Beginner Pilates Routines

productivity apps for self improvement

pinterest

you know i had to include the ultimate form of social media. pinterest is one of the only truly peaceful social media apps out there and focuses on sharing photos to your themed boards. this app is everything if you’re into making vision boards, moodboards, beauty, productivity, and really anything else. there’s something there for everyone!

finch

this is a wonderful self-care app, in which you take care of a bird while taking care of yourself! this is my new favorite app. i use the free version and it is adorable. the app asks you some questions about your goals and how you feel about self care, and gives you some daily goals based on your answers, but you can delete and add goals of your own. the more you log in and track your goals, the more adventures your bird can go on and the more they grow. i recommend this app to absolutely everyone and i will never shut up about it.

gymshark training

this is a free training app including many different types and styles of workouts. you can search for workouts based on duration, equipment used, the targeted muscle, and so on. you can also add workouts and plans of your own and track your progress.

i am sober

this is my favorite app for if you have something you want to quit. this isn’t just for substances or alcohol, but can also be used for quitting sugar, skin picking, caffeine, fast food, and so many other things. you can track your progress, review your days, make pledges, and connect with others who are struggling with the same thing you are. you are also given motivational quotes and reminders when you log into the app. there is an option for a subscription, but i use the free version and have had no problems with it at all.

study bunny: focus timer

an adorable focus timer where you gain coins with every goal/time you accomplish something with your focus timer and you can spend your coins on cute little accessories for your bunny! the only real issue with this app is that the ads are kind of crazy, and it’s $15 a month to go ad-free.

flora - green focus

this app includes a pomodoro timer and plants a tree in a rural community based on how often you stay focused using the timer on the app. the app does not plant a tree unless you opt for their subscription, which is $2 per year and allows you to plant one tree for 120 hours of focused time. you can also plant a tree every 24 hours with the $10 plan.

focus to-do: focus timer&tasks

this app combines a pomodoro timer with a daily to-do list. the app is free to use, but includes additional features for those with a subscription, which is $3 for every three months or $9 for a lifetime membership.

balance: meditation & sleep

a great app that includes nightly reviews, meditations, and sleep sounds. this app has great reviews, but it’s worth noting that it’s not completely free. it includes a trial, after which is $12 per month, or $70 per year.

insight timer - meditate & sleep

just as it sounds, this is another great app for meditations, ambient sounds for sleep, and progress tracking. there are tons of free things included in the app, but if you want to unlock everything, the premium plan is $10 per month or $60 per year.

structured - daily planner

an app with great reviews intended to help organize your daily tasks into achievable goals and track your progress. the app has basic features for free, but also includes a premium subscription if you want to unlock all the features.

routineflow: guided routines

this app caters to those who have difficulties staying focused and maintaining a set routine by guiding your routine for you and managing your progress. the app gives you one routine for free, but if you want another, you would need to pay for the $30 annual subscription.

how we feel

a wonderful free journaling app developed by therapists and scientists for logging your emotions, talking to other users, and tracking your mood patterns.

gentler streak fitness tracker

if you’re tired of the constant work and grind mentality, this may be the app for you. this app takes a gentler approach to fitness by tracking exercise, giving encouragement, and notifying you if you are overworking yourself. the app itself is free, but certain features require a subscription, which is $8 per month or $50 per year.

glo | yoga and meditation app

glo is a highly rated app for yoga, pilates, and meditation. unlike most of the other apps listed, you can’t really access much on glo for free. to access the full courses, they offer two plans: $30 per month or $245 per year.

waterllama

another adorable app that lets you track your water intake with a cute llama! super motivating and is free for basic features. if you want to unlock all features, the subscription is $7 per year.

mindllama

made by the same people as waterllama, this app allows you to practice and track your meditation and breathwork practice with a cute llama! like waterllama, the app is free, but some features require a subscription, which varies depending on whether you want the premium plan, the anxiety relief plan, or the sleep focused plan.

