I hope you don't mind, but today I was thinking I'd write something a little more personal than my usual beauty babble (though knowing me, there will of course still be some beauty thrown in). Do you ever get so far into a rut that you just start feeling stale? That's how I've been feeling up until recently when I really decided to actively do something about it.
I don't think I even noticed it happening - that's usually how these things work, right? You just go along through the movements and soon you look back and realize you've lived a whole week on autopilot. You're not necessarily sad or even unhappy, you're just bored. This is exactly how I was feeling as of late and I felt this sense of monotony permeating every aspect of my life. I eventually realized that my persistent laziness was taking over my life and decided to really kick my butt into gear and get back to my normal self. I thought I'd share the top three things that really helped me, so if you're in a rut, you can pull yourself out!
GET MOVING
This was the most important one for me. Once I realized that my physical sluggishness perhaps came from a lack of exercise, I was immediately motivated to fix that. This was the biggest change for me, as I usually would just come home from work and sit around on the computer (more on that in a minute). When I went to put on a pair of pants I hadn't worn since April and they no longer fit quite right, it was like a lightbulb going off - "Oh yeah, I haven't really done any kind of exercise since last wearing these - no wonder they don't fit." I realized that maybe the lack of exercise was what was making me feel so lazy and unmotivated about everything, really.
And boy, was I right. Just adding in a little bit of a workout here and there has really changed my outlook. I've got a lot more energy than I did a couple weeks ago, even though I've been getting around the same amount of sleep each night. I've usually just been following along to some kind of YouTube video right when I get home from work. Another tip, or "sub-tip" if you will, is to do this right when you get home for the night, before settling in (and especially before putting pajamas on). I learned that not doing this is a definite way to not want to do anything productive. Anyway, my favorite videos to follow so far have been Yoga with Adriene's Love Yoga Flow video and former NYCB soloist Kathryn Morgan's Classic Ballet Barre Workout. I started the 30 Days of Yoga videos from the Yoga with Adriene channel back in the winter, and sadly never finished - I've gotten a new motivation to start them over and finish this time.
CHANGE YOUR LOOK
If you read my latest Makeup Lately post, I admitted I was in a makeup rut and just couldn't get myself to put any effort in. I was just waking up feeling so tired in the mornings that I prioritized staying in bed over making myself look nice. Once a bit of exercise raised my energy levels, I found myself enjoying putting together my makeup looks each morning. One thing that really helped this was watching YouTube tutorials just to get inspired. I watched a lot of "glam" makeup looks that I knew I wouldn't be wearing to work, but it just motivated me to put in that little bit of extra effort. I found myself contouring for the first time in months! As I changed up the products and looks I had gotten used to using/doing, I felt myself getting more and more excited to get up each morning and put my makeup on. Another "sub-tip" for you is to maybe treat yourself a little, Parks and Rec style. Buying yourself a couple new products is a great way to spark some motivation - I recently got the Smashbox BB Water and Make Up For Ever Pro Bronze Fusion (evidence here), and ever since then I've been so excited to do my makeup and use them. Another tip, if you find yourself reaching for the same products over and over and are growing bored, is to look through your stash and pull out products that you want to use more - just seeing them sitting out when you go to do your makeup will remind you to use them.
FIND A NEW WAY TO PASS THE TIME
One of my problems was that I was just becoming so generally bored. Like I said, I would just come home and then sit on the Internet all night long. I could feel my brain frying at times, constantly changing between Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest tabs, but I just couldn't shut my laptop. I finally started challenging myself to find other things to do in my "downtime." Rather than spending hours dicking around on the Internet, why not spend an hour or two reading a book? I've got loads of books in my bookshelf just waiting to be read - what good is it to have them if I'm just going to sit on the computer all day? I started reading #GIRLBOSS (because if that won't motivate me to get shit done, I don't know what will), and now that I've gotten back into a reading groove I've looked through all my unread books and have a list of what I'm going to read next (Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, I'm comin' for ya). I may be reaching too far here, because I've now failed twice, but I will finish the Game of Thrones books. If reading just isn't your thing, I'd suggest trying an adult coloring book, like this one. It's a great stress reliever for me and keeps the mind active.
I hope this hasn't been too ramble-y, and if you're in a rut like I was, I hope these tips have helped. What are your tips for getting out of a rut?