Self Care Archives - Page 2 of 3

Self Care Summer!

Hi Guys,

Happy June! , so Summer is just about here. Who else is excited??. Mind as I write this currently , its chucking it down and I definitely heard thunder just now!! – so yep its British summer time alright lol. Though we have had some glorious sunshine of late so I can handle a little rain, and hey my little garden plants will be happy anyways – silver linings!.

I love Summer, I mean you guys know I absolutely love Christmas but I also love summer (and Autumn too ) . We always think of Christmas as been a really busy time of year, but honestly I find Summer is just as hectic – there is so much always going on – holidays to take, nights out, impromtu afternoon drinks , Day trips out, lovely long summer days to enjoy,

Juggling work plus taking care of our loved ones and balancing a social life though can feel so overwhelming at times. I speak to so many of you who feel like they are juggling so many plates and its exhausting and can really have an effect our mental health and well being , This can often manifest itself in our physical bodies . For example when I get run down , a lot of you know I suffer sore throats and can lose my voice. For one friend she gets really bad ear ache. others it might manifest as back pain , or maybe migranes/tension headaches. It may be that you just feel so drained and don’t really have the energy to do anything . My friend Marita bought me the Fearne Cotton book – Happy for my Birthday and its really good!. full of lots of useful tips and tricks for finding the Joy in everyday life. if you haven’t read it, definitely check it out.

So this month lets find time in our days and/or week to focus on showing ourselves a little self love and care! . Its only when we do this, that we then have the energy and patience to take care of those around us too. I’ll be posting up tips and challenges on my Facebook (www.facebook.com/lilmisfit1) and Instagram @littlemisfijojo throughout the month so be sure to come follow along!.

This month we have also launched our virtual classes , We have a private Facebook group, where we have at home workouts. At least two new workouts will be posted each week, building up a little library of classes for you to access and workout as and when you can, especially if you are struggling to get to our live classes due to work , and/or childcare issues. . We will also be sharing healthy recipes in the group and I’ll be adding in some meditation practices too. just £10 per month. Its not too late if you want to sign up for June, just ping me a message – info@littlemis-fit.co.uk. or see me at class.

Our Kids after School Yoga programme is back this week too at Believe and Be. For kids age 4-9.

we have twice weekly sessions as follows :-

Monday afternoons 4.15pm-5pm
and
Wednesday afternoons 4.15pm-5pm

£25 per child for the 4 week block for June or pay as you go
£6.50

We also Have our Pilates for Mam and Baby starting this Monday 4th June x 4 weeks. £30 for the 4 weeks. Suitable from 6 weeks plus.

Mondays 1030am-1115am @ Dance Max, Consett .

Taking the time to fit in a workout is a brilliant way of getting some time in for yourself that will benefit your body, mind and spirit! Check out our class Timetable for this week :- Please do remember to book for all classes, if you can’t make it please let me know as soon as possible, as it may mean someone else can come in your place.

So our classes this week are as follows:-

Monday 04th June

10/10/10 6.30-7 pm @ North Durham Academy £4.00

Pilates 7pm-7.45pm @ North Durham Academy £6.00

or do both evening sessions for £8.00

Tuesday 05th June

PIIT – 7pm-7.30pm @ Tesco Community room, Consett £4.00

** Sold out, waitlist available **

Wednesday 06th June

Pilates 0945am-1030am @ Annfield Plain Church £6
and
Pilates for mams and Toddlers 1030am-1115am @ Annfield Plain Church £7

Thursday 07th June

PIIT 6.45pm-7.15pm @ Delves Lane Village Hall
£4.00
and
Stretch & Relax 7.15-7.45 @ Delves Lane Village Hall £4.00

or do both classes for £6.50

Friday 08th June

PIIT 6.30pm-7pm @ Annfield Plain Church £4
and
Pilates 7pm-7.30pm @ Annfield Plain Church £4

or do both classes for £6.50

Saturday 09th June

10/10/10 9am-9.30am @ Delves Lane Village Hall £4

and

Family Yoga 1015am-11am @ Delves Lane Village Hall £7 for 1 adult and 1 child

Have a great week guys and lets get focusing on our own self care this week as well as looking after those around us!

Joanne xoxo

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day!!.

I hope you all have something special planned! . Maybe you have a hot date , plans with a friend or maybe a date with yourself. Which ever it is, Be sure to take a little time out to show yourself some love today!. Drink your tea out of your favourite cup, pour that wine/prosecco/gin into your favourite glass. Wear a favourite outfit and or lipstick!. Make a little time in the day to do something for yourself, aswell as the people in your life whom you love.

I’m looking forward to a whole day off , I am so excited ! a day off mid week is a rare thing at the minute. Actually up until last Summer , a full day off was rare for me full stop, however I now have Sundays off and I really treasure them. January has been really hectic here at Mis-Fit HQ , so am looking forward to an extra day off today – I’m heading off to see my friend Lauren at the Little White Room and treating myself to a facial. And then home to get ready for date night :-).

