‘I’m out of my comfort zone!’
We’ve all been there, wrapped up in our cosy duvet of what we know and love, our busy, everyday family routine that’s flawlessly run to within an inch of its life. Wake up, throw breakfast at the kids, School run, work, pick up, after school clubs, shopping, dinner, cleaning, bathing, bed…and repeat. You are lucky if you get time to breathe.
We humans are creatures of habit, it gets us through life, ‘we are what we repeatedly do.’ Habits and routine help us through the day, almost automatically, without having to really engage in the task at hand. I can be robotic at times, barely lifting my head to mutter pleasantries to the kids or hubs, until my task is complete. Another day done…on to the next! But we can’t take all the credit, dad’s work super hard too.
Just plug us in at night to recharge before it all starts again the next day. Quite often forgetting to switch it on at the mains, leaves me running on 1% for the rest of the day. We all know that feeling.
Yes, even living here in Dubai where there is so much to do, we can easily get bogged down with daily routine. But at Expatewivesbusylives, we’ve been busy shaking it up a bit, pushing the boundaries, getting out of this zone of fluffiness. As if moving to another country isn’t daunting enough, we highly recommend this to everyone. Set yourself a new goal, task or challenge or simply partake in a different activity every now and again. There is so much on offer here in Dubai, so get out there and have some fun. It will lift your spirits and you’ll get to make some friends along the way.
Here’s some of the things that Kat, Emm’s and I have been up to.
EXERCISE! Joining a bootcamp or gym classes are great ways to make friends. It most certainly pushes you to your fitness limit but not only that, once those endorphins kick in, you feel great. Emm’s is on the leaderboard for her awesome effort on the assault bike. She’s quite the machine. (Those legs though!)
FITNESS CHALLENGES! Kat & I registered for the Reebok CrossFit Open. Now we aren’t die hard weightlifters by all accounts, but that aside, let’s see what our ‘middle aged’ bodies are capable of. ‘Where grassroots meets greatness: Compete with hundreds of thousands of athletes in CrossFit’s largest all- inclusive event.’ CrossFit Games. Where will we rank in the world? Who knows? It’s all for fun but tune in to find out soon.
OBSTACLE RACE! This Summer saw Emm’s and her family enter the ‘Clarty Bairns’ challenge. 3K of challenging obstacles, climbing walls and tunnels. Crazy, muddy fun for all the family. Check out Spartan races and Tough Mudder Arabia for some sandy fun.
ZIP WIRING! Kat really went for it this time, surprising her family, but mostly herself by hurtling down the Toro Verde zip line on Jebel Jais. A whopping 2.8km at 160km per hour wrapped in a blanket is sure to get the heart rate up a bit and give you the adrenaline rush of a lifetime. Check out @toroverde_uae for more information.
HANDSTANDS! Yes I said handstand…..and I know I’m not 5 years old, I’m 40 something. But never underestimate the power of being upside down. The 30 day handstand challenge improves balance and core muscles and allows you to see the world from a different angle, like you did when you were a kid. Involve the whole family for those ‘forced family fun’ days. We did ours with our gym family @base3 Dubai.
PHOTOSHOOT! Get yourself infront of the camera for a boudoir shoot or check out Pinterest for some inspiring ideas. Doing something to make you look, or feel a bit sexier doesn’t make you narcissistic. It’s amazing what good lighting and a splash of makeup can do for your confidence. I felt totally intimidated at first, I had that new girl on the first day of school feeling. Luckily Kat & Emm’s were there to tweak my hair and tease my inner model out! Laughter all the way! Our girl @lightbychiao is a genius.
SEWING! Is your soul fed by a needle and thread? Beautiful things really do come together one stitch at a time and Kat & Emm’s can prove it. They have had an interest in sewing from childhood, but they’ve come a long way since home economics classes at school. Thanks to @thread.werk sewing classes they have produced beautiful comfy PJ’s and gorgeous make up bags, dresses and cushions. Coco Chanel would be very proud indeed.
So there you have it…our activities thus far. What shall we do next?
Can you relate? What exciting things have you done to push the boundaries and get out of your comfort zone? Don’t be afraid to get out there and just do it! We’d love to hear your stories and share your fabulous ideas.
Stay comfy…but not too comfy, stay busy, love Expatwives xxx
Sent from my iPhone