daily bean - simplest journal

another super cute app that helps you track your days and moods. the app itself is free, but a premium plan is also offered, which is $20 per year.

schmoody: mood & habit tracker

this app aims to help you through depression, anxiety, and/or adhd by helping you track your habits, talk to other users, and give you the resources to get you back on track. the free version includes the “essentials” to support mental health and well-being, but they also offer a premium version, which unlocks more resources and personalized options. the subscription is $15 per month, $60 per year, or $100 for a lifetime membership.

meditation timer - zenitizer

this is a meditation timer that focuses on simplicity and organization while tracking your meditation practice. a free version is available with a limited amount of content, but a premium version is also offered, which is $3 per month, $20 per year, or a $50 one-time payment.

mineral - gratitude journal

this is a free journaling app that is secure in the fact that you have to use face id in order to access your journal. this app is definitely more simple, but effective nonetheless.

focus keeper: productive timer

this app is a popular pomodoro-style timer app. i’ve heard that this app works wonders for many people with adhd. the app is free, but includes additional content and features for those with a subscription.

The It Girl Nighttime Routine: Wake Up Chic and Radiant 🌹🕊️

Every chic woman knows that a captivating day starts the night before. This routine is all about luxurious self-care – because waking up as the most poised, radiant version of yourself is a lifestyle. Ready to transform your evening into an elegant ritual? Let’s step into your new, elevated bedtime routine. 🛌🌸

Create an Atmosphere: Begin by setting a serene mood. Dim the lights, light a sophisticated candle (think notes of sandalwood or bergamot), and play a calming jazz playlist. This is your time to unwind and transition into a world of serenity. 🕯️🎶

Sophisticated Cleansing: Start with a cleansing oil to melt away makeup and daily grime. Rinse it off, then follow with a gentle, hydrating cleanser. This double cleanse is like a reset button, leaving your skin ready for its nighttime restoration. 💧🤍

The Hydration Layer: Pat on a luxurious serum – hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, or a skin-renewing elixir. Then, apply a rich night cream. Imagine each layer as a silk robe for your skin, nurturing and hydrating it while you sleep. 🌿✨

Elevated Facial Massage: Use a jade roller or gua sha to massage in your serum. Not only is this relaxing, but it boosts circulation and helps define your natural contours. It’s a moment of quiet elegance – a way to remind yourself of your own grace. 💆‍♀️🌿

Silk Essentials: Swap your pillowcase for silk. It’s gentle on your skin and hair, reducing friction while you sleep. A chic woman wakes up with smooth skin and effortless hair – because beauty is in the details. 🌸🛏️

Hair Ritual: Before bed, brush your hair and apply a touch of light hair oil to the ends. Twist it into a low bun or a loose braid for natural waves. It’s a simple yet sophisticated way to keep your hair looking polished in the morning. 💁‍♀️💎

The Nightcap: Pour yourself a cup of herbal tea – chamomile, peppermint, or lavender. Sip slowly, feeling the warmth relax your body. A classy woman indulges in these small, soothing rituals to unwind and replenish. 🍵🌿

Outfit Planning: Select tomorrow's outfit with intention. Choose pieces that make you feel confident and chic, whether it’s a tailored blazer or that perfect little black dress. Lay everything out: jewelry, shoes, and bag – so your morning flows seamlessly. 👜🖤

Screen Detox: Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode at least 30 minutes before bed. In this quiet time, you’re choosing presence and grace over endless scrolling. 🌙

Read Something Timeless: Replace your screen with a classic book or an inspiring magazine. This is how chic women nurture their minds and escape into elegance before drifting off. 📖🌹

Visualize Tomorrow: As you close your eyes, picture yourself waking up refreshed, glowing, and composed. See yourself moving through the day with grace and poise. You’re setting the stage for a day where everything aligns effortlessly. 🕊️💭

This is more than a nighttime routine; it’s a ritual of self-respect and refinement. Wake up to your fullest potential, feeling radiant, empowered, and impeccably put-together. Sweet dreams, darling – tomorrow, the world is your runway. 🌟🛌🌹

me entering anyone’s life

Click method (100% method to change mindset for anything)

I need to get something off.

