Life
MY BIPOLAR AND ME
9.10.16
Being diagnosed with Bipolar aged 14 or something (it was all a huge, horrible blur) I had a pretty different teenage life than the average. With big decisions like, deciding whether or not to keep trying and trying with counselling or whether to try medication, or both!
It was a challenge that I never really thought I'd have to accept and live with for the rest of my life. After years of thinking everyone else dealt with life so easily and thinking I was obviously bad at 'life', I finally realised that actually I wasn't just a stroppy, hormonal teen, and somehow putting a name to it helped.
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| Growing up with a mental health disorder I didn't know I had wasn't easy. |
My biggest challenge was accepting that therapy and recovery aren't easy.
Therapy is not a quick fix or an immediate help, in fact I struggled a lot with not just talking about my mental health but taking advice for it. I felt that no one understood how it really was inside my head, and felt I was being patronised to do things 'normally', when she was only doing her job, and trying to help me.
It's hard being diagnosed with any condition, but I think it's very hard being diagnosed with a mental health condition. You can talk to someone else who has had broken their leg before and you'll have similar experiences of recovery. However talking to someone else with a mental health condition, isn't so similar. In fact, everyone, and every condition is different, and every ones journey through it towards acceptance is very different too.
As I mentioned before in a post I wrote last year (see here), my diagnosis wasn't simple either. My referral was actually lost and I felt that I had been lost too. But the reason for my referral wasn't very straightforward either, I was 14 and it involved a bottle of gin.
I had never looked at alcohol as an answer or a punishment. Growing up in a household where alcohol wasn't just something that's only drank on special occasions, it wasn't a big deal to me.
So what made me nearly overdose on alcohol? I have absolutely no idea.
All I remember is washing a glass out to remove the smell of the gin it had it in, and then putting it on the side. The next thing I know I'm waking up somewhere I'm not familiar with, surrounded my family in a bright room. It smells like a hospital... Oh, and I'm wearing a gown. Where has my bra gone? Why does my nose kill! - What's happened?
I was then told I was a 'very silly girl' by a doctor who said I was 'stupid' and very 'lucky', and nearly had a heart attack. What had I done?
My parents filled my in and it was the gin, I'd drank nearly a bottle of gin and I didn't remember a second of it. If it wasn't for my friend Paul who I was on the phone to at the time, it all could be a very different story.
While on the phone, Paul heard a bang and I wasn't responding. He called my cousin to see if she could get my parents to check on me because he was worried something had happened.
My parents came home to check on me and I was covered in my own vomit and unconscious.
After putting all the pieces together or a few days afterwards, I realised that after I washed that glass out, that I'd gone back to the bottle itself. Then I'd fallen and knocked myself out, falling on my nose (explains why it was so incredibly painful) onto my dolls house roof and knocks myself unconscious.
You could say I had a 'horrible hangover' for a fair few days to come, however it wasn't a hangover it was torture, and all my own fault. If this event hadn't happened, I wouldn't have been referred to a therapist and I wouldn't have been diagnosed, possibly until something else tragic happened.
Therapy wasn't for me, I gave it ago but it really wasn't the right thing for me at the time.
I still had therapy once a week alongside the medication that I decided to try to see if it could help me find the happy head space I craved.
But it isn't as easy as just taking medication. It's a long process of finding the right one, trying different combinations and finding the pairing for you, personally.
It actually took about 5 years of different medication combinations and a process of elimination to find a combination I'm happy with. After having side effects on Fluoxetine and Citalopram with anxiety, panic attacks and anger, I've finally found a good combo with Quetiapine and Sertraline.
I do have to see my doctor a couple of times a year to amend them if I have to depending on how I am mentally, and recently had to increase my anti-depressant medication to help with my down days and paranoia.
Therapy wise, I don't have any anymore. After several bad experiences, I self care.
That might sound stupid to a lot of you, but it works for me. I'm the only expert that knows me, and my head. I've had this for many, many years now and I know me.
I feel like once I had fully accepted my disorder and diagnosis, and could actually finally deal with the fast I had bipolar disorder and could say those words out loud, it became a lot easier.
That's not to say I don't support having therapy, but I personally feel like I've done my bit and learnt what I needed to know. But I'm not alone I have my family, Tom and my dog.
Blogging helps, a lot.
Spending time with and talking to people that I have so much in common with helps because it inspires me, and if I'm inspired I seem to be happy! I love writing, I love coming up with new plans, projects and ideas, I thrive of being inspired.
Sleep helps! I love to sleep.
But that's mainly because my medication does make me very, very drowsy - so I'm pretty good at sleep to be honest.
But what helps mostly is my relationship with my boyfriend, Tom. We've been together 5 years and we know each other so well I'm happy and content. Getting Arla, our pug last year and buying our first house together was a good decision too.
Now I have my own home, how I like it and a dog to look after and love helps me stay challenged but happy. I feel a lot more stable now I have things for myself, it seemed become an adult and dealing with adult things has helped me accept and move on to complete things without having to take my mental health situation into consideration and I can just live life, quite normally which is all I ever wanted.
I don't wear a big jumper that says 'I'm Bipolar', or bring it up in every conversation and make it a big deal and boulder in my life. I obviously struggle some days more than others, and I can deal with certain things easier than other things - but isn't that life?
All I ever wanted growing up was to be happy and normal - two things I didn't think I was, because of my huge mental health condition that I didn't even know I had.
Life isn't normal, and life isn't easy. You have a lot of obstacles to challenge and a lot of crazy big decisions to make along the way. But there is no reason that just because my brain is a little bit more crazy and different to the average human that I can't chase my dreams and succeed.
