Working out has become a really big part of my life. Over the past two years I became more aware of my health and the impact that being so passive was having in my mind and my body. My therapist made the recommendation many times as it's been known to help those who suffer from anxiety, but it wasn't until I noticed that I was losing my flexibility and had a new job lined up that this idea appealed to me.
It was hard at the beginning, it's still hard now but once you get into the groove of things you realise it isn't as bad as you thought, you get to enjoy that hour plus you have at the gym, outside or even at home. During this two years I've learned that there are certain things can help you have amazing workouts and most of them have helped me to get back into the mindset and actually enjoy it.
Focus on the movements, this means no distractions, and if you are cringing at this, I get it. It isn't easy when you are starting but the more I train, the more I realise that focusing on what you are doing and having proper posture is going to help you not get injured and have better results.
When in doubt, do your favourite workout. We all have those days in which you don't feel like working out, the idea is dreadful but you still have this little voice in the back of your head telling you to at least do something. Do your favourite workout, keep it short, simple and keep a positive mind set, always try to enjoy it. My favourite workout is a quick HIIT circuit, killer but effective.
Hidrate before, after and in between, this is going to help you to keep going. You don't realise how much fluids you lose while sweating until you get that little reminder in form of headaches. And remember to not drink a lot of water at once while training, it can make you feel full and make you nauseous.
Push yourself but know when to have a little rest. There's a difference between hurting yourself and the burn your muscles get when you push them a little bit farther. Learn how far you can be pushed and don't be scared of taking a break from time to time. If you heart rate isn't going down or if your muscles feel like they are starting to cramp then it's time for a little break.
Learn to listen to your body, not every movement is going to feel good and as any trainer, teacher and coach out there is going to tell you, it isn't worth for you to cause a injury for the sake of a pose. So if your knees or joints are hurting come out of the pose and try something else, no one is going to judge you for that.
And as a bonus one, always remember to stretch, your muscles are going to thank you later and you'll be less likely to have cramped, sore muscles the next day.
Once you start working out there's a lot to learn about yourself and your body, you'll go through a change, you'll gain confidence and you'll feel better on the inside, it's going to be a long process but it's up to you whether you are going to enjoy it or dread it.
Find something you love and whenever you get bored switch it up. Don't feel pressured to do as much as others and remember that you don't have to go to the gym 5 days a week. Do what works best for you, don't compare yourself to others and learn to love your body and the amazing ways it can change and how strong it can become. Learn to do it for you.

Mornings can be pretty tough on all of us, mostly on Mondays when all you can think of is going back to your warm comfortable bed and disappear from the world, but the reality is that you have to go out and put your best face. Luckily for all of us there are somethings you can do to make your mornings better.
Give yourself time to wake up, this means setting your alarm for 10 or 15 min earlier than you normally would. It may sound a bit radical, but instead of getting up immediately after your alarm goes off, you'll have 10 min to wake your body up, stretch and stop being so sleepy before you start your day.
Take a shower if you are one to feel extra sleepy in the mornings, this will refresh you and help you feel even more awake, and even if the shower doesn't do it for you, the coldness you'll feel from getting in and out of the shower will do.
Eat something, a lot of people say they can do breakfast, but you just gotta remember that it doesn't have to be a big, impressive meal, as long as you put something into your body for it to function you'll feel better about it. Remember that low sugar levels cause crankiness.
Drink water,  all day but in the morning it will help you feel lighter, less groggy, less sleepy and it will help your body hydrate which is amazing if you need to focus or start doing something right away.
Avoid caffeine for the first hour of the morning,  as tempting as it can be to get coffee to wake up, it will not have the same effect if you drink it first thing in the morning as if you drink it an hour into your day. You won't get the same effect and you'll start "tolerating" it more.
Avoid stress, one of the worst things is waking up, checking your emails and realising that this day is not going to be as wonderful as it was at the beginning, so avoid anything that can possibly stress you or bring you to the edge, plan your outfit the day before and don't reply any messages until you've had something to eat.
It's true, mornings do get easier as you get the hang of it, you'll realise quite quickly what works for you and your lifestyle. In full honesty we all want to have slow, relaxing mornings everyday and although that's not entirely possible, you can make some of them a lot better if you try and don't dread them so much.

