New year, new me...?

First of all I would like to say that I don't really take part in the whole "New year - new me" thing because I think you shouldn't change your whole life and become a whole new person just because it's the beginning of the new year.

I think you should try to become a better person every day and you should set a goal that is challenging, but reachable for you, otherwise you're gonna discourage yourself.
Try setting smaller goals and don't forget to reward yourself from time to time!

Last year I set a goal and I can now proudly say that I achieved that goal and I'm gonna continue it in 2016 and hopefully for the rest of my life.
That goal was to start eating healthy and working out. I had my ups and downs, but I never gave up and I'm really proud of myself.

Other than that I have a couple of other things that I would like to achieve this year, but I know it's not gonna be easy and it's probably gonna take more than a year. I want to graduate college and find a good job (or just any job) and be more independent. I also want to leave my anxiety behind and try new things without being too nervous. I don't want anxiety to control my life. I want to become even more confident and start believing in myself because that's something I really struggle with. I know it's a long process, but I feel like I'm getting better and hopefully one day I won't struggle with anxiety and I will learn how to believe that what I do is good enough.

My last resolution is to write more here and be more regular because it's something that I really enjoy!
So if you have any recommendation for my future post, leave a comment down below! I would love to know them!
See you in 2016!

Cheers! :)

Much love!
Joanna xoxo

You are what you eat.

At the beginning I want to say that I'm not an expert or dietician. I just want to share a couple of my recipes and my eating habits.

I have a love-hate relationship with food. In fact, I was on the edge of binge eating, but I realized it soon enough to help myself before it was too late. I found this video very helpful with figuring out how to balance my meals.

I eat 5 meals a day (breakfast, 2 snacks, lunch and dinner) For me, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I DO NOT leave the house without a proper breakfast and when I start my day with a good, healthy breakfast, it's easier to eat healthy for the rest of the day. For breakfast, I usually make myself an omelet or an oatmeal because it keeps me full for a long time and gives me a lot of energy.

To make the omelet I use one egg and then I usually add bell peppers, parsley leaves, salt, pepper and chili powder. I serve it with a whole grain roll or bread with tomatoes and lettuce.

To make the oatmeal I use 4-5 spoons of oats, I add hot water and wait 1-2 minutes for it to be more tender and then I add different types of fruits, dried fruits and nuts.

 

I get really creative when it comes to snacks. I have so many options, from a simple banana or an apple through dark chocolate to a fancy smoothie. It changes during different seasons, but it's always something quick to make and something that helps me survive the time before lunch and dinner.

For lunch I eat whatever my mom or dad makes (yes, I still live with my parents even though I'm 21). Luckily my family likes to eat healthy too, so I can eat my lunch without worrying about the ingredients that my parents put in the food.

Dinner is my last meal of the day and I usually have a whole grain bread roll or some type of sandwich or if I'm feeling fancy I'll make myself a salad. My dinners are always light and easy to digest because I don't like going to bed with a full stomach.

There's actually one more thing that I haven't mentioned... sweets. 

I'm not gonna lie and say that I don't eat them. I do. I allow myself one "yolo meal" a week and I eat whatever I want to, no matter how many calories it has or how unhealthy it is. 

Last but not least: drinks. I drink a lot of water (obviously), I also love different types of tea. My top five are:

-Cinnamon apple

-Citrus mix with cloves

-Pineaple and pear

-Ginger and lemon

-Mango and peach

And finally, the love of my life... coffee. I could drink coffee all the time. Not only because it gives me energy. I love the taste of coffee, I love the whole ritual of making a coffee. When I can just sit and think, plan and relax.

That's everything I want to share. 

Hope you liked this post.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment down below!

"Don't you wanna grow up to be just like me?"

Role models, inspirations, motivations, gurus, idols. I feel like we all have somebody that we look up to. Parents, siblings, friends, famous people.
For me, having someone who can teach me something, who always has something wise to say, who inspires me to be a better person is really important.
I have a lot of role models/inspirations in different aspects of my life.

When it comes to healthy lifestyle Cassey Ho is my biggest inspiration and motivation at the same time. She teaches me every single day how to be a better version of myself, how to love my body, how to be confident and also how to eat healthy and how to provide a healthy lifestyle.

