A Spring Clean On My Life

It's one of the greatest ironies of life: 

We're too busy to deal with the stuff that makes us feel busy.

Tackling them always feels like a project, the kind you'll get around to when you have the time. 

Yeah Right...

"The key to a calmer existence is finding small, everyday solutions for stressors and releasing clutter." 

"When you start to let go, your life lightens up because you have less to think about and less to maintain,"

There has never been a truer word said, in my case anyway.

Last year I was in a very stressful position in my job and my entire schedule revolved around work. It eventually took it's toll on my health. 
Deciding to step down from the roll I held was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

I found my health improved, my state of mind was clearer, my anxiety was reduced and I just had a better outlook on life in general.

I immediately found a replacement position I was extremely happy with and my work day became an enjoyable experience as opposed to a dreaded weight I carried around for 10 hours a day.

I also met my boyfriend on the same weekend.

Things seemed to be falling nicely into place.

It is really important for our sanity that we take a step back every now and then and see where we are in our lives and if things are progressing as we would like.

This month with my injury I had some spare time, (some) as I wasn't spending as much time working out. 
I decided to start de-cluttering and making changes to;
My wardrobe
My digestive system
My hair
My mind
My Time
My Skin

A random list it might seem, but these were all areas I felt I was a little anxious about and perhaps needed to focus a bit more on.

So..

What Did I Do:

Have A Plan. 
Most people's to-do lists actually create fatigue, because they don't clarify how, exactly, they are going to handle things, so tasks feel bigger than they are. 
Take a second to jot down how you'll tackle something.
Then, Just Do It. 

If something can be done in two minutes, go ahead and get it done. It will take you longer to look at it again than it would take to finish it the first time you think of it.

My List:

MY TIME:

My days seemed to be melting into one another and I was finding I had no time to relax after a busy day in work.

Take note of how you are spending the majority of your day. 
See where you are wasting time and try to figure out how you can utilise your down time to the best of your ability.

While on the bus make a list of things you need to do, research on your smart phone while standing in q's or while waiting at appointments.
Pay bills online and shop online where possible to save you travelling to different locations.

MY MIND:

Get rid of people that are bad for you!
Such a difficult thing to do but a vital one if you want to get peace of mind.

I have a habit of keeping in contact with the wrong people, and I hate to fall out with people so I try to always keep the peace, ex boyfriends included. This is all well and good if you can distance yourself, if not it can start to affect you in lots of different ways and can stop you progressing with your life in the here and now. 
I learned this the hard way.
This year I made a conscious decision to cut ties with people I knew were having a negative affect on my life. 

MY HAIR:

I have had the same blonde highlights for years and decided I would like a change. Having tried the chop and a fringe I decided this time I would play around with my colour.
I opted for Blonde Ombre and some balyage.
I am delighted with the results, not too drastic but a welcome change none the less. 

MY DIGESTIVE SYSTEM:

Two words; Colonic Irrigation.
 I am obsessed.
Also known as "colon hydrotherapy", colonic irrigation is a safe and effective method for cleansing the colon of waste and impacted material by repeated flushing with water.
Those that know me well will know about my passion for colonics. 

A cleanse from the inside out, with the added bonus of complete hydration.

I try to have a colonic every couple of months and I find my skin, my hair and my nails all benefit from a good colonic. 

MY WARDROBE:

I love a good wardrobe clear out.

My younger cousin does too as she usually gets to rummage through whatever items I have decided to get rid of, some of which still have the tags on. I am an impulse buyer and often get carried away. Days later realising I may not even like the items all that much.

MY SKIN:
I love doing skin treatments and will do a skin peel or a microdermabrasion or skin needling at least every 4-6 weeks.
I decided to use the Dermadart, a form of skin needling as I felt I needed a little collagen boost.
Here is a post I've written on skin needling and it's benefits:
http://loveprotectreflecttheskinyourein.blogspot.ie/2013/04/skin-needling.html

This was my skin directly afterwards.


This was my skin four weeks later!!

LOVE this treatment.

I am about to embark on my New Fitness Regime which I will be releasing daily posts on.
It is more or less taking my workouts back to basics and re-focusing on my diet. 
 All the details will be up on the blog on Sunday!!

Stay Tuned :)