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By Amy Zhang July 13, 2016 in Lifestyle, Wellness 19 Comments

On Social Media Balance

As a blogger, finding social media balance in my life has been HUGE. To be honest, I didn’t really use social media before I started my blog. I would occasionally check Facebook and Instagram, but I rarely posted.

One of my biggest concerns before starting my blog was that social media would consume my life. How would I maintain balance between life on vs. off the screen?

On Social Media Balance

You might already know this, but studies have shown that active social media users are actually LESS happy. Think about it – how many times have you looked at someone’s perfectly curated life on Instagram and felt a little jealous or compared yourself to them? We’ve all done it. Social media causes us to face our flaws head on while having images of someone else’s “perfect” life constantly thrown in our face.

Since starting The Luxi Look, I definitely felt some pressure to be more “plugged in.” I’ll admit, I probably check my social accounts more than I should. My biggest thing is balance. So, I’m making it a point to be more balanced when it comes to the social media aspect of blogging.

Here’s how I balance social media with, well, actual life.

+ Turn off notifications.

Simple as that. I find notifications to be so distracting. If I’m trying to focus on a task in front of me and get stuff done, the last thing I need is to see my phone lighting up out of the corner of my eye. Out of sight, out of mind, right? This has been the biggest thing for me in maintaining balance.

+ Schedule a time for social media.

Being the planner I am, I schedule the time I spend on social media. Planoly has been a lifesaver in allowing me to schedule my Instagram posts in advance. I try to allot a small amount of time in the morning, during my lunch break, and at night after work to respond to comments and check my feed. This is very much still a work in progress, but sticking to a schedule has helped tremendously with staying organized and limiting my time on social media apps.

+ Take a day off.

Yes, engaging with your followers and other bloggers is important. BUT, so is enjoying your life, living in the now, and looking up from your phone every now and then to enjoy the beauty that is around you. I like to take one day a week to unplug. Ideally it would be a full on digital detox. No social media, no messages, no email, nothing. I’m still working on this…

SO. If you’re a blogger or maybe just a little too attached to your phone like me ; ) please spill – how do YOU balance social media and real life?

xx, Amy

dress: wonderland honolulu | belt: b-low the belt | shoes: adidas | bag: sancia (similar)

photos: ryan chua

By Amy Zhang July 6, 2016 in Lifestyle, Wellness 16 Comments

On Positivity

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about positivity. Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty kind of person? I started asking myself this when I found myself having a bad day. When times are tough, am I focusing on the problem in my front of me (that may be out of my control)? I’ve always believed in being a positive person and trying to see the world through a glass half full approach. What I didn’t realize is that it’s actually better for you to choose positivity. Turns out, there are so many benefits of being positive.

On Positivity

The more I read, the more I’ve realized how powerful positivity actually is.

Positive people…

+ Are healthier and live longer

Several studies have shown that optimists are physically healthier than pessimists. Turns out your attitude matters, and how you perceive the world around you directly has an impact on your health.

+ Make better leaders

Positive people are more likely to inspire those around them and infect them with their vision and happiness. Think about the people in your life that you respect and look up to – how many of them are happy? I wouldn’t be surprised if many of them were optimists.

+ Have more successful relationships

Turns out positivity can improve your relationship as well. I’ve noticed myself that when I have a more positive perspective, my boyfriend reacts in kind, as opposed to if I react to a situation negatively.

+ Handle stress more effectively

Smile and laughter have been shown to help our bodies cope with stress. Did you know stress might actually be as bad for your health as smoking? Yikes. By being positive, you can eliminate some of the negative effects of stress.

Think about it – what are the downsides to having a positive attitude? Maybe you are overconfident in your abilities and take on more work than you can handle. Maybe you end up giving people the benefit of the doubt more often than you should. It’s really NBD. Because I truly believe that if you give more than you receive, the long term benefits will outweigh any short term consequences.

We all have bad days where we want to complain and vent.

