thinfoil

Since I've been fasting again I haven't had much energy to go for a jog or a walk so I compiled a bunch of seated exercises from a whole bunch of sites to use alongside my usual routine! I'll usually pick a few to do when I'm outside for a cigarette at night so I can inhale death but also stay active lmao. It makes me feel a little less guilty on days when I haven't had the energy to do my usual routine as well ~

Calf lifts: raise your legs up on the very tips of your toes while remaining seated. Hold for ten seconds. 10x each leg.

Clenches: clench your buttocks and hold for ten seconds. 5 sets of 10 reps.

Waist rotations: rotate as far to the left as you can at your waist and hold for five seconds, then repeat on the right. 10x each side. Grab the back/armrests of your chair with your hands for extra support, but don’t pull yourself too hard, let your core do the work.

Crunches: move to the edge of your seat and lean back on the backrest. Lift your straightened legs a few inches above the ground and raise your back a few inches off the backrest. Hold for ten seconds. 10x.

Leg lifts: straighten and lift up your leg until it touches the underside of your desk or table, or until your leg is on a 90 degree angle with your torso. 20x each leg.

Elbow curls: raise your arms at your sides and either rest your hands on the sides of your head or keep your forearms up at a 90 degree angle. Bring your elbows together and then all the way back to the starting position at moderate speed. 30x.

Arm circles: raise your arms straight out to your sides and press your shoulder blades together. Extend arms with palms down, thumbs facing forward, and do 20 forward circles with your arms. Then flip your palms up, thumbs facing behind you, and do 20 backward circles with your arms.

Bicycle crunches: raise your arms and rest them on the back of your neck. Raise left leg and lower right arm to make contact between your elbow and knee, keeping lower back firm against back of seat. Lower leg and return to upright position. Repeat with other leg/arm. 20x.

if you can’t get out of bed, try and sit up instead of lying down. it’ll be better for your back and your blood pressure.

if you can’t shower or have a bath today, try and brush your teeth and clean your ears. it’ll keep you a little cleaner, and we often forget those areas. 

if you can’t get dressed today, change underwear and use some deoderant. it’ll leave you a little fresher until you have the strength to change fully.

To overcome anxiety you need to put in the work, this is not some click-your-fingers-and-its-gone shit. You need to return home to yourself and learn to live in alignment with your truth and not what society expects from you. I went from years on years of crippling anxiety and panic attacks to living completely anxiety-free for many years now, here’s what I did....

1 ) I fucking paused. I created a space for myself daily to meditate / journal. I stopped listening to the outside world and started tuning into me. I noticed the voice in my head and all the was it was kicking me down at every given opportunity. I noticed how I worked a job that was so far from everything I loved and valued in life, I started noticing the men I was choosing and how they would fuel my anxiety by giving me scraps of love which I accepted and tolerated for years. I noticed the ‘friends’ who’s energy I felt off around, I noticed my vices, drinking alcohol even dabbling in drugs and smoking for release. In pausing I really got to see how my life was so far from love, and this distance manifested as anxiety as a signal for me to come back home to myself. 

2) I stopped talking / obsessing over my anxiety. The more I read about it, spoke about it, the more it could live within me. I was feeding it each day the more I focused on it. I stopped giving anxiety my energy. I accepted it was there, and focused on feeling better. 

3) I got help. I found a therapist I trusted and could understand me (it can take some time) and this was a game changer. I did a course of cognitive behavioural therapy for 3 months (which I privately extended to 9 months) and learnt all the ways my childhood wounds had been playing out in my adult life. I would choose men that would validate my belief that I was not worthy, something I believed as a child from my dad. There was a long list of old beliefs that I was playing out in my everyday life triggering my anxiety at every opportunity. 

4) I moved my body, I did regular exercise, dancing, yoga, running, pilates, walking. In order to get that uncomfortable feeling out my stomach, it was crucial the energy in my body was being moved otherwise I was energetically stuck.

5) I learnt how to connect with my inner child, I found out what I needed, where I was neglecting myself, and this was huge for my anxiety relief. I read Susan Anderson for steps on how to do this.

6) I got new friends. I changed my circle, and with this my energy changed. I spent time with women who inspired me, educated me, lifted me up, and this took time. There were periods I had no friends but I knew it was more important to be alone than be around people who were not aligned with me, and my values. 

7) I stopped dating unavailable men, as my self love and worth grew I was no longer interested in men that rejected or treated me like an option. I choose men who treated me as I desired, with respect, care, interest, love and affection. Hot and cold men held no place in my life and this helped shift ALOT of my anxiety as my father wound was a huge part of the anxiety I was feeling on a daily basis. A man ignoring me for 3 days would trigger severe anxiety until I heard back.

9) I choose a career and jobs in alignment with my truth. I said no to jobs not paying me enough, jobs with toxic teams. At interviews I learnt about the culture and asked questions to see if I was a good fit for me. 

10) I poured into my passions and built my confidence, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and proved my limiting beliefs wrong. I travelled alone, I learnt to enjoy my own company, I read books, attended retreats, listened to music that made me feel good, I helped other people, I switched off my phone. 

If this post gets to... 500k notes by Jan 1st, 2023, I'll recover.

*binges*

*gains weight back*