25 Festive Instagram ideas

So today marks my first festive post of 2017! It's been planned for so long but due to dissertation and assignment writing (roll on 8th Jan when it's all handed in), I haven't been able to do Blogmas this year or even really blog consistently for a while. Because I enjoyed these ideas so much last year, and they're just so much fun to see, here are my 25 festive Instagram ideas for 2017!

1. Starbucks red cups
2. Snow! (extra points if you find the untrod perfection!)
3. Your beautifully decorated Christmas tree 
4. Your pets with festive clothes on because CUTE
5. Your delicious Christmas dinner, yum.
6. Doing some Christmas baking? Document it with about 3000 pictures of course!
7. A snowman (p.s. fingers crossed it snows this year!)
8. Wrapped presents (It's okay if you have to get the perfect angle to cover up the cellotape disaster on the other side. We all do it.)
9. Your favourite holiday movie along with some festive treats 
10. Advent calendars (Beauty, candles, chocolate...the possibilities are endless)
11. Your favourite Christmas decoration 
12. Fluffy socks (this one's for you Emily!)
13. An impromptu Costa stop after a day of present shopping
14. Seasonal candles (Snowflake Cookie from Yankee Candle for me, because it's MY FAVE) 
15. Share a memory of you and your besties or S/O (ice-skating, baking, exchanging gifts etc)
16. Your favourite holiday reads (paired with a steaming mug of tea or hot chocolate of course)
17. a perfectly whipped hot chocolate, (maybe with crushed candy cane/marshmallows?)
18. An ugly Christmas jumper, we all have one, thanks nan.
19. Christmas nail art (unless you're like me and can barely do the bare basics. Stick-on versions are a great option!)
20. A Christmas party outfit
21. A Christmas selfie 
22. A pretty window display
23. Mistletoe
24. A cutesy Christmas mug
25. A Christmas market/event 

A-Z of Recovery: Nourish your body (and soul)

It’s getting back to that time of year again where issues with food are more prominent. Thanksgiving and Christmas are holidays where there is a large emphasis on food and eating with large groups of people. For me, those things are still hard if I am having a bad day. It’s really important to remember if you’re struggling with food that you’re not alone. I try to remind myself of the wonderful things that my body has helped me to do on a daily basis and that I need to treat it with the love and care that it deserves.

While it’s important not to focus solely on food, it’s good to remember the amazing things that food can do to help us. Think about the nutrition that it can give you, the energy, how you use that energy etc. it’s all really amazing when you think about it. Here are some of my favourite tips to keep in mind;

Eat when you are hungry. Rest when you are tired. Surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty.

Talk to someone. If you have worries about coping then talk to someone that knows about your struggles and they will be able to support you. If you talk to your parent’s, then they may even be able to alter some things to make you feel more comfortable

Make time to relax. This time of year is where stress levels really hit their heights. There are so many events to attend, things to do, people to please etc. Just remember that you should be your priority. Its okay to say no to some things and just take some time to relax and figure out what you are going to do that way you don't feel too "snowed under".

Time-out. Make sure that you plan some time regularly where you can have a little time out from everyone and their expectations. Sometimes it can be very tiring to make sure that you stay completely strong for people, whether that’s during the holidays or not, so to ensure that this doesn't affect your recovery, make sure that you dedicate some 'me-time'.

Halloween movie marathon 101

One of the traditions in my house at Halloween actually has nothing at all to do with trick or treating, in fact, I've never actually been in my life. every Halloween we collect together the Halloween sweets that either haven't been taken by tick or treaters or if we haven't opened the door (sorry guys, we were one of 'those' houses) and we had a huge movie marathon. In the spirit of the day, I wanted to share with you guys some of my all-time favourite Halloween films.
Hope you enjoy!

The Disney Tag

Something I have come across while browsing a few blogs is something called the Disney tag. those of you who have been reading this blog for a while or who follow me on Twitter will know that I am a die hard Disney fan. I've actually had so much fun writing this post because I played my Disney playlist the entire time for inspiration so enjoy!

1. Favourite Character - Belle

2. Favourite Princess - Pocahontas

3. Favourite heroine - Mulan

4. Favourite Prince - Flynn Rider from Tangled

5. Favourite Hero - I must admit that I've always had a love for Hercules

6. Favourite Animal - Pascal or Pegasus.

7. Favourite Sidekick - Mushu from Mulan

8. Favourite Villain - Hades from Hercules because he's so sassy 

10. Favourite Love Song - 'Tale as old as time' from Beauty and the Beast or 'I won't say I'm in love' from Hercules 

11. Favourite song - 'Zero to hero' or 'I won't say I'm in love' from Hercules 

12. Favourite villain song - 'Come little children' from Hocus Pocus

13. Least Favourite Song -

14. Favourite Kiss - Rapunzel and Flynn Rider

15. First Movie I ever saw - Fantasia or Snow White

16. Favourite classic - Beauty and the Beast

17. Songs that always get stuck in your head - 'Under the sea' from The Little Mermaid.

18. Favourite Pixar movie - Up or Inside out

19. Least favourite Pixar movie - Finding Nemo (sorry guys)

20. Favourite Sequel - any of the Tinkerbell sequels

21. Overrated movie - Cinderella

22. Underrated movie - Enchanted, Bolt or Brother Bear

23. Movie that makes me laugh - Frozen or Mulan (Literally for Mushu and Olaf)

24. Movie that makes me cry - Up, The Fox and The Hound or Inside Out, all I'll say is Bing Bong

25. Saddest Scene From Your Favourite Movie - When Bing Bong fades away in Inside Out

26. Saddest death - Ellie from Up

27. Favourite quote - 

28. Favourite Theme Park- Never been *cries sadly in corner*

29. Favourite Theme attraction- see above

30. Favourite Theme Park Show- see above

If you complete this tag be sure to let me know either on social media or in the comments. Or you could give your answers in the comments, I'd love to see what all your favourite Disney things are!

Autumn goals and ambitions

Autumn/Fall is now here and as it has always been my favourite time of the year, I am in my element! There are so many things I want to do and places I want to go. Although things are getting more difficult to keep up with thanks to university and my placement, I have a very realistic list of things I want to get done this year (even with the bad British weather).
Enjoy!

My realistic bucketlist 🍁🍂🍃

🍁 Go for a walk at the nearest nature park to enjoy the changing colours

🍂 Grab my camera and give myself time for a little Autumnal photoshoot

🍃 Harvest all of my yummy fruit and vegetables that I have been growing this year

🍁 Bake pumpkin pie (I'm baking one for Emily soon so I will share my recipe in a post!)

🍂 Hnvest in some new autumn scented candles!

🍃 Make some apple cider...from scratch!

🍁 Have a Halloween movie marathon (everything from the Adams family/The Munsters to DCOM 🍂 Halloween classics)

🍃 Have a bonfire

🍁 Go stargazing

🍂 Carve the pumpkins I grew in the garden!

🍃 Bake spiced apple cupcakes

🍁 Dress up low-key Halloween to uni on the day!

🍂 Make caramel apples...I personally don't like them but everyone else does.

🍃 Make some homemade hot chocolate

A-Z of Recovery: Managing urges

 So, I think that it’s more than past time for a new A-Z of Recovery post. Since beginning my recovery 4 years ago, there have been a few times where I’ve relapsed or really wanted to do so. Managing the urges that any negative feelings or illnesses promote is very important for staying in recovery and taking care of yourself.

Take some time out for yourself- 'Me time' is anything that you know that you enjoy, that de-stresses you and inevitably improves your mood. It is most often our "escape route" in times of stress and that isn't a problem. We all need a little space to just forget about our troubles for a while before getting on with dealing with them. It is a time to rejuvenate our souls. Whether it’s some meditation, a fun new class or just a walk, find something that you can do for yourself that will not only provide some personal time but also provides a distraction from whatever is plaguing you. 

Stop comparing yourself to others- it’s so easy to get caught up in the trap of looking at people and comparing everything about them to ourselves. These are generally strangers so we end up taking things at face value and making ourselves feel bad because we feel we don’t measure up to how fabulous the other people look, or how nice their car or house is etc. The truth is, we don’t know the backstory of anyone we have just met so they could

Become aware of your negative self-talk-  (i.e. I can’t do that because I’m fat. I always make mistakes). Challenge and dispute that talk (i.e. I am successful at … The size of my body does not determine my worth). Replace the negative statements with positive statements and encouragement (i.e. I have value. It is o.k. to make mistakes. I learn from my mistakes).

Treat yourself as you would a friend- one of the best ways to become conscious of the way that we negatively talk about ourselves is to begin to treat yourself as you would your best friend. You wouldn’t tell them to not eat for the day in order to compensate for what they ate the previous night. You wouldn’t tell them to punish themselves for their body size through over-exercise, self-harm, or abusive eating habits. You wouldn’t tell them they were worthless or unloveable because of their weight. So why do you tell yourself these things? Break the cycle and start treating yourself like a friend—you deserve that kindness and love from everyone, especially yourself. 

Challenge your negative thoughts- You may not be able to change the way you feel about your body today, tomorrow, or a month from now, but you can begin the process by challenging the negative thoughts you have in the moment. Write out a dialogue between your negative voice and a self-loving and accepting one. Even if you don’t believe the things you say to counter the negative thoughts, it’s still so important to challenge them, because each time you do, you’re taking away some of their power and reclaiming your own. And the more you challenge those thoughts, the less you will believe them. The more you argue back, the easier fighting the voice will become. So even if it feels silly and useless in the moment, keep arguing back. Don’t allow your negative body thoughts to go unchallenged. 

Back to school advice

So, this month most of you will have gone back to school, college or university this month. I know for some of you this will have been a really scary time because it’s a new place, new people and a whole new adventure!

Talking/Friendships

One of the things that I always feared about doing something new was making new friendships and meeting new people. It’s still something that I struggle with now but I have found a newfound confidence in myself since I made the decision to just throw myself into situations where I have to talk to strangers…and you know what? I’ve made a lot of new work based friendships in the school that I work at for my university course! Now considering I used to be on the verge of tears whenever I knew I would have to talk to a stranger, I’m really proud of myself.

It’s really easy to forget that being new is something that everyone has to deal with at least a few times in their lives so most people are super kind and talkative when someone is new. So, if you’ve been worrying about how you’re going to make new connections with people, here’s my advice: breathe.

It’s so easy to completely clam up just because we have gotten so worked up over something that realistically isn’t going to be that bad. We create scenarios on our heads that make what we are about to do seem like a huge task. The truth is, we need to just let go and be ourselves in order for the right people to end up being in our lives.

Organisation

One of the things I really enjoy doing in life is organising things. I’m a lover of to-do lists and this has always really helped me to feel more in control over my time, no matter how much I have to do. If you know in advance what things you need to prepare for then you can plan out your time properly, giving yourself small chunks of time devoted to that subject and therefor you won’t burn yourself out. Trying to do things in huge amounts only ever lead to boredom and procrastination for me. Just fitting in an hour or two of revision, homework, essay preparation, reading etc helped me feel more in control without getting overwhelmed so I really recommend starting early with it!

Social life

The balance of school life and a social life was always difficult for me because I used to get pretty lazy about actually going out. I’m definitely a home-body. Luckily for me, my friend lived 3 doors up from me so I never had to go far. One thing that was always really important for me though was that I would never give myself huge blocks of time where I couldn’t go out and see friends and family. Whenever this kind of thing ended up happening I would get super stressed and overwhelmed so making time for everyone else actually worked put better in the long run for me. My advice to you is to take some time out of every week to go and see the people that you want to see. Make your work and social life a balance rather than too much of one or the other.

Grades

Grades are important but it’s not the end of the world if you didn’t get the one that you want. It’s really important to remember that you can only do you best, and no one can ask any more of you than that. If you take a test that you have really prepared and revised for and you don’t come out with the grade that you wanted (or other people want for you) then it’s the be all and end all of life. It’s about how you apply yourself and the effort that you put in. Maybe you really struggle with that subject or you really don’t enjoy it, but if you’ve put in all of the effort that you can then you should be really proud of yourself.

Good luck guys!

The perfect girls night in!

So recently I have been staying at friends houses quite a lot and it's something that I really love doing. I may be 20 but staying with a friend and watching movies together, talking through the night and having a good old catch up is something I don't think I will ever really outgrow. Because I enjoy myself so much, I wanted to share with you guys some things that I think make the perfect girls night in/sleepover!

