Photo courtesy of Anthony Tran on Unsplash

Can I just say that some of my hobbies and interests can be absolutely frustrating sometimes?! Especially since I tend to gravitate towards things that not only require a lot of creativity, but also a lot of focus; as well as attention to detail. Not to mention, I don't really have any formal training in any of my hobbies or interests, and Google and/or YouTube tutorials are my only real helpers in a lot of cases. So when something doesn't go right, and I still can't figure it out after hours of Googling, or sometimes not even knowing exactly what to type for my Google search, it can get really stressful, really quickly. Even when it's not something that I have to do, but just want to do. 

If you're a creator, and especially if you're a coder (or you're working with technology in general), you definitely know what I'm talking about. Really though, any hobby that requires a lot of focus or skill can get rather stressful; especially when you're pretty much on your own when it comes to troubleshooting problems. Or simply getting it just right, and up to your standards; even when it's something you're doing just because you enjoy it, and not as a job. I've personally found myself getting rather tense over my own personal projects on multiple occasions, often to the point where I'd feel the tension in my body. Sometimes I'll even become moody and snappy over something that I usually enjoy doing. 

And if you're anything like me, when you're super passionate about something, quitting is not an option. Even if the process is currently making you want to rip your hair out.

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With Spring being here, there's a good chance you're probably thinking about Spring cleaning; if you're not already either in the process or possibly even done with your Spring cleaning already! I personally find Spring cleaning to be very satisfying, even if some chores and tasks can be a bit tedious, or not fun at all. The end result of a clean room or a clean home, and getting everything reorganized, decluttered, and back into order, is always super satisfying regardless! And as you're going through your Spring cleaning checklist, why not also consider giving your digital life a little TLC as well? Especially if you spend a lot of time on your computer, phone, or tablet; or possibly all of the above. 

Personally, I pretty much live on my devices, to the point that I'm probably a little too dependent on them (but that's beside the point), so I know that my digital life could use quite a bit of TLC from time-to-time; just like my home. So as I start thinking of doing some Spring cleaning in my room, I'm also thinking of digital Spring cleaning as well.

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Spring has officially in the northern hemisphere! Well, at least by the calendar, it's officially Spring; I live in Ohio so it'll probably be a couple more weeks before it actually starts to feel more like Spring consistently. Gotta love the weather in the northeastern and midwestern United States. Anyway, warmer weather is just around the corner, so if you've been thinking of trying running, now is the time to give it a go; and even if you live in the southern hemisphere, Fall can also be a great time to start running as well, when the weather isn't too hot or too cold.

I personally started running in the Spring of 2017 as a way to add in some extra cardio to my regular workout, and although running definitely is challenging, especially in the beginning or when coming back to it after the Winter, it's definitely enjoyable. And while I may not be a professional runner or a personal trainer, I have certainly found ways through a bit of trial and error that help make my runs and jogs better and more enjoyable. So if you're considering getting into running or jogging this Spring, Fall, or really any time, these tips are certainly worth reading, as I honestly wish I knew some of them before I ever started running!

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I'm not gonna lie, I absolutely love my bed; so sometimes getting out of it can be a real struggle. So needless to say, in the same way that I sometimes really don't want to work out for one reason or another, there are also a ton of reasons (and excuses) that I can make for choosing to just stay in bed all day. As a matter of fact, I probably have way more reasons and excuses to stay in bed than I do to not work out, let's be honest. 

But just as I don't actually like missing my workout when there's no reason why I actually have to take a rest day that day, I also feel extremely guilty when I sleep in past 10 AM (or later). Oftentimes, oversleeping also makes me feel a lot groggier when I finally do get out of bed as well; so not only am I feeling guilty about needlessly wasting away the morning hours, but I also feel quite sluggish throughout the day, and it's hard to do anything productive. So even when I really don't want to get out from under the covers, I know that getting out of bed by at least 9 AM, or preferably even earlier than that, is best for me. 

I'll be honest though, simply knowing that I'll feel better throughout the day isn't always enough on its own for my feet to hit the floor. Sometimes it takes a little bit of an extra push (and some bribery).