Another one of my inspirations is Justin Bieber. Now, you can say all you want about him, but he is NOT a bad person. It's been almost 8 years since I saw him for the first time and I know He's been through a lot of stuff in his life and I was with him every step of the way. I was supporting him at his worst  and I always will. He taught me how to get up if you fall and how to stay strong when things are not going the right way.

Fashion-wise  Zoe Sugg (Zoella on YouTube) is one of my favorite people. I love her outfits, make up, and her style in general. I know that some of her clothes don't suit me well, but I think it's not only about clothes, it's about her confidence and how she's not scared to be herself. That is something I value the most.

Last but definitely not least I have a couple of people that always put me in a good mood.
And I'm talking about Youtubers here.
YouTube is a huge part of my life, even though I'm not a YouTuber myself, I still watch a lot of content there and I find most of Youtubers either inspirational, motivational or just funny to watch. I love their positivity, creativity and I really appreciate the fact that they're not trying to pretend anything. They're just real and that's why I feel so connected with them..
I'm gonna link some of them so You can check out what I'm writing about.

Zoe                                    Anna Saccone

Joe                                     Niomi Smart

Caspar Lee                        Aspyn

Tanya                                Superwoman

Bethany Mota                   Sprinkleofglitter

Those are all of my role models/inspirations/motivations.
No matter who is your role model just remember to make sure that this person is worth your time and really inspires you to be a better version of yourself!
I hope You liked this post. If you did, leave a comment down below and also let me know who is Your role model or who you look up to!

"Where words fail, music speaks."

Music. One of the things I can't live without. It is a huge part of my life. Music is with me all the time. When I walk to Uni, on my way back,  when I'm travelling, when I'm sad, when I'm happy. Always.

For me music is something more than just a couple of notes, than a simple melody. For me music is something that reflects my soul, my feelings. I play a song and I feel every single sound every single word.
That's why I don't have any preferences when it comes to music. I pick songs depending on my mood. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a fun song, sometimes I prefer sad songs and sometimes I listen to completely random songs that are just funny to listen to.
Every song makes me feel different. Every single one touches a different part of my soul.
Songs bring back memories, make me happy, make sad, soothe my anxiety, make me wanna dance or crawl into a ball and cry, but it's all okay. Sometimes you just need to do this and there's nothing wrong about it.
Another reason why I love music is because it speaks to me in a way nobody else can speak.
“People haven't always been there for me but music always has.” 
― Taylor Swift

I listen to EVERY kind of music. From pop through hip-hop to Disney songs. 
At the moment I really enjoy listening to Shawn Mendes' music. I love every single one of his songs. I'm also a big fan of Justin Bieber's music and I've always been. Eminem is another great artist and maybe his songs are not the most relatable for me, but I feel like his music is true, there's no lies in his lyrics. 
Those are 3 artists that I listen to the most but I have a lot of random songs from different musicians that I really love. Hozier, Beyonce, Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paramore, Jack and Jack, The Script, Oasis, The Prodigy and many many more!

As you can see, I could talk about music all day, but I don't want this post to be super long, so I'm gonna end it here.
Hope You enjoyed reading! If You did or you want to share your opinion or you have any questions, leave a comment down below and "see" You next week!
*Quotes and pictures are NOT mine.

Books & Shows

Have you ever watched a show or read a book that completely changed your life?
I have. And the show I want to mention is called My Mad Fat Diary. It is a British drama about a girl who just left a mental hospital and has to face the real world. This show had helped me go through the hardest times in my life and I'm so glad I found it. Every single sentence spoke to me in a different way. And I 100% recommend this TV show. For everyone. For people with anxiety, for people with low self-esteem, for people that are lost in life. Seriously, this show is for everyone and every single person can find something interesting/helping. So if you haven't watched it yet, just go and do it. You won't regret it. I promise.

When it comes to books I'm not really into romances and books about how wonderful life is etc.
Personally, I like criminals mostly because I think that it's more possible to get murdered than it is to find the love of your life.
My favorite authors are:
1. Charlotte Link: I really enjoy every single one of her books. Seriously, once you start reading you can't put it down!

