Consider yourself a friend

Many of us go from our day to day lives taking care of someone else in some way. I'm the type of person who needs to help someone, I need to know my friends are okay and I feel satisfied knowing I've helped someone.

Sometimes I get a bit carried away with this, sometimes we all do, and it's only when someone leaves our life, or doesn't need our help anymore that we can find ourselves a bit...lost?

This is the moment when instead of trying to find someone else to take care of, we should look to ourselves. How many times in the past few weeks, months, year even have we taken the time to really look at ourselves? More than the material things I'm talking about here, more than buying something nice for yourself, treating yourself to something indulgent. I'm talking about really putting all of your energy into yourself, work on the bits you don't like and concentrate on the bits that you do like. Make sure you begin to feel like you again, take time to connect with yourself and take time. One way I like to do this is to visit a special little corner of the internet, it only takes a couple of minutes and can be done on a busy day, when you wake up or maybe before you go to bed to clear your mind, please check it out it's well worth it!! 

Now for the long bit :) 

A few ideas to start with could be to become a morning person. Start each day with some extra time for writing, reading or practicing yoga or Pilates instead of rushing straight to work.

I've recently found peace in journalling. Peeling back layers to heal 
yourself and look at yourself instead of pushing them into the depths of your mind. 

Give yourself acknowledgment for the accomplishments in your life, big or small.

Slow down! Try cut back on the time you spend online and on your phone. Stop rushing around and committing yourself to too many things and putting yourself under pressure just because you can.

Remember to feel things. This sounds obvious but many of us don't take the time to really let ourselves feel what we're feeling. 

Embrace your sadness and let go of it all! The more you hold onto something the heavier it gets, easier said then done I understand, but trust me it works.

Listen to your body. Try not to count calories, or stress over how much your losing and how fast your losing it. Just be mindful of what you eat and do some exercise, even if it's light, and it will happen and it will happen in the right way!

Try and let go of the memories and stories that replay from the past and any of the worries you have for the future. It's all out of your hands, there isn't anything you can do about either!

Don't cling onto your fears or anxiety.

Create a sanctuary for yourself, a time during the week to relax and be you instead of waiting to burn yourself out to do this.

It's okay not to have answers to everything.

Acknowledge the present time fully. Let yourself be with every moment, every joy, every challenge, everything!

Be positive! Eventually the world will take on a different appearance one which is kinder, more meaningful and more compassionate. 

Journaling

Recently I've began to journal. Writing down all my thoughts to expel the anger and anxiety that fill a cavity within me. It builds and builds until it's all I can think about, they're literally the only thoughts that go through my mind. All the arguments and all the words I don't necessarily want to say and have but I think about them nonetheless it takes over like a huge black blanket, it's dark and it's heavy and it feels like being inside a black storm cloud, thunder that slowly rumbles, waiting for the lighting to crash out, struggling to keep it from expelling itself, the cloud swells trying to keep it in. 

Journaling can help you get rid of a lot of things on your mind. I've found that once I've written down everything on my mind it tends to go away, or at least be kept at bay (unintentional rhyming), sometimes I might have to write a certain thing over and over until it leaves my mind but writing it all out helps me sleep better, concentrate on work better and more importantly, concentrate on me better. 

It's nice to write down every thought and every word you can't tell everyone else and know that no one will ever see it. Personally I like to keep my entries for a little while and then burn them or throw them away because, lets face it, they aren't things that you want to read over again and again like a typical diary. They are negative thoughts and I find that throwing them away can help with the 'cleansing' process!!

Back To Basics

Recently the past few months have been so hectic and crap-filled (a completely legitimate word by the way...totally not made up) that it's hard to see things clearly. Now by no means am I able to see clearly through the heavy mist that's taken over my own life quite yet but I'm definitely peering past it with a bit of hope. Each day is a different battle, some are better than others and sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.

 

It won't always feel like they will but when you're at the bottom the only real way is up! Keep reminding yourself of the positive things that are going to happen, set a positive quote as your phone background and look at it when you feel down and concentrate on the words! 

In the blink of an eye

Well well well, one minute life is just tipping along and then you look back and it's taken the absolute opposite direction than you had intended, how did it get by you? It seems so extremely different now, how could you not have noticed?! But, alas, it has, and you haven't, and you just have to take a moment, reevaluate your direction and keep moving! Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and power through. Even though it's going to be hard for a long time to let yourself adjust (and trust me, it will be) and it might take some time, maybe, hopefully, eventually it will happen.