Sleeping is essential for our bodies, not only does it improves your memory and your ability to stay focus and retain information, it will boost your creative mind and lower your stress levels. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, this has also been proved to be really beneficial for you.
A lot of people struggle to fall asleep and find themselves rumbling around for several minutes trying to find a comfortable position, when in reality this will only frustrate you and make you avoid sleep. Luckily for all of us, there are some things you can do to make falling asleep a lot easier.
Keep the room cool and avoid bright lights, if it's too warm you are not going to be comfortable and if you are too cold you are going to try and find a source of heat and not fall asleep, also avoid bright cold lights, this will only make your brain think it's still daytime.
Have a bedtime routine,  remember that it doesn't have to be a complicated one, it can even be working on your bullet journal (if you find it relaxing) for 10 min, reading a book, brushing your teeth, washing your face, putting your pijamas or whatever makes you feel like it's time to go to bed. If it works with little toddlers, it's for a reason.
Be comfortable, your pillows and mattress have to be perfect for you, consider it as an investment, remember that you are either on your feet or your bed so it's better to have a good quality one that will help your posture and you are not going to wake up with neck pain anymore. And as my dad says, "you always have to have
If everything fails, take a shower as it will help you relax and calm nerves from the day just before bed. Also be careful about your eating schedule, if you are having dinner too late, most probably you are going to find difficult to fall asleep easily, avoid eating up to 3 hours before going to bed, but don't go to bed with an empty stomach.
Treat your room as a sanctuary, it has to be welcoming and comfortable, keep it clean and don't take work to it, separate both and remember to have an schedule to ensure you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day. Now you can go and enjoy your time in bed and keep on dreaming.

Go for a walk, step out of your work zone, take a chance to be by yourself without having to think about that problem that's been bothering you, enjoy the view from outside, walking is not only a great way to distress but also it's great for you body and health. Take a few deep breaths and let your mind wander.

Mornings are not enjoyable for everyone, not all of us can wake up before the sunrise, go for a run, come back, take a shower and head out the door before 9 a.m. smelling of roses, for some of us that isn't happening, but you can always improve the way you manage the mornings and make them that little bit more enjoyable.
Start the night before, there's nothing worst than waking up to a messy home and not finding what you need, reset your home every night, leave everything as you want it to be, clean and organise and you'll instantly feel a relieve when you wake up and you know where everything is.
Prepare in advance, if you know you are going to need certain things for the next day, leave them all together in a place where you can see them before leaving, you'll save time and you won't be browsing around trying to find something or even worst, you won't forget anything.
Create a sleep pattern, this is the hardest one to accomplish, when your body is used to going to bed around 4 a.m. it's harder to wake up before 9 a.m., don't force yourself into going to bed at 10 p.m. to be able to wake up that early, you are not going to feel rested and nothing good is going to come out of it. Try going 30 min earlier to bed everyday until you reach the hour you want to go to bed regularly, do the same with your wake up hour, you won't feel as groggy if you do it gradually.
Set a realistic alarm, don't leave way too much time to get ready, but also, don't leave too little time so you can't do anything, leave enough time to do whatever things you do in the mornings without feeling pressured because you are running late.
Create a routine, there are certain things all people like to do every morning, when you create a routine, you lose less time and you'll know exactly what to do and what to avoid, avoid looking at your phone or t.v. or computer, you'll lose time focusing in something that you can do later in the day, don't stress that early in the morning.
Embrace bad nights and bad mornings, if you had a crappy night sleep, embrace it, you can either be bitter all day, or you can treat yourself to something nice that day, don't blame you bad mood into anyone, try to make your day better than the night and smile, a bad night sleep is not the end of the world.
Breathe, take a moment to relax before the craze of the day starts, leave your problems at the door and don't stress before you even get to wherever you need to get, make that day, the best day posible and keep on dreaming.

