LIFESTYLE || LOOKING AND FEELING YOUR BEST THIS SUMMER

Summer is finally here, well the season is definitely here if not the weather. With Summer comes the idea of getting into healthier habits, whether that means exercising more or eating better I will share with you my top tips for feeling your best this Summer.

There is no hiding the fact that we all like to look our best, we just all have different versions of that. However, health doesn't always have to do anything with the appearance and has much more to do with how you feel on the inside. We often neglect the time to take care of ourselves the way we used to when we had fewer commitments and more time to ourselves. Sadly, the days where we would soak in a hot bath for hours, relax with a face mask and take our time to get ready are gone. Nowadays we might be lucky enough to have an extra 5 minutes to ourselves other than being in the bathroom! Although I do not have any children yet, I can only imagine what it must be like for parents or carers having to sacrifice every minute of their day to other people! But all those things don't mean that we can't all be a little more health-conscious and use the Summer as the ideal time to focus on our physical and mental well-being. With that in mind, here are some of the small changes that can make a huge difference in how you look and feel this Summer.

HOW TO MINIMISE SPENDING & SAVE MORE EFFECTIVELY

I'm very new to saving money and spending less. If you've been following my journey on Instagram or blog you'll already know that I'm not shy when it comes to spending money. In fact, I spend more than I earn - or at least I used to.
I kept a spending diary for a year which made me realise that I was spending way too much on things that I did not need. Did I need an extra coat this season? No. Did I buy one? Yes, I did.
After carefully calculating how much money I spend on unnecessary items I have decided that enough is enough and that I will minimise my spending to only things that I actually need.

As I work in the beauty industry I do get a fair amount of discount across many brands (most which I use). Occasionally, I receive free items from the brand that I work for as well as PR packages from some of my favourite brands. This puts me at an advantage to minimise my spending as I have heaps and heaps of makeup and skincare products laying around my house! So far, I haven't spent any money on makeup or skincare this year so I'm going strong 💪🏻

So far I have spent around £100 on necessities such as new tights, work uniform, toiletries etc. I have a holiday coming up and I have been very tempted to order new clothes specifically for the holiday - but why do I feel like I need a whole new wardrobe for a few days away? Instead, I have listed a lot of my old clothes that I haven't worn in a while online and whatever money I get from selling them I will allow myself to buy something new. My only rule is that if I really really want something, then I will treat myself to it as I do believe that we should award ourselves with nice things for working hard.

These are some of the things that I have done and that you can do to help you get better with money:
-> Open a savings account
-> Create a 'Save the Change' account
-> Declutter monthly - try and sell unwanted items
-> Cancel memberships you don't use/need
-> Recycle your old outfits
-> Use recycling programs to get free products - e.g. Back to Mac or Origins Recycling Program
-> Get insurance from Compare the Market to receive 2 for 1 cinema ticket and meal offers
-> Stock up on products you need when there are offers

I'm still learning how to become the best version of myself and to save up effectively. I want to have a constantly growing income, so I've started reading The Richest Man in Babylon. It's quite hard to read but the lessons it will teach you are very important.

Another thing I have started doing is buying multipacks of drinks, chocolate bars and crisps and keeping them in my locker at work. I don't always bring a packed lunch with me so this is a great way of trying not to overspend in shops when I'm hungry. On average I would spend around £5 on my lunch if I didn't bring one with me but now that I have snacks in my locker I will only spend £1.50 on a sandwich from the nearest supermarket. Still, the best option would be to make a packed lunch every day (it's best to use slow energy releasing carbohydrates as then you'll remain fuller for longer, but that's a lesson for another day haha 😂).

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post. Let me know in the comments section if there's anything you can relate to from this post 🥰

Do you have any tips on how to save money? Comment them down below for others to see! 

Lots of love,

Maya xo

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF REVISION

I, alike many others, have always struggled with revision. I didn't know how to use my time well and optimise revising to its full potential to gain as much information as possible. I have since found the perfect solution to my problem which is - organisation is key.

I really love notebooks. No, I really really do love them - I have a very big collection of them in a huge storage box under my bed. I don't know what it is, but I love buying stationary and using it up, I find it so satisfying! Are you like this at all?

My favourite way of revising is writing up notes in different colours. For example, if you need to learn about a theory then write it down in either black or blue, and then use red for the disadvantages and green for the advantages. I do this for the majority of my modules at uni, especially History of British Social Policy as it involves a lot of Prime Ministers and their accomplishments and failures.

Flashcards are always a good idea. Once you've finished writing up your notes, you should condense them into bullet points and write them on flash cards, so when you read that sentence you automatically remember everything you've learnt about it, and if you need a reminder then use the other side of the card to write the answers!

It's always useful to ask somebody to test you. Just give them a list of key words and ask them to read them out loud which you will then reply with the correct definition.

I also like to use dividers in textbooks where I find certain quotes or theorists that I want to include in my exams. Colour coding also works if you want to separate radical theorists from democrats etc. Make sure you take breaks every 30-45 mins of intense revision, or every hour if you're doing light revision. I like to switch my wifi off and only check my phone once I feel happy with my notes.

What are your pro tips for optimising revision? Do you use any methods I mentioned above?

Lots of love,

Maya xo