It’s easy to get caught up in negative thoughts and emotions. But, the world isn’t out to get you. Bad days will happen, and how you react matters. For me, the answer is simple. Choose optimism. It’s a choice to view the world positively or negatively. It sounds silly, but I’ve been making a concerted effort to be more positive. It helps me brush things off quickly and move on. If something is going wrong or not the way I anticipated, I ask myself, “so what?”

It helps to let go and be positive. Also, who likes a Negative Nancy?? Be positive, and people will want to be around you. Simple as that.

What are your thoughts on positivity? How do you stay positive?

xx, Amy

dress: blue life

photos: jennifer wu

By Amy Zhang July 1, 2016 in Lifestyle, Wellness 24 Comments

How to Avoid Gaining Weight on Vacation

Hiiii! Happy Friday! Still riding that vacation high even though I’ve been back for a week. As you can see in my post on where to eat in Tulum, Mexico was a foodie’s heaven. In my day to day I tend to be pretty healthy in terms of what I eat, and I rarely drink alcohol. But when I travel, I like to try everything because 1. I LOVE food and 2. I do believe trying local cuisine is a fun part of any travel experience. Although I definitely let loose in Tulum, I made sure to be mindful about what I was consuming and how much I was moving. If you’re taking off an extended trip soon, make sure to continue reading for the three easiest tips to avoid gaining weight on vacation.

Also, here are my Tulum recaps in case you missed them: Part 1 and Part 2. : )

How to Avoid Gaining Weight on Vacation

1. Portion control / choose wisely

This is probably the biggest tip – just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you need to or should binge on everything in sight! I try to balance my meals throughout the day so I don’t deprive myself of anything, because let’s be real – if you tell me I can’t have something I’m just going to want it more.

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of breakfast so I try to keep it simple with eggs (protein yay!) or fruit, something light to get my metabolism going and to give me energy for the day. For lunch and dinner I’ll always try whatever new, local dish is in front of me and don’t restrict myself to any “rules.” In general, if you are trying to make smart + healthy choices, stick with fresh fruits and vegetables and lots of protein.

Also, if you’re abroad – lucky you!! Food in European and Asia counties tend to have fewer additives and preservatives, not to mention portion sizes are much smaller. If it seems like food abroad just “tastes better,” you’re not wrong.

2. Limit the booze

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but alcohol is loaded with sugar and empty calories that do absolutely nothing for your body. With that being said, most of us will imbibe from time to time – I had my fair share of mezcal cocktails in Tulum, but made sure to limit the booze before and after the trip. You’ll feel way less bloated and much more clear headed if you do ; ). If you’re going to drink, make sure to drink LOTS of water on the side to minimize any nasty effects the next time.

3. Incorporate Activity

I have a hard time dragging myself into the gym when I’m on vacation. Call it a total lack of discipline, but I would so much rather experience whatever new city I’m in and explore. I make sure to incorporate LOTS of walking wherever I go. I prefer to see sights on foot and will drag whoever I am with around town on long walks to make sure we don’t miss a thing (all while getting in our recommended 10,000 steps per day).

If I have access to a gym and actually go, I make sure to keep it short. This means cardio intervals or a workout from Kayla Itsine’s Bikini Body Guide. I’ve actually never done the entire book from end to end, but have used it when I was traveling. I love how quick and efficient the workouts are – circuit training is amazing for you and her workouts will get you sweating, fast! The testimonials from Kayla’s fans are INSANE – check out her insta here.

It’s all about balance

At the end of the day, it’s highly unlikely that you will gain 5 pounds over a one week vacation (or even 2 pounds for that matter). Any bloating that occurs is most likely a result of more sodium than you’re used to eating or more alcohol than you typically drink. Once you get home, you’ll find that you’re back to normal in a week or less. At the end of the day, it’s about balance – whenever I travel, I try to keep in mind that I probably will not be returning for some time and remind myself to be present and enjoy the moment.

