Checking in

Hey lovely people! I haven’t had a chance to pop on here in a while as I’ve been super busy pushing through my last couple of months of university work before I graduate. For anyone who is in my position/has been there, I salute you! This shit is tough – they weren’t kidding when they said uni was going to be hard *lol*.

So, I wanted to check in and find out what you guys have been up to. I’ve had a bit of a rocky road so far this year, with two people who are very close to me going through some of the hardest of times, it’s been difficult to balance a positive, healthy mind and lifestyle when some days you just wanna say ‘screw it’, sit on the sofa & eat a whole tub of Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream (true story). BUT it’s okay, because as the good old cliche has taught us, happiness is not a destination and the road to a happy and healthy life is certainly not linear. We’re all going to have shitty times and setbacks at some point or another, the important thing is that we don’t let them hold us back from continuing on down the little positive path we were once very fixed on.

I can’t wait until all of this work is over so that I can get back on track with blogging and share some wonderful content with you guys again.

❤ Lots of love x

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Your biggest critic is, well, you guessed it… YOU!

As most of us are aware, when it comes to criticism, we are our own worst enemy. When you have anxiety – self-doubt; overthinking situations, relationships and actions; and focusing on what ‘could’ have been different, are always at the forefront of your thoughts. As well as this, if your anxiety is anything like mine, you are constantly criticising yourself. This can include criticising the way you look (which is my biggest anxiety trigger), criticising your own actions, or feeling as though you have let yourself or people around you down. And of course, we all have these thoughts from time to time, but having them constantly running through our minds is detrimental to our mental health and our self-esteem.

I was given a really good piece of advice which may help any of you who suffer from issues surrounding yourself self-esteem, confidence or body confidence. So here goes… Think of all the awful things you tell yourself constantly for example: ‘I’m not good enough’, ‘Why the hell would anyone like ME?!’, ‘I’ve let everybody down’, ‘I’m not worthy of love or being loved’. Write these down so that you have them in front of you.

Now, read your list back and think about this scenario. Imagine you meet a lovely, confident, attractive and fun-loving girl. Imagine you are walking behind her, telling her everything you tell yourself on a daily basis – ‘Oh look at you, you’re not worthy of love!’ ‘Why would anyone want to be with you?’ ‘Who do you think you are? You’re not good enough for anyone!’… Now imagine how SHITTY she would feel if you were telling her these things, and how bad you’d feel for saying them to her. 

Well, that’s exactly what you’re doing to yourself constantly. These negative thoughts are interrupting your life, putting you down and stopping you from believing that who you are is enough. By writing a few examples down you are able to see the damage you are doing to yourself without even realising it, because it has become such a regular habit in your life. The great news is, habits can be broken. By thinking of this scenario every time you find your mind wondering into negative, self-loathing territory, you can switch your thoughts to positive ones. Start by saying… “Actually, you know what? I don’t deserve to be spoken to this way. I am a kind, loving and honest individual who has every right to feel as good about her/himself.”

The fact is, you don’t deserve it as I’m pretty sure you’re lovely inside & out. Try thinking of this story every time you’re hard on yourself 💫💜

The rise of the woman

Scrolling through Instagram over these last couple of days and seeing so many inspiring posts from women who are just so proud to be WOMEN has set off a little fire inside me. Whether that’s by supporting other women, celebrating their own bodies, minds and souls – it all just fills me with SO much joy.

Those who ‘don’t believe in international women’s day or those who ask ‘why isn’t there an International Men’s Day?’… either simply don’t underSTAND it or can’t STAND it. The idea of women rising up is unbelievable to these people because they have never seen such strength and power and both men and women (some, not all) feel threatened and intimidated by this incredible force. The reason there is no ‘International Men’s Day’… or not one that is celebrated or recognised with the same magnitude, is because men have not had to fight oppression in the same ways as women. For centuries, women have fought for equality and still, to this day, are not treated as equals. Of course, men do face discrimination in relation to race, age, class, ability and religion, but being a woman makes these things 10 times harder to fight.