2. Bernard Minier: I read 3 of his books and I can't wait to read more. I know that there's another one coming this year and I'm really happy about it. Every book has its own plot but they're somehow connected and it makes the whole series really worth reading!
3. Val McDermid: another great author. Her books are not only criminals but they also have a psychological aspect and you get two points of view. One from police officers/psychologist and the other one from the murderer.
Those are my 3 top authors. I also read the first part of My Mad Fat Diary but unfortunately I can't get a second part anywhere.
At the end, I would also want to recommend Michael Grant's "Gone Series". Not criminals, but also fantastic book. I was never really into science fiction and stuff like that, but "Gone" is more than that. The characters are really different and I learnt something from every single one of them.

I could talk about books all day long. I just really love to forget about real life for a little while. Or for a longer while. I read at least one book a week, so that's a lot of books!

That's it for today's post. If you liked it, please leave a comment down below. Also, if you just want to chat then don't be shy!

Work hard or go home!

"The only bad workout is the one you didn't do."
A quote couldn't be more true. I think that working out is really important. Not only for people who want to lose weight, but for everybody who wants to be healthy and happy.
Today I want to talk about my workout routine and also share a couple of tips on how to stay healthy and motivated.

Working out doesn't have to be boring or hard, you also don't need to buy a gym membership or really expensive equipment. For me every form of exercising is good. There's plenty of options! I personally really like working out with "Blogilates".
I work out 6 times a week, I also like going for a walk or a run in the morning then I take a one day break when I let my body recover. For me Blogilates works the best, but I also like other disciplines and I've tried a lot, from dancing to basketball and I LOVE trying new things! But Blogilates is my main source of workouts.
Cassey also has a blog where you can sign up for a FREE newsletter and get her workout calendar which is such a great way to stay fit and motivated because you already have every workout planned. I'll link Cassey's blog and a couple of my personal favorites down below so you can check it out!.
Blogilates
Cardio
Legs
Abs
Whole body
I also like to stretch after my workout and on my rest day to relax and get more flexible. Stretching is really important if you want to prevent injury and also helps you do all of the moves with ease!
My favorite stretching videos:
Stretching
Leg flexibility
Improve flexibility
Stretches for dancers

Tips: 

1. Set a goal
If you have a goal that you wanna reach it makes this whole journey a lot easier! But you have to remember that your goal HAS to be achievable. Don't set goals that you know you can't reach. You can also set a lot of small goals and when you achieve them you'll be motivated to achieve even more!
2. Don't compare yourself to others
This is your journey and you should focus on yourself. Don't be discouraged just because there are people who you think are better than you. Don't try to be like others, try to create the best version of yourself!
3. Make good choices
Don't treat your body like a trash can. Choose healthy products, learn how to cook and find healthy substitutes of unhealthy food and drinks and you'll see a huge change in your life!
4. Do more of what makes you happy
If you don't like running then don't run, if you don't like going to the gym, don't. Do what makes you happy and what will keep you motivated! Try as many things as possible and find something you'll love!
5. Surround yourself with people you love
"Some people are like clouds when they disappear, it's a brighter day!" Don't let haters bring you down. If someone is making fun of you don't hang out with that person. It's better to have one real friend than ten so called friends who will leave when you'll need them the most.
6. Don't give up
 Get up when you fall and don't give up when something goes wrong. We all make mistakes, you just have to learn from them and not let them affect your journey!

That's all for this week's post. Hope you enjoyed it. If you did please leave a comment down below and let me know what you think!
See you next week :)

Memories...

Summer's almost over. 

I thought it would be a good idea to post some pictures from my vacation.

My summer looks pretty much the same every year, but I wouldn't change it for anything. 

I go to the same place, but for me, it's the most beautiful place on earth. I love how peaceful and quiet it is. It's almost like time has stopped there. Whenever I go there I have plenty of time to think, relax and have fun. 

I think that it just shows that you don't need a lot of money to have an amazing time. 

That's all for today's post. Hope you liked it. If you did please leave a comment below!

See you guys next week!

Now enjoy the pictures :)