability to workout from home & stay fit & healthy when gyms are in the last category of lockdown being lifted is completely invaluable ! :) Last, but certainly not least, has to be overall MINDFULNESS & MINDSET. Self-awareness is perhaps one of a human-beings most precious powers. Knowing what you're doing, saying , feeling & why can be invaluable in getting to deeply know & love yourself. If there's anything I will remember about this globally different season, it is I was blessed to continue to learn & grow because our true POWER & worth is internal - WITHIN each & every one of us. Love & Light, Abi xo NEXT MONTH : My journey with mental health on body image & online university decisions !
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |