A-Z of Recovery: Asking for help

No matter what issues we are suffering from in life, it is very important that we acknowledge that help is at hand if we just have the courage to ask for it. A lot of the time, people can deal with their issues alone and with a lot of success but there are instances where talking to someone or asking for some kind of help is the best possible decision you can make.

Remember the saying "a problem shared is a problem halved", well think that through whenever you're dealing with something. There are so many different people that are there to support you if you only ask.

School/Education
This can often be one of the most stressful times for a teenager, with exams, friends, society, how you look, homework etc. It is a time where everything seems to have so much importance. The issue is, its often seen as 'stupid' or 'uncool' to ask for advice or explain to your teachers that you're struggling. I personally had to go for help to my head of year and one of my teachers, it was a really hard and embarrassing time explaining my issues and how my thoughts work but I'm so glad that I did it. I got help with deadlines, I knew where to go if and when I was having a bad day or a panic attack etc.

Friends and family
These are the people that know the most about you and generally can understand just how your personality works, this means that if you work with them to get something that is individual to you and may therefore be better. Plus the support of family and friends is very important if you have to make any lifestyle change, even if they are only emotional because they can point out to you when you're doing it wrong or if you've managed to keep it up. 

Professionals
Although I said above that family and friends are great to talk to, sometimes its harder to talk to the people that you know because you fear that they will judge you or it will affect the way that they treat you in the future. Professionals are the people that have trained for the very situations that you are in and have the know-how of what to do to influence it for the better. Whilst this information isn't 100% guaranteed, its always good to have different perspectives on how to deal with your issues, you can even personalise them into something more suited to you.

Never be afraid to speak up or ask for help
-Louise x

Stress: tips and tricks

Many of you reading this are probably going through an experience that is causing you stress. This can be anything from exams, jobs, family members or just the pressures of life itself but I want you to know something; it's all going to be okay and you're gonna get through this.

Here are some of the tips and tricks that I have tried whenever I'm feeling under pressure with a deadline or if life has become too stressful;

• schedule your time- e.g. study time, relaxation time etc
• eat your meals- food for thought- you cant concentrate if your hungry so don't skip meals because youre 'too busy'- I'm especially guilty for this!
• get enough sleep- its recommended you get around 8 hours of sleep a night.
• get some exercise- it doesn't have to be much, maybe just a walk or some stretching to get your body moving
• take breaks- every hour take a 5-10 minute break
• stay hydrated
• get everything for the morning ready the night before
• break large tasks into smaller sections
• give yourself a larger time frame than you think necessary- often things take longer than we think and then when we are 'behind schedule' it adds even more stress so be generous with timings.
• say no to extra projects- although its always nice to help other people out, you have to put yourself first because you cannot be there for others till you're sorted yourself.
• do one thing everyday that makes you happy- make sure to take some time out of your day to do something that makes your soul feel alive, this helps your mind set for the rest of the day because you wont feel so rundown.
• ask for help when you need it- its not a bad thing to ask for help, it doesn't make you weak or unable to do the job. You just need some support to fit a certain timeframe etc. 



Things will get easier.
Good luck.
-Louise x

Spring Equinox

Spring is the season of new beginnings, its the time when everything begins to get a little warmer, the shun shines brighter, the days get longer and the animals show up more. On the 21st of March it is the Spring Equinox and the time where the length of day and night is equal. Spring is a time of rebirth so if there is anything that you have been putting off for a long time then maybe now is the perfect time to make a change. 

to do: 

- The dreaded spring clean- it doesnt have to be boring or a big chore. grab some smoothies, put on some music and boogie your way through the day!
- Plant something! (maybe something to attract the bees and butterflies)
- Pick fresh berries
- Feed the ducks
- Go for a bike ride
- See the cherry blossoms
- Find the first crocuses and snowdrops

- Go for an easter egg hunt
- Look for four leaf clovers
- Blow bubbles- and chase them
- Climb a tree
- Draw pictures on the pavement with chalk
- Look out for the bees

- Spot a rainbow
- Listen to the birds singing
- Open your windows to that spring breeze
- Decorate your home with flowers (silk ones if youre allergic)
- Make birds nest cakes- quite literally just broken up shredded wheat, melted chocolate and mini eggs ...but YUM!

Have a wonderful day, get yourself outside and enjoy natures gifts!
-Louise x

Uplifting songs: updated

I am a complete music nut, I cannot go through the day without listening to music even once. I think its one of the most satisfying starts to my day and the songs that I pick can really influence my mood. So a long time ago I wrote a post about some of the songs that I find most uplifting (that I listen to), and then it was made into a playlist for you all to have a listen if you wanted to. Although my music tastes haven't really changed over the years because I listen to pretty much all genres of music, I wanted to update my list of favourite uplifting songs. So here they are;


Fight song: Rachel Platten

The Climb: Miley Cyrus

Outsiders: Against The Current

Therapy: All Time Low

Tidal Waves: All Time Low

Missing You: All Time Low

Follow Your Arrow: Kacey Musgraves

Skyscraper: Demi Lovato

Warrior: Demi Lovato

Believe In Me: Demi Lovato

This Is Me: Demi Lovato

Don't worry Now: Britt Nicole

Headphones: Britt Nicole

All This Time: Britt Nicole

The Sun Is Rising: Britt Nicole

Gold: Britt Nicole

Strong Enough: Stacie Orrico

Nightingale: Demi Lovato

Confident: Demi Lovato

I Am Invincible: Cassadee Pope

Beautiful With You: Halestorm

The Heart Of Dixie: Danielle Bradbery

Stormy: Hedley

Fly: Maddie And Tae

Help You Stand: Anthem Lights

Mean: Taylor Swift

Fight Forever: Anthem Lights

It Get's Better: Todrick Hall

Hold On: B*Witched

Check out the original playlist that still has some of my favourites in right here

Comment below or tweet me (@perksofrecovery) what some of your favourite uplifting songs are!
Have a wonderful day!
- Louise x

Healthy Lifestyle apps: Lovestyle special

So as you all know, one of the things that I really enjoy doing is working out, it leaves me feeling like I've had such a good and productive day. Over the years I have downloaded many apps, watched so many YouTube workouts etc and I thought I would share some of the ones I'm using now with you all.

Yoga

As someone who really enjoys not just the physical aspects of this exercise, but also the way it helps to reprogramme your mind, it's not shocking that I have numerous yoga apps on my phone. One of the ones I find myself reaching for the most (and that we actually used to help create the Sticks and Stones posts) is called Yoga (.com). I absolutely love this app because it was perfect for me as a beginner to the practice but also great as I have progressed.

To begin your knowledge, the app provides 289 poses and breathing exercises to ease you into your new lifestyle. Not only this but there are also 37 different yoga programmes, with different specifications for beginners, breathing programmes etc. This is great for me because each video can be selected by "goal" or duration so you can always find something to fit you individually. My favourite at the moment is the 9 minute 'fight cold and flu' programme to aid my immune system.

Download on the Android app system here.

Download on ITunes here.

General fitness

Planking is something that I have been doing semi-regularly since I was 11, this is because we regularly made it a part of our PE classes. It's something that is so simple and yet can have such a large effect on our bodies. Planking uses your entire body weight against you and so is a perfect short exercise, without the need of any equipment.

Following the "30 day plank challenge", there are set planking goals ranging from 20 secs for the first few days to 300 seconds on day 30. You might be thinking "20 seconds? that's so easy!" but honestly when your holding your entire body weight up, it is actually a hard exercise. It's really great when I share this app with friends and family and they begin the first day being sceptical but I watch their muscles shake after just 7-10 seconds of holding the pose. It's a great way to tone your body without being time consuming!

Download on Android app store here.

Since beginning my recovery, I have had to be very careful with the amount of exercise that I do and the specific kinds because if there's something too strenuous and I cannot do it for the allotted time, the negative self thoughts begin. Now "Blogilates" is in fact run by the wonderfully positive Cassey Ho who gives such wonderful bits of chit chat as you're working out together (Pilates, cardio etc). It feels so warm and friendly that I find myself enjoying the way she pushes you to find a new strength in yourself but while you feel as though you are chatting with a friend (yes I talk back to a computer screen...don't judge me haha).

For videos on exercise, healthy eating and inspirational messages, follow her on YouTube here

Download on Android app store here.

Download on ITunes here.

I hope you all enjoy looking into these apps, and don't forget, to exercise isn't a punishment for yourself but as a way to show it you love it enough to be the best that it can be.

Stay strong,
Louise x

100th post!

So this post is actually our 100th post! I'm so excited and this marks such a huge occasion for us. Nearly 3 years worth of work and we have hit this new milestone. It feels so refreshing to know that our journey has been documented somewhere where I can go back and relive those moments. I decided that as this is a momentous occasion I would look over some of our previous milestones and share them with you all!

Our very first post was written 2 years and 9 months ago! How frigging crazy is that?! It's a typical, cheesy line but it really does feel like just yesterday that I was talking with Alyssa about wanting to have a social media account that allowed me to express my feelings, share my story and maybe help someone. I never really thought that it was going to happen but just look at me now! I was using all these other accounts for inspiration and it was something I was so happy about doing, nearly 3 years down the line and I still love it.



