I believe that nature can change your mood and mindset. I instantly feel happier when I’m outside, especially when the sun is out.
It’s actually scientifically proven that the sunlight will boost your mood and prevent depression. (You can read more about this here.)
The sun can give you so many benefits:
Vitamin D (+ give you strong bones).
Prevent different diseases and heal skin conditions.
But most importantly it makes you HAPPY! For me, it’s hard to be anything but happy with the sun warming my cheeks and arms.
I think everyone should try to meditate outside in the sun at least once, no matter if you’re into meditation or not. It’s much more peaceful than just sitting in your room. The sound of nature around you and the fresh air will help you focus. (At least it helps me).
I did it this morning and I feel great (even with my pollen allergy). There are a ton of different ways to enjoy the nature. You can go for a walk, have a picnic, or simply just sit.
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for finding the headline interesting enough to click on it! How did you find
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OK, no more chit-chat, that’s not why you’re here.
Content
There’s really no wrong way
It’s OK to ask
Everybody sweats!
No one really cares about you
There’s no wrong way
Do you have worries that people think you’re an idiot when using an unfamiliar machine for the first time, because you might be using it wrong? I know I worried about this when I first started working out.
Well I can tell you now, after 5-ish years of working out, only stupid people will make fun of you for that. All over Facebook and mostly Instagram, people show alternative ways to use different machines in the gym.
You’re not using the machine wrong; you’re inventing a new way of using it! (It’s all about your mindset.)
So don’t
worry about it.
It’s OK to ASK
Ask for
help if you need it! You can always ask the staff for help, but other members
are usually happy to help as well.
A woman at
my gym (member, not staff) taught me how to do a deadlift with a kettlebell. She
even lent me her resistance band.
Another time,
two older guys helped me with the lat pulldown machine. When I first prepped
the machine with the right bar and stuff, I did it wrong, so the bar turned the
wrong way (damn it). I had to stand on the seat because I couldn’t reach, with
the “big heavy” bar in my hands. They saw that I was struggling and helped me!
This is
just two of many examples.
Quick tip: Just avoid asking people in the middle of their heaviest set of squats 😉
Everybody sweats
That’s why
you’re there, isn’t it?
This is
something I’m still working on myself: It’s ok that your clothes get stained
with sweat. Heck, you can be drenched and it shouldn’t matter!
I bought a pair of Flexxfit leggings not so long ago, and sadly they are not sweatproof at all (a.k.a. booty sweat that can be spotted a mile away). It took a great deal for me to stay and finish my workout. But when I was done, I felt great. And guess what…
No one batted an eye.
Try not to care to much about it. We can work on it together 🙂
No one really cares…
No one really cares how you look or how you use the machines. Not because you’re an uninteresting person, just because people are there to work on themselves. Just like you are. So, that’s where their focus will be. Not on you.
Overall, my biggest advice is to just go in there, have a great workout with lots of sweat and no worries. ASK for help if you’re in doubt.
Remember, it’s the fewest people that pays for a membership just to go pick on others.
Just think
about it… you don’t judge other people if they sweat or use a machine an
alternative way, do you? So why would anybody else.
I really
hope that you found any of this helpful. Please share your advice with me in
the comments!
I’m a firm believer that having a great start to your day will increase your mood the rest of the day as well. That’s why I try to make it a habit to wake up well-rested and with a happy mindset. But if you’re like me, and don’t have much time in the morning, you know this can be a challenge.
That’s why
I try to remember to do the smaller things instead, to give me a good start to
my day.
Drinking
at least two cups of water before consuming anything else (I often forget this
and jump straight to coffee)
Music.
Music is always a real mood-booster for me. That’s why I always put music on
first thing in the morning (after peeing).
Getting
ready without looking at my phone. This also helps me get ready faster, so that
I have more time to drink my water and coffee
This is how I want my mornings to go…
Waking up
at 06:20, well-rested after at least 8 hours of sleep. I get up as soon as the
first alarm goes off. After making my bed, I stroll to the bathroom for a pee
and a shower. When I’m done getting ready, around 06:40, I sit down on my
bedroom floor for a quick 10-minute meditation session.
With my
head clear and my body hungry, I head downstairs to the kitchen for my 2 cups
of water. Then I’m going for a cup of coffee and a healthy breakfast before
heading off to work.
How my mornings usually go…
I wake up at 06:40 after 17 alarms. Tired after only 6 hours of sleep, I roll out of bed and rush to the bathroom, probably stubbing my toe on my way there. Around 07:05 I’m done getting ready. I quickly make my bed and hurry downstairs for a much-needed cup of coffee. I never manage to eat breakfast at home. Instead I eat something quick at my desk at work, with a tired body and a chaotic mind.
Obviously not all my mornings go like this…(Yeah, I exaggerate in the examples, lol). Most mornings are probably a mix of the two.
Let me know how your mornings go, or how you would like them to go, in the comments below!
Sunflower kisses and well wishes,
P.S. This was my struggle trying to take this picture:
These oven baked fries are super easy to make. They are vegan (obviously), oil-free and made with just one ingredient (and some spices)!
Step no. 1
Preheat your oven to 210° celcius (410° F).
