NEW YEAR GLOW UP

Jan 24, 20218 min read

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I spent my New Year's Eve in bed watching American Horror Story, WBU? Contrary to popular vibe at the moment, I believe 2021 is actually going to be a pretty radical year - regardless of those nasty uncontrollable circumstances. If GCSE science taught us anything, it is incredibly important to ensure you are controlling the controllable. Otherwise, your results are all messy and you find yourself sat hunched over your excessively tall stool, sticking a piece of wood splint into your Bunsen burner flame thinking WTF is going on. WHAT. IS. THE. POINT?!

*“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain.”(**Vivian Greene)*

Fast forward from having Corona, binge watching American Horror Story and pondering my existence. Mid January, I'm now feeling pretty spicy, my soul feels alive and life feels pretty damn exciting right NOW. Everything feels more wonderful, from the mundane to the exciting future. I got fire in my belly, and it's beginning to radiate into everyday life, a beautiful glow, a slice of sunshine to brighten up the dreary days. May I add, this wonderful feeling can all be achieved for FREE! The GLOW UP radiates in many forms; from attracting new opportunities, to taking the steps to achieving your desires / from developing a greater self love and compassion for yourself and others to a healthier and stronger body and brain. Raise your frequency and energy without the reliance of external, artificial stimulants. Be your own natural high.

Whilst I don't want your money (donations are welcome), I will need a snippet of your time, optimism and curiosity for this one. You wanna feel the sunshine too? Grab your notebook, cup of Joe, a pint of water, and I'll let you into the secrets of the NEW YEAR GLOW UP!

Numero Uno. THE MORNING ROUTINE IS BACK BIATCH!

Some of you may remember my documentation of when I joined 'The 5am Club' a few years back. One of my favourite blog entries can be found here (after you've read this one). This groundbreaking routine changed my perception of my own abilities - when you cut the excuses and comfortableness, and really commit to the cause!

As life moves along, motivations ebbs and flows. Surprise, surprise, I stopped waking up at 5am. Rather, I fannied about most mornings after snoozing my alarm numerous times, sat impatiently during my 10 Min meditation on 'patience', and wrote in my journal simply to tick the mindful activity off my checklist. I shall rephrase my pre January approach as 'Half-arsing it'.

Fast forward to NOW. The catalyst to all these wonderful 'Glow Up' tools and tactics has been upgrading my 'MORNING ROUTINE'. It's an absolute ****** game changer. Excuse my French, but I really want you to listen to this. Repeat after me "A badass morning routine is very cool and will literally upgrade every aspect of my life".

Tools & Resources to inspire:

LISTEN TO: *How to Wake Up at 5 AM

READ: *The 5am Club Book

INVEST:*MIMI METHOD Morning Routine Programme

WATCH:*My Morning Routine

We like to move it move it GET THOSE ENDORPHINS FLOWING

After my stint with Rona at Christmas, I literally sat on my bum for 14 days straight. My only movement was to raid the cupboard for celebrations chocolates and mulled wine. Following the 2 weeks of 'recovery' I felt like a lethargic, bony-bottomed slug, slithering my way through my self- inflicted self pity.

Rest is good, rest is important, ain't nothing wrong with mulled wine and multiple Milky Ways for breakfast. BUT we must recognise when to say 'Enough is enough!', turnt it up' and get back on that movement hype! There is a wonderful array of new workouts/flows on YouTube. Get involved! Commit to a healthier and stronger you right now, this year, and the positive benefits will flow into other aspects of your life. I am currently loving following along with a 28 day HIIT challenge and a 14 Day meditation & Yoga Journey on YouTube.

GET ZEN & STRETCHY: *The 14 Day Free Yoga & Meditation Journey

GET SWEATY AND ENERGISED: *28 Day Advanced HIIT Challenge

I'm too busy to meditate...SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP

This stuff is bookie. I shit you not, you can reach some out of body sensations through the power of Meditation! A natural high like no other. I am not being dramatic for the purpose of persuasion. Trust me on this one. Through the power of meditation, you can literally change your 'Subconscious' brain to make better decisions that align with a healthier- superhuman you! Realign your mind-body-spirit. Start with 5/10 minutes, schedule that special time in, pop your headphones in and commit to it!

If I'm honest, sitting down to meditate for 10 minutes used to be a chore, NOW I look forward to my 20 minutes of magic - soon I hope to be rocking the 40 minute practice. The practice of meditation will leak its golden sunlight into every aspect of your life. You might even become a nicer person for it. Reduce your stress, anxiety and aggression - increase your compassion, good mood and focus - sound good? Don't have time? Make the time. Sit down and zip the lips. Damn she's sassy. She could do with some meditation.

TRY FOR FREE/ INVEST: *Headspace App

TRY FOR FREE/ INVEST: *Mimi Method App

READ: *The Mind Illuminated

READ: *Becoming Supernatural

Look after your bod it will look after you - SHINE FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Eating healthy and treating your body well is actually a privilege, not a punishment. As Gillian McKeith said "You R what U eat". It's true, treat your body with respect and it will be kind back. What we consume effects us both mentally and physically. Therefore, the glow up is not about starving ourselves, been there, done that, got the picture, still didn't look how I wanted to look, looked sad and grumpy AF. The Glow Up is about nourishing ourselves with the freshest, cleanest, damn yummiest, fulfilling food nature has to offer. Food can be fun and fuel all at the same time!