V Festival prep kit!

Music festivals can be both one of the greatest things ever and one of the worst, if you're really not prepared for everything. This year I will finally be going to V Festival with Emily and her bf and I'm really excited to go. As a certified champion of worrying, there have been so many scenarios that have gone through my head that I thought i needed to be prepared for. Whether it's fears over the portaloo *inward cringe at the thought* or mud puddles around your tent, I've got you covered!

New blogging routine and home truths

Hi guys,

So it's been a little sparse on here for the last few months. I've been trying to give myself some time away from blogging with the hopes that I can get some of my mojo back. I have been successful in sorting a lot of things out in my head that have been causing me worry lately (but not everything because I seem to never sort it all!). One of the big things I shared with you all in my previous post and it reminded me how much I love to just write chatty blog posts.

Life changes

This post isn't something that I actually planned on writing but it something that has become quite a bit of a problem for me lately. As some of you might know, I have recently finished my second year of University. I only have one year left before everything changes. The who notion of that is super scary for me. Added to that, the one thing I though I wanted to do for my career... I now don't. It's something I had been planning for years now and I've come to the realisation through all of the work that I do at the moment, that it wouldn't be a good career choice.

Only time will tell

So since the start of this year, I have been pretty bad at getting blog posts up, whether its on here or over on PerksofNeverland where I co-write with Emily. The thing is, a lot of stuff has happened so far this year and some of it I haven't dealt with very well. A lot of things that I used to love (i.e. blogging) have now become things that I have to try and force myself to do, just because I know that I should be enjoying it.

Blogging right now has become a bit of a chore and when I started this blog 4 years ago I used to have so much passion for it. I used to sit there in class and write my blog posts whenever the whim hit me. In just 4 days, it marks the 4 year anniversary of PerksofRecovery beginning (for those of you who haven't been here since the beginning, Empty Journal came to be after the blog underwent a name and branding change 2 years ago). So while I might put out a blog post to mark that day, for a while at least I will be taking a little bit of a break. I might put up posts every now and then but there will definitely be no schedule that I will be forcing myself to keep. I miss my chatty blog posts that I used to just throw together and feel so much better after writing. I'm trying to get back to that but until then...bare with me.

This blog has always been a safe space for me to put out whatever feelings I have, with the knowledge that it will be met with kindness and support, and with the hopes that it helps someone else on their journey too. For now, I need to work on my own mind and figure out just what it is that isn't quite right and deal with it.

You have all been so supportive of every endeavor I have decided upon and I hope that you stick around until then.

I love you all.

Summer reading list

Summer is coming up so fast and now that I have finished my second year of uni (how crazy does that sound), I have a little more time to be able to do some of the things that I enjoy doing. As a huge lover of books, I always give in to the urge to buy a new one (or few) to add to my bookcases and I wanted to share with you just a few of the new books I have purchased (to the dismay of my bank account) that I'm looking forward to delving into!

(Some of these books are YA but both Nora Roberts books are adult fiction, there are links to the books embedded in the image)

Every Day by David Levithan

 

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

 

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.
The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.
That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.
Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.
But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart. 

A court of wings and ruin by Sarah J. Maas

 

A nightmare, I’d told Tamlin. I was the nightmare.
Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin’s maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit—and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well. As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords—and hunt for allies in unexpected places. 

Bay of sighs by Nora Roberts

 

To celebrate the rise of their new queen, three goddesses of the moon created three stars, one of fire, one of ice, one of water. But then they fell from the sky, putting the fate of all worlds in danger. And now three women and three men join forces to pick up the pieces…

Mermaid Annika is from the sea, and it is there she must return after her quest to find the stars. New to this world, her purity and beauty are nothing less than breathtaking, along with her graceful athleticism, as her five new friends discovered when they retrieved the fire star.

Now, through space and time, traveler Sawyer King has brought the guardians to the island of Capri, where the water star is hidden. And as he watches Annika in her element, he finds himself drawn to her joyful spirit. But Sawyer knows that if he allows her into his heart, no compass could ever guide him back to solid ground...

And in the darkness, their enemy broods. She lost one star to the guardians, but there is still time for blood to be spilled—the mermaid’s in the water and the traveler’s on the land. For she has forged a dangerous new weapon. Something deadly and unpredictable. Something human. 

Island of glass by Nora Roberts

 

As the hunt for the Star of Ice leads the six guardians to Ireland, Doyle, the immortal, must face his tragic past. Three centuries ago, he closed off his heart, yet his warrior spirit is still drawn to the wild. And there’s no one more familiar with the wild than Riley—and the wolf within her…

An archaeologist, Riley is no stranger to the coast of Clare, but now she finds herself on unsure footing, targeted by the dark goddess who wants more than the stars, more than the blood of the guardians. While searching through Irish history for clues that will lead them to the final star and the mysterious Island of Glass, Riley must fight her practical nature and admit her sudden attraction to Doyle is more than just a fling. For it is his strength that will sustain her and give her the power to run towards love—and save them all…

The girl of ink and stars by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella Riosse dreams of the faraway lands her father once mapped.

When her closest friend disappears into the island’s Forgotten Territories, she volunteers to guide the search. As a cartographer’s daughter, she’s equipped with elaborate ink maps and knowledge of the stars, and is eager to navigate the island’s forgotten heart.

But the world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland – and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a legendary fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.

Keep a look out for some book reviews when I finally get around to reading them and I will share my favourites with you all!

20 lifestyle post ideas

It's very easy for bloggers to get in a rut, and I have been stuck in one numerous times. If you're struggling to find the inspiration to write a post right now, I have just the thing for you. I have created a list of 20 lifestyle post ideas that I wanted to share with you!

1. list of your favourite books/movies
2. life lately posts
3. share your favourite blogs to read
4. top 10 products related to your niche
5. share some of your tips for staying organised
6. photo diary- share your day, week or month through pictures
7. share your blogging journey
8. share the best advice you have ever been given about a subject
9. exam or stress coping tips
10. share some facts about yourself
11. what is one of your favourite hobbies? share some tips for beginners
12. how to do something on a budget- cooking, decorating, fashion etc
13. your everyday essentials
14. whats in your bag?
15. your favourite apps
16. behind the scenes of your blog
17. create a seasonal bucketlist
18. review something you've purchased lately
19. share pictures of your workspace or office area
20. share how you get your blogging inspiration

If you have any more to share then please comment them below and keep the inspiration going!

20 things I've learned in 20 years

Last week I turned 20 years old! It feels so weird to know that I'm no longer a teenager...(even if I am still constantly asked for ID in the pub). I feel like through some of my earlier struggles in life and what I am going through right now, I have learned some very important life lessons which I want to share with you all.

5K mud run for Cancer Research!

So on September 30th this year I will be taking part in the 5k mud run for Cancer Research. Like everyone else, I havent gone untouched by the devestating effects of cancer and I want to fo my part to help in the fight. I will be running in honour of some family members who are sadly no longer with us and for those currently battling or who have battled this disease.

Any help you can give me and my team with fundraising or spreading the word would be greatly appreciated!

My fundraising page

Thank you all

Office inspiration

There's nothing quite like an office space, it's somewhere that can look completely Pinterest worthy, and then for me makes me feel more motivated. I find it so much easier to get done if I sit at a desk. Although where I live right now, I have no room for a desk, let alone an office area, it doesn't stop me from dreaming. As usual, I have spent a large amount of time drooling over beautiful offices on Pinterest, when I should have been working but here are some of my favourite office areas. they look a dream to work on!

How to take care of yourself during a bad body image day

So I thought I would go through our old tumblr posts to get some inspiration for new posts when I came across something that I had reblogged a while ago. While I'm not sure who initially wrote this, I figured it was best to keep where I had got this from as a link on the bottom so feel free to check this person out. I may be in recovery but there are still quite a few days where I am having a bad day for my body image. It's hard to learn to love yourself again and I appreciate it when I come across things that give me that extra boost to get me through the day. I just figured that you guys deserved to have something that you could come and look at if you needed that boost and I am going to find more things like this and make a collection of them to help all of us. 