Step no. 2
Rinse a couple of big potatoes, but don’t peel them. Then cut them into chunks and place them on a piece of parchment paper, like shown in the picture below. I used four baking potatoes.
Step no. 3
Now add your spices. I kept it simple and added salt, pepper and garlic powder. But these would taste bomb with tarragon as well.
Step no. 4
Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. But make sure to keep an eye on them.
Enjoy with your fave dipping sauce!
Make sure to send me pictures if you make any of my recipes!
Instagram is my no. 1 source of inspiration when it comes to fitness. There are SO MANY amazing people on that platform. Buuut since it would be a very long blog post if I had to mention everybody that I follow, I figured I would do my top 5.
Maddie always post pictures/youtube videos of delicious, healthy vegan food (especially fruit!). She looks amazing and truly HAPPY. She can change my mood for the entire day with a single instagram caption.
A.K.A. Remy Parks. She has the most aesthetic insta feed ever. She posts yummy, vegan food pictures and all her captions are either inspiring or hilarious. I also LOVE her agressive use of the Instagram stories! Haha, but for real, it gives a good insight of her everyday life that a post couldn’t do. Remy is really good at engaging with her followers as well!
She’s an amazing girl that has taught me so many things about food, health and fitness. She’s a pro in showing her gratitude for the little things and she’s always happy! Enjoying nature and eating wholesome foods is her thing! And her love for bread is amazing, haha. She posts inspiring photos of her clients who are all doing great! She’s vegan too.
Pfeh, long name. But! Leila is awesome! She’s a foodie, as she describes herself. And you can surely tell by the yummy pictures and stories she often posts! She ALWAYS makes me crave pancakes! Vegan too.
This guy I really enjoy following, especially because of his eye-opening, inspiring text-photos. Also because of the food and fitness pictures, of course! AND he has the most gorgeous girlfriend, @biancataylorm!
Who are your favourite fitness instagrammers? Let me know in the comments!
Hi there! Thank you so much for reading this post. I truly appreciate it and hope that you will get some useful information while reading it.
Facts on the table;
Motivation should not be your only factor to stay consistent.
No one is motivated all the time. That’s why it’s important to know how to stay consistent despite lack of motivation. So how do you do that?
There’s no formula, no recipe. But the following tips is what usually works for me.
No. 1 Find your thing
You don’t have to like going to the gym to get fit. There are soooo many different ways to move your body. You just have to try out different things until you find out what works for you!
This can be anything from following Youtube at-home workouts (such as the amazing madfit), to pole dancing, to yoga. The list goes on and on. My biggest tip here is to stay patient and believe that you will find your thing. To make it more fun, drag a friend or a sibling with you to different classes. Every workout is more fun when you’re not the only one suffering ヅ
No. 2 Use inspirational sources
Now a days with the internet and social media, it is so eay to find people/blogs/instagramers/youtubers/u-name-it, that can inspire you. For me, it’s always super motivating to see other people killing it on social media. I get inspired to go out and kick some butt myself. That’s why it’s awesome to follow different people that inspire you to be the best you can be.
While it’s great to use social media platforms for inspiration, I also strongly suggest having someone you actually know and see in real life as inspiration. Convince your best friend, lover or sibling to join you in this lifestyle change. Inspire and motivate each other – hold each other accountable!
Even if you don’t see the person every day, this can still work. Talk over the phone, send gym-snaps etc., and share your excitement/frustration/progress/failures and all that comes with this lifestyle!
This tip, I think, applies to pretty much everything in life. That’s why it’s my last and most important tip.
You have to figure out WHY you are doing what you are doing. If you don’t have a why, what stops you from just not doing it?
Whether it’s paying your taxes, so you don’t go to jail (exaggerating here) or going to the gym because you want to feel healthy.
No one but you can find your why. Sit down with a pen and a piece of paper. Write down what you want to achieve – and why.
Example:
I want to go to the gym 5 times a week, because I want to FEEL healthy and take care of my body.
I want to meditate every day for 10 minutes, because my mental health is important to me.
You see? When you give yourself a reason to actually do it, it instantly becomes easier to get your butt off your couch and DO IT! If you just decide “I want to work out” with no why, no goal, it’s easier to just skip, right? Because what’s the point?
I hope you can find a way to apply some of these tips in your daily life and that it will help you!
I would love it if you share your no. 1 tip to stay consistent in the comments below ♥
It’s a sunday. Sunday should always be cookie-baking day!
Buuut… We all know how big a project baking cookies can be. That’s why I made this recipe as simple as possible.
If you have around 45 to spare (baking time included), you should definitely try out these yummy (and healthy!) cookies!
Dry ingredients:
135g oats
65 g. Flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tablespoon vanilla powder (substitute with cinnamon if you like it. I don’t lol)
Wet ingredients:
2 tbsp apple sauce
50 g. Maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp oil (I use sunflower oil. DON’T use olive oil.)
50 g. raisins (or as many as your heart desires)
Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. (If preferred you can mix the dry and the wet ingredients in separate bowls and then combine. I’m just too lazy for that.)
Fold in the raisins.
Let the mixture cool in the fridge for around 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 160° celcius. (320° F)
When cooled, grab a spoon and make around 15 cookies. Press them flat.
Charikiins 