How I Stay Positive Part 2. Living In The Present.

Have you ever been presented with a meal that looks so delicious you just want to devour it straight away? Often I'll rush to take a bite and then the inevitable happens; a burnt tongue. This happens to me way to often with hot chocolate, pizza, so, so often with pizza. My point is that we can often be the same when it comes to life. I don't know about you but I spend so much time trying to rush things that I forget to live and enjoy where I am now.

Trust The Process

I often get too preoccupied with how I want my future life to look that I forget to appreciate what my life is like now. I forget to exist exactly where I am now. When I graduated University I had a certain picture of how my life would look a few years later. It didn't quite turn out how I expected. so I spent alot of time wishing I was ahead in life. I pondered on how much time had gone by and I was no where closer to any of these 'goals'. I found myself not being able to enjoy certain things because I was so focused on what I didn't have. I put off being 'happy' because I wasn't where I thought I should be. I should have been enjoying the life that I have now. If we keep wishing we were ahead in life we'll miss all the small lessons life tries to teach us. I should have taken all the energy I put into wishing I was ahead and instead focused it on the now and making the most out of my time. I mean, it's true we'll never be as young as we are right now so why waste time worrying on things we don't have total control over.

I've learned recently to trust the process, and not to rush things. I trust that right now is where I need to be. I can't skip and jump to the future because there's still so much I need to learn, and who knows if that future is really what I want? Let's embrace the now and really appreciate it. Millennials, we will get to where we need to be, we just need to trust the process.

Do you ever put off 'happiness' because you wished your life was different?

How I Stay Positive. Part 1

At the start of the month I wrote a post detailing ways in which I am making 2015 a positive year. I mentioned that I'm not the type of person who makes New Years Resolutions as I believe you don't have to wait for a new year to make a change. You can make a change at any time of your life. So during Autumn last year that's exactly what I did. I made a conscious effort to become more positive.

Isn't this just like real life Tumblr?

I mentioned in various blog posts last year that I was getting quite down, due to many factors but mainly through post graduation job rejection. To be honest I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I read various pieces of literature, spoke to different people and quickly realised that there are many things in life which we cannot control. We can however take control of our thoughts. I was the only person who could help myself. Now, deciding to be more positive is one of the easiest and most difficult changes to make. It's easy as you can quickly decide to do it, and don't really need much outside help as it comes from yourself. However, STAYING positive is a little harder. I really had to retrain my thought process. These are a few things I do to stay positive:

Gratitude.
Thankfulness, gratefulness and appreciation is a feeling of a benefit. No matter how big or small it can have a positive affect on your mood. When I think I have nothing to be thankful for I always go back to my breath. Start from your breath and build from there. I do this in the morning and it really helps my mood throughout the day.

Stop and Think
During work when things aren't going right or even if its just been a busy day. I stop what I'm doing and think for a few moments about how I'm feeling and what thoughts are going on in my mind. By doing so I am instantly aware, and it helps me stay on a positive track. We all lead busy lives and our thoughts can get away from us, just stop for a couple minutes, and think about whats going on in your mind.

Mental Cleansing
This goes hand in hand with the above. Much like how you detox from bad foods this is like a detox of a mind. Getting rid of any mind clutter. Social media plays a big part in mind clutter as we're often bombarded with information which may have a negative effect on our mind. I like to take 10 minutes out of the day to get rid of any thoughts or worries cluttering my mind. Usually mental cleansing takes place in the shower, I guess its the whole symbolic thing of bad thoughts being washed away?

These are a few things I do to stay positive, sometimes I find myself falling back into old ways of thinking. Then I remind myself that I have control of my thoughts and I begin to reprogram again.

How do you stay positive?

Nail Detox

Who was guilty of wearing glitter nail polish over Christmas? *raises hand* If you can't wear a little glitter over Christmas then when can you, hey? Glitter polish is so beautiful when on the nails but such a pain to take off! Especially as I'm someone who loves nail polish and can't have bare nails for too long. After a good year of nail polish lovin' and the stint of glitter over the festive season my nails were crying out for a detox.

The word 'detox' seems to be flying around everywhere at the moment. My nails began peeling and were crying out for some TLC. I decided after Christmas to not wear nail polish for a solid few weeks and restore my nails to their former health. That meant no New Years nail art and no subtle nude polishes. The products I used to help strengthen my nails were; Sally Hansen Cuticle and Nail Treatment, this is perfect for parched nails and the pen applicator is very convenient. Sally Hansen Nail Protex Strengthener which helps to strengthen nails and prevent further damage. The Dr Lewinns Renunail Ridge Filler, even though this is a ridge filler you can use it on its own as the avocado oil and vitamin E help hydrate nails.

After a few weeks my nails are definitely looking and feeling better. Now for the big question, which polish do I introduce to my nails first?

5 Ways To Make 2015 Your Best Year

I'm not someone who makes new years resolutions. I feel you can make a change at any time throughout the year and don't need to wait till the start of January. Towards the end of 2014 I made a change in my life and I continue to take that with me throughout 2015.

1) Think Positive
In the latter months of last year I decided that I needed to change my thought process. I was very much a glass half empty person. Actually it was probably more like 'the glass is half empty so whats the point?' It came after a tough year full of rejection (the joys of being a graduate) and nothing going the right way. I was sick of feeling down and decided to take charge of my thoughts instead of them taking charge of me and how I was feeling. I will continue to take this with me through 2015. It's by no means easy but it's worth it.

