Ever had one of those weeks where you just wanna cry and hide from the world for no apparent reason? Yep. Me too. And believe it not, those weeks even happen in Ibiza. Whilst spending 10 weeks on this beautiful island is a dream come true in so many ways, and I am so very grateful to have the opportunity to do so, it doesn’t make you immune to a bad week. Take a 4yo who won’t get in the pool, a new moon (yes, I blame the moon for everything – just ask my yoga teacher!), mix it with some pesky lady hormones and a constantly sweaty back and under-boob and BAM, tears and tantrums galore. And I’m not just talking about the kids! Last week felt tough. Imposter syndrome was rife and my diet of Cheetos and Coke finally caught up with me big time. Poor Mr W as it also happened to be the week he was back on the white isle with me. Whilst he wanted to enjoy the beach, I just wanted to lie in a darkened air conditioned room. So yeah, just add wife-guilt to the cacophony of emotions and it was quite the week.
The good news is, this week – apart from missing Mr W *sob* – I am feeling sooooooooooo much better and here’s what I’ve done to get myself back on an even keel:
FOOD
One thing that’s been really quite difficult to navigate being in Ibiza for this amount of time with visitors and Mr W coming and going is differentiating between real life and holiday time. I don’t know about you, but when I’m on holiday I’m definitely more relaxed with my food choices and so a family sized pack of Cheetos washed down with a Coke is perfectly acceptable for lunch, right? Except if you multiply that by 72 days, there’s a real danger of turning orange – in colour and shape!! And I think last week, compounded by eating out more than I would usually in the UK, my diet caught up with me and I was feeling lethargic and thick headed. So this week I’m back to eating “normally”. I resisted the crisp aisle in Mercadona and have batch cooked some of my favourites meals and I am already much feeling better for it. I’ve talked about the power of food before and this week I’ve taken my own advice and it’s worked for sure.
EXERCISE
Similar to food, being on holiday versus being in the real world also messes up my exercise. In the UK I do 2 Crossfit and 1 yoga session every week and when I first arrived in Ibiza, I managed to video link back to my gym to continue with my 6am Crossfit sessions so it was going well. However, one too many late nights and the general holiday feeling kicked in and they stopped. Again, when I don’t exercise regularly it really effects me; my mood, my ability to think straight, my productivity. So yesterday I dialled in to my morning Crossfit class and 250 squats later I can’t walk or sit down but boy do I feel better. I have also got myself in to the routine of swimming 40 lengths (albeit of a 15 metre pool) as soon as I am back from teaching given I am already wet and in my swimming costume so BOOM! Back in the game!
MUSIC
Oh, the power of music. After the incident of the 4yo not getting in the pool, the following day when I was on the way to her lesson Flames by Sia/David Guetta came on the radio – it’s in fact become one of my many driving anthems here in Ibiza as it’s played pretty regularly – and it was just what I needed to hear. I had a little weep listening to the lyrics (as I’ve finally worked out exactly what she’s singing!) but it was the perfect pick me up. I turned up to the lesson feeling pumped up and ready to go. And guess what? She got in the pool and swam so YAAAASSS Sia!
One foot in front of the other babe
One breath leads to another yeah
Just keep moving, oh
Look within for the strength today
Listen out for the voice to say
Just keep moving, ohGo, go, go
Figure it out, figure it out, but don’t stop moving
Go, go, go
Figure it out, figure it out, you can do thisSo my love, keep on running
You gotta get through today, yeah
There my love, keep on running
Gotta keep those tears at bay, oh
Oh, my love, don’t stop burning
Gonna send them up in flames
In flames