Photo courtesy of Alex Bertman on Unsplash

I was not exactly the most popular girl in school; as a matter of fact, it was actually quite the opposite, and I was more of a popular target for teasing. Or at least that's how it felt at the time anyway. Needless to say, I didn't really have many friends and I pretty much never got invited to anything outside of school. Heck, I wasn't even invited to much in school; as the teacher often had to assign someone to work with me whenever we had to work in groups or with a partner (even though I'd have very much preferred to just work alone), I sat alone at lunch on most days, and I literally never had a date for a school dance. So I think you can guess that my social life outside of school was pretty much non-existent. (And let's be honest, my social life as an adult is still pretty much non-existent, LMAO.) But looking back on that now, I don't think that was necessarily completely a bad thing. 

While I can't say that the bullying hasn't had any negative lasting effects on me, and especially on my mental health, I can say that there's definitely a silver lining to not being the most popular girl in school. While all I wanted at the time was to be cool or at least fit in, (I could seriously go on and on about the things I did to try to be cool before I realized that "cool" is subjective and that what society deems as being cool can change over time), I have certainly found a few ways that not being popular has actually brought some good into my life. 

Some of these ways are more serious than others, and some of them may seem a bit silly or pehaps even kind of sad to some, but I truly believe in trying to find even just a little bit of good in a bad situation or experience in any way that you can. 

Photo courtesy of Dabbles & Babbles

I admit it, I spend way too much time on the internet; to the point where I'm probably way too dependent on it. Although I know I'm definitely not alone here, many businesses in the US will actually close when their internet isn't working; gotta love first-world problems. But seriously, I'm almost always using the internet for something in one way or another; even for my workouts, as I mostly workout from home using YouTube videos. Probably the only thing I don't primarily do online is my shopping, I actually do still like going to the store and buying things in person, but I still browse the online store before going to get a general idea of what they have. 

Needless to say though, my life pretty much revolves around a Wi-Fi connection; so when the internet goes down, there's a serious issue. Of course, I'll go through the process of resetting everything and checking my internet settings, but when that doesn't work after so many tries, I usually come to realize there isn't much I can do about it; and all I can do is wait for it to come back on. A lot of the time the issue is resolved within an hour or so, but sometimes it's down almost all day. So then what do I do?

Of course, I could just sit there sulking and staring at my screen, waiting all day for it to come back on; but then all I'd be doing is wasting the day away. So why not make the most of it instead? Although it's definitely an inconvenience and super frustrating, it's the perfect opportunity to do some things you normally wouldn't. Seriously though, there's a lot you really can do without a Wi-Fi connection (and without using your mobile data if you don't have unlimited). Besides, taking a break from the internet is never a bad idea anyway. 

Here are a few of my favorite things to do when I can't get on the internet (or when I just need a little bit of a break from it).

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Whether you're just getting started on your fitness journey, or you're a longtime fitness junkie, you've probably had a few of those days where you just really didn't want to work out. Perhaps even to the point that you absolutely dreaded the mere idea of putting on your shoes or rolling out your mat and getting started. It's okay, I've totally been there; many times. And yes, I've also totally skipped my workout on multiple occasions too; which is totally okay to do occasionally, as long as it doesn't become a habit. Rest days are essential, and it's important to take a rest day or an "active rest day" at least once a week. I have personally set Sundays to be my active rest day, where I'll just stretch my muscles or do some gentle yoga in place of any intense exercise (hence the "active" part), but even though I have my rest day every week, I still have days where I really, really, really don't want to work out through the rest of the week.

But the thing is, even when I really don't want to work out, even to the point that I'm absolutely dreading even getting ready for my workout, I don't like missing my workout. I know that getting my workout in benefits me in so many ways, both mentally and physically. I can go on and on about all of the ways that simply making the time to workout has benefitted me, and how 40 minutes to an hour of movement has made a huge impact on my life. But despite knowing how great working out usually makes me feel, notice I said usually, there are just some days where it's a struggle to drag myself to the mat.

When I do end up getting to the mat on these days, I typically don't regret it, I'll even feel a greater sense of accomplishment that I completed something that I didn't even want to begin. But there are also times where, for one reason or another, I'll drag myself to the mat and end up having a crappy workout and won't even enjoy a second of it; sometimes leading me to feel even worse than before I started. Which is an indicator that I probably should have either taken a rest day or tried something else.

No one likes having a crappy workout, and working out should never make you feel worse than you did before you started. Although it does happen from time to time. But to help avoid this feeling, as well as needlessly skipping my workout, I like to ask myself why I don't feel like working out that day. And when I think about it, it usually comes down to one of these 5 reasons.