The best things about Concert life

It's pretty well known that I'm a huge fan of country music. When I came across the tickets for country duo Maddie and Tae, I literally screamed my little head off. I missed C2C (country2country) when it came round so the fact that I could go to my first ever country concert was the best feeling in the world, especially considering the fact that I've loved these ladies since they dropped their first single! The only thing that made it better was the Emily could come with me.

As someone who really doesn't do well with crowds and strangers, concerts are always on of those scenarios where I get to push my own boundaries. It really helps me to feel like I am growing as a person and managing my issues really well. Plus, lets not forget that concerts are a great way of getting to know new friends (because lets face it, you've definitely got some common ground to build a friendship on).

Autumn scents

Yep, I'm back again with another wishlist...shouldn't really have made the first one because now I'm addicted. It's a perfect excuse for me to scour the internet and find products that in an ideal world I would be able to splurge on. 

I'm a sucker for all kinds of earthy, woody toned scents so naturally (see what I did there?....I know that was lame..) when it gets to Autumn, all of my favourite things begin to emerge and I'm in my happy place. There are so many things that are so beautiful in terms of their looks and their scent so I thought I would share with you all some of the items on my Autumn scent wishlist!

The spirit of Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching and there is nothing that is making me more happy! As you all have probably experienced,  every year pretty much every fan of the holiday creates a bucketlist of all these Pinterest worthy activities to fill your Autumn/Fall with every kind of themed goodness ever created!

For me, it's the activities and the sights of the seasons that just make everything that much better. I love to decorate the house and spend hours on pinterest looking at all of these fabulous different things that I can do that will magically make Autumn a more memorable experience.

Blogging goals

Ive always been one of those people that LOVES to make goals, lists and all forms of self improvement. The fact that I can make goals for my blog regularly makes me little list making soul super happy. Its always super motivating to be able to set targets for the amount of followers, readers,  posts I need to make etc and be able to smash those targets. Each time you meet one it's like you a have a personal little party.

A-Z of Recovery: Gaining back your health

Even after I wrote the post explaining why I wanted to change up the way I was blogging and the sort of things that I posted about, one thing that I wanted to continue with related to Mental Health is my A-Z of Recovery series. I started this at the beginning of the year and I'm really happy with how consistent I have been with it and I still really enjoy writing about some of these topics and so here it is!

Halloween home decor lust list

So since doing my Stationary lust list the other day, I've been really excited to share more of my homeware obsession on my blog. This is a kind of avenue I have never taken in the past with my blogging but its so darn fun that I am probably going to bore you all to death with a regular lust list every few weeks. #sorrynotsorry

5 Things to be happy about

So lately my life hasn't quite been going the way that I have wanted it to (isn't that always the way?) It's very easy for me to become a complete negative Nancy but I had a chat with a friend recently and as usual I've felt a lot better after getting some things off my chest. Sometime sit just talked someone who is not a part of the everyday runnings of your life to be able to cut through the crap and help you get everything back on track.

Sometimes it's very easy to be consumed by the  negative things that are happening to you and because of this,, you miss out on some of the blessings you have been given everyday.  Because of this, I wanted to share with you guys some of the things that make me happy.

Back to uni stationary lust list

Whether you are heading back to your studies or you just REALLY enjoy a good old stationary binge when September comes about, it is that time of year again!

I like to use whatever excuse I can find to stock up on all of the most cutest looking notebooks, pencil cases and pens around. Nothing pleases me more than opening that NEW notebook, the one that smells like paper-y goodness – ready to be filled with ideas, endless lists and silly doodles (I mean, whether we make light of anything that actually goes in there is another question but still)… Here is my stationary lust list…

12 ways to turn a bad day around

It's inevitable that you're going to have a bad day at some point in your life. no matter how hard we try to be happy, positive people, because we are human, there are going to be situations out of our control and some things are going to go completely wrong. While its inevitable that it will happen, you don't have to sit there and deal with it. Following some first hand experience and tips I've found on the internet, I've compiled some ways to help turn a bad day around.

Make a list of everything youre grateful for
One of the ways to change your perspective for the day is to focus on something else. Listing what you are grateful for will help to train your brain to look for positives in life, even during times of emotional distress. This activity will consequently reduce the amount of bad days you will actually experience- so its a win-win!

