How to trick yourself into becoming a morning person

Hey readers,

It can be quiet hard to get motivated especially in the morning when you have just woken up. That doesn't mean you can become more of a morning person with practice. Here are some tricks below in practising to become a morning person. 

1. sleep schedule.

By following a sleep routine can help you get your body into order and get used to the concept of getting up early in the morning. It is important to be consistent and you don't have to go wild but shifting even just 15 minutes early can help train your body to cope with the mornings. 

2. Time. 

Don't expect results immediate change takes time and you need to take one step at a time. Keep practising what you are doing is vital. Even if it is not perfect the first go or even month that is ok. Allowing yourself to make mistakes or not getting the results you want can help you keep motivated and stick at the change.

3. Wind down. 

Make sure you leave electronics all devices behind and not bring them to bed. That means less distraction and giving your mind the change to wind down and get sleepy. Also, try to avoid programmes like the news that can potentially cause an emotional response especially during the current climate with all the uncertainty. I find a good book that can help you get tired and want to go to sleep. it also relaxes me and my mind.

4. Time. 

Get up every day at the same time as this helps train your body and mind to get used to the mornings. Another benefit with the time you feel less groggy because you have already prepared to get up at a certain you are ready to face the day ahead.

5. Alarm clock.

An alarm clock is always handy to have even though you may think you get up naturally at a certain time it is always better to be safe. That is why having an alarm clock is important because the blaring noise helps you get up in the morning. 

It is important however not to have the alarm clock to close to you as you may be tempted to constantly press snooze and that is not good for you. Make sure to put your alarm clock in a place not too far but enough to physically get you up in the morning. Just the fact that you have to get up out of bed is the start point in helping you wake up in the morning. 

6. Light up. 

Light, whether that be natural or artificial, can help you wake up in the morning as this helps reset the circadian rhythm (helps controls your daily schedule for sleep and wakefulness that is tided in with your 24-hour body clock) and make you more alert. 

You can do this by opening curtains or blinds to get as much natural light in as possible. Or during wintertime a lightbox to help create lightness in your room. 

Do you do mornings? and if you do how do you manage to get motivated for the day? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X 

How to stay happy during lockdown

Hey readers,

Lockdown and the whole coronavirus can make you feel like you are on an emotional rollercoaster with anxiety and uncertainty. 

It can be hard to be positive so here are some of my tips to help feel happier during the lockdown.

 I am no ray of sunshine, I have depression/anxiety and autism so that can impact me and know first hand it is important to look after your physical and mental health.

 These tips that I am going to suggest today are things that I personally incorporate in my life. Not saying it is a walk in the park but small steps have a make a difference.

1. Take one day at a time. 

This is a big learning curve during lockdown with all the uncertainty and not having control over a situation. 

It can be hard to know how to feel especially when you feel so powerless in such a serious situation that everyone is impacted with. 

It is key to take one day at a time because that is realistic during uncertain times. Focus on getting through one day at a time and it may not get easier but to focus on one day at a time can make you feel less anxiety. 

The more you practice this idea the easier it gets with time as you are consciously doing it and training your mind to rethink differently. 

2. News.

This next recommendation was a biggy for me. I for one was addicted to watching the news channel for hours at a time and searching the internet about the coronavirus. 

However, for me reducing the amount especially at night I just what the headlines at 6 pm and don't like at the news after. 

Otherwise, this effects my evening and how I sleep. You're not being ignorant just sensible in looking after your mental health, like everything it is all about moderation.

3.  Routine. 

Establishing a routine to breakdown the feeling of the overwhelmingness of the day ahead. It gives you a structure to manage your time and something to focus on. 

4. Talk.

A problem shared is a problem halved. It is important to not dwell on the negativity and let it eat up inside of you. 

Talking to someone even though it might not come with a solution can be a relief to get feelings out in the open. Just getting them feelings out in the open and not letting them just circulate in your head can really help. 

