They say routine is good for the mind body and soul… 

Well, I’m not too sure who ‘they’ are, but I’ll stand by that notion. After traveling for six and a half weeks and returning back home to horrendous jet lag, I am in much need of a solid routine. That’s not to say that I want an hour-by-hour, structured weekly timetable, but after being all over the place, there are a few things I want to work on in a regular manner. 


SLEEP 


It is pretty common knowledge that a good night’s sleep can do a world of wonder. It heals your body in terms of exercise, increases your metabolism, clears your skin, makes you less hungry (or less willing to reach for sugar and high energy foods at least) and is an overall healthy practice. After getting back from the States I am slowly getting back into a regular sleeping pattern, but I want to ensure that I am getting my eight hours worth each night. 

I’m very guilty of staying up and watching ‘just one more episode’ of whatever I’m currently binge watching. I’m also really bad for scrolling through social media just before going to sleep and setting unrealistic alarms just to keep snoozing them on a morning.  My goal is to start going to bed much earlier, and have more of a bedtime routine. To allow myself time to take off my make up, read a few chapters of my book and fall to sleep naturally. 


DIET


Whilst in America, it was hard not to notice the huge amounts of greed and processed food in all of the eateries and supermarkets. It felt pretty much impossible to avoid meat and dairy whilst we were there, as we were on a budget and not able to prepare and cook much of our own food. 

I have been thinking for a number of months that I want to have a mainly plant-based diet and I have been actively doing so since the start of the New Year. It is not only for the animals but also because of environmental issues and the effects these types of products can have on our bodies. I want to have a bit of a detox and aim to make sure that 90% of my diet is vegan and plant based.

One way in which I am doing this is by having more smoothies, which are not only full of antioxidant-rich berries, but because of the sweetness of the fruit it is so much healthier at satisfying my sweet tooth than chocolate. I am also making little changes like having sweet potatoes instead of carbs. I had read that the glycemic index is lower making you much fuller for longer, meaning I won’t snack as much in-between meals.



EXERSICE 


Being in the USA also meant that any form of exercise completely went out of the window. We were able to go to the gym a couple of time whilst we were in Memphis and we also tried to walk as much as possible, but because of our diet (hello pizza, five guys, doughnuts and Mexican food!) it didn’t really help much in the grand scheme of things…

I want to get into more of a regular routine when it comes to exercise and actually make the effort to see a change in my body. I have put on weight in America and I want to feel as confident and as healthy as I possibly can, especially on the build up to summer.  My plan is to go to the gym around four times a week as well as sign up to a local yoga class that I have had my eye on since we moved to Leeds…


OTHER PLANS


Blogging – I seem to have gotten out of the swing of things in terms of my blogging and social media content. I’m planning on getting back into the routine of publishing posts four times a week, as well as uploading some more YouTube videos. 


Alcohol – Although I am in no way a big drinker, and it is not as though I will be attending alcohol rehab anytime soon, I have been drinking a bit more than usual over the last few weeks. I just want to become more intentional when it comes to my alcohol intake and be more aware.

Water – It is a no brainer that drinking plenty of water keeps you hydrated, helps your skin as well as your fatigue levels, increases metabolism and much more. I want to become more intentional and make a conscious effort to drink plenty of water each day. 

Reading – I love to read and as I mentioned above, I want to read more on an evening as a way to wind down from the day and ease me into the land of nod. Plus, my ‘To Read” pile is absolutely huge at the minute!

Socialising – On the build up to our trip away, James and I were in ‘save-like-crazy’ mode and left no money in the pot to spend on visiting friends or going out for meals and drinks. Now that we don’t have the pressure of the trip looming over our heads, we both want to make more of an effort and regularly meet up with friends and family. 

Madolyn
xxx

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