I cant believe I haven't updated my blog since the start of November, that's nearly three whole months and it has flown by.
I am going to cut myself some slack though as I am in my final year of my degree alongside working almost full time as a fitness instructor in London. It is pretty full on and something has got to give, I am going to try and keep on top of my blog on more of a regular basis now though as some time away has given me lots of new ideas and things I want to share.
I decided to write this post at this time because over the last week or so I have been talking to a number of people about the pressure of being switched on all the time. I have just written a full dissertation about the Instagram world and how it is changing our lives but I think it would be unfair to blame the whole obsession with being the best you can be, every single day solely on Insta.
My next post will be talking specifically about Instagram but for now I want to focus on us and why bending over backwards to be perfect is only going to give you a bad back.
Anybody who knows me knows I am such a positive person, in fact I was called fizzy not so long ago (I will take it as a compliment as they meant bubbly). My job literally requires me to be full of energy and deliver the same effort level in my 7am class as my 7pm and 4th class of the day, so to be 'fizzy' is definitely useful but what about when I do just feel down? If I am in a bad mood for no reason I actually feel guilty about it but we are all entitled to want to punch everyone in the face for no actual reason every now and again. I usually just workout and it generally works it off, that is just what works for me.
This isn't just about me, its about you too. The majority of us work in the same way, you get to the gym and work out every day yet you beat yourself up for the one day you had to miss? Or even for feeling too tired to finish the last exercise of your session. When I was a cardio maniac I used to mentally beat myself up if I was too tired to finish three classes in a row on a Friday morning. THREE CLASSES! 90% of people reading this will now think of a time you have done something like this, it is ridiculous.
'Im too busy working on my own grass to notice if yours is greener' is my new favourite quote. There is always going to be someone more toned, stronger, thinner, bigger, whatever... it is hard but its time to stop caring and just focus on you. I am guilty of seeing pictures of people (sometimes even my friends) and feeling like I am not doing well enough. Someone else's success is in no way a reflection of my failure. I am not saying there is a switch and this will not happen over night but it is about time everyone took a step back. If you eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly then you are doing amazing so stop comparing yourself to that bikini competitor who eat, sleeps, breathes it!
Admitting that you are effected by other people doesn't mean you are weak. I have only ever said these things to the people closest to me until now because I felt it was taboo and as someone in the fitness industry I should be on form ALL the time but its just impossible. I feel like a motivational speaker right now but I have been sucked into that black hole of obsession with progress and comparing myself to others and I believe I have come out of the other side and hope I can help others do the same.
January is nearly over, so stop the post-Christmas guilt and the failed resolution disappointment. Make February about you, 2016 will be a good year.
Taking bookings for motivational talks as of now (joke)
Happy hump day x