I’ve popped some of my favourite heart opening Yoga poses below in honour of this day of love. So grab your yoga mat and let’s open up our hearts! .

Bridge Pose – helps strengthen the Back, the butt and the hamstrings and those pelvic floor muscles, whilst stretching the Chest, neck , spine and hips.

Lying on your back , you want a fist widths distance between your knees – you can also pop a block or pillow between the knees. Have all your toes pointing forward and hands by your side. bring your heels in toward your butt. Breath in , and as you breath out lift the hips up toward the ceiling, lengthen through the lower back, squeezing the butt. Lower down, slow and controlled, imagine bring your back down , vertabrae by vertabrae.

Can help reduce stress.

A more advanced version of Bridge Pose is Wheel Pose – Strengthens your arms,legs shoulders and Core and opens up the Chest and helps strengthen the lungs It will also help increase flexibility in the spine . Wheel Pose can also help reduce stress and boost energy!. As above but take your hands behind your shoulders and lift your chest up toward the ceiling.

Warrior 3 Pose – Helps strengthen the heart muscle , and sends high speed blood to the heart cleaning out the Veins and arteries. It will also help improve balance and strengthen the legs, ankles and Butt. It also help some tone and strengthen the abdominal muscles.

Standing with feet hip width apart, take one leg behind you and reach your hands forward. Careful not to lock out the knee of the standing leg. Keep your hips square – easier said than done. I definitely need to work on that!. Don’t forget to do both sides!.

Chair Pose

tones the leg muscles, strengthens the hip flexor ankles,calves and back. Stretches the chest and shoulders and helps stimulate the heart and diaphragm.

Stand Tall, feet Hip width apart , bend your knees and reach your arms up high. Careful not to hunch those shoulders round your ears!!

Cobra Pose

invigorates the heart. Increases flexibility. Strengthens the shoulders and arms and stretches the Abdominals, chest and shoulders.

Lie on your tummy, placing your palms flat to the floor, next to your shoulders , lift your head,neck and shoulders off the floor . An alternative is to keep your elbows down on the floor, depending on the flexibility in your lower spine.

Legs up the wall Pose – One of my favourite Yoga poses. A total relaxing pose . Lie down, with your feet stretching up a wall or door. Rest your head on a block or a pillow and close your eyes. Maybe pop on a favourite chill out song or just enjoy being quiet for a few minutes and just focus on taking long deep breathes in and out. This pose Will help improve circulation and can help you sleep better!.

Plus for fun, I keep trying to work on my handstands, which help strengthen and tone the core muscles, and the shoulder and arms – hello Toned arms for summer!!. It also helps increase the flow of blood to your brain to calm the mind. Hmmm it’s definitely a work in progress ha.

However you spend pend your Valentines Day, I hope it’s full of love and laughter.

Do let me know if you try any of the yoga poses! . Tag me in your photos!

New Year Self Care Challenge!

“Self Care is giving the world the best version of you, not what is left of you”

I love this quote, and lets face it, after Christmas , we are probably all feeling a little bloated and in need of a little self care , plus January is actually Mental Wellness Month , so as we ring in the New Year , it is a perfect time to focus on ourselves a little . Its only when we do that, that we have the energy and patience to take care of our loved ones. We are always conscious to charge our phones up when the battery is getting low, so we need to do the same with ourselves!.

A big part of looking after ourselves is scheduling in regular workouts. I know for me, working out is as much for my mental and spiritual wellbeing as it is for my physical health.
Sometimes it can be really hard to drag yourself along to class . especially when you’ve maybe had some time off over Christmas or its so cold outside and all you really want to do is hibernate at home – we all have those days!. It Is actually on the days you really don’t feel like doing it, that you probably need it even more though!. Working out will leave you feeling so much stronger both physically and mentally , plus it will release some of those happy hormones , instantly boosting your mood. The mood boosting effects of exercise are now so widely recognised, that more and more Doctors are prescribing exercise over just handing out anti depressants , which is brilliant.

So my challenge to you this week is to get in a couple workouts – maybe get yourself along to a class or check out YouTube for some at home workouts , or get outside for a walk or run in the fresh air. Pick something you enjoy doing as you much more likely to stick with it . perhaps try a new class , one you haven’t tried before. Just get moving and honestly see how much better you feel in yourself afterwards! . You could even recruit a workout buddy , so you can keep each other accountable.

Follow along this month as I share a few more little self care tips and challenges and do let us know in the comments or pop over to our Facebook – www.facebook.com/lilmisfit1 or Instagram @littlemisfitjojo ,and let us know how you are getting on and if you are noticing any differences in your physical, and mental wellbeing.

Love lots

Joanne x

Autumn Love

So a lot of you guys all know I absolutely ❤ Christmas , and I really really do, (Does anyone else think they may actually be an elf?? 😂) , however my favourite season of the year is actually Autumn!. For me it just feels so magical, as the leaves begin to change , yet you still get those September and October days with warm sunshine,then the sun starts to set early and you can get the house all cozy with candles, and snuggley blankets. You’ve got mail is one of my all time favourite movies and it always feels like a film to watch in Autumn , so every year at the end of September, I block out an afternoon, grab my cosiest blankets, get myself some chocolate buttons and a huge cup of peppermint tea, and settle down to watch it.

