Shadowing Practice: How to get back into a routine after falling off | realistic week living alone - Learn English Speaking with Video
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My name is Allison, and I finally moved into my dream apartment after living with my parents for three years post-grad.
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And don't get me wrong, I absolutely love living alone.
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But being totally independent also has its challenges.
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And to be frank with you, I have not been on top of my routines or habits.
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And that's the reality of starting over in your 20s.
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You're constantly having to shift, adapt, or recalculate your life based on the seasons.
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So if you're struggling to stay consistent, you live alone, or you want to optimize your life so you achieve your goals faster, This is how to get out of a rut and back into your routine,
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even if you're lazy or unmotivated.
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I promise this is the answer you're looking for.
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Number one, do a routine audit.
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Getting back into a routine isn't about having more discipline or forcing yourself to be productive.
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It's not that you're lazy or unmotivated, you're just in a season.
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We all go through them and they're also unavoidable.
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Life isn't meant to be stagnant and predictable.
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There will be days you'll feel on fire
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and other days where you just want to curl up under the covers and forget the world.
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Rather than trying to punish myself for not being productive, I like to do a routine audit.
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I walk through my current routine and see what's working and what's not.
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If I consistently skip part of my routine, that means something's not aligning or this habit isn't serving me the way I want.
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Other times, maybe it's the routine itself.
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Trying to force yourself to do a routine that feels more like a chore isn't the most effective way to bounce back.
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Actually, it'll make you even more resentful and less likely to do it.
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So pick one to two habits in your routine
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that feel like they need the most help and just do those for a week.
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Sometimes having too many habits in your routine
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and making it super complicated is the thing that's making it hard to stay consistent.
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That is the one thing about moving out
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and living alone i did not expect was like how much
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stuff you buy i promise i don't have a shopping addiction
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but my boyfriend will tell you i do he's like why
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are you ordering stuff every day i'm like i need this like i don't you know this place was empty
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when i moved in
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and i didn't bring anything well i didn't bring as much stuff from home
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so but y'all that's why i saved for three years before moving out
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because this stuff is expensive this is all stuff for my housewarming party
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that i'm having in a couple weeks you know for like
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when guests come step stool oh oh my god i gotta
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build more stuff oh no there's screws involved oh i thought
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i was done with the building i guess not all right
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that's my project for today number two pick your non-negotiables like i said
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if you're trying to fit 10 new habits into your morning
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routine you're basically setting yourself up to fail it's not
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that those habits are bad it's
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that your brain is still trying to catch up They say it takes 28 days to form a habit, so adding a bunch of new habits at once is going to be overwhelming,
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and you'll likely not do any of them.
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So, for your routine, pick your non-negotiables.
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It should be 3-5 essential habits that become the anchor for your day.
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When you reframe habits as non-negotiables, they go from optional to mandatory, and gradually, they start to become intertwined with your identity,
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almost like personal standards.
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For me, my non-negotiables are making my bed, drinking lemon water first thing, and doing my skincare.
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I might skip a workout, I might not have time to meditate, but I always do these three things every single day without fail.
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And when you have a couple non-negotiables set in place, they act as the skeleton for your routine, so it's easy to build on top of them and add more.
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One of my current non-negotiable habits is actually doing a better job of taking care of myself, specifically my hair.
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Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I shed like a dog.
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My hair is everywhere.
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And then after getting sick and then moving into my new apartment, the stress made me shed even more.
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It's honestly a miracle I'm not bald yet, but lately I've been incorporating more hair care into my routine with LED therapy by iRestore.
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This is the highest power hair device on the market and delivers the same results as in clinic treatments.
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And it has more lasers and LEDs for deeper follicle stimulation.
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The science behind LED therapy is actually backed by clinical research.
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Red light penetrates the scalp and energizes the cells at a micro level, which of course promotes blood flow and hair growth.
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In iRestore's clinical study, 100% of participants saw an increase in hair count, which is pretty incredible.
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I like to habit stack this while going about my routine, and just 12 minutes a day is enough to see results.
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I noticed a huge improvement in my hair shedding.
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Before, I used to clog my shower drain constantly, but now I barely shed and my hair is getting longer because it actually has a chance to grow.
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When it comes to personal care, I always opt for premium quality products.
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I don't play around when it comes to my health or beauty, so I like to invest in things that actually give me results and boost my confidence.
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Right now, iRestore is having a sale where you can save $905 when you use my code AllisonBee.
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The link will be down below.
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So start prioritizing yourself and your hair this year.
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Number three, reset your space before yourself.
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Your environment affects your routine more than you think.
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For me, when my space is cluttered, my mind feels cluttered.