Guys, do one thing, please, oh my god If you're reading this? Do this NOW.

Sit somewhere, like sit, just sit, and simply let your mind wander PLEASE TRUST ME AND DO IT, don't push it aside saying it's just a silly little other shit hell no I'm serious.

Let your thoughts take over, look at your past, reflect it, and let that one small realization snap in your mind hardcore.

You.

Literally.

Know.

The.

Secret.

To.

Your.

Life.

Oh my god isn't this what people think of? CAN'T YOU SEE? you got it, it's in Your hands so much, you're one minute away from it, one second, REALIZE you're actually getting whatever you want.

Just. Be. Goddamn. Persistent.

I swear this random ass method came up to me back in March where everything changed me for the best, I wanna call it the Click method, I don't know if there's anything similar, but god knows how it can help you.

Summary:

Sit somewhere

Let your mind wander

Look at yourself, your life, reflect your past your present, your future, every small detail on yourself, just everything

Now just sit there and wait for that realization to click and sit in being FULLY emerged deep and engraved in your mind, that after everything, "you are chosen."

Feel that? That bliss, that shock? That feeling that "what the fuck have I been doing so far? What the hell did I waste so much time for?"

This guys? This helped me snap my mindset, you don't need days to change the mindset, it's just the click of the realization, try it, seriously try it, and to actually trick your mind you've done it, I suggest tricking yourself (not necessary, but some people like to be logical and back it up with actions), simply tap a part of your body when you realize it, when that thought flows in your mind just as moments ago the thought of "I like the color xyz" had gone by.

It clicks.

Use it as any method, void, manifesting, revising, whatever the fuck you want, this just conjured up in my dream and I already feel how it can help people.

Internal Glow Up Tips

Physical Health You've heard it before, but it cannot be said enough. Exercise 3/4 times a week to release endorphins and help regulate your mood. Stretch regularly to improve mobility and flexibility so even when you age you body will remain fit and healthy. Eat your fruit and veg to ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs. Drink water every day, buy a cute water bottle to keep yourself motivated. Get eight hours of sleep to improve your immune system and concentration, I cannot express enough how crucial sleep is because while you sleep your whole body is busy healing and learning. Allow yourself to rest when you need it to try and avoid burnout. Keep on top of your personal hygiene (I will be posting a separate series on this)

Brain Health Eat foods that hep your brain such as oily fish, whole grains, berries, leafy greens. Your brain is the most important organ in your body so look after it! Practice concentration by meditation to improve your focus. There are loads of great apps for meditations such as headspace, or you could just find a YouTube video. Your time and focus is the most valuable thing you own but todays consumer-based society is destroying our concentration. Work to build it back up.

Attitude Trust me, don't surround yourself with toxic people. It is not selfish to cut off drama, you have to be your first priority. If you surround yourself with people who act badly you will act badly, your surroundings shape you as a person. Don't consume content that makes you feel bad. the TV you watch, the people you follow, the music you listen to, it all shapes your personality and mindset. Don't be afraid to block people, delete apps, follow other people, you control your intake, and your intake controls your output.

Click method (100% method to change mindset for anything)

I need to get something off.

Guys, do one thing, please, oh my god If you're reading this? Do this NOW.

Sit somewhere, like sit, just sit, and simply let your mind wander PLEASE TRUST ME AND DO IT, don't push it aside saying it's just a silly little other shit hell no I'm serious.

Let your thoughts take over, look at your past, reflect it, and let that one small realization snap in your mind hardcore.

You.

Literally.

Know.

The.

Secret.

To.

Your.

Life.

Oh my god isn't this what people think of? CAN'T YOU SEE? you got it, it's in Your hands so much, you're one minute away from it, one second, REALIZE you're actually getting whatever you want.

Just. Be. Goddamn. Persistent.