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The Devils In The Retail?

Busy shopping centres, long queues, cold weather but sweltering heating on in stores. Whats not to love about Christmas shopping? I've spent many years working pre and post Christmas in retail. I can tell that there definitely comes a shift in both shoppers and workers attitudes as soon as the sound of Michael Buble flows through the speakers. Working in retail has taken the shine off Christmas, I shudder at the thought of Boxing Day. 

Shoppers, we all hate long queues and busy shops, and sales associates we all know that you would rather like to be home watching Elf. A large proportion of people working in retail consists of students or graduates who are starting to question the existence of a graduate job, much like a child questions Santa's existence. *Raises hand* the latter is me.

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How Life After Graduation Changed Me

I just love those post its.

Millennials come hither. We all know that life after graduation can for most of us, just plain suck. For some its everything they've always wanted and life slots into place perfectly. However, for people like myself quite the opposite happens. The first few months after graduating I felt like the world was my oyster and I could do anything I wanted. I was free from the shackles of education. The first thing I did was jet off to NYC! I came back more inspired and motivated than ever, I blame Jay Z and Empire State of Mind for that one. This didn't last long as rejection letter after rejection letter took its toll. Here's how life after graduation changed me.

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How I Cover Dark Circles

Dark circles, probably the most common issue most people face. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, so naturally we want it to be bright. I've tried many different techniques and products to help cover my dark circles. I've found the most effective way is to firstly keep the area around the eye hydrated. Whether that is with an eye cream or taking your serum up to your eyes. Secondly, I've found that using a corrector which is peach or pink based makes a noticeable difference. A corrector helps to neutralise any darkness and knock out that purple or blue tone that can be seen under the eyes. Benefit and Bobbi Brown do fantastic correctors, Max Factor have launched their Colour Correct Sticks which are a great budget buy.

Next you can begin to conceal with a concealer that matches your skin tone, or one which is one shade lighter to really help brighten it up. I prefer to use my fingers rather than a brush as the heat from your fingers can help warm up the product allowing it to apply smoother. I sometimes use the Clinique Airbrush Concealer to help reflect the light or something more creamy such as the Dior Star concealer. A setting powder should be the last step to help the products stay put all day and prevent creasing.

What products do you recommend to cover dark circles?

What I learnt From My Tech Time Out

If you're familiar with my blog, you'd probably remember a post I wrote during the summer titled 'Go Outside, There's Life Out There.'  I discussed how I was going to take a mini break from social media and basically just go outside more. As I ventured outside and away from a computer screen here are a few things I learned.

Watch the world go by

• It was surprisingly easy to break the habit of pulling out my phone every few minutes. I used to be guilty of always relying on my Twitter feed as something to read when waiting for a train. I found that putting my phone in my bag (I can never find anything in my bag) rather than in my pocket made it easier to reach for it less. 
• As a result of the above, I found myself reading books more and even just stopping to look out at the world. People watching is surprisingly fun and therapeutic. Watching the world go by helps put your own problems and thoughts into perspective. 
• Going for more walks really did blow away the cobwebs. I felt more refreshed and overall more inspired. 
• If I had to use the laptop, even just taking it outside made a huge difference to how I felt. 
• The most revealing thing I found was how I stopped comparing myself to others. The less time I spent on social media the more I realised you really can't compare yourself to someones highlight reel. Comparison is the thief of all joy.
• I tend to keep myself out of the popularity contest which is prevalent in blogging. The 'follow backs' and 'like for likes' just get me angry. I found that when I stopped comparing and thinking about how people got their 'popularity'. The less I cared and the less I was bothered by it. 
• The less I consumed, the more I created. I made the conscious decision to create content which excites me and what I would want to read. 

Overall the experience was really refreshing. I made more memories this summer without worrying about taking a picture. I really recommend putting the phone away for a few hours a day if you find yourself in a slump. As the days become shorter and darker I will continue with this process, and make a conscious decision to go outside more, even though I don't deal with the cold well. I am a summer baby after all. 

Would you take a tech time out?

The Not So Roaring Twenties?

When I was 15, I completed a work experience placement during my final year of school. I recall so vividly, and have never forgotten something one of the lovely ladies I was working with said: "I definitely wouldn't want to relive my teen years, but I would love to relive my twenties, they were so much fun." Well here I am at 24 and can't say I agree... Yet, anyway. Would I want to relive these years of uncertainty and confusion? I have had moments during my early twenties so far which I have enjoyed immensely. However, on the other hand I envisioned life at 24 slightly differently. Life after University is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Graduate jobs are harder to obtain. Getting that first step on the career ladder feels like a giant leap, and the constant jealous pang felt when seeing students who have just got their loan seems like it will never go away.

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Stratford-Upon-Avon

A couple weeks ago I ventured down to Stratford-upon-Avon. I simply adore coming here, its so cute and there's so much to do. The weather was quite warm for October and made for a pleasant day out. There was a market on that day so we first decided to have a mooch around. After than we popped into a few stores and headed down to lunch by the river followed by a relaxing walk. Here are some pictures from the day.

Cutest little shop ever!

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