I started working in my dad’s company Simon Brien Residential (would have been BTW Cairns at this time) whilst still at school, doing Saturdays and Sunday show homes. Luckily I love working in the property industry as well as it being a family business so after school I went straight into the company and have been working my way up gradually over the years. It will now be around 10 years since I began in estate agency.
In those 10 years I have done a few extra things and taken a bit of time out here and there. I was doing an Olympic sailing campaign for London 2012 which took priority for many years of my life. This chapter was incredible, brought me all the world and introduced me to so many new people. As well as being fun, it was hard work and involved total commitment. Over this time I was extremely focused on the task in hand and gave everything to my sport.
After my professional sailing campaigns, I still race now but just for fun, I entered Miss Northern Ireland for a change of scenery. Surprisingly I ended up winning it in 2012 which opened a whole new avenue for me in terms of work, life, friends and opportunities.
Now with everything combined I am working as a valuer in Simon Brien Residential, blogging part time everything I love to do and still participating in my sports.
I sometimes wonder what the next chapter entails as every one so far has caught me off guard…
5 tips on how to stay fit around a
busy working schedule
Organisation – being organised is key when you are working, have kids, or other commitments. All you need is one hour 3 or 4 times a week dedicated to you and your fitness. If we can squeeze Love Island in every night we can fit in a run, quick gym session,
class or home circuit.
Routine – sticking to a routine when it comes to exercising. I find a lot of people tend to be so good for two weeks then not go to the gym for two weeks… It takes time to see results and it is an investment long term for your health so it is worth sticking to it.
Use your time wisely – I work 8-6, if I can get that little bit more exercise in during my working hours I will. Things like taking the stairs instead of the lift, walk to your meeting instead of driving, go for a 30 minute walk on your lunch break or park your car that little bit further away so you have to walk further.
All of these things add up.
Staying mentally fit as well as physically fit – SLEEP. This is just as important as going to the gym. Burning out and killing your metabolism by lack of sleep or rest makes any gym routine pointless.\
A really superficial answer… But go and treat yourself to new gym gear. Look good, feel good, train harder. I swear this actually works!
5 tips on how to eat healthy with a busy work schedule – i.e meal planning, your fav recipes etc
Emergency snacks – having snacks in your drawer or handbag so at those times of need where you could eat your desk you can reach to something healthy to satisfy the hunger. My drawer snacks are chocolate covered rice cakes, almonds, Fulfil protein bars or I often keep Fage Total 0% honey yoghurts in the fridge, they are yummy and give you a sugar fix.
Meal preparation – during the week I eat very healthy and then allow myself my treats at the weekend. I find it hard to prep my food from scratch and I know a lot of others would agree. There are so many options now available on the shelves that are low calorie, low fat, low sugar and not expensive. I stock up on these meals Monday to Thursday purely for convenience.
Resist office treats – possibly one of the hardest things to do and if your office is like mine then it is constant. I try to stay away from “just one” as it is never just one… If there are still some going by Friday I allow myself to give in.
Little and often – if you are really busy it is very easy to go until 3pm without eating, or going to work on an empty stomach. Eating good healthy food little and often in any situation is the way to go for a firey metabolism. I am running about all day in my job but will eat about 4 times during the working day so I never get to a point where I am starving. When I do eat it will be a couple boiled eggs and spinach, a salad, a protein bar, handful of nuts, always being conscience of portion control also.
Drink – if you feel hungry, have a drink first. Not only that staying hydrated if you are in an office or running about on meetings or with kids is key.
Being a “blogger” or “influencer” or whatever people call it these days was not something I had planned, I just naturally wound up doing this. I enjoy it, I wouldn’t put the effort in if I didn’t. I work with some superb brands that I genuinely love, I would never do a job for a company or brand if I felt I wasn’t being genuine… This is when you start to lose your way and your followers can fall out of love with you. I am so grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way over recent years. For as long as I am in this world I will always stay to true to myself and share what is just me.
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