Tag: wellbeing

Things Aren’t Going Well. It’s Okay To Reset Your Year.

It may seem weird writing a post like this only two weeks into 2017, but truth be told, 2017 has started off terribly. Whether it was the minor argument with Jase on New Years Day, the confirmation of my illness post a few hospital visits last year (which sounds scary, but in reality is okay, i’m not sure how to put words on the page without making too much or too little of a fuss, but I have Ulcerative Colitis, or UC, a form of bowel disease, Chrons being the other type and one you may recognise more, it’s life long but I’ll be fine), which leads me to the incredibly tough and stressful return to work (you see the issue is, stress doesn’t help my condition one bit).

The return to work hasn’t just been fast paced and busy, it’s been unnecessarily stressful, unenjoyable and unhealthy.

I’ve had two migraines already, one so big it wiped my weekend out last week. I’ve cried with frustration, something i haven’t done in years. And in all honesty i’m fed up with this unhealthy situation. It’s not work per c’est, I love my job, my team, and my company, it’s simply some of the situations we have to deal with which cause the intense stress – external factors if you will. Whilst i’ve had positives this year too, overall it’s been shit. I’ve not started my new year with the healthy ambitions I had, my blog has been sacrificed for all my hours working to deliver against crazy deadlines for last minute and urgent requests, I’ve not been able to get active prior my trip to the Philippines which was something I wanted for both my health and my confidence, and i’ve not had the life balance I promised Jase I would have.

It’s time to admit I need to start the year again. I need to admit defeat. Wipe the slate clean. Pretend it’s the 1st January again. Close my eyes and pretend it never happened. Wake up full of ambition, motivation and positivity to make this year exemplary. Perhaps it’s even about making my goals and ambitions more manageable, maybe it’s about being more firm and saying no, but probably most importantly it’s about putting myself first and not accepting shifts the other way.

Reset. Un. Deux. Trois.

Accept The Situation.

First things first, acceptance is a big brave step in the right direction. Don’t pretend or simply push on. Take a moment, accept the situation, and channel your focus onto getting things back on track, rather than simply pushing on, in hope the course will correct itself. It Won’t. I’ve tried.

Understand The Real Issue.

Often stress or incidences of severe stress can be triggered by some external factor in your life. But often the real issue isn’t quite as simple as that one trigger, often the issue is far more fundamental or underlying. For me. It’s fair to say the reason I struggle with these extreme external stresses (which i’m brave enough to admit, most people would struggle with, it’s not just me) is because my health is poor. Mentally and physically. I’m tired, exhausted, running on chip fat, in need of some unleaded, putting myself and my health last constantly has taken it’s toll. It was a short term solution at first. But we’re encroaching on the long term now, and it’s time to stop & reset.

Put some Priorities in Place.

Me. I know that this may sound weird, but what I need to start prioritising more is me, my health, my time, my goals and my responsibilities (outside of work too). I often pick up the slack because i’m driven for perfection and I want the best outcome for myself and those around me, so when people slack, I pick up their weight, when clients call & demand, I smile and crack on. All the while, little old me inside is drowning.

But If I truly put some priorities in place (and I mean do it, not just say it), I think things can progress more positively. For me, my time is my time and I shan’t sacrifice it unnecessarily, I need time to unwind and relax in order to keep a clear and positive head, I won’t be working crazy hours to cover anyone else or ridiculous demands that warrant some stronger management from me (expect some No’s people), and finally I need to get healthy. And it’s not just because my size 8 jeans are getting dusty waiting for me to fit back in them, it’s because my body needs it to keep going.

Don’t Accept the Exceptions.

I’m forever thinking things are an exception, it’ll pass, once this big challenge is overcome things will smooth out, it’s just this one meeting i’m working towards then it’ll go back to normal, once the teams fully staffed it’ll be okay. No more exceptions. No more ‘just this once’, because it’s never just this once. Once is the gateway to always.

Do Things That Make You Happy.

Blogging. I just adore blogging, from shooting editorials, to writing posts, to reading other peoples content. When work takes over, my blog gets put on the burner, and that is not something I want to accept any more. Ultimately my goal is to continue to build mediamarmalade into a full time business for my future, that isn’t going to happen if I can’t put the effort and energy I have into it.

But it’s just not making time for my blog. It’s spending good time with Jase, my family, travelling, having my morning coffee, reading magazines in bed, falling asleep on the sofa, watching Harry Potter with the fire on. Cuddling Ruby and spending time with my sisters. More of this. Less of the rest.

