Reconnection
I started the year by going off for one month from insta to reflect on how the previous year went (all areas of my life) and to think of the next steps. I'm doing it for the second year in a row, and it's an ideal way to slow down and reconnect with myself.
Instagram
In February and March, I consistently created and followed the content plan, which is quite encouraging.
In March, I realised I felt overwhelmed with showing my step-by-step daily routines in stories, which made me focus on instagram more than myself. So I reduced the number of stories which decreased my daily screen time too, which, no doubt, positively affected my emotional and mental health. It seems that I'm slowly but steadily finding my sweet spot towards being on insta regularly and, at the same time, not losing myself in it.
I tackled one more area I want to improve - speaking on camera and started doing regular LIVEs. Something to be proud of!
Recovery
In February, I got sick after a few intense training weeks, which showed me that 8 hours of sleep per night isn't enough to be well-recovered. So I added 1 nap a week, usually on the weekend. I started regularly going to a sauna at least once a week and taking a bath with salt and magnesium 1-2 times a week. So far, it's been working well, and my HRV has been increasing since then.
Sport
I decided to temporarily step back from doing Crossfit workouts to focus on improving my gymnastic skills and weightlifting technique. That step back can help me make a few steps forward later. So I can concentrate on improving at Crossfit overall instead of stumbling with learning new moves.
Don't ask me how I made it to participate 27km trail race. It wasn't part of the plan, and I can't say I've been preparing much. But I thought joining friends on this journey would be fun, and it was! Super proud that I did it!
Coaching
Four new clients started working with me in January and February, and I can't get enough of working with these people. Every case is so interesting, whether it's to stop procrastinating and become efficient at work, structure a day to get a new business going while being a good parent and getting enough rest, combine intense training and shift work or improve nutrition and sleep being frequently on business trips. And by now, everyone has made significant progress, making me a very happy and proud coach.
Also, in February, one client I worked with last year returned to me to further refine their daily routines. It is great to see my clients keep choosing to move towards better performance.
Daily routines
Needless to say, I'm very satisfied with my evening routine. My sleep quality has improved significantly with awake time on average at 20-30 min a night (If you don't know what awake time is, check my post "8 hours of sleep. Really?").
Overall, my days have started flowing smoother. Switching between tasks and focusing on what's on the agenda feels easier. Every day consists of a few building blocks: training, meals, work, 1:1 coaching and rest. And what I like most is that these blocks are relatively easily replaceable, so if a client asks for a session in the morning when I'm supposed to train, I can easily push training to the afternoon and devote the morning to coaching and other working activities. It helps me to feel in control of my schedule while being flexible, which is essential for me, considering that I work with busy people.
New
In February, I resumed journaling by adding it to my evening routine. I missed this habit, and February was a good time to start putting thoughts onto paper (I made a post about how I built this habit). Currently, I'm on it doing it 4-5 evenings a week, and it feels great.
Long time I've been thinking of starting to monitor my meals. Why? My weight keeps increasing, which isn't really unnoticeable considering my training volume. Still, it'd be better if I had it under control. Another reason, I was simply curious about the portion sizes I consume and if I get enough of all the needed macro and micronutrients. So I did a few calculations and started paying more attention to what I ate. During the first weeks, I realised that I hadn't had enough protein but too much fat. And I also noticed that once I balanced only these two nutrients, I lost about 500g and started looking a bit leaner, which was a nice thing to experience. I continue monitoring my portions and will share more on this later.
Essential oils
I'm always keen to learn how else I can improve my daily efficiency and overall performance. And I was lucky to find an aromatherapist in Istanbul who made a few custom oil blends for me: to support immunity, improve focus and help muscles wind down after a training session. After a few weeks of testing, I've learnt that I don't need anything extra to help me to focus because I'm usually well-rested due to my well-structured daily routines. I've also learnt that applying a muscle wind-down oil blend is how I thank my body for hard work during training. And I definitely want to continue doing it. And regarding immunity support, I saw the actual effect of how natural oil blends can speed up recovery, which happened when I got sick in February.
English class
I believe it doesn't matter how good you're at something. There's always something to improve and get better. With this idea, I found a teacher and started English classes in February. And now I can say it was a very good decision.
Haircut
Last but not least, I decided to switch back to a brunette and grow my hair. I loved my short blonde haircut. But I also love to change my hairstyle when I experience big life pivots. And one of them will happen soon as we're moving back from Turkey to Germany.
That's all about my Q1. Thank you for reading till the end. If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask, you can do it by sending me an email or reaching out over Instagram or Linkedin.
I wish you a productive and enjoyable Q2.
