Wednesday 24 September 2014

Ten Trivial Things To Get Excited About In Winter

It's getting chilly again! The mornings are getting crisp, evenings are a bit darker, and you may soon find yourself glumly reaching for your winter coat (unless it's a fabulous coat, in which case you've probably got it hanging on your wardrobe door, just waiting...) There are a lot of big things to get excited about in winter, like Christmas and New Year's, and by the time we're halfway through October there will be so many blog posts about them that you'll be sick of them already, so this is a little list of the most trivial, but wonderful Autumn/Winter things to get excited about.

1. Berry lipstick

Those dark, vampy lipsticks that have been neglected for summer brights these past few months are now looking super sexy and delightful again

2. Expensive coffee


In summer, coffee is just TOO DAMN HOT. It's not even worth pretending that the iced rubbish you can get from Starbucks is better, you know in your heart you'd rather be sipping on a toasty warm chai latte whcih makes you feel all snuggly. Plus, in winter, expensive coffee is allowed, you aren't spending your money on...you know...suncream...

3. Cuddles


Cuddles in summer are quick, fleeting and sweaty. Cuddles in winter are warm, snuggly, and often accompanied by some sort of comfort food.

4. Sequins


Because winter fashion is a lot darker, and it basically becomes nighttime most of the time, suddenly sequins in daywear are acceptable, and encouraged at night. I'm not sure why dressing like a fabulous shiny scaley mermaid is fun, but it JUST IS.

5. Frost


Everything looks so pretty when its all dusted with icing sugar. There's nothing quite like waking up on a frosty morning, especially if you have nothing to do that day.

7. Diets, be gone!


Winter clothes = so much more flattering than summer clothes, meaning it is time to break out the cheese and wine nights again.

7. Pyjamas. And socks.


When did these stop being amazing? Oh right, when it was too hot to breathe at night. Now it's all frosty again, it's an excuse to buy the fluffiest socks you can find. Wear them all day, to get your monies worth, obviously.

8. Wine, so much wine.


In summer, there's a lot of pressure to have 'fun in the sun', which usually means sitting on an English stony beach, with rocks up your bum, whilst every so often dipping your toe in the water, to shriek at how freezing it is. In winter, there is just wine, all the wine. (Bonus points for mulled, tasty tasty!)

9. Luxurious beauty bits


In summer, sitting in your room with a nice candle burning, or spending hours lotioning and potioning yourself seems a little bit like a waste of the sunshine. But a winter rain shower is no better excuse than to light that gorgeous spiced apple candle you've been waiting all year to light again, and indulge in some pamper time. Friends recommended, with maybe more wine...

10. HALLOWEEN!


Okay, maybe not a trivial thing, kind of a big deal. But let's face it, there's no better holiday really, what other event allows you to dress up like a slutty version of a thing of your choice (slutty not neccessary, but it is brilliant seeing things like slutty peppa pigs) and go out in said get-up, and do shots, while children hassle the neighbours for sweets? Sensible policies for a safer Britain, I say.

Have a GLORIOUS winter!

LOVE.

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Anxiety - Nine Little Ways To Stop The Worries

Hello lovelies,

I know I haven't written in forever, the work/life balance has been a tad out of whack recently. Either that, or summer fun got the better of me. However, some time away from my blog has given me some perspective of what people really like to read on my blog, with my posts about self-image, fear, and feminism getting A LOT more traffic than anything else. So with this view, I'm going to write about an issue which is very close to my heart, and that is dealing with the illness of Anxiety.

Not many people know anything about anxiety. They think it's almost a made-up illness for people who are just a bit jittery. Little do they know that anxiety can take control of your life entirely, meaning that you're constantly fighting the urge not to panic about the tiniest of things, and when you aren't, you worry about the next time you have a bad panic attack. My panic attacks mean I have missed out on social occasions, doing my best at work, and generally doing everyday things. I won't profess to have the worst case I have ever seen, far from it, I at least manage to live a normal life, and have friends and go out, but I still can go some way to understand what other's go through when they deal with this illness as well. Also, I am by no means a mental health professional, so anything I say in this blog is purely of my own experience, so if it does not apply to you, do not worry or think you must be different, anxiety affects people in so many different ways it is almost impossible to define. However, I'd just like to share a few ways in which I have started to combat anxiety.