Life’s short. Fill it with things that make you feel content.

I hope i’m alone in this. But you know what, i’m sure i’m not. The new year comes with heightened ambitions, heightened goals and a heightened drive for perfection. A sentiment and goal which is both subjective and unmeasurable, setting the majority of us up to fail. Because for as long as we’re the judge, we’ll never be good enough. So i’ve admitted defeat, I accept I got off on the wrong foot, but now I need to get back on my feet. And I’ve worked out the plan to help make it happen … and I hope it helps you if you too feel like a fresh start is just what you need?

How A Work Hard, Play Hard Mentality Works For Me

When I tell people I’m going on holiday, often their reaction is ‘again?’, and well yes I suppose I am going on holiday again, I like to go on holiday multiple times a year (as often as my money and annual leave allows in fact). And I know full well that makes me very fortunate. But truth be told, I need to go on holiday frequently, because it’s this break from  high pressure work and this time to revitalise and recouperate that allows me to be able to put all my energy and focus into my career and actually run a full time blog alongside it when i’m not on a break.

If anyone asks me about my work or career, my answer is always this, ‘it’s work hard play hard’. We go through periods of working 16 hour days and weekends in pitch or planning times, but equally at other times we enjoy fantastic perks, jolly’s and travel. And it’s this mentality, or mantra if you will that I believe allows me to achieve the goals I want, without losing my shit all together from stress.

It’s not for everyone mind, but for me exerting 150% in my career (and my blog lets not forget), deserves me a blow out every couple of months or so. And for me that blow out means saving my pennies and booking myself a luxe holiday or break away. Work Hard. Play Hard. Today I thought i’d share some of my tips and advice for mastering the work hard, play hard way of life.

Here are my three principles to living ‘work hard, play hard’

Commit

If you’re going to live work hard, play hard then you need to commit to it. You need to commit to giving your career and job your all when you’re there (you need to earn that break), but you also need to commit to yourself that light at the end of the tunnel. The most terrible feeling for me, in periods of high stress and business, is not seeing the end in sight. And thats where a little break, a trip, or even a holiday provides an effective light or carrot if you will. But it only works if you commit to both. Respect yourself enough to know you need time out after a really busy period.

Look After Yourself

Work Hard periods are hard work, that’s the point, so it’s really important when you’re not jetting off somewhere for a lovely three day break, that you’re still looking after yourself. Keeping your wellness, mindfulness and health in check, just as much as your work to do list. Yes you might be working all hours, but there’s really no excuse not to get active, drink lots of water, keep your stress in check and generally be ‘well’. It’s super easy to let things slip and let all encompassing stress takeover. Trust me, rewind 12 months and that was me, but that period was the biggest learning curve in my career and ever since then I’ve got a lot more perspective, respect for myself and generally manage to keep stress at bay these days (even in the same, if not more pressured situations). It’s also super easy to take ‘play hard’ literally, and party hard when you’re not working hard; and yes i’ve been there before too, and burning the candle at both ends doesn’t end well for anyone! The point is this, it’s easy to let work takeover entirely, but make sure you still make time to look after yourself (and those around you).

Find Your Happy Place

Now I mentioned holidays, but it doesn’t actually need to be holidays, your ‘play hard’ periods should just be about finding time for yourself and your happy place. For me, I feel super relaxed and content when I travel, and so I like to try and travel as much as possible. But equally a weekend back home with some trips to the coast, a weekend in Tetbury, or just a day to relax at home is just as effective (and obviously far less pennies). So it’s not about spanking all your earnings on 10* spa escapes in the most exotic places; it’s just about committing to and maximising your ‘play hard’ periods of time out.

Et voila. Experience has taught me that work can be as stressful or as enjoyable as you make it. Turning stressful periods and high pressure times into manageable tasks is absolutely possible, and for me having a light at the end of the tunnel is one way of doing this. Do you ‘work hard, play hard’ did you find these tips helpful at all?

So you’ve come out the other side. Now What? Time to reset your life.

You know those periods where you’re literally all consumed in work, every waking second of everyday, totally and utterly dedicated to getting shit done. Yeah those. Well i’ve just come out the other side of one. And boy does it feel good, but truth be told, i’m barely human after the lack of sleep and all consuming work thoughts.

