Image by @Yvonnevictoria
The thing about a lifestyle is: if it’s not flowing across the board, if it’s not balanced and consistent through most areas of your life, can you truly call it a lifestyle? There are so many questions that we can ask ourselves to get a gauge of where we actually stand and ultimately, if as a whole, most areas are not balanced, maybe, just maybe, there’s room to do more and improve. Granted, this is something we will all have to continuously work on until we get to a point where most of our habits, the ones we don’t really have to think about, are consistent and in line with the life we want to create for ourselves. Similar to how we reach for our phones and don’t even think about that action, or when we brush our teeth or anything else that you do every day and don’t consciously think about.
The best starting point, is to look at the different areas of your life, take inventory, be honest and real with yourself and get a clear idea of where you stand and what you want it to be. The goal is to truly enjoy the ride, the things you implement should be as truthful and in line with your values and the lifestyle you want to create for yourself as possible. So, no pressure, just self-awareness and effort.
Self-care
If you haven’t read our ‘Why it’s not selfish to choose yourself’ article I really encourage you to do so. The baseline is: you cannot pour from an empty cup, so whatever that looks like for you, making sure that you have time on a regular basis to fill your own cup is imperative. Whether that’s creating rituals that you honour and prioritise, like taking a bath weekly, having a beauty day or booking yourself a massage. To colouring, reading, painting or just carving time to be with the ones you love. Whatever fills your cup, do it!
Health
This will look so different for all of us and if there’s one thing we can all do more of is to check in with ourselves. Actively listen to your body and be interested in enhancing and improving where and when you can. There are so many holistic and natural ways in which you can do this, just do some research and really make it a priority to look out and improve your health and wellbeing.
Nutrition and fitness
I’m just going to start here, HYDRATE. Our bodies are mostly water, 60% on average, but the biggest revelation for me is: our brain is 78% water. So, listen we all have to drink more water – unless you got a gallon and you’ve been on it on an everyday basis – we all need to drink more water. And truly, even though we all will eat some things we know are delicious and also not good for us, being aware of what we put into our body is equally, if not more important than what we put on our body. Make sure you’re eating lots of veggies, fruits and the least processed foods as possible. I have to mention, Miss Vitamin D, because she truly is one of the most important vitamins, honestly google it.
And lastly, but definitely not least, MOVE YOUR BODY. And the things is, it doesn’t have to be or feel like pressure, that’s actually the whole point, you have to enjoy it, whether that’s walking (because hitting those 10,000 steps is a major key), pilates, yoga, hiking or lifting, find your thing and go for it!
Fashion
So, I’ve worked in fashion for the past 10 years and one thing I can promise you is this: you will always, always feel like you won’t be able to go on without that look, those shoes, that dress, that bag, you name it. And no, not being dramatic, that’s really how those two minutes between seeing the piece and deciding the piece is everything you need for life, that holiday or yourself feels. Variety is not freedom, and it will just get to a point where no matter how much you have, it will never be enough, hence why, every season you ‘need’ something else. Focus on your core wardrobe, the key pieces in your closet that no matter what, make you feel confident and comfortable. Choose the silhouettes that work for you, the colour palettes that you can commit to and build your look. Then, every season set a budget and commit to a pattern, a theme or add another colour to your core.
Also, a great way to become more sustainable is to try to look at what you can buy second hand, Vestiaire Collective is great for designer bits and you can also sell on there, so you know, it’s a two-way thing. Appreciate your clothes, really take care of them, enjoy them, label them and organise them regularly, have fun by altering and repurposing pieces and try to get your key pieces tailored to your body, it makes such a difference, truly a game changer.
Our planet
We’ve spent so much time debating whether or not global warming is a real thing that we just wasted more time. And the thing is, it’s simply a fact. Being more conscious of our planet is so crucial not only for our generation, but for the generations to come. Eating vegan for a whole day or week is a great way to explore your relationship with food and directly impact climate change. Recycling and buying vintage or second hand has an impact, so don’t ever feel like your part is too small, because it’s not, when you can, reduce the volume, be sustainable and thoughtful about your choices and decisions.
And lastly, but man, the most important.
Community
We can’t go at it alone, we can’t do this thing called life without a community, even when we think we can, we simply cannot. Just make sure the people around you feel loved, valued and respected. Make sure you say their names in whatever rooms you get to be in, make sure you’re never too busy for them and above all don’t forget that those are your people. You can’t go at it alone.