I started the year by going off for one month from insta to reflect on how the previous year went (all areas of my life) and to think of the next steps. I'm doing it for the second year in a row, and it's an ideal way to slow down and reconnect with myself.
In February and March, I consistently created and followed the content plan, which is quite encouraging.
In March, I realised I felt overwhelmed with showing my step-by-step daily routines in stories, which made me focus on instagram more than myself. So I reduced the number of stories which decreased my daily screen time too, which, no doubt, positively affected my emotional and mental health. It seems that I'm slowly but steadily finding my sweet spot towards being on insta regularly and, at the same time, not losing myself in it.
I tackled one more area I want to improve - speaking on camera and started doing regular LIVEs. Something to be proud of!
Recovery
In February, I got sick after a few intense training weeks, which showed me that 8 hours of sleep per night isn't enough to be well-recovered. So I added 1 nap a week, usually on the weekend. I started regularly going to a sauna at least once a week and taking a bath with salt and magnesium 1-2 times a week. So far, it's been working well, and my HRV has been increasing since then.
Sport
I decided to temporarily step back from doing Crossfit workouts to focus on improving my gymnastic skills and weightlifting technique. That step back can help me make a few steps forward later. So I can concentrate on improving at Crossfit overall instead of stumbling with learning new moves.
Don't ask me how I made it to participate 27km trail race. It wasn't part of the plan, and I can't say I've been preparing much. But I thought joining friends on this journey would be fun, and it was! Super proud that I did it!
Coaching
Four new clients started working with me in January and February, and I can't get enough of working with these people. Every case is so interesting, whether it's to stop procrastinating and become efficient at work, structure a day to get a new business going while being a good parent and getting enough rest, combine intense training and shift work or improve nutrition and sleep being frequently on business trips. And by now, everyone has made significant progress, making me a very happy and proud coach.
Also, in February, one client I worked with last year returned to me to further refine their daily routines. It is great to see my clients keep choosing to move towards better performance.
Daily routines
Needless to say, I'm very satisfied with my evening routine. My sleep quality has improved significantly with awake time on average at 20-30 min a night (If you don't know what awake time is, check my post "8 hours of sleep. Really?").
Overall, my days have started flowing smoother. Switching between tasks and focusing on what's on the agenda feels easier. Every day consists of a few building blocks: training, meals, work, 1:1 coaching and rest. And what I like most is that these blocks are relatively easily replaceable, so if a client asks for a session in the morning when I'm supposed to train, I can easily push training to the afternoon and devote the morning to coaching and other working activities. It helps me to feel in control of my schedule while being flexible, which is essential for me, considering that I work with busy people.
New
In February, I resumed journaling by adding it to my evening routine. I missed this habit, and February was a good time to start putting thoughts onto paper (I made a post about how I built this habit). Currently, I'm on it doing it 4-5 evenings a week, and it feels great.
Long time I've been thinking of starting to monitor my meals. Why? My weight keeps increasing, which isn't really unnoticeable considering my training volume. Still, it'd be better if I had it under control. Another reason, I was simply curious about the portion sizes I consume and if I get enough of all the needed macro and micronutrients. So I did a few calculations and started paying more attention to what I ate. During the first weeks, I realised that I hadn't had enough protein but too much fat. And I also noticed that once I balanced only these two nutrients, I lost about 500g and started looking a bit leaner, which was a nice thing to experience. I continue monitoring my portions and will share more on this later.
Essential oils
I'm always keen to learn how else I can improve my daily efficiency and overall performance. And I was lucky to find an aromatherapist in Istanbul who made a few custom oil blends for me: to support immunity, improve focus and help muscles wind down after a training session. After a few weeks of testing, I've learnt that I don't need anything extra to help me to focus because I'm usually well-rested due to my well-structured daily routines. I've also learnt that applying a muscle wind-down oil blend is how I thank my body for hard work during training. And I definitely want to continue doing it. And regarding immunity support, I saw the actual effect of how natural oil blends can speed up recovery, which happened when I got sick in February.
English class
I believe it doesn't matter how good you're at something. There's always something to improve and get better. With this idea, I found a teacher and started English classes in February. And now I can say it was a very good decision.
Haircut
Last but not least, I decided to switch back to a brunette and grow my hair. I loved my short blonde haircut. But I also love to change my hairstyle when I experience big life pivots. And one of them will happen soon as we're moving back from Turkey to Germany.
That's all about my Q1. Thank you for reading till the end. If you have thoughts to share or questions to ask, you can do it by sending me an email or reaching out over Instagram or Linkedin.
I wish you a productive and enjoyable Q2.