Alesia

So i’m starting a real-deal glow-up challenge.  The first week lists everything we’re trying to change right now. We need to keep a journal or a note on our phone and record everything to create awareness of our personal issues.Maybe we are good with controlling what we eat but we never put lotion on our bodies, or we’re good at doing everything except our assignments. How many people know exactly how many calories they consume a day? How many people know how much money they spend? etc. Week one of the challenge introduces good habits but also gives us the chance for introspection and adjustment.

Everyday: 

Wake up earlier. 

Drink water as soon as you wake up. 

Carry a water bottle with you and refill it. 

Pack a lunch. Make it healthy. (Sandwich, soup, salad with protein, leftovers, grilled chicken, eggs etc) 

Drink water before you eat every meal. 

Either make multiple snacks for throughout the day or 3 meals and one or two small snacks to keep you going. I like to set specific times I can eat, eg. breakfast at 8 and snack 2 or 3 hours later. Don’t allow yourself to feel starving!

Put your phone away while eating and try to stretch the meal out for longer.

 Start your exercise off with 50 squats, 25 crunches and ten push ups. Increase this the next day. Other options include Yoga, Dance, Skipping and taking a walk.

Take 5 minutes to appreciate the outdoors if you can.

Do one thing that you have been putting off. Assignments, cleaning your room etc. Get it done. 

Shower. Put lotion on your whole body after. 

Put your phone away before bed. If you need to do something before you sleep, read or listen to music. 

Progress:

-Write down all your objectives in a journal.

-Put reminders on your phone about everything from your morning alarm to the assignment that you had meant to do that day.

-Count calories and record them. Figure out what your go-to dish can be for every meal.

-Evaluate each day at the end. What did you do wrong? What can you do to fix it? -Craved sweet food? Google good chocolate bar alternatives and write them down. Know you have a healthy choice to make when you just need to eat something sweet.

-Gauge how you feel. Do you feel better or worse?

-Have a goal. It’s so hard to be serious about anything when you have no tangible goal. 

Extras:

-Learn one new thing.

-Read a book.

-Try a new hairstyle.

-Shoot your shot and make a new friend.

-Wear something you love but you never wear.

-Start a journal.

-Try to take a photo of something beautiful you see everyday.

-Smile 

-Leave your wallet at home.

-Only use debit to swipe. If you can’t afford it, leave it in the store.

-Notice what you feel the need to buy. Are they needs or wants?

-Immediately remove yourself from negative situations, whether it’s a friend or the internet.

-Do a good deed.

-Watch less tv.

Low self-esteem is related to many issues such poor self-image. It discourages productivity and hampers action. It is also responsible for “chronic” unhappiness. Here are some no-nonsense tips to deal with low self-esteem.

Self Care is one of the most important things there is. Taking care of yourself should come before everything including school, studying, hobbies and other commitments. There are infinite ways to take care of yourself but I’m going to talk about different ways to make yourself feel better when you’re stressed, tired, or just generally overwhelmed or unmotivated.

Clean/de-clutter even a small section of your room. It seems like a chore but a clean space makes you feel so much better

Take a shower/a bubble bath

Go for a walk - even inside if you don’t want to face the outside world

Take a nap. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, sometimes a nap can really help to clear your head.

Make your bed. It just makes everything look tidier

Do at least one small task. If you have a ton to do, do one small, simple thing such as reply to an e-mail. This usually motivates me to do more when I complete a tiny thing.

Play with a pet. Pets are stress relievers and a lot of the time their energy and positivity rubs off on us

Paint your nails.

Eat something nourishing. IF you don’t eat or eat junk food, you will only feel worse.

Drink some water

Write. Either write down your feelings/thoughts, make up a story or just write.

Plan. Having a plan can make things seem more organised and make you realise that it is possible.

Listen to some happy tunes. 

Create an uplifting playlist. Fill it with motivation and dance tunes and just fun songs to get you going.

Have a dance party in your room. Stick on some of those happy tunes and just let go.

Netflix/movie marathon. Grab some popcorn and let yourself watch some stuff to take your mind off of things.

Stretch. I don’t know if this is because I’m a dancer or not, but I love to have a good stretch when I feel bad.

Go outside and cloud watch.

Burn a candle. A nice smelling candle can really relax you.

Create something. Whether you draw, paint, craft, build, just make something.

Make a list of all the things you’re grateful for or nice things that have happened.

Hug someone. Hugs are instant mood lifters and stress relievers.

Make a mug of tea. This always instantly calms me and it also hydrates you.

Take your medication. If you take any, then make sure you take it. You will feel better.

Put on comfy clothes. 

Read a nice book. Preferably one that has nothing to do with your studying or work.