5. Phase. 

I know right now it feels weird to think of this lockdown as a phase but it is temporarily and one day life will be different. Hold on to the mantra and remind yourself often that it is just a phase.

6. You are doing well. 

I know it can be hard to think that you are doing well, but you are as your already managing the lockdown. 

You can do this and have the belief that you can. You have done two lockdowns before and now you are going through this current lockdown, which is tough but so are you. 

What things have helped you manage your mood in a positive way during the lockdown. Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

7 amazing reasons why you should go for a walk.

Hey readers, 

I know currently during lockdown gyms closed and with no sign of reopening soon. 

I thought I would share the reasons why I think walking is really good for you as a form of excise. 
Plus why walking is beneficial especially during the lockdown period. 

 1. Burns calories.

The good think about walking is exercise and is a good way to burn unwanted calories. Obviously, you won't lose a lot if you walk to the shop around the corner. Aim for a mile or two helps a lot with your health. 

2. Strength heart rate. 

If you walk at a brisk pace this can help strengthen your heart rate by making it work more therefore increasing the heart rate. 

The more you walk over a period of time strengthens the heart as it is a big muscle. So using the heart through walking can make it more efficient bringing more nutrients and oxygen to your organs.

3. Eases back pain.

When you are walking the body produces hormones in particular one called endorphins. This hormone helps decrease your perception of pain. 

Walking is especially good with lower back pain so if you suffer then getting walking as it can work wonders. 

4. Lift your mood.

Going for a walk even if it is to your local park can have a huge influence on lifting your mood. 

Simple things such as getting off the chair, change of scenery, being in nature and getting sunlight can all help make you feel good. 

When you are walking for a length the brain produces feel-good hormones called endorphins which make you naturally make you feel good.

5. Alllivate joint pain.

Incorporating walking into your routine can really help with joint pain. Maintaining a regular exercise helps reduce strain on your body and reduces pressure on your back. 

6. Free.

Walking is fantastic as anyone can dom, you can do it anywhere. It is free and perfect if you want to do something during the lockdown.

 You don't have to walk for hours you could do it for 30-45 minutes but that in itself has a massive positive impact on your overall health. 

7. Low-risk injury.

Walking is a brilliant form of exercise because it carries a low risk of injury. 

Of course, no exercise is immune to injury however the research tends to show that injuries that occur during walking are low.
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Some of the reasons why you might get injured during walking are because of distraction whether that be on your phone, not looking where you are walking or checking the road for traffic when crossing. 

Another injury resulting in walking is if you do too much in one go could cause ligament injury. The key is to build up your stamina and not go to an extreme.

 It is important to find a balance that is challenging but not overworked reducing the element of injury on your body.

Do you like walking? What is your experience of walking? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X

Why I love sleep.

Hey readers,

I won't lie but since becoming a parent I love to sleep and appreciate sleep more than ever. Here is why I heart sleep so much.

1. I love you sleep because you stop me from thinking about food and diet, therefore saving calorie intake.

2. Sleep gives me time to relax and gives my achy muscles time to heal.

3. Sleep is a place where I feel safe. Sleep is a lovely way to get lost in a dream which can take you away from reality.

4. Sleep gives me time to stop me listening and focus on attentively what needs to be done.

5. Sleep I appreciate you because I can stop cleaning after the kiddos for a while.

6. Sleep stops me dealing with emotions which quite frankly are up and down and around the corner.

7. I love you sleep and are my biggest fantasy.

8. Sleep you are free and that is all I need to say.

9. Sleep is a place where I can be myself.

10. Sleep helps clear my head and help me think clearer.

Do you love sleep? Have a missed a good reason to love sleep? Love to hear your comments down below. 

Cheers for reading X

6 ways to deal with rejection.

Hey readers,

Sometimes I just want to throw the towel in because I feel like a pile of shit. I am particularly venerable in feeling down because my confidence is at rock bottom.

 It can be really mentally draining when you are rejected all the time, it can be so disheartened especially when you have so much hope in that one thing.  So, how do you overcome rejection, well here my tops to cope with such a horrible feeling?