Keep these three simple things in mind when you travel this summer and you’ll return home feeling great! I hope this post helped – I’m really excited to be incorporating more lifestyle and wellness posts in along with fashion in the upcoming weeks!

xx, Amy

dress: spell (also in white)

By Amy Zhang May 24, 2016 in Lifestyle, Wellness 2 Comments

5 Healthy Habits to Start Today

Health and wellness goes beyond physical appearance – well being begins with healthy habits incorporated into your daily lifestyle. The older I get, the more focus I put on my personal wellness and developing long term, healthy habits that will benefit both body and mind. Although I’m no health professional, I’ve found that in general small changes in lifestyle lead to lasting results. Here are 5 healthy habits I’ve tried to incorporate regularly into my lifestyle that I have found to help my body and mind.

5 Healthy Habits To Start Today:

1. Drink water.

Duhh. Up to 60% of our bodies are made of water. I aim to drink one ounce per every pound I weigh every day. I always up my water intake BIG TIME when I’m doing a weekend detox. Extreme? I don’t think so. Water is the best beverage out there for you. Period. I keep a liter size water bottle at my desk, in my purse, in my car…

I promise, if you drink more water you will:

– Be more alert. Before you reach for another cup of coffee, first chug a glass of water and see how you feel. We often don’t realize how dehydrated we are and mistake dehydration for fatigue.

– Be more in tune with your cravings. Same thing goes for hunger – it’s easy to confuse hunger and thirst. If you’re having pesky cravings, have a glass of water before choosing a snack – you’re more likely to make a healthy choice, or realize that you may not have been hungry after all.

– See an improvement in the texture of your skin. I’m no dermatologist, BUT I have noticed a correlation between the amount of water I drink and how my skin looks and feels. If you’ve ever been on a plane, you know what I’m talking about. The morning after a night of drinking? Your skin is probably rebelling. Also, living in an extremely dry climate sucks the moisture of your skin, so drink up!

– Have to go to pee more. Ha.

2. Write down everything you eat.

I know, you’re probably thinking I’m a psycho. But hear me out – if you work a full time job that involves sitting down at a desk for the majority of your day, you’re probably not the most active person.

You don’t have to do this everyday, but it’s a helpful exercise to understand exactly what you’re eating and when you’re eating it. Keeping a log of what you eat, even if it’s only a week, helps you identify patterns such as when cravings hit or if you’re waiting too long in between meals.

Keep yourself accountable – you might be surprised how quickly little bites and snacks here and there add up. It’s a little crazy and OCD, but I largely credit this as one of the healthy habits responsible for maintaining a steady weight despite sitting down in front of a computer for 10 hours a day and only working out 2-3x a week.

3. Wear SPF.

I have talked about the importance of wearing SPF every. single. day. and I will say it again – for the sake of your future self and skin, wear SPF!! You will NOT regret this in 10 years.

4. Eat fats.

Fats are the BEST. I could do an entire post on my love for fats. They are SO GOOD FOR YOU. The negative myths on fats have been largely dispelled, but it is amazing how many people still shy away from them. People, fats are the bomb.com: they keep you full longer and nourish your body from the inside out. I swear my skin glows when I eat more fats.

My favorite fats include avocados (one of my favorite foods ever), eggs WITH the yolk, almond butter, and wild caught salmon. If you eat dairy, I prefer full fat dairy – yes there are more calories, but recent studies have suggested that full fat dairy may be better for you than low-fat.

5. Be Mindful

Meditate – even if only for a few minutes a day. Meditation has been shown to reduce stress, improve concentration, and increase happiness. In fact, studies show that meditation can actually change your brain. I also try to write down three things a day that I’m grateful for. It doesn’t have to be big – the mere act of practicing gratitude can lead to a more positive mood, self-awareness, and being more compassionate. A healthy mind feeds a healthy body and soul.

At the end of the day, I’m human. I am the furthest thing from perfect and I have to remind myself on a daily basis to incorporate healthy habits. Don’t even get me started on the pile of clothes on the ground that never seems to disappear, no matter how hard I try…

Building healthy habits take time but if you stick with them the results are always worth it. I know we’re 6 months out of our New Year’s Resolutions, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. What habits have you been trying to incorporate into your life or break? I’m always open to suggestions.

xx, Amy