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It's hard to want to be productive and I end up procrastinating on other things.
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So reset your space before resetting yourself.
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Your brain is way more willing to reenter a routine when your environment is aligned with it.
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And sometimes the simple act of wiping your counters, taking out the trash, or washing a few dishes sparks momentum.
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And before you know it, you'll be cleaning your whole room.
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So I just finished writing my little weekly planner for this week.
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I honestly like skipped the past two weeks and I wasn't doing this just because my move was very chaotic.
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My schedule was crazy.
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So I felt like there was like really no point in writing it down.
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But now that my life is pretty much settled, and I feel settled into my apartment, I'm back on my planner grind.
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Like I've said before on my channel, I hate traditional planners.
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I don't know why, I just like can never stick to them.
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And a lot of them are like designed the same.
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So I just never felt like I could find, you know, something that was actually going to help me stay consistent and that I can visually see at all times.
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So that's why I created my own.
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And I write out like every single thing I do, but at the same time, like it doesn't look crazy.
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And the other thing I like is I put a habit tracker for myself
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so that I can check off every time I do my habits.
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It's like a little reward system, you know?
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Sometimes you just gotta make it like school, you know, where you got a sticker every time.
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Well, you give yourself a checkmark.
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If you're interested in getting this exact planner that I made, I'll put the link in the description.
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You can download it as many times as you want.
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You can print it out like I do.
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Some of my followers, they like put it on their iPad
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And they write on it with their iPad You can do that as well But yeah,
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this has been a lifesaver for me I don't know where I would be without this Little goodie from Dermalogica Ooh,
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funnily enough We used to work with Dermalogica all the time When I used to teach aesthetics
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Got a little pre-cleanse here Little special cleansing gel I actually use this one a lot.
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This is the Daily Microfoliant.
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It's like an exfoliator, but it's like really, really gentle.
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I use it every day.
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Oh, this one fell out of the package.
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It's a skin smoothening cream, like a moisturizer.
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I love skin goodies.
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Thanks, Dermalogica.
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The immediate positive effects of tidying up is usually enough to put you back in a productive state, and you'll feel a lot better being in a clean space.
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It's like giving yourself a fresh start without actually starting over.
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You don't need to deep clean your entire home in one day.
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Just pick one area, your desk, your kitchen counter, your nightstand, and that small wind creates a ripple effect for the rest of your day.
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Number four, interrupt your patterns.
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When I go through periods of feeling really stuck or unmotivated, I don't force myself to overhaul my entire life.
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I just interrupt the pattern.
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Repeating the same behaviors over and over can keep you emotionally stuck in the same mindset.
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And your brain has literally created neural pathways based on repetition.
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This is why it is so hard to break old habits.
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If you wake up, scroll on your phone, feel bad about it, then repeat, you're basically just reinforcing that loop.
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But our brains also love novelty.
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Small changes tell your nervous system something new is happening, and that itself can create momentum without needing external motivation.
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It's not about simply having more willpower, it's about disrupting patterns.
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I am quickly getting ready now because I have therapy in like eight minutes.
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Last time I spoke to my therapist, I was telling her about my move and everything like that so I'm finally,
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finally happy I get to update her with a new apartment
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but i've talked about therapy on my channel before i've been
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going to therapy for wow it's gonna be like two years that's crazy
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and i used to think like oh you know i'm really good at self-regulating
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or at least i'm very self-aware so i thought
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that oh i don't need therapy but i actually realized you know the way
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that i think like my thinking patterns those are really hard to change
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because you're not really aware of those things and
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so oftentimes we think and then we feel I really love my therapist because she helps me see things from different perspectives.
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And I often like, I don't know what it's called.
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I catastrophize a lot where I just think the worst or I assume the worst about something or someone.
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But going to therapy really has helped me understand not everything is black and white.
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And just because I see something one way doesn't mean that that's fact, you know.
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So I highly recommend everyone goes to therapy, even if you think like, oh, you know, I didn't like go through any bad trauma.
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You don't have to go through like serious, crazy trauma.
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Like we all experience childhood trauma, no matter how great our families were or how great our childhood was.
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It's just just natural, man.
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You want a different outcome, right?
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So essentially, you need to hack your brain into thinking today is different.
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These changes don't have to be big or dramatic either.
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Try getting out of bed on the other side than you normally do.
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Drink your morning coffee in a different room.
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Take a different walking path to work or school.
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Move your workspace for the day.
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Switch your workout time from morning to evening or vice versa.
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Play some different background music than usual.
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Shower at a different time.
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The point isn't that these changes are life-altering on their own.
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It's that they break the autopilot mode that you've been stuck in.
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They create a small opening for something new to happen.