For our 2 week anniversary I remember writing this post in the back of my grandparents car. It was summer and I was so excited that the blog had been active for 2 weeks and we had gotten nearly 100 views! We were enjoying the simplest things in life and it was so much fun to just sit and catch up whilst enjoying nature and planning new things for the blog. It was literally one of the best feelings ever.

I began my gushy, epiphany moments in October and kick started some of the many moments where I would just completely and honestly share my feelings with you all. These posts are always met with positivity and an open mind so you've all made me feel so great about being 100% honest. Added to that, its still the second most popular post on my blog (and it was over 2 years ago!)

The beginning of 2014 signified the time where we stopped being anonymous. This was a really big decision for us because there were already people that we knew that had come across the blog. By adding our names, it made it a lot easier for them to narrow down who we were through what we were talking about and the experiences that we shared on here. We had kept our issues a secret from other people for so long that it was such an anxious time when we hit that "publish" button, we didn't know how they were going to react but we did it anyway. We were strong and we had faith in ourselves and everything was okay!

After we hit our first year anniversary as a blog, we were able to reflect on our journeys as a whole and see how much we have grown as people. Reading that post back right now, I was able to see just how much had actually changed for me but also how much I was lying to myself. The post wasn't entirely true with how well I was doing in my recovery at the time but the point of the post was to highlight that things aren't perfect for me and I was still struggling but I am fighting and I will never give up. I'm so happy to know that although there are still relapses and hard times, I have never given up and I never will.  (Also you'll notice that the post was published in July- not June- because we got confused at the month we started the blog...woops)

When I originally tweeted and wrote about my relationship with myself, people were very confused, I described myself as both my saviour and my own villain. It was a very strange way of me expressing that we are made of both good and bad but if we embrace the bad and accept that it helps to shape who we are then we can truly accept ourselves as a whole. At this point, I was taking the phrase "fake it till you make it" to heart. The post was my way of telling myself that although I have these issues and my life isn't perfect, but it has shaped me as a person and for that, I can never be more grateful for my circumstances. You have to truly embrace every single part of your soul in order for you to be truly happy with yourself.

In May 2015, we made one of the biggest changes ever to our blogging experience; we changed our name and our niche. It was beginning to get very difficult being a Mental Health blogger, for Alyssa it was becoming something that she didn't want to do because she was trying to get over her issues now that she had dealt with them (so blogging was reinforcing it rather than letting her get on with her life). For me, it was a situation where I felt a little monotonous and like I was saying the same thing during each post. This was mainly because I was blogging about the kind of things that I personally needed to hear so I was just vocalising it on here. The change of the blog meant that we could still include mental health posts but that we could also talk about more things that we enjoy in our everyday lives.

January 2015 signified the start of a new series called Sticks and Stones which was almost like a little review of who we liked to thank that month, some facts and information about that specific month, some yoga poses, a smoothie recipe and much more. This series was very short lived due to other things going on in our lives but its something that I'm very open to maybe launching in the future. Let me know in the comments!

Another series I launched was called the A-Z of Recovery. I once again found the picture on Pinterest and thought it was a perfect piece of inspiration for 26 blog post titles. I'm really excited for actually writing these posts because our recovery based posts are always so popular and you all say they're really helpful. This so far only has an introduction post but the first post for this series has already been drafted ready for the actual launch later this year!

Our quote " your attitude is your altitude; it determines how high you fly" was originally found on Pinterest (I think) with no mention of who had created it but personally that quote just fit so well with what we were beginning to feel and what we are trying to express to you all. We all may have our own issues in this life but it is the way that we react and the ways that we deal with them that can either boost us or hinder us.

Your constant support has constantly been a reminder to me to stay strong because I am loved and I can make a difference in this world. I am here to remind you that life is like a rollercoaster so you have to endure the lows, enjoy the highs and just celebrate the ride. You're all going to get through this.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Love,
Louise x

February: In review

 

 

Its very easy to spend our lives obsessing over the bad things. It's almost like the positive things that happen allow us 5 minutes of happiness and then we end up focusing on a bad thing so something I've decided to do is to review every month. This allows me to reflect on anything that has made me happy, been useful etc and will actually train my brain to look for the positives in any given situation!

Beauty

Elemis Papaya enzyme peel- This is something that I have only recently tried and its a must have in my opinion! It's a gentle cream exfoliator so is perfect for my sensitive skin. The light fruity smell is wonderful and so refreshing so I have found it to be the perfect pick me up at the start of the day. You just apply it after cleansing and leave it for 10-15 minutes (it has generally dried by then) and then you wash it off with lukewarm water.

