Comfort blankets

Recently I have started to remove some of the things that I 'hide' behind in my day-to-day life, starting with my body image/ confidence which I have previously written about. For example, my waist trainer. I am a size 10- 12 so not overweight, an hourglass build, and I regularly go to the gym so my body is firm. Yet social media and influencers have made girls think that we need to alter and enhance our body shapes, drumming on the beauty ideal of big boobs, bum, but an out-of-proportionately small waist. To look 'cute', for acceptance. Waist trainers are the closest thing to real life photoshop, a comfort blanket. I have stopped wearing mine in circumstances where its just unnecessary, e.g. day-to-day sitting down at uni, at the gym, and it is liberating. People can see the real you. Don't get me wrong I still love a bandage dress on a night out which eventuates my body shape, but overall I am so much more confident... in approaching people, communicating, in myself and my own achievements etc. 

I have channeled this motivation into reading personal development books. To get me started, I have bought 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People', by Stephen R. Covey, 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill (recommended by Conna Walker, one of my key role models and CEO/ founder of House of CB), and 'How To Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age' by Dale Carnegie, all of which I will review when completed. 

One of my 2017 resolutions was 'balance'. I need to learn to compromise as I spend too long on little tasks in search of perfection, when really I will never be satisfied as everything can always be improved. For example, writing blogs... as I'm jotting down my thoughts, there is a 99% chance that I will save it as a draft, put it on a to-do list, and come back to it  later. There is also an element of procrastination. From now on I will aim to complete a task there and then, in search of efficiency. 

I have received my grades back from year 2, term 1... I achieved quite well considering the amount I had on my plate (B+). I was finding my feet trying to juggle uni and a part time job, but this term, term 2, I'm going to focus on my studies more because I know I am capable of achieving a lot higher, carry on with my healthy lifestyle and habits, and eliminate unnecessary distractions (but i'm not going to forget the motto work hard play hard... I'm an extrovert at the end of the day!). 

I also want to start saving a small amount of money every month so I can go on a couple of holidays/ weekend breaks this year. As much as I love clothes, I am starting to get envious of all the stories people tell from when they visited different corners of the globe... I feel this is going to be imperative in the next stage of my personal development and live experience (as well as acting as some form of motivation/ having something to look forward to!) 

I have also started building my professional network and social media accounts, in particular Linked In, this blog, and Pinterest. I'm a visual learner and creative thinker, so I am so inspired by a collection of images. One of my favourite fitness bloggers, Hollie Philippa (@HolliePhilippa on Instagram), always talks about 'inspiration boards' and having a visual goal to motivate you, which have proved to be hugely successful. I have made all of these accounts public and linked them on my CV and on each other so potential employees/ connections can see my visions and my personal brand. Particularly in a creative industry there will be lots of likeminded people who will value seeing my creative thoughts and direction. 

Endorphins

Yes, this is is a fashion focused blog. You may wonder why I have titled my first post 'endorphins' because the two don't immediately correlate- but they are both relevant to this. What do they both have in common? Motivation. 

The motivations behind this blog. Summer 2016. I had just finished an incredible first year at London College of Fashion, meeting lots of new people, discovering lots of new places, and achieving things I'd never dreamt of. But. Every story has a but. But I also started to suffered from typical 'student' problems. Over the course of this first year I had eaten (sugar binges!) and drunk myself silly, to the point where I had lost all self-confidence not only in my appearance, but in my ability of reaching any kind of goals. I was at a dead-end and couldn't see myself going anywhere in terms of career success. Of course this was ridiculous, I am at the perfect time in my life to prepare for the future- still 3 years from graduating at one of the most prestigious fashion universities in the world, and living in London; the hub of opportunities. Everyone has always said to me that nothing worth having is easy to get, and that nothing is handed to you on a place. I guess this was the first time I was actually experiencing it, and it threw me. 

Getting myself back on track; my addiction to social media meant I was constantly surrounded by people who were, and are, a lot more successful than me. I 'followed' them because I was envious of their lifestyles. In a way this motivation to kick-start my own journey was good, and instead of being jealous of their success I decided I was going to become one of them. How could I do this? What would make my mind-set more indestructible than ever before? To have my self-esteem back would be a good starting point. 

Fast forward 3 months, after a long summer of eating around 1,200 calories a day (with undeniably a few 'cheat days'  here and there!) and going to the gym 4/5 days a week, my confidence is reformed. Obviously physical changes are easy to track, but it is the mental changes from this process that arguably will and have been the most beneficial to me. Endorphins, as you probably know, are chemicals released when you exercise which trigger a positive feeling, often compared to the effect of morphine. I am a true believer in the saying 'a strong body creates a strong mind'. I now have a positive outlook on everything; I can and I will. I am superhuman. 

Exercise has given me direction. I now have a daily routine, starting my day at around 8am with short, high intensity class workouts with likeminded people who motivate each other. This puts me in a positive mind-set for the rest so I can be productive with my university work for example, and working towards reaching my others goals. Instead of being tired, easily distracted and touch, I have a new-found relentless amount of energy that doesn't run out until I go to sleep (with some little help from black coffee!). I am no longer a slave to hours and hours of pointless cardio. This daily routine has put me back in control of every aspect of my life (in a healthy way, not obsessive!) and I can ensure I am on track to meet my goals. I have found it is important to set goals and to have direction- this could include a daily to-do list, or a list of things you want to achieve that month or by the end of the year. For example, my current goals are: 

• Read more
• Lower body fat %, increase muscle mass %
• Get a part-time retail job
• Be accepted for my placement year at uni, and get a good placement 

These have to challenge you, but will change overtime as you grow, develop, and become more established. To measure my success I have set a deadline, wanting to achieve these goals by December 2016 (2 months). 

I am no longer addicted to sugar and I no longer feel the need to 'reward' myself with it. Yes, I will always enjoy the occasional treat, but I have replaced this addiction with an addiction to endorphins. I LOVE exercise. If you're sad- exercise will fix it, if you're stressed- exercise will fix it, if you're anxious- exercise will fix it. If someone was to ask me now what I think the key to success and happiness is, I would honestly say exercise. 

Thank you for reading, I am excited to share my future endeavours!