The Londoner

Quite recently I came across a little gem of a blog, Thelondoner.me

This lovely lady (Rosie) has the most incredible blog! And I find myself reading through every post with interest. She really is an all round perfected human!!

She hand makes the most decadent food imaginable, like this pizza:

Gives information about some of the best hidden away, kooky restaurants

Revels in her holiday which are much to be desired!

 

Gives insight to secretive little clubs and organizations which hold requisite parties  

 And shows us her sensational fashion sense

Did I mention she's beautiful? Well she is, and her way with words makes a great combo for afternoon reading!!
And you can find her here:
www.thelondoner.me 

Take me away...

It's been a while! 

Lately I haven't been posting because at the beginning of this month I jetted of on a holiday for a week to Spain with my (now ex) boyfriend and my cousin and her boyfriend. It was incredibly incredible :) Beautiful resort, friendly people, amazing weather, sensational scenery and loads of cats :)

A photo heavy post, sorry!  These are only a few photos from the trip though :) 

Another reason I haven't been posting is because I hit a slump since returning from the sunny glorious country to my own cold, withering, boring country of Ireland (as anyone would: 37degree weather to 7 degrees...). I've also purchased the Hunger Games trilogy while in the airport and, as you can guess, have been stuck in - reading the first book in less than a day. 

So this is just a quick update to make you all jealous of my adventure, unless you don't live in Ireland or the UK in which, I guess, you're happy anyway!

Summer, where art thou...

I can't seem to find you yet, only small particles here and there. 

So far I've spent my summer holidays sitting in my room cleaning, watching Netflix, reading or Tumblr and I'm so bored! I desperately want to achieve something this summer or do something important or big in my life and I'm pretty worried that time will slip away and soon it will be September and I'll have no chance for another six months. All I want is a bit of heat so I can be motivated and enjoy the days that are in it! 

It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to...

I had one of the most exciting, fun filled birthdays ever, most definitely, the most tiring but so, so worth it! 

It started on Tuesday and for once in my life it actually felt like my birthday! I got cards in the post and presents, and flowers and, as always, a delicious birthday meal!

  

 

Friday night was my partay night! Talk about stress and worry! My cake had a mistake (which was swiftly fixed) and my weight wasn't exactly there but in the end it turned out great! I had my closest friends and family around me and I couldn't be happier. 

 

 

 Then of course the best idea to have after spending all night, and early hours the following morning parading around in wedges is to go to Dublin city at 10am and walk around shopping all day and then not get home until 2AM the following day because you missed your last bus (which will be explained) but that is, in actuality, what happened.

 So my bestie gave me two tickets to Jeff Dunham in the O2 arena and we also needed to go holiday shopping, so we thought we the two birds one stone logic. Now I did end up having the time of my life and purchasing not only €140 worth of goodies in Pennys but I also got the Naked pallet by Urban Decay, and Studio Finish concealer by M.A.C (my biggest and most exciting purchases). Stopping now and then for cupcakes, tea, and Eddie Rockets. Then we left our friends at the bus stop and headed to the O2 to see the magnificently funnyman Jeff, who didn't disappoint!! Long story short, the bus was at 11:15, the show ended: 11:15 so we had to wait around until 12:55 to get the next bus! (weh).

Sunday, I was so crippled by the pain of my feet after being on them for approximately 16 hours I physically couldn't walk, but braved the pain to see the Avengers movie (which I loved!) and then came home to sleep and boy did I!!

Can't wait to do it all again :)

 

So here it goes...

I suppose a congratulations (or commiserations if you're the one reading) are in order for my first blog post!

So far, so good!

So since this is the 30th of April, it can only mean one thing. My BIRTHDAY is tomorrow!!  

Hip hip hooray and all that. Seeing as my birthday falls on a weekday, almost all of my friends are in college/studying or doing other bits and bobs, and that means I am all by my lonesome but in the evening I'll celebrate with dinner and champagne and other goodies :)

So I thought I'd start my 21st year with this post and I'm hoping to track life, so to speak, for the next year or so (fingers crossed!) 

Good luck with that Laura...x