In my line of work, we often have periods of 4-6 weeks where we’re pitching for new business or delivering on a high profile project, in these weeks work becomes a 7am – 11pm affair, weekends are spent in the office preparing and general life just gets put on hold a bit, and you only really see from the front door to your bedroom for a few days. I thrive off of these projects so I wouldnt change the experience or opportunities they bring, but what’s essential is that once I’ve come out the other side I spend some time getting my shit back in order. You know, actually wash my hair, clean my flat, do the washing, reply to all those emails i’ve been ignoring, actually say hello to friends and family, let alone spend some time with Jase.

It’s really important that you take the time to reset your life after a busy work period, spend time getting your life back in order, and generally kick start your routine. So today I thought i’d share the three steps I’ll be following, to reset myself after my crazy work projects which I have been delivering in the last couple of weeks.

THREE STEPS TO HELP YOU RESET YOUR LIFE AFTER A BUSY WORK PERIOD

[one_third padding=”0 5px 0 0″]1. TIME

After an all consuming work period, you need to spend some time getting your life back in order, and I genuinely believe taking a day off work is critical in doing that. By the time the weekend comes you want to be feeling settled, back to normal and refreshed ready to have fun & spend time actually LIVING. My recommendation is to book a day off work or used accrued hours to have a day to yourself just getting your life back in order. It’s amazing how admin builds up, so having a day just to sort things out is really helpful. For me this is the time I can tidy my house, catch up with my blog and emails, reply to all those messages I’ve not had time to look at.

[/one_third][one_third padding=”0 5px 0 0″]2. REST

Living off 5 hours sleep might work for some, but or me it really doesn’t. Pitches and big work projects can be really tiresome, and so it’s important to me that after these periods I get some proper rest. From a relaxing bath, to an early night, to that well deserved lie in. After a really busy period, you just need some R&R time. I always ensure that post a busy work period, that my weekend is super chilled and relaxing or if I’m feeling a little flush, booking myself in for a massage or a spa is a lovely treat. Whatever it takes to get your body rested, do it, because if you don’t give yourself time to rest and recuperate, you’ll just end up feeling constantly run down.

[/one_third][one_third_last padding=”0 0px 0 5px”]3. HEALTH

Take outs, lack of exercise, late nights, tons of coffee, too many sweets. During busy work periods, your day to day routine tends to go out the window. Dinners are usually scoffed down at your desk or worse at midnight when you get in from work, there’s no time to prepare healthy, fresh and nutritious food, so takeaways become common form & the gym becomes a long lost memory. It’s fine for a short while, but post these crazy periods, it’s key to get your normal routine back in action as soon as possible. Stock up on fresh food, book in a couple of gym classes, and just get outdoors and enjoy some daylight …

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And right now i’m doing just that. Today i’m working from home, allowing me a small lie in, time to put the washing on and tidy the house in between conference calls and responding to emails, and some time to catch up on mediamarmalade which has been a little neglected this week. Tonight is going to be a super chilled night in with Jase, a healthy and delicious home cooked dinner with a movie. And the weekend is going to be spent barbecuing in the country side with our friends. Nothing crazy, just a low key chilled out weekend. Exactly what the doctor ordered.

Do you ever go through work periods like this too? How do you recover after them? Do you like me need to take some time back, get well needed rest and kick start your healthy living routine?

The art of being happy

Being happy sounds simple, but the pursuit of happiness is something many people find them selves seeking, opposed to just being. Happiness can be hard to find, it can be challenging to focus on and it can be exaggerated to an extent that it feels impossible to grasp fully. But finding your happiness is so important, finding your joy and your content in my opinion is the ultimate life goal. What’s money, experience, people or success without happiness.

I’m personally a happy person, I am optimistic, opportunist and generally content in my life. But it’s not through luck per c’est, it’s because I decided to choose happiness over pessimism , stress, and over a lack of self belief that diminishes any kind of happiness.

Happiness is yours for the taking. So embrace it.

HOW TO FIND HAPPINESS

Developing perspective

Often when we think of moments of sadness, stress, dissatisfaction or discontent, they’re momentary, they’re in relative terms small scale, and in the scheme of life they’re an impact that you can choose to disable you or build you. When it comes to living happily, in my opinion perspective is your biggest weapon. Being able to combat the issues and dramas life will of course through at your is your biggest chance of success, and having a rounded and open perspective will enable you to deal with these things far more easily than if you let yourself obsolve into them. The difference between an ordeal and an adventure is perspective.