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Moral of the story, if you keep doing the same things, you'll get the same results.
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So by changing something small, you can create an opportunity for growth and you might be surprised by how much shifts.
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All right, while my banana bread is in the oven, I made myself some lunch.
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Please don't clown me because this is like maybe the third time I'm showing like avocado toast in my videos, but I'm a creature of habit.
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I would probably eat the same thing every single day for the rest of my life
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and i'd be perfectly happy so bon appetit it hits every time
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guys this banana bread looks and smells insane i cannot wait to eat this
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but it needs to cool down all right let's taste this banana bread do you see this that looks so good
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wow the outside is like a little crispy but the inside is
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so gooey i like can't even say anything right now i'm just
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so enthralled with my banana bread number five build in rest days here's something nobody talks about
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when it comes to productivity you need to build in rest not as a reward for being productive, but as an actual part of your routine itself.
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Getting back on track requires a lot of mental energy, and if you expect yourself to go from zero to a hundred and stay that way forever, you're eventually going to burn out and fall off again,
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and the cycle continues.
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I just came out of the bathroom, and do you see this right now?
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Like, the whole sky is white with snow.
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It's like so pretty, but I have to go out today and I am not looking forward to it.
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So now I built in what I call rest days.
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These are days where I give myself permission to do the bare minimum, just my non-negotiables.
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I'll still do my morning routine, but I don't pressure myself to be super productive or busy.
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The goal is to maintain the routine, especially on days when I just don't feel 100%.
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For me, I usually pick one day in the middle of the week
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and Sunday evenings to just do nothing or an activity of my choosing.
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This keeps me from feeling like I'm constantly pushing, which is what leads to burnout, and ya girl is very familiar with burnout.
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But more importantly, having some lighter days embedded in your schedule makes the productive days feel more sustainable.
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The key is being intentional about it.
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Doomscrolling all day and calling it rest is not what I'm talking about.
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It's about choosing to slow down so you can keep showing up the rest of the week without falling off.
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Remember, life is a marathon, not a sprint.
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You need to pace yourself and remember that rest is productive too.
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So that is how I got back on track this week.
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Trust me, if I could change my entire life overnight, I would.
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But that's not realistic, okay?
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You have to give yourself time to adapt and get used to new habits.
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But falling off or being in a rut is not a failure.
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You're just human.
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Failure is when you recognize that you're in this state, but you don't do anything about it.
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So do not keep waiting until you feel ready to get back on track.
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You are never going to feel ready, you just have to start.
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So if you've been putting off getting back into your routine, this is your sign.
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So let's lock in for 2026 and make this the best damn year of our lives.
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As always, I love you, you got this, and if you found this helpful, let me know what goal or habit you're starting with.
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All right, that is all, so I'll see you in the next one.
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Bye!
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Amen.
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Why This Video Is Perfect for English Speaking Practice
If you’re looking to learn English with YouTube, this video is a gem. Allison’s conversational tone—casual, honest, and full of relatable anecdotes—makes it ideal for practicing real-life speech. She uses everyday phrases like “to be frank with you” and “don’t get me wrong,” which are key for sounding natural in conversations. Plus, her pace is steady, so it’s easy to follow along, making it great for shadow speech exercises. Whether you’re a beginner or intermediate learner, this dialogue helps you pick up common expressions while improving your fluency.
Breaking Down Natural English Phrases
Let’s look at a few lines that make this video sound so authentic:
- “But being totally independent also has its challenges.” The phrase “has its challenges” is a soft, natural way to talk about difficulties—much more common than saying “is very hard.” It’s a great example of how to express struggles politely.
- “I promise this is the answer you’re looking for.” “I promise” adds warmth and trust, making the speaker relatable. This is a useful phrase for connecting with others in conversations or giving advice.
- “That is the one thing about moving out and living alone I did not expect.” The structure “the one thing… I did not expect” is a common way to highlight a surprising detail. It flows smoothly and sounds like how people talk in daily life.
A Simple Shadowing Practice Routine
Ready to try english speaking practice with this video? Here’s a repeat-and-record loop to boost your skills:
- Watch a 30-second clip of Allison speaking. Focus on her intonation and rhythm.
- Pause and repeat the clip out loud, mimicking her tone and pace—this is shadowspeak in action. Don’t worry about mistakes; just aim to sound natural.
- Record yourself. Compare it to the original. Notice where your rhythm or stress differs, and try again.
- Do this daily for 5-10 minutes. Over time, you’ll start to internalize her natural speech patterns.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to clog · used to work · used to think |
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been incorporating · you've been putting |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | have not been · I've said · has been |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | isn't meant · is actually backed · is cluttered |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.