SBC Collagen 3 in 1 cleanser- A wonderful white, smooth cleanser that smells so amazing. It is one of the only cleaners that I am able to actually use over my eyes- which you are directed to do don't worry! A perfectly easy way to care for your skin and is moisturising as well so you only need a light moisturiser on top. Simply massage onto skin then wash off with lukewarm water. Easy peasy!

Life

Friends & family- as with any time in your life, it is important that you have the right kind of people around you. I must say that during February my family, and especially my friends have been super supportive of me, always listened when I have had a problem and have all round just been the best people ever so my February appreciation goes out to them!


Tv shows

Big Bang Theory- I must admit I hadn't watched this show until a few years ago and even though I enjoyed it, I didn't make a point of regularly watching it. in the last few months ive jumped on the Netflix bandwagon and im naturally addicted to watching it for as many hours as possible every day.

The Shanara Chronicles- this is something that is very new to UK TV and I've only watched the few episodes that have been aired so far. If you like fantasy shows, with an apocalyptic and 'evil' twist then you will love this show. It's a must watch in my opinion!

Shadowhunters- after reading the books and even enjoying the film I was very sceptical of the new Mortal Instruments TV adaption but it was a happy surprise because I love it. It provides a lot more depth that the film didn't have time for and shows a lot more of the character developments. The actors are so talented and you can see the chemistry between them all show through into their characters.

Music
All Time Low- this  month was also the first time I had ever been to a concert!. I went with my best friend to see All Time Low, who were supported by Good Charlotte and Against The Current. It was such a wonderful night, it was even worth the queuing for 4 hours in the cold and rain and even the flu and chest infection I got because of it. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I am forever grateful for my best friend asking me to go with her this year.

What are some of your favourite things about February?
- Louise x

Blogging: a burden or a hobby?

So one of the things that has become a sticky situation for me is the amount that I post....or lack of (most of the time). As I mentioned in my post on Wednesday, I often have trouble with the amount of free time that I have in my life and then subsequently I don't post a lot or tweet much.

One of my biggest problems is comparing myself to others. This originally affected my mental health but more recently I have found that its made its way into my blogging life as well. As you all know this used to be a shared blog, and still is really by all accounts because Alyssa will always be the person that I founded this project with. The thing is, she's at university now, living in Leicestershire and she doesn't have the time to blog or tweet on here anymore. My blogging bug has never left me so I continue with this project but running a blog solo is a very big responsibility and as its been going for nearly 3 years I often feel a huge amount of pressure to make these amazing blog posts that are full of al of this advanced technology and look super professional.

Added to this, there are all of these other accounts and blogs where people somehow find the time to juggle so many other responsibilities and they write fantastic, long posts and tweet like 30 times a day. This then leaves me feeling guilty because I've spent almost 3 years doing this job and I still haven't gotten the hang of it.

The truth of the matter is, I'm not very technologically minded and I can only write the most basic of posts. The pressure that I often feel to write long posts that are stupendously positive, uplifting etc often leads me to not post because I don't feel that what I have to say is good enough. I've come to the conclusion recently that I love blogging and I love tweeting so I'm going to do what I can with my posts, with the consistency and with my tweeting. You've all always been so supportive with our  endeavours no matter how weird they are or how long they take so I hope you all continue to stay a part of my life!

I love you all
- Louise x

Let me explain...

So once again I'm apologising to you all about the lack of posts that have been appearing my blog. I often have the good intentions of writing lots of them, in fact I regularly even plan the titles, and the content and out them into a diary so that I am fully scheduled. the issue is as good as those intentions are, there are most often things that happen that just plain get in the way.

Recently I had a bad case of the Flu, coupled with a nasty chest infection so all of the wonderful things that I had planned for you all have gone out the window. I was even planning my YouTube videos to be filmed on Valentines day...but sadly none of it has happened. but that's okay, now I am spending my time trying to catch up with the university work that I have missed, caring for sick relatives and preparing for new assignments so my posts have once again taken a backseat.

One thing that I have found out about myself is that little posts like these where I am basically just having a little chat with you all are the ones that I enjoy writing the most and they often just go together really quickly and easily so you may find that this happens a lot more in the future. I have very much missed this part of the blogging where there are no set posts that I have to write about one specific topic. It gives me a lot more creative freedom just to write whatever I have on my mind at that point in time.

Throughout it all, you've all stayed loyal to me (even though I've had to draft numerous tweets as well just so that you can get regular updates) and I cannot thank you all enough for that.

Any setbacks in life, no matter how hard, we must take in our stride for they often have hidden meanings. It just takes the right time in our days in order for us to understand.

I love you all,
Louise x