Dreaming big became really important in my life after going through depression, you don't realise how important is to set goals and dream big to be able to get somewhere, it's part of your daily motivation, it's part of the thing that keeps you going.
Every time you work out, every time you go out looking for something, every time you feel like you are going to be defeated, every time you are going to give up, think about that dream, that goal, that thing you are working towards, the work is all part of that.
The other day someone asked me what I do to keep those dreams in my head and to keep me motivated, there no recipe or magic to this, it's about the mindset, but there are somethings that may help you.
Look for inspiration, you need to start somewhere, find someone to look up to, find new interest, look for new things that you may be interested to try, make a list or an inspiration board, make sure you don't forget anything.
Try new things, you don't just find a passion, there are people out there, that were lucky enough to find their passions since their early years, but it isn't the same for everybody, some of us struggle to find what we want to do and even when you do find it, you want to try new things and it's okay.
Keep trying, you are not going to master anything overnight, failing is part of the process, don't let any of this defeat you, keep trying and if you don't think is working, return to step two and try other things.
Make a plan, it doesn't has to be perfect, it doesn't has to be strict, it may change with plan but having an idea of how to accomplish that dream, goal, get where you want really helps, take changes as you go, but remember to always keep your goal in mind.
work hard, because nothing you want is going to just happen, it takes a lot of hard work to get where we want to get, it's never going to be an easy road, there may be days were you are going to want to stop, don't give up, it's hard, but worthy.
Take breaks, not everything is work and even when it's easy to let ourselves get into this insane work routine, if you don't take a break, your body is going to notice and you won't be putting 100% into anything, so take a break from time to time and remember to enjoy life.
Do your thing, normal is too boring, don't let yourself do what everyone is doing, do what you think is best for you, we only get this one life and it's too short to do what others are doing, don't let yourself get into categories, create your own and go your way.
Do it because you want too, not because someone is telling you to do it, if you do it because you want, you are going to enjoy it a lot more, don't let anyone tell you what you should do, if you are okay being where you are, stay there, if you want to explore the endless possibilities, go on, no one can stop you.
And remember to not let anyone take your dreams away from you, they are yours and you're free to go after them.

Having a clear mind has become an essential thing for many reasons, to help me sleep better, to help me concentrate in the task I have in front of me, to even feel better and more accomplished, but the most important being to help with my anxiety.
Sometimes we don't realise how much we have on our backs until we have something else to do, sounds weird, but when you get into a new project you have to go with a clear mind, there's no mixing up, worrying about other things, because most probably you are going to not give you 100% and your heart is not going to be in that work.
We never understand why multitasking is so bad until we see how much it can affect our work, even when you have mastered this task, it doesn't mean that you are going to do better, it only means that you have learn how not to do things.
There are many things you can do to clear your mind, most of them are really simple but we never think about them and if we do think about them, we never use them, here are some of them.
Write down what's bothering you, we tend to carry problems from our past to our future, they all are a burden, they are part of your past and that's where they all belong, sometimes we do this because we didn't find closure, writing them down helps to express how you feel about it, no one is going to judge you for this, leave it in paper and move on.
Make lists, everyone loves a good list, when you have a busy day or even a normal one is good to sit down and think what you want to do and how you want to do it, leave it in paper, you won't be stressing about remembering everything and you'll be able to focus on one thing at the time.
Unwind, take breaks, make yourself a cup of tea and relax, when you have had a tough day, getting to a familiar space where you can unwind helps a lot, don't force yourself to work when you already had enough, it only brings stress to your life. If it's urgent enough for you to have to do it on the spot, take a few minutes, take deep breaths, calm yourself and continue.
Talk, have a chat, it doesn't have to be about your problem or whatever is bothering you, talking with someone you know helps you feel less stressed, try having a small chat in between classes to let your mind relax a bit.
In case you happen to have more time, there a few more options.
Yoga has been my savior, it's been mentioned a lot this days here, but it really allows you to disconnect and focus on little things we don't think about, like our breathing and how important it is to maintain it steady and just let things go.
Run/Walk is one of those things you never give much attention to, but once you actually do it, you will see how much it works to give you a clear mind and help you to relax, plus you'll release dopamine and you'll be happier.
Take a shower, after a long day, then get into your comfiest pajama, make a cup of tea and pick a good book or movie, just let everything go in that shower and let you body relax and I assure you, you are going to have a better night sleep.
At last, I would love to remind you to not multitask, if you know you mind can be overloading, don't pressure it any more, focus on one thing, don't put unnecessary pressure over your shoulders, it may seem like something temporary but the more you do it, the more you get used to it, the more is going to bring consequences into your body.