1. Cry.

 First of it is ok to grieve in a sense and have a  good old cry. I feel it is good to mope for a short period as it gives you more time to come round to the decision.

2. It will pass.

Reminding yourself that this feeling will pass and it will get better.

3. Distraction.

 A great way to try not to pay all your attention to the feelings of rejection is to keep yourself distracted. This will make you not feed into the downward spiral of a downer instead you can do something practical and deal with the feelings at a later date when you are calmer.

4. Acceptance.

Accepting the rejection and moving on. It may help to acknowledge that you are not the only person in the world to have experienced rejection. At some point in life, everyone will experience rejection even the most successful people can't run away from it either.

5. Think of the positives.

 Rejection may be a good thing for you. For example, if you attended a job interview you could ask the interviewer the reasons behind their decision to not employ you. This could potentially help you learn and help make changes to improve if needed.

6. Appreciation.

 Finally, I feel it is important to praise yourself as it is an indication that you are living your life and taking that risk by putting yourself out there.  It takes courage to put yourself in a venerable situation so take time to appreciate the work you have achieved.

What ways help you deal with rejection? how do you deal with rejection? Love to hear your thoughts in the comments down below. 

Cheers for reading X

7 ways to be happy everyday.

Hey readers,

Sometimes we can forget to find the joy in the simplest of things and life can drag us down.

 But we can do something about that and gain some control back. I have got seven ways that aren't difficult to help find happiness in ordinary stuff. I hope you find this helpful.

1. Time out.

Take the time out of your day to do something that you love doing, whether it be listening to music, reading whatever it is do it make some time to do it! Even if it is just for ten minutes a day it will be worth it in the long term for your wellbeing because you are doing something for you and giving you some time for self-care.

2. Write it down.

 A good habit to take up is to write down something that you are thankful for each day. It doesn't have too big it could be as simple as hearing the birds. This is a way to train your brain to look at the positives in your life and appreciate the small things in life that you have access too. 

3. Outdoors.

Take yourself outside and connect with nature. Go for a walk and just be, take time to notice the environment that you are, look at the different flowers or trees, look up at the sky because we live in a beautiful world and it has a lot to offer.

4. Laugh.

As the saying goes laughter is the best medicine. Laughing produces chemicals in the brain to make you feel good naturally and laughing is also brilliant at offering healing properties as well.

5. Time out.

Take some time out of your day to be mindful and present. All you need to do is it and be and just stop with the business of the world.

 The world goes by so fast that you may miss out and just sitting and slowing down can really be beneficial to your health.

6. Kindness.

Do something for someone else and spread happiness on. Some suggestions are making a hot drink, taking time to listen to the person and what they are saying.

7. Positives.

Write down your feelings and work out how you can help reduce the negative and increase the positive. This allows you to understand and think about how you feel. 

It also gives you some control because you're acting on how your feeling and finding solutions to some problems if you can. 

Have I missed any techniques to help make you feel happy every day? What do you do that helps you find happiness? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below. 

Cheers for reading X

Periods after pregnancy.

Hey readers,

I am on my period and it sucks physically and mentally every single month. It feels like hell! I know it is like this for a lot of women.

 However, since I gave birth something happened to my biology I think. I have noticed that post-postnatal changes have occurred and one thing that has happened is changing in my periods which has impacted me emotionally each month when I have my period.

I feel like it is a battle mentally. I am washed with dread a few days before my period arrives. I am terrified and on edge. I feel like I am literally on eggshells, I break down at the slightest thing. I feel fragile and terrified.

 My adrenalin is so high and I can't sleep which doesn't add to the mix because we all know lack of sleep can cause you to be irritable.

I am raging and want someone to give me concrete answers to such grey questions. I feel like I will always be like this and I get so angry because I want to run away from myself but I am stuck with me. 

I hate it and I get so jealous of the husband who is so carefree and relaxed. I hate anxiety, the way it torments me and makes my thoughts go into a fast racing mode. Why do I have to be like this, every fucking month?

