How our Mental State Affects our Physical

Processed with VSCO with hb2 presetOur bodies are amazing and it’s even more amazing how our mental state can affect our physical body so much. If we are in a good place mentally, our bodies usually feel good. If it is the reverse and our mental state is not in a good place, then our bodies are going to feel the affects. We know this all too well and have seen the changes our own bodies have experienced mainly during times that were stressful or upsetting.

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Hey, it’s Sweetness! In this post, I’m going to share my own experiences on how my body was affected by my mental state due to some recent events I went through.  

Going through a breakup with my fiance was a very difficult time for me. I was trying to make the relationship work, however we were both unsure of what to do to make things better. It was extremely stressful and not to mention I was living in California with no friends or close family nearby to turn to. Going through this time obviously had affects on my mental state, however it was when I noticed the changes to my body that I knew something had to change.

I’m definitely a fit and healthy person in general, however when I was going through this difficult time, I noticed that I started losing weight without trying. I am NOT a stress eater, in fact I actually turn away from food, so my appetite was practically non-existent. I was getting really skinny in an unhealthy way and felt horrible. My energy was low, I felt really weak and tired all the time. Not to mention I almost felt like I always had a cold. My throat was hurting, I had an awful cough, however I knew I was not sick. It was purely stress. Wow, scary right?! They say that stress is the silent killer and I couldn’t agree more.

Processed with VSCO with hb2 presetThough this is not something positive, I wanted to share it because I want others that may be experiencing something similar to understand that this is not a healthy way to live. My relationship unfortunately ended and even though I was upset, over time this “stressful” feeling subsided. At the end of the day, taking care of your mind and body is most important so doing whatever you need to do to make sure you are at your best should be priority, especially if others rely on you! Make sure to keep eating well, getting plenty of sleep, and make time to meditate or relax when going through a hard time. Trust me, your body will thank you!

Xo Sass and Sweetness

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5 Tips for Working Out in the Morning!

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Any time that we tell someone we work out in the morning before work they always say – I don’t know how you get up, I could never do that! Wellll we were once in that category and never thought we could either. But one day we did and guess what? It.was.life.changing.

Okay, okay that might sound dramatic but in reality it really is. We honestly have more energy and feel so accomplished before the day even truly started. Also, when the day is over we get to just go home or go to dinner without worrying about going to the gym! It has given us more sense of freedom and we love it. We know it won’t work for everyone, however if you are looking to try the morning gym routine, read some tips below on how we got started and how we maintain the pace throughout the week.

1.Prepare the night before – or else you’re doomed!
Preparation is key. Without preparation it’s never going to work. We pack everything, prepare our lunch, have our coffee cup on the counter, gym clothes laid out, and water in our bags the night before. When we wake up we literally get dressed, brush our teeth, get our coffee and run out the door.

2. Keep as much as you can in your gym bag between visits
We both have a weekend bag that we use to bring all of our stuff to the gym. When we get home that night, we only swap out clothes, bra and underwear, and shoes. Everything else – such as makeup, hair brushes, curling iron, and all toiletries stay in the bag. If we need something that night, like an eye cream, we only take out that one item and put it back right away. This keeps us from feeling like we have to “pack” every night.  

3. Mentally prepare
Not only do we have to physically prepare, it definitely takes some mental preparation. When we start settling down for the night and all of our belongings are ready to go, we always say in our heads – “you are getting up tomorrow, you can do this. Keep in mind how you feel when you don’t go to the gym in the morning.” By having this type of preparation, we are able to always (mostly) get up and not struggle with it.

4. Get yourself on a schedule
We find it easier to stay on a schedule and stick to it. This way we know that Monday through Wednesday we are getting up and going to the gym, Thursday is our day off, and then we’re getting back up on Friday and guess what – it’s the end of the week! This helps us maintain a steady pace during the week and if we want to have a later night out, we usually make it Wednesday since we’re not getting up as early on Thursday.

5. Try waking up at different times when starting off
So we’re not sleep experts by any means, however we do know that it’s better to wake up when you are not in your rem cycle. When we started off, we tried waking up at different times to see what was easiest. There wasn’t a huge difference between the times, however Sweetness found it easier to wake up at 5:10am versus 5:20am (go figure!).

We hope these tips were helpful if you have been trying to switch your workout routine to the morning! Comment below on some tips that have worked for you.

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