Anne Marie Lifestyle

I am writing this as a question I myself have. Is it possiable to have balance during the exam season? Am I and so many others putting excess pressure on themselves to find balance when maybe it cannot be achieved. The last few weeks of my life have been a rollercoaster. I went from having time to go for walks and hour long workouts, coffees with friends and maybe a yoga class on the weekend to 20-minute workouts and hours in the library becoming the new norm. I find myself looking for ways to outsource aspects of my life I simply have no time for. But there is some things you can simply not outsource. Self-care and rest is one of them. As woman, students, employees and friends we have so many expectations on us. To be productive but take care of yourself. To look good but not spend too much time on your apearance cause you have more important things to do. To not socially isolate yourself but the guilt of socialising plagues you on weekends. This has been really bothering me latel...

I have been meditating for over 5 years and I am so glad I have been exposed to it for as long as I have. I no longer am solely comitted to one style of meditation and have learnt the value in having multiple reasources so you can do whats right for you. You can type in meditation into the apple store and you could spend ours going through them all. To save you time I have compiled a list of my favourites. Insight timer Insight timer is the app I have used for the longest and most frequent amount of time. It is free and has a number of fantastic features so there is something for everyone. Here's some of my favourite things about the app... - The timer - When doing your own practice whether it be meditation, a breathing exercise or affirmations setting a traditional timer bell can be harsh when coming out of a calm state of mind and being. For years I would peak my eyes open to check how long I had left to meditate but now with this function a peaceful gong tells me when to c...

At the beginning of winter I set the intention to create opportunities to enjoy it. May sound silly to some but I am my most happiest, carefree self when I am barefoot, without a trace of make-up at the beach with sand in my hair. Summer is a time of the year where I have space. To be with friends and family, travel, discover, set new goals and live. Winter for me represents hustle, the brunt of university, exams, rainy weekends and soup. For some this sounds fantastic but for me the layers of grey I plaster myself in and permanent yearning to go outside are not pleasant. Anyway back to the point. This winter I wanted to create ooportunities to enjoy it. To facilitate new ways of self-care. At first I though this would mean rainy days watching movies in bed, dark nights at yin yoga and hot chocolate dates. The reality of what I learnt about self care this winter was not these things. It was not elaborate skin routines or meditation. I learnt to create space in my week where I swit...

Do you ever days where you were determined they would be great but all attempts at #positivity fail. If your human the answer is yes. One morning I was talking to my friend and she was telling me how her morning wasnt going well and she felt pretty average. I immediatly shut her down saying "the day has only just begun!" and to my suprise she said "Anna it's ok to feel average or sad somedays". Immediatly I was like negativity is a choice and next thing I know I woke up the next day and guess what I felt average and I surrendered to it. I am not undermining the power of choice and positive thoughts but its ok to be at peace with your feelings and your health and just feel it. So with this in mind here are a couple of things I do on days where I need to leave my S*#T at the door. Have a shower, it will literally wash of your day. This is a recent habit of mine (yes I do shower I'm not gross). Whilst you can believe what you believe I do think we car...

I love me some snack and get snackiety if I don't have any on hand. Also I'm a busy gal and don't have time wasting my thoughts on how bloody hungry I am. Having low blood suger this also requires me to keep my body nourished throughout the day so I don't dizzy and more airy-fairy than I already am. No joke just ask my friends. Anyway I loved a good rolled oat muesli bar but my aunty being grain free proposed me with a challenge. Oat-Free, Gluten Free and Dairy Free homemade Muesli bars cause I don't really care for expensive and unsustainable supermarket ones. This is the recipe I came up with and was aproved by my friends as well as paleo palls. Full of nourishing whole foods and a dash of cheeky sweetner if you choose. Ingredients 100g coconut oil or butter 1/3 - 1/2 cup golden syrup or alternative like honey or maple syrup 1/2 cup each of dried apricots and dates 1/4 cup each of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds & cashews (chopped) 1 1/4 cups of almond m...

The one thing I have been doing to bring myself out of the future and center myself in the present. Like most, I can get consumed in the what-ifs of the future. I struggle to be in the present sometimes because it means I must face the now. The niggling emotions that are like voices just waiting for you to be quiet, still and think you have your shit together before jumping out at you and saying, “hey there I think you forgot about me”. This has been a more prevalent challenge now for me than before. Being a university student, my whole future is virtually up for negotiation. How many times will I have to move? How will I find a job? Do I need a job? Do I need a car? I know time travel is not proven but I try to transport myself to the future with my fears. On a Monday coffee date with a soul sister chatting away these worries re-surfaced and my lovely friend gave me some simple advice. Every night or morning write a list of just three things you are grateful for in that mo...