I swear this random ass method came up to me back in March where everything changed me for the best, I wanna call it the Click method, I don't know if there's anything similar, but god knows how it can help you.

Summary:

Sit somewhere

Let your mind wander

Look at yourself, your life, reflect your past your present, your future, every small detail on yourself, just everything

Now just sit there and wait for that realization to click and sit in being FULLY emerged deep and engraved in your mind, that after everything, "you are chosen."

Feel that? That bliss, that shock? That feeling that "what the fuck have I been doing so far? What the hell did I waste so much time for?"

This guys? This helped me snap my mindset, you don't need days to change the mindset, it's just the click of the realization, try it, seriously try it, and to actually trick your mind you've done it, I suggest tricking yourself (not necessary, but some people like to be logical and back it up with actions), simply tap a part of your body when you realize it, when that thought flows in your mind just as moments ago the thought of "I like the color xyz" had gone by.

It clicks.

Use it as any method, void, manifesting, revising, whatever the fuck you want, this just conjured up in my dream and I already feel how it can help people.

Wake up in your dream body ♕ ᴏᴠᴇʀɴɪɢʜᴛ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪꜱ ᴘᴏꜱꜱɪʙʟᴇ.(ɴᴏ ᴀꜰꜰɪʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ, ɴᴏ ꜱᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇ, ɴᴏ ꜰɪxɪɴɢ ʀᴇQᴜɪʀᴇᴅ)ೃ࿔ ͙ㅤㅤ

Do you want to change your appearance? Your voice, energy, beauty, and entire perception of yourself?

You wake up one morning...and

You have the body you feel is yours.

The voice you love.

The skin that glows.

The energy that conquers.

➥You can do it. But not by changing your body. By changing who you are inside when you look at it.

➥The truth they don't tell you: The body you see now is not real. It's just a form held by your attention, your "I am this way." As long as you observe it as true → you confirm it. Even if you hate it. Even if you want to change it.

🍒How to break free:🍒

➥Stop trying to improve. Don't say "I'm becoming beautiful." Say: "I'm stunning. It's obvious." And live like that.

➥Stop reacting to what you see. The mirror, photos, your voice? They're no longer "you." They're just echoes of the old version you're leaving behind.

Treat your new body as already yours. Move like it's already yours. Breathe like it's already yours. Don't wait to see it. Just be. Let go of all struggle. If you're still thinking "but why hasn't it changed yet?" → you're still stuck in the version that's waiting. Stop it. Don't give it any more attention. No explanations. No justifications.

Thoughts don't manifest. It's the state you think from that creates. "I have the perfect body" said by someone who still feels insecure = doesn't work. But said by someone who no longer doubts, who already lives like it's true = BOOM. Reality bends.

Because it's already yours. You're just not waiting for it anymore. You're living it.

Your reality is just a reflection of your perception, so change your perspective and your life will change.

Kisses kisses beauties ♡

what do you do with the 3d?

let's clear the floor. let's slit it open tile by tile. let's sweep the shards into our palms and try again. let me rip the carpet up while we're at it, dig my hands into the marrow of the matter and ask, what are we doing with the 3d, really. are we making it our girl friday or our ghost. are we ignoring the curtain or stepping through it. the question is, do you even recognise what you're looking at.

but let's step back. what is the 3d, anyway. physical reality. consensus hallucination. not sacred, not sinful. not a riddle to be solved nor a cage to be broken. just a card in the deck, drawn with shaky hands. the one everyone agrees to pretend is real. you can treat it like an omen, if you want. or a person you absolutely abhor. but don't mistake it for the author. it's only ever the copy, the imprint, or the last known address of a belief. yesterday's ink on today's page, and even that can smudge.

because everyone has an answer and most of them feel like used tissues. soggy with someone else's satori. should we ignore the 3d. befriend it. spit at its feet like it called us boring. the answers all sound like someone else's language. someone else's idea of what devotion is. someone else's diagram of control. and most of them are at war with nuance. 