Selfcare challenge to bring you happiness and love. Take control and change the way you view yourself by taking this 30-day self-care challenge

1. You can have only one best friend and that best friend can only be you. Because you may come across a dozen lovely people but the only one who can keep the ‘forever’ promise is you. 2. Family is the most important. This is the only love that is truly unconditional and absolutely pure. They love you when you’re 5 and when you’re 18. They love you in your failure and your success. Their love doesn’t increase because it’s already at its maximum right from the beginning, it’s already infinite. 3. Cocktails and aerated drinks may soothe your taste buds but tea soothes your entire body. It’s warm and calming and well, healthy. 4. Your first kiss means nothing if it’s not with the right person. And the right person doesn’t mean your soulmate or someone who will never break your heart but someone who in that moment loves you as much as you love them. 5. You’ve written over 350 exams and you’ve got a perfect score in some and scored miserably in others but do you remember your 9th grade math score? Do you even remember 9th grade math? Education is so important but not the stress and competitive grading that comes along with it. If you get a low score or even fail, not much will happen – you will get a retest. But if you get ill – mentally or physically, it will have undesired long term effects.

6. In 8th grade your school psychologist told you that you’re one of the few people who walk in life with open arms loving and helping everyone, not because you haven’t bled but because you know you will heal and have the strength to do so. At that point you laughed at her but now, years later you’re loving, accepting and helping in spite of having both, actual and metaphorical scars. You’re kind and admitting that doesn’t make you conceited. 7. Goodbyes don’t always have to be dramatic. Writing an 800 words message won’t make it hurt any less than an 8 words one. Closure usually has not much to do with the ones who wronged you but with taking your time in dealing with all the stages of grief. Some stage like anger may take only a month but acceptance may take years and that’s okay. 8. Jealousy is a basic human trait. They can be the closest to you and yet envy your happiness and life. Envy is something you too experience and you can be happy for them and be sad for yourself at the same time because so bitter it is to view happiness from someone else’s eyes. You aren’t a horrible human being if you feel like there are better shades of green your grass could be. 9. Read at your own desire and pace. You don’t have to read particular books to qualify as a bibliophile or read a specific number of books to be a bookworm either. Read what truly interests you and take your time because reading was never a task, don’t make it one now. 10. Money is important. Money can’t buy love but it can buy happiness. But not blood money. Money honestly earned through hard work. That kind of money is good, that kind of money is required. You have a certain standard of living and if you want to maintain that after your parents stop financing you, you must make sure to earn the same. It doesn’t make you a snob or a spoiled brat, it only makes you a human aware of your wants, many of which have turned into needs by now. 11. There are somethings you just never grow out of like bubbles and glitter and your mother’s hot chocolate and hugs. Those are the kind of things that make life bearable when adulting gets too hard. Those are the little things that matter the most. 12. You cry. A lot. But you don’t cry in front of people for their pity. You don’t cry to manipulate situations. You cry because you accept the pain. You cry because you don’t reject or lock away your emotions. You cry because your mental, emotional and physical self are in sync and that’s healthy. That’s so lovely. 13. Bake cakes. They don’t have to look pretty as long as they taste delicious. Paint canvases. They don’t have to be a master piece as long as all the paint in your hands and face and jeans makes you feel complete. Write more. It doesn’t have to a novel or even be posted online as long as it lets you breathe a little lighter and smile wider. 14. Go for walks alone, sit on the beach without your headphones, look up at the sky without a lover, buy flowers for yourself. Nature is legit free (for the most part). And it’s the richest thing that the world has. Le it bring you peace, let it help you survive. 15. Make home feel home. Sometimes you won’t have your family to make it home. Sometimes you will have to make it home by putting a part of yourself and that means investing the time, energy and money in making it feel yours, in making it feel right. It may not be your ‘dream house’, it may just be a tiny room but it’s yours. Your surroundings play a major role in affecting your mood and vibe. 16. Energy is real. You may not know much about Science beyond 10th grade but you do know this, e=mc ²  which means everything is energy, you are energy and there is positive and negative energy and you can feel it and you experience it in every person you meet, every place you visit, every room you step inside. You can and you must choose to surround yourself with positive energy. What you attract, you do get; what you attract you become. 17. Spend time with yourself. It’s some of the best time you will have. You need to unwind, you need it to re-energize, you need it to focus and you need it for peace. You can go to a cafe by yourself, write, read, meditate, talk to yourself out loud, dance in your underwear, cook and just be. 18.  Take care of yourself- no one else can, no one else will. Drink loads of water, there’s a reason why more than half your body is made up of water. Sleep well because staying up all night isn’t something to be proud of, it’s stupid. Don’t skip breakfast because skipping breakfast makes you crave fatty foods for the rest of the day. Stay healthy not because you want to look a certain way but because you want to feel strong and energetic and have an active mind, body and heart. Staying healthy emotionally and mentally is just as important. So let those who want to go, go and never say yes to something your gut wants to scream ‘NO’ to.