27 things that make me happy

Sometimes when I'm finding it hard to stay positive during the day, I try to think about all of the little things in life that make me happy. If I surround myself with these things then it generally works wonders for turning my day around. We don't need huge flashy gifts and loads of money to feel loved and happy. In a world that often seems so full of negativity, I wanted to share with you all some of the small things that make me happy!

5 ways to practice self kindness

Self kindness is such a simple concept and yet very few of us actually take the time out of our day in which to actually share some positivity with ourselves. We value ourselves as 'good people' if we are kind towards other people and we take pride in making other people smile, so why is such a wild concept to do the same for ourselves. Everyone wants to be happy in life, and some days this emotion is easy to feel, sometimes it isn't. Simple little bits of kindness that we show ourselves can make or break these situations. If you're having a bad day then its easy to wallow rather than be empathetic with the situation you're in and how you are feeling. It's time to react to your own life situations the way we would if it were a loved ones issues.

How to Spring clean your blog

It's officially Spring now so that means that everything is looking fresh and new. Flowers are starting to bloom and (hopefully) the sun is shining and the weather is getting warmer. Whenever this hits, we always just want to throw open the windows and rid ourselves of the stuffiness of winter and so we begin our spring cleaning to give our homes the same kind of fresh feel. Something that is also great to do is giving your blog the same kind of treatment. Let's not forget that the longer you have been blogging for, the more posts you have piling up from back in the day which you now think are completely cringe worthy. Make your blog something that you're proud of from beginning to end!

A-Z of Recovery: Loving yourself

When we talk about looking after ourselves, it's easy to only think about the physical. Everyone things about the food that they ate and whether it was "good" or not, then they think about the typical daily exercise and scrutinize that as well. Looking after yourself is a way of showing yourself love, and it's not just physical, you have to think about your emotional well-being as well. It's about accepting the good days with the bad, not feeling guilty if there are more bad days than you want. It's about making positive changes to help yourself get through the day.

Rainy days

One of the most stereotypical  (but true) things about Britain is that 90% of the time it's raining.  Luckily for me I love the rain so it never bothered me all that much. For some people it can be a pain, especially when you make plans or you want to do something fun but the weather gets in the way. Rainy days at home don't have to be boring thought, here are some of my favourite things to do when I have a free day in the rain.

Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror: Messages to yourself

One of the most common things that we can do as human beings is look in the mirror and find faults. Lets be honest, we all have them... and that's okay. What's not okay is the amount of imaginary faults that we find within ourselves on a daily basis. We find issues with the choices that we have made, the people that are no longer in our lives and often place all of the blame onto ourselves.

Photo Diary: Music & memories

So while I have been awol on here (I explained why in my previous post), I have been trying really hard to fill my days with really fun and inspiring things. Last week was a huge week in terms of getting out and socialising. Everything was super fun and I got to spend a huge amount of time with my bestie which made it even better! Here are some of the pictures that Emily took so check them out! 

Where I've been...

So it's pretty obvious that since the beginning of the new year I have been really bad at keeping to a schedule when it comes to writing my blog posts. The truth of the matter is that right now, for personal reasons I have been very much unable to keep up with some of the things that I usually love doing. Sandy this is just one of the things that Depression does to you when you're going through a tough period.

A-Z of Recovery: Knowing you are enough

In today's society, whether you're struggling with any kind of Mental Health issues or not, we all constantly feel like we are not good enough. There are so many different kinds of social media accounts where, let be honest, we often only talk bout the best parts of our day (and that's okay- blog post coming soon about this!) We seldom feel comfortable enough to talk to other people about our problems so we pretend that they aren't there and get on with our day.

When music speaks

One of the things that I use everyday, that is a huge influencer of my mood is music. I have a playlists for every mood and listening tto the right one helps release any unspoken emotions. The lyrics of the songs in each playlist 100% portray my emotions on a specific life event, mood or person. Its a very creative way for me to feel like I have been through a session of therapy. 

Self Esteem Tips

I know that saying that you are going to try to re-build your self esteem is a lot easier said than done, no one has a fool-proof self esteem. There are lots of different things that effect all people differently. there is no set way to help re-build your self esteem and it isn't easy or a quick fix which is what has often gotten us into our messes anyway. Quick fixes do not last long and they often cause more harm than good in the long run.