I just wanted to take this time to say how PROUD I am to be a woman in 2018.

Lots of love xoxox

Mindfulness, what are you and how can you help me?

To put it very simply, because really it is pretty simple, mindfulness is the practice of being ‘in the moment’. Being mindful allows you to let go of all of your worries and stress and be present, rather than thinking about what has happened in the past or what may happen in the future.

Dr. Patrizia Collard suggests that the benefits of mindfulness include:

• ‘Increased experience of calm and relaxation’
• ‘Higher levels of energy and enthusiasm for living’
• ‘Increased self-confidence and self-acceptance’
• ‘Less danger of experiencing stress, depression and anxiety (yes PLEASE!)’

The Little Book of Mindfulness was one of the first anxiety-related books I wasn’t too shy/embarrassed to purchase in an actual, physical store. This was all the way back in 2014, and to be completely honest, the book got lost among the other books in my book shelf and I had forgotten all about it until a few months ago. Since then I have put the book to very good use. I’ve found that taking just 10 minutes out of my day (not every single day but ya’ know), to try one of the many mindfulness activities listed in this book, my anxiety and stress have actually decreased. I’m not going to say that mindfulness is a cure for all things anxiety, but it’s definitely a helpful tool.

Meditation is my absolute favourite mindfulness practice. I haven’t been doing it for very long but since I’ve started, I’ve been a lot more positive, calm and clear headed. I’d recommend it to anybody who finds it difficult to concentrate as it really teaches you how to focus on one thing. I tend to opt for guided meditation, where I’ll hop onto YouTube and listen to some Australian dude talking to me about crashing waves and telling me to ‘observe my breathing’. Sure, it won’t be for everybody, but for me, being able to switch off is something I’ve always had difficulty doing, so it’s the perfect solution for that.

I hope to be able to let you guys in on more useful tips in the future and i hope you enjoyed reading this post ❤

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Pressure – the invisible timestamp on your dream life

I was inspired to write this post as someone very close to me has recently decided to drop out of University after almost a year of studying, and although it sucks for them and their loved ones right now, I have, and will always believe that you have GOT to do what is right for you – no matter what.

This belief stems from a time in my life where I gave up on everything that I considered ‘normal’ as a sixteen year-old girl, destined for great A-level results and a career in God knows what, I decided to start over and adventured down a whole new path – which actually turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

Of course, starting a new chapter is scary, but guess what? Having a sucky life is SCARIER. The trouble is, we all feel pressured to do things that we don’t want to do, to take that job we don’t feel inspired about just because it pays well, or to go do the degree over the apprenticeship because the prospects are ‘better’. We’re pressured into making all of these massive, life-altering (and sometimes shattering) decisions because society wants us to conform with the ‘norm’.

And guess who the one who has to suffer from  these pressure-fuelled choices? Yep, you guessed it, you are.

The sooner we realise that we are ALLOWED to take the pressure off of ourselves, the easier it becomes to start navigating your way through life and building the life you love. You are the only one that has to live your life and therefore you have to be the one in control of the decisions. Nobody else.

xoxox

How Facebook could ACTUALLY be good for you…

When we look at the very foundation of every social media platform, we find communication. Social media was created with connectivity in mind, taking real-world communication into the online realm. What nobody realised was that we would spend hours of our lives, scrolling through Facebook watching weird videos and arguing with people in the comment sections. As well as this, Facebook is a breeding ground for negativity. From self-esteem to body image, Facebook can create a whole range of issues for us as individuals… BUT there’s good news. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Social media can be such a toxic environment, so it is super important to surround yourself with positive people, which is exactly why I have created the Too Much Too Young Facebook group to provide a safe, loving space for young people to share their experiences – good & bad.

As well as taking part in group discussions, I will be sharing tips on how to live a happy and positive life through different activities, recipes, quotes and much much more.

So join us today and make your experience on Facebook a positive one.