Gaining self belief

For me, happiness really came from gaining self belief, accepting myself, supporting myself and believing in myself. We can be our own worst enemy in life, but actually gaining some self confidence, self belief and some self love will transform your happiness. Trust me.

Focussing on the positives

It’s easy to focus on negatives, it’s easy to forget to be grateful for the small things in life, it’s easy it ignore the positives your surrounded by. Too easy. But it’s up to you to change that, and it’s incredible how your happiness will be transformed by simply shifting your point of view, your energy and your focus from the negatives on to the positives. If you need a little help shifting your mindset then start a grateful diary where you can jot down the 2-3 things you feel grateful for each day, and I always find starting the day thinking of 5 positives an immediate way to start the day right.

Balancing your drive

As a drive person I’m always pushing myself to achieve more, to have greater success and to please myself and my friends and sanity as much as I can. And what can come with this overwhelming drive can of course be stress, a fast paced life and a lack of work life balance. Finding ways to create balance in your life, to enable yourself to achieve the things you want (and dedicate time to working hard) balanced with time to enjoy the things that bring you happy outside of work is critical. There will naturally be times in life where work out weighs your social life, but it’s important to try and find an overall balance in your life that helps you achieve the overall life happiness you want. Sometimes that means practicing a little #notsorry.

Finding content

And of course, happiness is at it’s peak when you are content, content with your life, your prospects, your career, your social life, your future. Every minute doesn’t have to be a movie worthy moment, that’s not normal, but finding and having an overall feeling of content is the most liberating and rewarding state to achieve. A satisfaction, a safety, a wholeness that leaves you feeling deeply content, and happy.

“The temptation to quit is greatest just before you’re about to succeed”

Sometimes in life, and especially in your career, you can feel as though you’re pouring everything you have into something, working as hard as possible, and giving everything you have to something, but just not seeing the return or success you desire for your hard work. It’s such a disheartening feeling, but it’s something I’m sure we all feel at some point in our lives. For me, this feeling couldn’t be more pertinent than when it comes to blogging. In all other areas of my life I feel proud of my achievements, I feel optimistic about what I can achieve next and I feel that finally my hard work has paid off. But when it comes to my blog and the blogging world, I couldn’t feel further from this.

When it comes to my blog, I love to be a shining beacon of hope, inspiration and motivation for you guys, but ultimately my tips, advice and motivational content is for me too. To keep me going, to keep me inspired and to keep me driven and hopeful that I can achieve the successes I want to. But a friend mentioned recently that I could be a little more personal on here, maybe more like how I used to be, sharing with you the highs and lows and even my personal experiences, without it needing to be informative … maybe relatable is enough? And it got me thinking about how I was feeling right this minute. Motivated and determined mixed with so disappointed and disheartened.

The reality is I’m an exceptionally driven person, I have a career and I have a blog, and I want both to achieve the success and goals I’ve given myself. Yes my career is on track and in honest exceeding where I thought, but my blog, well my blog I feel so far behind, I feel like I missed an opportunity, I feel like I fell behind, and I feel disheartened that my hard work isn’t reaping the same rewards I see and no other digital content producers have. I feel pessimistic because I can see clearly the glass ceiling above me, and I know from both sides of the fence that someone needs to open that door for you if you truly want to reap the business available & experience the opportunity out there … It’s like a hamster wheel, if you’re on the wheel then you’re full speed ahead, but jumping on late, well it’s just near impossible. I feel like I work my ass off to make this blog something I want it to become, and sometimes I just wish I saw a little more as a result …  that someone would offer me that ‘lucky break’ I’ve talked about before…

But this disheartened, self depreciating, pessimistic and depressing mentality isn’t me. It never has been and I doubt it will ever be again. These days I’m a ‘CAN DO’ person and it’s important I channel this positive attitude towards my blog too, because I know too well how optimism can get you ahead in your blog & career. As they say, “The temptation to quit is greatest just before you’re about to succeed”, which means I could be on the cusp of something here …

HOW TO STAY POSITIVE WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR NOT ACHIEVING THE SUCCESS YOU WANT

Change The Goal

If you’re feeling disheartened and disappointed by your achievements, then perhaps you’re measuring your success against the wrong thing? Is your goal genuinely achievable, is it relevant to you (and not someone else’s successes as your benchmark), have you put everything in place to help you achieve it, are you hoping for results too soon? Sometimes the reason we find ourselves feeling disappointed or disheartened by our success, or equally pessimistic about what we can achieve in the future, is because we’ve set ourselves the wrong goal. If you find yourself feeling this way, change the goal, break it down, make it challenging but achievable. There’s no point setting yourself up to fail, the process of defining your goals is critical in achieving success.