 I hate it and I feel rubbish. I am non-stop shaking inside and out. I know the mood swings have gotten worse since I entered motherhood. Every month I am like this, there are times when I wish I could just rip out of my womb!

If the emotional side of having a period was enough to deal with there is the pain that comes along with it too and again it is considerably worse. Before my first pregnancy, I would suffer mild cramps that I could manage with some paracetamol.

 Now, I want to cry from the pain in my stomach. I feel like someone has punched me in the vagina and every time I have a poo it reminds me of being in labour and pushing out a baby. 

I can't lift my sons up as my back during the time of the month is so achy and feels like I have spent all day bending over when in reality I have done sod all.

I just needed to rant as I have had these for years and it sucks being female sometimes.

Have you experienced differences after giving birth in terms of changes associated with your period? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section down below.

Cheers for reading X

6 ways to keep sane during a lockdown.

Hey readers,

We are in the mists of the Corona Virus outbreak impacting on everyone's life resulting in having to spend more time at home. 

But it can be tough especially when the boredom kicks in so here are my top 6 tips on how to keep sane during the lockdown.

1. Walk.

As the government have stated it is ok to go out once a day for a walk or bike ride. 

Fresh air can do the world of good (just make sure that you keep your 2 metres distance from people and avoid busy areas). 

Not only does this help with physical health but mental health too which is equally as important. When going outside it can help to break up the scenery of the day so you're not stuck 24 hours inside the four walls.

2. Exercise.

Exercise is so good for you, it can relief frustration and increase the number of positive hormones being secreted such as serotonin (associated with happiness) and reduce negative ones like cortisol (which relates to stress).

There are so many choices online via Youtube and virtual gyms that you don’t have to feel stuck in what you do. 

You don’t even have to do gym type exercise there are kitchen discos you can join in via Tic Tok or take part in Yoga.

Of course, if you have children you can join in with PE with Joe Wicks. 

Therefore as you can still load of positive ways to incorporate exercise in the home.

3. Organisation.

Now is a great opportunity with the spare time on your hands to sort out your home and put some organisation whether it is cleaning out your make draw or sorting out the kitchen this time is fantastic to get stuff done.

4. Reach out.

Just because we are self-isolating doesn't mean you have to stop all forms of communication.

 We are blessed with technology with the likes of House Party, Face Time and What's App to name a few where you can still speak to people at a distance.

Some people set up groups where you can hold a virtual book group for instance with friends. Where you can get time to read and connect with others with what you have read. 

This can make you feel less isolated and get social contact all within your home.

5. Escapism.

Dig into a boxset whether it is a comedy or a thriller say take that time out. 

This is the time to enjoy something on the box that takes your mind of the current situation we are living in at the moment for a while.

It is good to have a rest and watch something that gives you enjoyment.

6. News.

Don’t focus on the news 24/7 because that will send you quackers. Setting a certain amount of time watching the news such as the 6pm news headlines or the daily conference the government holds. Putting up barriers on how much news coverage will help keep you sane.

I know these times are scary and there is a lot of uncertainty in the world at the moment. However, like always the press love to scaremonger and with how big Corona Virus is they are going to use that a lot in the media.

 Yes, it is serious but you can’t just sit in the corner scared, use common sense and protect both your physical and mental health.

Cheers for reading X 

4 reasons why you should get vaccines.

Hey readers,

I know some people object to giving their child vaccinations for several reasons, a couple that spring to mind is not inflicting pain on the child or giving them drugs. 

However, vaccinations are so important in helping to keep children protected and healthy from infectious diseases.

 If I had the powers I would make children's vaccinations mandatory for all children. If you're wondering why then carry on reading below as I give my reasons. 

How do vaccines work? 

Vaccines teach your immune system how to create antibodies that protect you from diseases. It's much safer for your immune system to learn this through vaccination than by catching diseases and treating them.

Once your immune system knows to fight a disease, it can often protect you for many years - (citied NHS, 2019).