Listen to a playlist of music that makes you happy
Recently I shared a playlist that contained some of the songs that I use when I am having a bad day. I'm a firm believer that there is a song for every emotion; whether you're feeling sad, angry, happy or lonely, there's always a song out there that helps you to feel a little more settled. If you are having a down day or just a 'flat' moment, listen to some tunes that you find to be uplifting for your mood. You'll soon feel 10x better about everything. (And having a good dance isn't out of the question either!)

Twitter chat timetable

So Monday I took part in my first ever Twitter chat. I kept telling myself in the past that I was going to join in but I always somehow managed to miss the chats. On Monday I stumbled across a tweet announcing that the #beechat was about to begin and so I took a deep breath and delved deep into the wonders of a blogger chat. I must say that form my experience, I now know that once you begin a chat, put your phone on vibrate/silence it because your mentions WILL be going crazy. Also, make sure that you've carved out time to do nothing other than answer the thousands of people that pop by to say hi on twitter because they have stumbled across your profile.

I can honestly say I talked to over 20 strangers (I mean that in the nicest way I swear!) that day and even though it was all very fast paced (something I'm not usually too good with), I had a really good time and hopefully I will be able to join in with more in the future.

To help you all (mostly myself) keep track of when the chats take place, who the chats are aimed at etc, I thought I would compile as many as I can find into a nice little timetable. Enjoy!

Autumn Equinox & bucketlist

First of all...HAPPY AUTUMN EQUINOX!!!!!

Today is officially the first day of Autumn/Fall in the Northern Hemisphere. So you guys know that I love Autumn. There's so much about this season that just makes my soul so happy. Recently I was going through my old blog posts and I came across this . It reminded me of how much I enjoyed doing seasonal themed posts last year and I thought I would carry it on into 2016.

I'm always seeing bucketlists online that aren't really reasonable to do. I live in the UK so it's disappointing when a lot of the lists include "going on a hayride" etc because as much as I would love to do so...I cant. I don't know of anywhere that does that. So after a bit of research I created my own little list of things I want to do this Autumn that I will actually be able to do and it has made me even more excited for the season.

*I hereby solemly swear that I shall undertake every task on this list*

Through the web: Blogger love

As part of my choice to seperate the Perks of Recovery part of my life from my blogging, I revamped an old twitter account last week so that I could dedicate it solely to blogging. I thought it was a great way of giving a little more BTS information of my blogging, whilst letting you all see a little more of what makes me tick. It also means I'm not taking away the ideals behind POR since it's not actually a blogging account, but one of positivity and a healthy lifestyle (including Mental Health). In the last week I have been able to interact with so many new bloggers because of the new account and it's been a great way to gain some blogging inspiration because I'm constantly checking out new blogs. I thought I would share just a handful of the blogs that I've been binge reading (#sorrynotsorry, I've been going all the way back to the beginning on all of the blogs having a good old stalk read). 

My top 5 ways to unwind

So for me, University begins again in just under 2 weeks so I have been enjoying what little time is left to relax in. I'm a firm believer that no matter how much work you have to do, you should always find some downtime to fit into your schedule. I've not followed this advice in the past and got myself in a right mess because of it. Throughout this holiday, I have been pretty successful in giving myself some time off because I have a lot of stuff going on. I've indulged in the things that make me happy and I want you to know that that's a good thing. Find some of the things that make you happy and make time for them, no matter how busy your life is. Your body and mind will thank you for it.

Photo Diary: Adventuring

I've always been a big fan of being in open spaces, but due to some physical issues, I cannot always get around to be able to enjoy the scenery. Nothing has made me happier than being able to go adventuring with my best friend a lot over these past few weeks. 

Something I've always been a little worried about doing is taking pictures on my travels, but Emily has inspired me lately to just do the things that make me happy. I have a lot going on right now so a little personal time with someone who really understands me has made the world of difference. 

Although my photography skills are rather lacking atm, I would like to think that I am slowly getting better. Who knows, I may even take a photography course to help boost my knowledge. It's been really fun being able to go round and take snapshots of things that make me happy. I hope you like them!