the 3d is your echo. it's a feedback loop, a dog who learnt the tricks you taught it. it moves like you do. it learns what you reward. it listens to what you repeat. it's not speaking, it's mouthing back. and yes, it has weight. like wet fabric or a hospital corridor. it has textures. grit. gravity. but weight is not truth. it's just density. what you believe has mass. not because it's real, but because you've given it rehearsal time, memorised the script, built sets around it, fed it from your own bowl.

so here's what the 3d is: a tarot card. upright or reversed, depending on the day. never the deck itself, never the hand that shuffles. it's a reading, not a sentence. a reflection, not a law. its power is borrowed. it's never permanent. it's never personal. it is what you thought yesterday, blinking back at you in today's light. you don't have to ignore it. you don't have to kneel at its altar, either. the 3d can be your chorus girl or your case study.  it doesn't mind. it has no ego. it doesn't need to win. it just needs something to reflect. and if you change your face, it will too.

treat it how you want. name it. reframe it. pin it to the wall or forget it in a drawer. pet it like a cat or argue with it like a brother. none of it matters. what matters is remembering that it follows you. it always does. not because it loves you. because it has no other choice.

just remember: the card is not the future. it's a translation. and all translations are subject to error, to bias, to mood. the 3d isn't fact. it's rendering. if you want a different reading, shuffle again.

it's a ghost. and it only haunts what you've already abandoned.

a beginners guide to pilates

🎀 what is pilates?

pilates is a form of strength training exercise that focuses on low to medium impact movements to improve muscle tone, stability, endurance, and mobility. pilates also focuses more on the smaller muscles of the body compared to traditional strength or weight training.

🎀 benefits of pilates

including the benefits that exercise generally brings, pilates:

improves mind-body connection and body control

improves active flexibility and mobility

works the core, improving stability

improves coordination and balance

reduces mental and physical stress

works muscles that can be neglected in our daily lives

treats and prevents body pain, including menstrual pain

teaches you how to pair your breath with your body

keeps the joints healthy without putting pressure on them

🎀 where to start

while you can absolutely start with studio or reformer classes, you can also do pilates routines on youtube! i recommend move with nicole and dansique fitness. if you want to get your cardio in as well, i absolutely recommend eleni fit. her workouts are some of the best i’ve ever tried!

🎀 personal tips

keep your core in mind. core strength is a major benefit of pilates because each movement requires at least a mild amount of core work to keep your body stable, so do your best to keep the engagement throughout.

start slow. pilates movements can take a while to fully understand and it can take a while to build the mind-body connection, so don’t push yourself too far in the beginning. your coordination will improve over time!

don’t underestimate it! while the movements are generally slower than other types of exercise, you will work your muscles just as much and in a way they may not have been worked before. sometimes i even find pilates more difficult than hiit or weights!

december book journal

books read:

1. ‘the bell jar’ by sylvia plath

rating: 4.2 ⭐️

2. ‘and then there were none’ by agatha christie

rating: 3.0 ⭐️

3. ‘just like home’ by sarah gailey

rating: 4.75 ⭐️

4. ‘none of this is true’ by lisa jewell

rating: EASY 5 ⭐️

5. ‘the final girl support group’ by grady hendrix

rating: 3.35 ⭐️

6. ‘the whisper man’ by alex north

rating: 4.1 ⭐️

7. ‘fight club’ by chuck palahniuk

rating: 3.3 ⭐️

8. ‘ripe’ by sarah rose etter

rating: 5 ⭐️

9. ‘watching you’ by lisa jewell

rating: 4.45 ⭐️

10. ‘death in her hands’ by ottessa moshfegh

rating: 4 ⭐️

11. ‘my dark vanessa’ by kate elizabeth russell

rating: the most depressing 5 ⭐️ i’ve ever given

12. ‘verity’ by colleen hoover

rating: 4.95 ⭐️ (only .05 off because it’s colleen hoover, the book itself was amazing)

dnf:

‘fruit of the dead’ by rachel lyon

‘leave the world behind’ by rumaan alam