“Pull over to the side of your journey & look how far you’ve come”

Re-Strategise & Be Proactive

Much like changing the goal, perhaps you need to change the strategy that’s helping you get there, to stay relevant in the industry, to truly ladder up to your overall ambition, to adapt based on performance & learning from your failures. Are you expecting the moon and the stars but not really doing the things you need to do to get yourself there? A good, clear and actionable strategy is just as important as a defined goal and ambition … ultimately the strategy is what is going to help you achieve those goals, so you need to break them down, make them timely, ensure the’re achievable, and most of all, pro-actively action them.

Being proactive is something I’ve forgotten to do when it comes to my blogging business. The industry 5 years ago is far from what it is today, back then i would never dream of contacting a brand for business, these days that’s the norm, and as a result I’ve fallen behind on opportunities, because I’ve not been proactive enough in putting myself, my blog and my business out there.

“Do something everyday that will inch you to a better tomorrow!

Go the extra mile

And finally, don’t give up, don’t let the pessimism stop you, don’t hold back from opportunities, don’t give up trying, you need to do the absolute opposite, keep going, keep pouring more effort and energy in, work harder, be optimistic, be positive, take every opportunity offered to you, go that extra mile, every-time and before you know it, things might just start to happen, small things, slowly, but overtime the bigger picture will start to become a reality, you’ll readjust your goals, push for more, push for the next thing, and your definition of success will evolve, as you achieve those successes you had set out to … and the journey will start all over again.

“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

And don’t forget on this crazy old journey to success, that it’s not just about blog or career success and achievements, remember to always be working toward your life goals too. The things that make you happy, of which I’m sure your career is just one part. Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. And always remain focussed on your goals, your journey, your achievements, your benchmarks,“Admire someone else’s beauty without wanting to change your own”.

Do you suffer from moments of self doubt when you’re not achieving the success you set out to? How do you cope in these situations and stay positive? I hope you found these tips helpful? And perhaps you relate yo my own experiences too?

Sometimes A Little Re-Priorisation Is Needed, To Help Us Get Back That Work Life Balance We Crave So Much

This weekend I spent my time enjoying the sunshine (where’s that gone already?), catching up with some of my best friends, cramming in too much (I nearly missed my red carpet Bafta’s walk as a result) and generally just focussing on having a little fun rather than work and my blog. And whilst this isn’t entirely rare, it’s fair to say that occasionally I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of work, blogging and the demands of life that I forget to take that moment out just to enjoy myself, to forget about all the things I need to do, and to simply just laugh and relax, and truly shut off. The irony is, the stress and pressure we often put ourselves under to get things done and push ourselves to be the best we can, actually makes us less productive and less creative as a result. And if you work in a creative industry or run your own blog, then you’ll know how important productivity and creativity are to the successful running of your business!

The truth is, sometimes we spend so much of our energy and focus on making a living, that we forget to make a life. And every now and then a little re-priotisation is needed to help us get back that work life balance and for us to focus a little more of our time on simply living. This weekend was just that for me, and in fact just to prove my point, it inspired todays post and the tips I wanted to share with you, to ensure that you …

“Don’t get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life”

SIMPLE WAYS TO START PRIORITISING LIVING MORE

Prioritise You

It’s human instinct to want to please people and be liked, but sometimes an affect of this innate quest to say yes to everything is that we actually just over commit and end up sacrificing the important things to us, to please other people (not to mention run ourselves ragged trying to do everything). But Sarah Knights #NotSorry theory was quite the awakening for me, and rang true to how I felt about my own life … what was clear to me after taking a moment to truly think was that actually prioritising yourself a little more is a simple, but effective way of allowing you to focus on living the life you want to lead, and not the life others want you to or the life you feel as though you should. So try a little #NotSorry this week and see how you get on …

Try An 8pm Digital Detox

I’ve spoken about digital detoxes and the importance of them on your wellbeing a few times before, but it’s fair to say the digital world we live in means switching off has become almost non existence, and work is always in the palm of our hands. One really simple way to prioritise living a little more and ditch the constant niggle of work is by committing to a digital detox in the evening. Why not try turning off your phone & emails from 8pm in the week, giving you a couple of hours simply to enjoy your evening, rather than spend them on social media or responding to emails. Not only will you give your mind a rest, you’ll set a precedent for a healthier work life balance moving forward. If you want some tips on how to take a digital detox, check out this post.