1. Saves lives.

Vaccinations help save a child's life from protecting them from diseases such as smallpox, tetanus and polio that once made children very ill or even sadly kill them. Nowadays such diseases are gone or they are very rare for people to get.

Other diseases such as measles and diphtheri have been reduced by 99.9% since the introduction of vaccines. 

The only downfall is that if people stop using vaccines the likelihood of the above diseases will come back and spread quickly again. 

2. Safe.

Vaccines are safe for children as they have to spend a lot of medical research making sure that the vaccines do the job and don't cause harm. The testing for vaccines has taken many years to go through and check the safety of them.

With regards to pain, of course, there is a little bit of discomfort in giving a child when first injecting them but it surely is worth that over the child contracting a serious illness that will be significantly worse for them.

Yes in some cases that some children have allergic reactions but that is very rare. The statistics of children not getting diseases is higher than the side effects of reaching a vaccine.

Some people think that in the vaccine themselves contain mercury but this simply is not true. Yes, there are some ingredients that can cause harm but it so small that it will not affect you by having the vaccines. If you are unsure about anything then the best bet is to speak to your doctor as they are medically trained and can answer any of your uncertainties. 

3. Cost.

Vaccines are cost-effective in the fact that it is cheaper to prevent a person from getting diseases as opposed to treating someone with a disease. Plus the more people who get vaccines could potentially radicate a disease due to not being able to spread amongst people.

4. Community.

The more children getting vaccines not only protect the child themselves but also the community because they are not spreading any diseases which are especially important for people who can not get vaccines themselves.

Vaccines have saved up to 3 billion deaths worldwide every year. 

What do you think about vaccines? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Cheers for reading X

How to cope with insomnia.

Hey readers,

I have suffered from insomnia on and off my life to have had some ways that have really helped me and I thought I would share with you. You may find them helpful, obviously, everyone is different.

Caffeine.

One of the most obvious things to do is cut back on caffeine as that is a stimulant and that will keep you more alert. I recommend not having things like tea or coffee an hour before you go to bed as this can help slow down the mind and help you get you in a relaxed mood.

Cold bedroom.

A cold bedroom is recommended as your body needs to drop below your core temperature to help initiate sleep. It is much easier to get to sleep when it is cooler because your body eventually will warm up. I have always found this really helpful to do. I sometimes open the window half an hour before to get that breeze going through.

Write down how you are feeling.

With insomnia, there could be a psychological reason why you are struggling to sleep. I find writing down your thoughts in a constructive way to help as writing it down is concrete rather than festering and going round and round in your brain. When you wrote down I feel a release and it really does help reduce anxiety, I might not have a cure but seeing it on paper makes me feel less stressed.

Watch something relaxing.

I find if I watch something serious or scary then that can trigger thoughts and cause me to have a restless sleep. I now much prefer to watch something light-hearted and preferably something to do with comedy as laughing is good for the soul and it helps you relax too.

Electronics.

Leave your electronics in another room because they are a devil a keeping you wide awake and alert. Plus it is difficult especially late at night on eBay *ahem*. It is better to read a book in bed if you feel the need to do something (not an e-reader).

Bath.

Having a soak in the bath is a good way to relax and get you in a sleepy frame of mind. It allows you to soak your muscles.

Exercise

Doing exercise is a great way of getting rid of any frustration and can help make you feel sleepy by all the physical working out you do.

Avoid naps.

Now having naps during the day is glorious. However, if it becomes a habit then it can really affect your sleeping pattern and could stop you from drifting off easy when it comes to bedtime. It is best if you can avoid naps as it really makes you want to sleep when it comes round to going to bed.

Get up.

if you can't sleep get up because there is no point just lying around waiting to go back to sleep when we all know it is not going to happen. It is more practical to come back to bed when you are feeling more sleepy. They do stay clear of the electronic devices.

Doctors.

Now if you feel that you do have a long-term problem and it is affecting your life then your best option is to go to speak to the doctors as they are the professionals and they can help you on a medical term.

Cheers for reading X