1. Get a bike

It seems strange, but riding on your bike offers an element of calm I wouldn't think it would. You are alone, away from pressure and anyone else's view, and a bike offers the protection of having time with your own thoughts to calm down. To those who suffer anxiety from being out alone, especiall at night, a bike means you are faster than anyone walking, and you can stay on the roads meaning no worries of strangers on the street. In the daytime, find a pretty cycle path near you and just take half an hour out to turn the wheels a bit, the concentration of keeping going doesn't allow your mind to wander to worry.

2. Invigorating smells, rather than calming

This seems grossly counter-intuitive, as most people would think for anxiety, the perfect scents to calm down with would be things like camomile, a calming, relaxing scent. I however, have found that once I am in such a worry, a relaxing scent does little to alter my mood, I am too het-up and worried, and my body/mind rejects this recognised idea of calm as something that it deems impossible. I prefer, to smell things like oranges and limes, and maybe even taste something with chilli in it. I know it seems strange, but the striking, pure scent/taste offers up a distraction, something so sweet or sour that it starts to clear my head. Try buying a nice room spray with a citrus note (or get given one by your lovely flatmate, thank you Sophie), or buy some chilli chocolate, and see if it works for you. As I said before, I'm not a mental health professional, and everyone is different.

3. Cut out greasy food

I know it seems like this should be unrelated, after all, a mental problem should have nothing to do with what your body feels like surely? However, I found that really going for healthy food improved my anxiety by a mile, enough that I'm trying to be vegan at the moment because it improves it so much. The connection between mind and body is much more apparent than I think a lot of people realise, and while chips may make you feel better after a teary day, a colourful vegetable casserole will give your body the nourishment it needs so your energy can concentrate on healing your mind.

4. Remember, no attack is forever

When I was recently about to go to a festival, I was freaking out constantly beforehand, what if I had an attack? What if I couldn't find anyone? What if I hated it and wanted to leave but couldn't? I was having panic attacks almost every night. A good friend gave me some stellar advice, to remember that there has never been a panic attack that I have not been able to get over. Panic attacks are not forever, and no matter how bad they are, they will always eventually come to an end, and you are the one who brings it to an end. You are that strong, that you have ended every attack you have had.

5. Download an app which helps with attacks

This is just a little one, but sometimes when you're on the go, you just need a few minutes of calm to help you deal with the day, I really like the app 'Anxiety Free', which is a free app on iPhone, where you can just plug your headphones in and chill for a bit. Alternatively, make a playlist which makes you feel happy and chilled. I'm a bit of an oddball, and prefer fairly upbeat music when I'm feeling worrisome, as it tends to make me excited for the impending activity rather than anxious.

6. Don't rush yourself

Remember, unless you have an absolutely urgent deadline to get to etc., there is no need to rush yourself to feel okay again after an attack, that lunch date can wait, tell them you'll get them a cup of tea to make up for it. Don't force yourself to leave just because your friends are heading out of the door if you aren't ready, simply say that you need a while to calm down, and you will meet them later. Your friends would much rather you are happy and content when you are doing something together, than freaking out because you should have taken more time to deal with the aftermath of a panic attack, or the worries of a possible one.

7. Be selfish

Remember this is YOUR mental health, it is important, and don't let anyone dismiss it. If you need to cancel something to help yourself, then do it. Don't constantly put others before dealing with your anxiety, as you will find it will creep up on you. If anyone is complaining about your problem, try and explain to them what is happening to you. If they still don't understand, they are not worth being friends with.

8. Make an effort to be positive

It sounds obvious, and it also sounds impossible, but I mean the smallest of things. Rather than saying 'Oh it's so horrible and cold' in the morning, think of that nice wooly scarf you haven't been able to wear in a while, and how snuggly it makes you feel. When you are positive, those around you don't see you as a ticking time bomb of anxiety, waiting to panic, and thus, treat you like the normal person you know you are.

9. Get help

If you need it, ask for it. Don't ever sit in silence, there are people out there.


There we are my lovelies, just a couple of little thoughts just in case you are struggling, remember, anxiety cannot define you or anything about you, so be happy, be calm, and love yourself :)

Abi