Consumption doesn't just mean what we eat and drink, consumption is what we consume on a daily basis. What do you listen to? What do you watch? Who do you follow? Who do you hang out with (in normal - non - lockdown) times? Ask yourself honestly, is this good for me or nah? You are responsible for the energy you put into the world so take responsibility for what you consume. YEH BABY.

She really is boring - DRY, DRY YAWN JANUARY

Talking of treating our bodies with respect. I decided to make lockdown January 2021 even more 'fun' by going DRY JANUARY. As a self-aware maniac, I couldn't help but notice my almost automatic response of grabbing le cheeky beverage most evenings, one cheeky bev turns to two, two turns to three... you know the drill. A cheeky lil habit I wanted to well and truly break!

Indeed, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, a reminder of facts that never get promoted because alcohol makes money and makes boring events/people seem more tolerable BUT alcohol is an addictive substance, disturbs our sleep, and the withdrawals of even a small amount can leave us anxious, feeling down in the dumps, and for some, craving more. Groundbreaking! A slippery, slip and slide I did not want to go slip and sliding down this New Year.

I see you there, rolling your eyes. **** off Bella, nobody wants to hear about the benefits of being sober for a month. I used to find people preaching about sobriety really annoying too. Don't worry, the scary facts about the 'fun juice' make me uncomfortable too. Give going sober a go, see how long you last, it's an uncomfortable process, but has many benefits.

Some brief benefits of Dry January so far :

-Better Sleep -Eating less shite -Less anxious -Clearer mind -More tolerable -Spending Less £ -Better general mood -More presence -Clearer Skin -More productive -More confident just being ME.

On February 1st I most likely will enjoy a cheeky beveragino again. Addictive init.

CHECK OUT: - *SPICYMILLS Insta Page (yummy, healthy nutrition Inspo)

READ: - *Alcohol Explained Book

WATCH: - *10 Ways to Naturally Detox Your Body Daily

Crying is for babies. LET IT ALL OUT

When on the healthy, wellbeing, 'omg I'm so perfect with my matcha latte' lifestyle, you are in fact still allowed to feel emotions such as sadness, anger and irritability. Tis life init. Sometimes things don't go as planned, sometimes our inner control freak gets mugged off by unforeseen circumstances, sometimes we just feel 'meh' and don't know why... just yet.

INFACT, I see the the 'glow up' as the shedding of ones hard onion skin or the never ending journey from caterpillar to butterfly. Once the novelty of feeling motivated and excited for a healthier and 'better' you wears off, the glow up is actually not as glamorous as we sometimes suspect. When we challenge our habits, thoughts and beliefs through implementing new healthier habits shit can get uncomfortable and feel weird. Our immediate reaction is to go back into hibernation and slip back into old ways. Therefore, remember when the tears come out, don't suppress, let whatever wants to rise to the surface rise. You shall rise too!

I find crying is good for the soul, a cathartic release, a cleanse for the brain body connection when meditation and workouts don't quite cut the mustard. Apparently, crying releases the chemicals oxytocin and endorphins, therefore crying is good for you! Everything in moderation...

I feel this balance of skipping along the seashores contrasted with ugly crying isn't usually portrayed on our perfectly portrayed media lives. Therefore, I've treated you to a few clips of me ugly crying on the VLOG. Getting the GLOW isn't about being perfect. You be GLOWIN even when your face is all damp and soggy from your tears. Respect to the authentic vulnerable and imperfect you.

INVEST: *In someone/ people who you can talk to/ that will pat you on the shoulder but also tell you the hard truths... (mine is my parents/ legit therapist are great tho.).

WRITE: *Get that journal out and make the habit of writing feels and thoughts out on a regular basis. Practicing self awareness is a beautiful tool.

Treat yah self cuz you worth it - GET INSPIRED & MOTIVATED

What inspires you? Utilise those tools and resources that spark your imagination, creativity and energy for life. For me I love finding images and words that inspire me and putting them on a 'vision board' to reinforce that spark everyday. Some days it's listening to an uplifting podcast, and taking time to read a few pages of a badass book to reignite the stagnant energy. Mental imagery and rehearsal are incredibly powerful tools. The mind can often get confused between reality and imagination. So you might as well use this to your advantage! If we can change our body state through thought alone, consider the limitless possibilities of our abilites to bend reality this new year. Make these 'sparks' a part of your daily routine. Listen to that podcast whilst you get ready for the day, read that book before you shut your eyes at night. Make that vision board this week. Whatever floats your boat, the time will pass anyway.

LISTEN: *Jay Shetty Podcast

READ: *You Are a Badass

Treat yourself to some 'things' that might help you along the way, an incentive to get up and going. Some of my favourite wellbeing 'things' I have bought recently/got for Christmas include:

-Body Brush: Dry body brushing yourself like a horse is a great way to shed that old dry skin from 2020 and reveal a beautiful glowing layer underneath. Rumour has it dry body brushing is a great way to stimulate your lymphatic system, promote detoxification, boosting circulation and energy. Neigh.

-Tongue Scraper: Using a tongue scraper first thing in the morning is a delightful way to swipe away toxins and bacteria on the tongue. Apparently, this handy metal tool reduces bad breath whilst also increasing your sense of taste. Win win.

-Oil Diffuser: I got an oil diffuser for Christmas and it's my new best friend. We hang out in the morning and evening, different oil, different vibe. So versatile. Oil diffusers are an amazing stress releaser, sleep soother and morning energy booster. Apparently they are pretty handy at improving respiratory health and boosting the immune system too.