Then before you know it Halloween is right around the corner , – and then Christmas 24 movie channel starts. and thus the whole build up to Christmas begins !!!!!! Eeeee am so excited just thinking about it 😂.

However for some – the end of summer makes them really sad. It can also be an incredibly busy time of year for people , as you get the kids settled back into school, work is often crazy after the lull of summer and then we are rushing around getting ready for the festive season.

Autumn is the season that shows us it’s ok to let things go, and make way for the new, so this Autumn-take the time to slow down a little, take a walk through the falling leaves, take time for you , to do the things you love to do, the things that make your Soul happy. Spend time with the people who lift your spirits and make you smile. Do the things that you love , but often get pushed aside as we do all the things we feel we must do. But make the time to curl with a book, or watch a movie uninterrupted – Put that phone down!! , or pick up a colouring book and colour – it really does have a calming effect. Or get outside in the crisp air – I’m a huge believer that exercise, fresh air, sleep and lots of laughter are some of the best medicines.

I know it can be hard sometimes to drag yourself out of the house when it’s dark to come to class, but you will feel better for it – honestly!

having been working a lot the past couple months , I really was feeling absolutely exhausted, so the past couple days, I took time to just relax and I honestly feel so much better for it and my creativity is coming back and I just feel my batteries are recharged and I’m ready to hit the ground running once more!.

Orange LA Lily’s adding a touch of Autumn to my kitchen!

February Self Love ❤️ – Day 28 – Self Care Tuesday

Thank you so much for taking this journey to Self Love and care alongside me, this Month. I really hope you have enjoyed the mini tasks and take some of them away with you to continue. I love this quote , and it seems a perfect note on which to wrap our month of Self Love – no matter how busy life gets, always aim for a little balance – make your own Rules – this is your very own Journey , live it, love it every single day.

Image -Pinterest

February Self Love ❤️ – Day 26 – Warrior Sunday

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Is there something you have been wanting to learn or try for ages, but maybe a little bit scared of trying?. Embace your inner warrior and take a step towards trying something new – it maybe a new class, or learning a new skill , or even trying out a new recipe. just take a little step outside your comfort zone , it’s often where the magic happens!.

Let me know what brave step you take – email me or tag me on Instagram @littlemisfitjojo.

Joanne xoxo

February Self Love ❤️ – Day 25 – Soul Saturday

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Today find time to do something you love , yet may not always make time for. Catch up with a friend, bake a yummy cake for tea, just curl up with a book in the middle of the afternoon, something to make your Soul smile .

Tag me on Instagram @littlemisfitjojo, I am really loving your #feelgoodfebruary #selflove posts!

Joanne xoxo

February Self Love ❤️ – Day 21 – Tasty Tuesday

Hello my lovely Mis-Fitters

we have another Tasty Treat Tuesday . These mini Frittatas are brilliant to make in advance and you can literally add in anything you like to make them your own. They can be eaten warm or cold so perfect for busy mornings if made in advance.

Mini Frittatas with tomato and Rocket

Prep time 15mins
Cooking time 20 mins
(serves 6)

1 tbsp extra Virgin olive oil
1 onion chopped
6 eggs
3 tbsp almond milk (otherwise I just use normal milk )
6 cherry tomatoes – quarted
1 handful of rocket or spinach leaves – chopped

1. Preheat oven to 175/gas mark 4. Grease a 6 hole giant muffin tray
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion over a low heat until caramilsed
3. In a bowl whisk the eggs and milk together, then stir in the tomatoes,rocket and onion. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4. Divde the mixture among the muffin tin and bake for approx 20mins or until they set. Allow to cool a little before removing them from the tin.

Do let me know how you get on – tag me on Instagram @littlemisfitjojo #FeelgoodFebruary or Facebook lilmisfit1.

Love
Joanne xoxo

February Self Love ❤️- Day 20 – Move it Monday

Hello my lovely Mis-Fitters

Did you all have fun planning a little trip yesterday?
even if it’s a dream for the time being, it’s a goal to work toward!.

So hopefully you all had lovely weekends. Today it’s another workout – it’s one of my Yoga based workouts. Yoga twists are brilliant at giving the immune system a little boost and helps dispel toxins from the body by massaging the internal organs.
enjoy!

https://youtu.be/

Do let me know how you get on – tag me on Instagram @littlemisfitjojo #FeelgoodFebruary or Facebook lilmisfit1.

Love
Joanne xoxo

February Self ❤️- Day 14- Tea time Tuesday!

Happy Valentines Day!!!!!!!

Today take time to enjoy a cup of tea in peace . Put your phone on silent and enjoy a cup of tea with a friend or on your own whilst not being distracted. Just take the time to slow down and savour just being present in the moment . Also pamper yourself a little – paint your nails, spend time doing your hair and/or makeup. Even if you just work from home and not going anywhere- do it for you!

Joanne xoxo