A-Z of Recovery: Freedom

The meaning behind this post really resonates with Sundays post. Just because someone suffers with a Mental illness (or any kind of illness), doesn't mean that it should have to be the be all and end all of your life. Its an issue that needs to be dealt with and will take constant care and attention. It's very easy to let it become the center of everything you do, to let it dictate who you are and what you can do. You are in charge of your own life, if there is something that you know will undo your hard work then of course, leave it alone, but don't restrict yourself just because you are afraid to let go.

One of the greatest things about recovery (for any kind of illness) is the freedom you gain. You eventually get to the point that you're not tied down or hindered by the thoughts, the feelings etc that you've faced in the past. This isn't a fast acting thing. There's no way (that I know of) to begin recovery and completely feel fine straight away. It's a constant progression from the life that you used to have, to one of love and acceptance.

And so it ends

I want to firstly apologise for the sort of click-bait style title but it rang true for me so I wanted to keep it.

Ever wonder if your blog is worth it? We put so much time and energy into our little space on the internet and yet after 3 years its pretty clear to see that the way in which I blog is not getting me anywhere. Don't get me wrong, I love writing on here and some of the topics I choose to write about are very important to me. On the flip side, some of the stuff I write purely because I think that it;s what you guys want.

I often feel guilty for feeling like my blog is going no where because I love it so darn much and it's a big part of my life. The issue is, 3 years is a long time for me to be doing this and there has been countless amounts of hours, sweat, blood and tears put into this. You expect it to take time for things to get off the ground eventually.

 "Success" is all in the eye of the beholder if I'm honest and don't get me wrong, this isn't one of those posts where I complain that I don't get sent products from companies or invited to blogging events etc because it isn't. My issue is that my blog isn't what I want it to be. I've changed a lot over the years and I've let myself get stuck in a rut where I'm too worried about what everyone else will think, that I don't know what direction I'm setting myself in anymore. Let's be clear about this, there have been a few posts dotted around on this blog that have actually shown you another part of who I am. Whether these posts are ones that will ultimately help me get my blog off of the ground, we won't know just yet, but I'm cutting through all of the crap and being 100% honest with you all.

Insomnia 101

A lot of you know that I suffer with insomnia and recently it has flared up worse than ever. Although finally being able to sleep at around 5am is a new experience, its not one that I tend to enjoy. If something is bothering me then I'm not one to sit there and suffer, if there is something that I can do to help myself (especially if it's as important to me as sleep is...I love me some sleep) then I will give it a try. I've been doing some research lately for some things that I can do to make it better and after a quick Q&A on Twitter, you all told me that you wanted me to share what I found.

Natural beauty: Tarte Cosmetics

I'm a huge fan of everything natural so when I had the opportunity to get my hands on some Tarte Cosmetics, I just couldn't say no. I have never really been a big makeup wearer so this was a big jump for me (especially because its somewhat pricey). Not only is this makeup great for nature and the environment but its super easy to apply and it just glides on. After a few months of using, I am still in love with them all!

From the beginning

It seems pretty crazy when I think of the 150 posts that I have written since I started my blogging journey. Every now and then I take a stroll down memory lane and sit and read through some of our oldest posts. I've done similar posts for our 3 year anniversary and to commemorate the 100th post every published on Empty Journal. Since then I have written more favourites and I wanted to share them all with you

Whatever I write on my blog more often than not can give a truthful representation of what is going on in my life right now and how it is I'm feeling. Lately I've been filling my posts with different forms of self love because that's what I have needed to surround myself with. It's a great form of mindfulness therapy and CBT. Added to that, its a great thing to be able to look back on and give myself a little therapy session when the need strikes. If I've been feeling low in body confidence or struggling with my ED then I can read my 8 tips for a positive body image

My workout playlist

So as you all know, Iv'e been trying to get my fitness back on track. If you've read the last few blog posts I've written then you will know all about the struggle that people in ED recovery sometimes have to deal with. For a lot of people, when they exercise they enjoy the peace and quiet. Others prefer working out to chat shows or other TV shows. For me, I'm one of the many that love working out to music. I remember doing circuits in P.E. at school or running round the tennis courts and whenever a song I liked came on we would all cheer and dance round the place (which got us to move faster so the teachers loved it!)