How to Spice Things Up When Life Gets Mundane

Thursday, May 31, 2018

How to Spice Things Up When Life Gets Mundane

I'm trying to focus my attention, but I feel so A.D.D- Natasha Bedingfield, These Words, 2004

My friends made fun of me for basically an entire night because I came home after classes one day and boldly stated that my life was so mundane.

And I went on to explain that I felt like I was in the same routine, doing the same things, in the same boring classes, seeing the same people, and everything just felt so ordinary. Of course, I love my friends, I love my coursework, I love New York Freaking City and it's definitely not a boring place. I'm so grateful for everything I have and am learning more and more how to appreciate every little aspect of my life. However, I just felt like I was in a rut of going through the motions and not giving 100 percent to any task I was involved with. 

Now I'm not saying that life always needs to be crazy and busy because that can suck too, but I do like to keep my life spicy and interesting.  And with this bleh weather (it's cloudy asf), it can be easy to just feel super unmotivated. 

Without further ado (I first spelled it adue and then got spell check to help me out, t god..) , here are 10 tips TO SPICE THINGS UP!!

1.) Schedule a coffee/lunch date with someone you don't see often. (Even better, try a new spot!) I'm always amazed about the connections I make with people I don't expect to. There's nothing better than just realizing like wow, this person is so cool, I'm so happy I asked them to hangout. And it takes vulnerability, but I swear, people want you to ask them to hangout, and sometimes it just takes that little extra effort. 

2.) Create, create, create. Anything. Write a poem/song/draw/make art/photograph/make a website. BLOG?!  

3.) Try something new alone. Don't bring your cell phone. Need to know the time? Ask a stranger with a watch. I went to a musical performance alone in Brooklyn and I was kinda tweaking about it even though I'm an extrovert and for the most part love strangers. And let me tell you. It was awesome- I made a friend with a dude from London who had way more life experience than me and I got to enjoy my favorite thing, music, without any distractions. So lit. 

4.) Speaking of music... Motivate with music. Nothing better than blasting some fire-ass music or discovering new music. Literally you can catch me on soundcloud for like two hours just listening to random remixes. A great time. 

5.) Get a lil' makeover. Get a spray tan. Get sugared. Put some purple in your hair. You'll feel like a new person. 

6.) CLEAN THE SHIT OUT OF SOMETHING. I'm serious. You're going to feel so accomplished after and it will honestly clear things up in your head, not just the space. 

7.) Go to a museum! See a ballet! Experience ~ART~

8.) Omg this one's my favorite. Go to Barnes & Nobles, grab a few books, sit in a corner and READ FO FREE. Ok this is one of my more criminal ideas and I'm really sorry to all of the talented authors and publishers who need to get paid but hey, if I love the book, I'll buy it anyway!  

9.) WorkOUT. Honestly, a workout can just totally reenergize you and make you want to be more productive and social. I know there's science behind it that I don't care to get into but from personal experience, every time I workout, I always feel refreshed and excited to tackle whatever's ahead of me. 

10.) Lastly, think about the craziest person you know and do something they would do. I have a cousin named Kari, and she's one of the most confident, outspoken people I know. I'm envious but mostly inspired by her constant exploration of life. She will strike up a conversation with literally anyone and ask them very personal questions lol. She even exploited me in front of the entire Victoria's Secret store on the day she dragged me to the mall to buy my FIRST BRA. That was embarrassing. But nonetheless I love her, and sometimes I just ask myself, What Would Kari Do? So find that person and practice your acting skills a bit. 

LET'S GET SPICY! 

Switch Playground Class Review: 'Twas a HIIT

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Switch Playground Class Review: 'Twas a HIIT

Bounce it for me, make it go trampoline- Kalin and Myles, Trampoline, 2014

Hey y'all! Happy day after Memorial Day! I'm all about new experiences and last night a friend reached out about taking a class at Switch Playground. It's super close to my apartment and so I figured I might as well go for it and I knew it was high intensity training which I prefer for my workouts.

So here's my review! I've never reviewed a fitness class before so let's get it. I'm gonna walk you through my experience and then share some final thoughts. 

I walked into the studio about 15 minutes before my class started (so at 8:15am). The girl at the front desk gave me a towel and put me on station 1 and asked if I was waiting for anyone to come. Yes, I told her, my friend was coming, so she explained that we would be we paired up for the class. I'm really glad that I had my friend with me because it took away the anxiety of being paired with a stranger (lol I still have PTSD from awkward gym classes in middle school).  

When I entered the studio, I was already impressed with the swanky environment and aesthetically pleasing lighting. It definitely felt like I was at some sort of cool club, and there were mirrors everywhere, which I was also a big fan of. Because obviously I needed to make sure my form was good ;) 

We started the class with a brief yoga warmup, which I found a little bit weird to do before HIIT training, but I went with it, and it was kind of nice taking a few deep breaths. Then the class was essentially 20 2-minute stations. Some were cardio based and some were strength training based. There were four instructors explaining each station as we went which was cool because they definitely gave some good hands-on adjustments. For me, a few of the stations were a LOT harder than others, particularly the ones that were bicep and tricep focused. I liked the cardio stations because you can just do you, but I also wish I pushed myself a bit more on these stations. There were unique forms of cardio including a rowing station, which I actually enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. 

My favorite part of the entire class was about three quarters of the way in because there was a station with MINI TRAMPOLINES! Not only is the song "Trampoline" by Kalin and Myles my jam, but oh man, I wanted to bounce on that thing the entire class. I just felt giddy jumping up and down, maybe because I loved trampolines or for some reason, it just kind of got the endorphins going? This part of class felt the most like I was actually on a goddamn playground. Yesssssss. It kind of inspired me to save money to get one in my apartment. Instant workout and again, so freaking fun. 

Another very exhilarating component of the class was the in-house DJ. The whole experience felt very live and in the moment, with new songs for every station, instructors helping you, and "switch"ing so often. Although the songs were more remixes and I'm more of a lyric girl, I still really enjoyed it.

And what I love is that they change their workouts for every class. So it doesn't really matter if you are a beginner at working out or an advanced weight lifter, every single class is going to challenge you. To me, this is really important, because I think it's so easy to get comfortable in a workout routine, even a class that you frequent, or a running route that you always take. But when you keep pushing yourself, are in uncomfortable situations, and challenging your limits, that's when the change happens in your mind and body. 

Side note: while I was squatting, sweating, and staring into my friends eyes, it occurred to me that this would be fun to do with a romantic partner, because you kind of can't help but feel connected. So if you and your sig oth. need some couples therapy, I suggest going to a Switch Playground class together. 

I took a shower after and I have to say, I think this studio has the most (like 6) showers of any other studio I've been to, which was awesome. I always feel a little weird showering at fitness studios (am I alone?) but the openness of the women's locker room made me really comfortable. 

So would I go again? Absolutely. I probably wouldn't go alone, only because like I said, it was really fun working out side by side with a girlfriend. However, maybe I'd make a new friend if I went alone, so perhaps that's something I should try. 

Hope you guys get the chance to check out this unique workout studio. 

Cheers to summer bodies being made in the summer!!!