Bit of a different one today, I've been sat here pondering on what to write about for a good hour or so and I've come to the conclusion i don't want to do a review or a 'how to' I fancied doing something a little different and a little more personal today.
Some days I very positive. I feel very get up and go, In the mood to write a book, get fit, create something fabulous and book a trip across the world. However i don't always feel like this. and I know i'm not the only one. Sometimes you wake up feeling a little bit icky, a little bit like you have a giant grey and drizzly cloud above you following you around and it wont seem to shift no matter what you do. And do you know what I've learnt? YOU ARE NORMAL, every single one of you.
There are a few things I've learnt recently and so I thought i'd share them with you...
#1 It's OK not to be OK.
Contrary to popular belief being sad is a very normal and very human-like function, having a little cry curled up in bed with a big fluffy bear and Disney movies (specifically Frozen and Peter Pan) whilst hugging a hot chocolate is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. Sometimes you just don't feel happy, you feel like your normal sparkle has disappeared a little bit, but that's OK! It's also OK to not have a reason, I know how it feels to feel poopy but not know why and consequently feel bad because you 'don't deserve to be sad' (silliest thing I've ever thought/heard) but you have to keep telling yourself that you're OK and that you're also normal. Everybody needs a little bit of 'me time'
the most important thing is is that you find things to do to distract yourself and things that keep you calm and make you smile. Don't push yourself to do things you don't want to do, that tidying can wait (although can be a very good distraction) your homework can also wait (your mental health is a lot more important than work/school) find things that make you feel a little more 'you' (and don't forget to be cosy while doing so)
#2 Appearance/Weight || Changing yourself for any reason?
"You are enough, it is unbelievable how enough you are"
My favourite quote ever; I cannot and will not ever be able to express how accurate this is. YOU (yes you reading this right now) are enough. Possibly the biggest thing I've learnt recently. You do not need to change or alter yourself in anyway shape or form for anyone, including yourself. I know that a lot of people will read this and say 'but I AM unhappy with the way I am and I would like to change my weight/appearance etc' and my answer to that is that if you are unhappy with your weight then to change it you need to make some changes WITHIN your lifestyle, NOT to you. To lose weight you need to eat healthier and move more, the simplest concept yet hardest thing to do. Fitness and health is a LOT more important than weight loss and a lot of the time when people say they want to 'lose weight' all they really need to focus on is toning up, in which regular cardio exercise will provide quick results. In-cooperating exercise into a healthy NORMAL lifestyle is also very important for improving your mood. Exercise releases endorphin's, a Chemical in the brain which essentially makes you happier :) eating a balanced healthy diet doesn't mean eating a plate of leaves for breakfast lunch and dinner it means making sure your body gets the right amount of everything it needs. It also means treating it from time to time (your body is a fantastic thing, it deserves a treat sometimes don't you think?!)
What i'm saying is that unless for health reasons, you do NOT need to lose weight, you don't need to lose weight to 'fit in with your friends' you do NOT need to lose weight to grab the attention of a boy(or girl) you do NOT need to lose weight in order to get that 'thigh gap' we've all been exposed to. The only things that matter is that you are happy and healthy! Your body is a wonderful beautiful thing, if you waste time trying to change it you're going to miss out on appreciating it.
Thinking about personality, 'I'm weird' 'I say the wrong things' 'I'm stupid' 'I'm boring' these sorts of things. This almost breaks my heart more than the appearance issue. If you've ever felt these things I want you to look at your photos on Facebook or on your phone or on your wall, I want you to look at the Christmas cards and gifts you received this year, I want you to think about all the people, friends, family, work colleagues. People who LOVE you for who you ARE. your friends are your friends out of choice, if someone doesn't want to be friends with you they wont, simple as that. If someone wants you in their life they'll make it happen. These people aren't in your life because they're waiting for when you 'change' they are in your life because they love YOU for how YOU are, for your personality, for your quirks, for all the times you've made them smile. STOP trying to change yourself because chances are, the only person who feels like you need to change is you.
'You are enough'
#3 It's OK to say no
Often friends/Family will plan things or ask you to do things such as a movie night, or a shopping trip or a night out and you think 'i really really don't want to go' or 'really i'd rather curl up in bed and read a book' and often, you'll go because you don't have a 'valid excuse' or you feel like you have to; but really you don't! If YOU don't fancy that night on the town or leaving your cosy den or even if you just fancy being by yourself for a bit, maybe you're too tired, it doesn't make you a bad friend, it just makes you human! You don't always have to already have plans to not be able to do something with a friend or family member, you might just not fancy doing anything. Saying 'No thank you' to a plan suggested by someone is perfectly acceptable. you do not need to justify yourself :)
#4 Looking after yourself
-Drink Lots of Water
-Spend lots of time with family & friends
-Listen to a lot of music you enjoy
-Spend a lot of time outside
-Do something that makes you happy every day
-Eat what your body needs
-Tell People you love them
-Get lots of hugs
-Choose one thing you like about yourself every day
#5 Appreciate the little things
-one of the most important things I've learnt recently!
Spending time with my family is probably the biggest. When you get a bit older you tend to find yourself drifting away from 'family time' constantly wanting to be alone/with friends but I've realised how important and how lovely spending time with your family really is. You don't need to be doing anything crazy or expensive, just sitting down and watching a movie all together, going for a walk or playing board games is good fun and also very important. I think the old school 'family time' is actually a really good idea, I have the best times with my family, I'm very lucky that i'm incredibly close to mine and we all appreciate each other very much, but regardless i think making that time to see your family is incredibly important you both you and them.
-Spending time outside; very very important. Being outside especially going on long walks in the fresh air, finding pretty places (where you can take instragram photos) and being able to clear your head is very important for both your physical and mental health. appreciating nature and beautiful places is essential (I know it sounds very cliche but I am definitely guilty of refusing to go for walks because I'd rather sit on my iPad indoors a few years ago and now I'm seeing what i was missing out on)
-Lastly appreciate the little things people do for you, It's not all about the expensive holidays and flashy cars, its about the 'saw this and thought of you' its the thoughtful things people do and say which make them so important. Recently, because my mum leaves for work early I'm not awake and shes started leaving me little notes, sometimes its reminding me to do something or to ask me to buy some more milk, but sometimes its just a 'Have a lovely day, I love you loads x' and it puts the biggest smile on my face. Its when you're feeling a bit rubbish and one of best friends asks you to come over to her house and bake cupcakes and watch films because she knows you love it. A while back I was having trouble sleeping & having a lot of nightmares involving friends and family, and another of my best friends gave me a dream catcher to try and stop them. Its the people who say to you 'I'll always be here for you' no matter what. THEY are the things that matter.
Bit of a different style of post today; i hope you guys enjoy reading. It's something I've been toying with for a while but i'd like to mix my blog up a little bit.
Lots of love and hugs
Evie x
This is such a lovely post xxx
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