Schedule Time Off

Sounds simple but more often than not when you lead a 100 mile per hour life, scheduling time off becomes a last minute panic, rather than a well thought out and prepared event, or worse a prospect that feels near impossible. This is likely to be even more true if you’re self employed and constantly juggling work. But scheduling and dedicating some time off work is a really great way of ensuring you balance work with living … if you work a 9-5 then perhaps the weekend IS actually your time off, but if you’re like me and juggling blog, work and god knows what else, often weekends are still ‘working days’, so time off needs to be a little more scheduled to truly equate to a break!! If you need more persuading, then read this post all about the benefits of taking a break & get inspired by this post!

Focus on Working Smart Not Hard

Another topic i’m super passionate about is working smart, and not just hard, and this itself can be a essential in giving you the opportunity to live more, and not just spend all your time trying to make a living and working. Success isn’t dependant on the hours you work and the amount you take on, it’s mostly dependant on quality of performance and the output you deliver (and working 14 hours a day and being a martyr to it is most definitely not the answer). And working smart doesn’t mean sacrificing your career, or your blog, it just means juggling things more effectively and more productively – I actually shared how I juggle a full time career & blog here in case your interested.

Commit To Leaving work On Time

In the week, evenings can become non-existent and simply a passing moment between work and sleep, but my goodness when you commit to leaving work on time and truly have 6-1opm to do something with, life feels so much more full and your day feels so much more than just work. Whether it’s a dinner with friends, a walk or run in your local park, or even time to dedicate to a hobby (like blogging), making sure you give yourself an evening (as often as possible) will truly create a feeling of far better work life balance, and of course ensure you’re not spending 90% of your time making a living, and only 10% making a life. And even though it may feel impossible, it’s up to you to set this rule & live by it.

Stay True To Your Life KPI’s

And if more time spent doing the things you love isn’t enough for you, think a little longer term. What do you want to get out of life, what is it that brings you happiness and joy, ultimately what are your life KPI’s & goals (not just your career goals). If you need some perspective to truly help you dedicate a little more effort to living, then i’d recommend crafting your own life KPI’s and prioritising your life, time and effort accordingly.

Do you struggle to have a healthy work life balance or are you quite good at making sure you set aside time for yourself? What things do you do to help create that healthy mix, i’d love to hear your advice?

The Struggles of A Non Morning Person & Morning Tips to Help You Overcome Them

Picture this, it’s Monday morning and I’m up early (hell), I have to travel into London to get a train to Birmingham for work. A relatively simple situation … you’d think. I wake up 15 minutes after my alarm, actually this is pretty good going for me, I speedily get ready & go to order my cab (on time). 25 minutes later it’s clear waiting any longer for a cab to arrive is going to result in me missing my train. So I grab my stuff, run out the door looking like a packhorse and feel my stress levels rising … I jog to the train station with suitcase in toe, where I sit and wait another 8 minutes for my train to arrive. 8 minutes now means I have 30 minutes to do the city mapper predicted 43 minute journey. I keep positive. I change trains running across two main roads to the new station, I can’t remember if I looked both ways. I made the train. I now have 5 stops to go and 13 minutes left before departure … I’m actually feeling a little more relieved now because I think I actually might make it. With 8 minutes to spare before my train departs I run through Paddington to platform 2 where I’m due to be leaving from. I can’t see my friends so I call to double check it’s definitely platform 2, ‘Yeah, platform 2 just next to Starbucks’ (I can’t see any Starbucks), me ‘at Paddington yeah’ (silly question, of course it is), Soph ‘You are joking? We’re at Euston’ … with 3 minutes to go I admit defeat. I have made it, by the skin of my teeth, to the Wrong, Bloody, Station. I grab a black cab, travel the 15 minutes to Euston, where I’ve not only missed my train but I’ve also arrived utterly exhausted and ready to go back to bed.

You see. I’m not a morning person. I struggle to wake up, I struggle to function without coffee, I’m always late, forever rushing and I’ve even been known to be sick as a result of tiredness on the first flight of the day. Yes it often results in funny stories (like this mornings), but my god it’s tiring, stressful and makes my poor body have to put up with a lot. ‘If only I was a morning person’ is a constant musing of mine. I could exercise before work, actually eat breakfast and have a coffee before leaving the house, and even get to work on time without speed walking & building a sweat because (as always) I’m already running 20 minutes behind schedule. I absolutely long to be a morning person.

A friend once told me it’s genetics, you basically are (she is) or you aren’t (I’m not), and I can only agree with the theory because it’s the only legitimate excuse I can think of for my morning tardiness. But despite this morning’s debacle, I have over the last 28 years developed a few tricks and methods to help me become more of a morning person, to help me survive the mornings in a slightly more elegant and orderly fashion, and to train my body into functioning before 10am. These tactics are tried and tested, and even advocated by my ‘morning’ friends. I hope you find them helpful.

5 TIPS TO HELP YOU SURVIVE AND ACE MORNINGS (ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE NOT A MORNING PERSON)

Genuinely get 8 hours sleep

It’s fair to say that when I hit the hay a little earlier than I might otherwise (let’s say 1030pm rather than 1130pm), and genuinely give myself at least 8 hours sleep, then I do find it easier to wake up in the morning. My natural body clock wake up time is probably 830am, so to make my 7am alarm a little less painful, trying to get to sleep by 1030pm really makes things a little more manageable

Prepare & plan your outfits the night before

Prior to 10am, and prior to a triple shot Americano, my ability to function like a normal human is unbelievably limited. The prospect of getting dressed is so daunting and complicated that if I’m not prepared I will literally go to work in the same outfit every day of the week (that or my pyjamas). One trick I’ve learnt to help me cope more effectively with the mornings is to plan my outfits the night before, and not just outfits, the more I can plan the night before the better, if I’m really organised this could even entail breakfast (usually overnight chia seed oats) or a packed lunch – but these really are a bonus as opposed to a regular occurrence.

Commit yourself to a wake up time

The temptation to hit snooze is paramount in the morning … it’s like the power of the ring but in my snooze button (Lord of the Rings in case you missed the reference). I cannot help myself, and this snoozing process can go on for up to an hour. Ultimately the only thing that will get me out of bed is the sheer panic that I am now going to be late. Terrible I know. But what I’ve realised is that the more I truly commit to getting up at a specific time, the more likely I am to be able to actually get up. Like if I have a meeting, a flight to catch or an important task to tackle, and I know I absolutely must get up at said time to be able to do whatever it is I need to do, I kind of do commit to it, and I do wake up. However on a normal day where perhaps I don’t have an early morning meeting, I clearly feel less pressure to get up, and so I don’t, I just snooze, snooze and snooze some more. So the trick to waking up? Stop snoozing and commit to a wake up time before you go to bed. Another trick I have learnt is that tapping your head on the pillow 7 times (if you need to get up at 7am, 6 times if it’s 6am) actually helps too. Anything that helps right?

Always allow more time than you need & make mornings a positive time

This sounds obvious, but if you’re not a morning person, then you’ll know full well that we like to squash as much into as little time as possible in the morning, because the less time spent getting ready, the more time sleeping. Winning right? Well no … because this is what makes us late, rushed and ultimately stressed. Whilst I know very well I can get ready in 15 minutes and be out the door in that time … I also know it doesn’t start my day all that well. So what I am trying to do now is give myself an hour to get ready and start the day before I need to leave the house, not only does it provide me more time to get dresses and look respectable, it also leaves me time to wake up more naturally and even time to check my blog or emails and have a cup of tea. The more enjoyable your morning routine is, the more positive you feel about waking up, the more likely you are to be able to wake up easily. Not to mention you start the day in a positive mindset which is always important.

Invest in a natural wakeup solution

I haven’t done this yet, but it’s absolutely something I want to buy. When I’m on holiday with sunshine and daylight streaming through my window, my body wakes up happy and ready to rumble. In the UK, less so. But the natural wakeup solutions not only help wake you up when you’re body has finished a sleep cycle (essential if you want to wake up fresh and ready to go) but they also fill the room with natural esque light so your body naturally feels like it’s time to wake up. I know loads of people who have invested in these and absolutely love how much better they make the mornings.  If you haven’t got a tech solution or can’t afford to buy one, then a natural solution during the summer months is to leave your bedroom curtains or blinds slightly open so the sunlight leaks through when the sun rises (note; this does not work in the winter).

“Wake up early. Drink coffee. Work hard. Be ambitious. Keep your priorities straight. Your mind right and your head up. Do well, live well and dress really well. Do what you love, love what you do. It is time to start living”

You can read more morning tips posts here: 5 ways to speed up your morning routine & 10 morning tips to help you start your day right

So there you have it, 5 tips to help you survive the mornings, and become more of a morning person. I’d love to know if you are a morning person or like me, a night owl, and of course please do share your tips and advice (god knows I need all the help I can get).

TAKING TIME ‘OFF’, IS THE KEY TO MAXIMISING YOUR TIME ‘ON’

This weekend i’ve escaped the city for a weekend back home in the south of England. I love taking weekends out of London, especially when it’s to head home for a serious break. There’s something about being home that immediately relaxes me and adjusts my pace of life, in fact so much so that a Friday night post dinner snooze on the sofa is always guaranteed when I get home.

A few years ago I used to work, work and work some more. In many days I still do that now, but what I’ve learnt (the hard way) is that actually sometimes you need some serious time off to be able to be more productive, more efficient and more enthusiastic when you’re ‘on’. Good work is best done when you’re physically and mentally in a good place.

When we’re stressed and busy, we tend to just put our heads down, skip breaks, work late and simply don’t stop to breathe for a minute. Whilst at the time we feel it’s the only way, it’s actually the worst way. Taking breaks is more important than we all care to accept (find our why here), whether it’s a 5 minute tea break, an hour out at lunch or even a weekend or week away.

In the last 6 months I’ve been making a real effort to live more mindfully, to focus on my wellness and most important to create some serious balance. And so I thought today I’d share my favourite ways to destress, unwind and be more mindful, perhaps they’ll inspire you to take a proper break this weekend. And to be #NotSorry about it.

MY FAVOURITE WAYS TO DESTRESS, UNWIND & BE MORE MINDFUL

Leaving London

As I mentioned, one of my favourite ways to really give my mind a break is to escape for the weekend, and one of the easiest ways to do this is to head home, to visit Jase’s family, or if we’re feeling a little more plush a spa weekend or a city break. Physically getting away from your day to day routine is a really simple but effective way to clear your mind of the day to day pressures and a real excuse just to stop, put your feet up and enjoy some time doing, well, not that much.

The seaside

For me, there’s nothing more tranquil and relaxing than the seaside. If I need to destress or get a little more mindful, then a trip to the seaside is the easiest way to do this. A walk along the beach with a nice tea and cake at the other end (just like I did today) or even a day spent soaking up the sunshine, just takes me away to another place immediately. The fresh sea air, the relaxing tones of the sea splashing against the shore and just the happy buzz of people playing or pottering around. It slows you down & brings you back.

Practicing pilates

Taking a lunch break is a really good way of ensuring you get a chance to clear your mind, re-energise and reinvigorate yourself during a working day. A lunch break is easy to sacrifice, but I really find that taking the time out to do a 45 minute pilates class is unbelievably good for my stress levels and my productivity too. Not to mention it’s exercise & it properly helps relieve any muscle tension I have from sitting at a desk all day. And of course it doesn’t need to be at lunch time (although it’s a good way to force yourself to take a break), signing up to an evening class, or finding another way to feed some exercise into your day (cycling to work, a morning jog, taking the stairs etc) is just as effective.

Running my blog

My most asked question when it comes to my blog is ‘how on earth do you blog daily and have a career’ … hard work and passion is the honest answer, but it also comes down to the fact that for me, my blog is super therapeutic, I find it relaxing, fun, and it really helps shift my mind from work and into a more creative place. And it’s not just writing my blog each day, it’s the creativity and planning my features, it’s the photography and shooting concepts, its the community and engaging with other bloggers. The whole blogging world for me is an effective way of relaxing, distressing and feeling a little more mindful.

Ditching tech

Sometimes you just need to physically switch off to be able to mentally switch off. I have found turning off all my mobile notifications such a simple but effective way of helping me relax a little (it’s surprising how stressful a constantly buzzing phone is), more than that trying to leave your emails alone after 8pm in the week (when work allows), and even just turning your phone off at night. We live an ‘always on’ life these days, restaurants, work and people are on 24/7, and whilst there’s definitely positives to this, it does make turning off that little bit harder. Making a concerted effort to live in ‘reality’ rather than through your tech is a really good way of relaxing your mind but also being far more mindful. For me sitting down to a good magazine or committing to a new novel, cooking up a delicious meal, going to the movies or catching up on my favourite new series (this is my latest way to switch off after work – i’m addicted to ‘Orange is the New Black’) are really simple ‘tech’ free ways to unwind.