I thought that having Bipolar would set me back as an adult and I wouldn't be taken seriously.
But it's not like I have a huge arrow advertising it above my head. No one knows. They only know if I tell them, but do I have to do that with everyone I meet? No.
I don't let it become a factor unless it has to be.
My anxiety is the biggest issue for me and I'm still very much working on that one, because that does hold me back, but I try to challenge myself every now and again and test myself and my anxiety, because I feel it really helps with understanding triggers and situations better.
Sometimes, I surprise myself.
I just wanted to say one day, that I was happy.
Yes, I have a mental health disorder and take medication every single day for that, but I am happy.
I finally found my happy medium I'd been searching through my teens for, and it's mainly down to the fact I've found myself a lovely Victorian cottage to live in, a crazy amazing dog I dreamt of owning for years, and a pretty amazing ginger companion to grow old with.
Life is a challenge but it's only what you make it.
Don't hold yourself back, surprise yourself.
Thanks for reading,
If you want to ask me any questions or to contact me if you're going through a mental health diagnosis or maybe you just want to say 'HI!', drop me an email at styledbycharlie@yahoo.com - I'd love to chat!
Charlie xo
Find Me:
Snapchat: CharliePallett
Email: styledbycharlie@yahoo.com
SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel:
I had been a while since I last wrote a post about my continuous journey with mental health, infant it's been over a year since I wrote the first tell all post 'Living with Bipolar, Depression & Anxiety - My Journey'.
A lot has changed since then, good and bad. So I thought it was time for an update.
BUYING OUR FIRST HOUSE:
The first big change is that I moved out and Tom and I bought our first home together.
But it wasn't that simple - buying a house never is.
The house we bought was gorgeous but in need of some major TLC so we got the keys and instantly began renovation.
Anxiety wise, firstly we bought a house in the area that gives me the most anxiety.
To some of you that might sound totally bizarre but, yes I do have a specific area that gives me awful anxiety. Also, some of your anxiety sufferers out there will be thinking 'What an idiot'.
I believe that you can't overcome issues unless you challenge them.
Be that being in crowded places, travelling, whatever causes your anxiousness..
Even moving to the area that once caused you to have a panic attack.
Basically my issue with the area in a nut shell, is it's where I went to school and it's kind of the local hub where people shop and drink.
It's where I used to feel bombarded and scared incase I bumped into the people I know longer talk to (for various reasons) or people who really wouldn't want to see me.
For a few years I've been unable to walk around the area alone, or even enter the local supermarket alone due to my anxious fear of the past.
However, the challenge was a good choice as crazy as it may sound because I'm slowly getting better, learning and challenging myself everyday.
MY 21ST BIRTHDAY:
Around my 21st Birthday during the house renovations I struggled.
I've always had a huge issue with my birthday. Just mine, no one else's and I've no idea why.
It's nothing to do with getting old or anything, I've always been very depressed, angry and emotional as soon as my birthday approached even as a child.
My mum seems to think it's due to expectation and disappointment but I can't confirm that, as I have no idea why it happens and wish it didn't.
Due to this I also have a really big problem with presents.
I'd wish people wouldn't bother as it's literally a fear for me, I can't stand receiving and opening presents.
My 21st was difficult for me, obviously I had just bought my own house and was decorating it exactly how I wanted, why wasn't I happy?
I think I felt that the whole 21st Birthday idea was overshadowed by the house and I didn't get my '21st Birthday' that you talk about as kids.
When actually looking back, I'd bought a house with the love of my life, got my dream dog and had nothing to be upset about.
But I spent most of my birthday sat in the car, there was tears.
THE ANXIETY RETURNS:
Once we moved into the house, I was fine. Absolutely buzzing in fact.
Until about 2 and half month later I start getting severe anxiety again and it was coming out of nowhere and effecting me in situations it never had before, like just sitting in my house or driving my car.
It was very random and scary.
So after trying to pluck up the courage for week to talk to the doctor about it, I finally managed to book an appointment.
This was an achievement for me as having such an awful time with counselling for my Bipolar in the past, talking about it with someone I don't know if difficult for me.
However, it went fine and the doctor understood that I knew my head and I've been on medication for a long time now and I knew I need to 'take the edge off'.
I've been on the same dosage of my medication for around 2 years now, without any adjustments.
Due to my increase in anxiety I knew that my antidepressants needed amending and the doctor agreed.
I'm now on 200mg of Quetiapine (mood stabilisers) and 75mg of Setraline (antidepressants) a day now and I'm feeling much better.
They only adjusted my antidepressants by a half but it makes all the difference.
With Mental Health Medications, the smallest thing can make such a change.
PARANOIA:
Overall, 2016 has been a quick start with lots going on and I think I've coped with it all quite well considering my past. The only problem I'm suffering with at the moment is increased paranoia.
I've not had paranoia for a couple of years, and it really has come out of nowhere at the minute.
I'm dealing with daily and is really hard to cope with.
So that is my next challenge, but I feel I'm in a good head space otherwise to be able to deal with it however I do think I'm going to gain the courage to organise a therapist appointment so I can hopefully treat these paranoia demons.
What I want to end this update on is, please don't be afraid to talk it is scary, and it's not easy.
But you need to talk about, to be able to treat it.
If you, a friend or family member suffers with anything I've suffered with and wants to talk, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Thanks for reading,
Charlie xo
HAPPY 2ND BLOG BIRTHDAY!
29.4.16
Wow, 2 years already.
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| Two of the best years. |
It feels like yesterday I took the random plunge into blogging after being asked by my Instagram followers so they had a place to shop my style steals.
I knew nothing about Blogging, I followed one Blogger on Instagram; Zoe and had no idea what I was doing.
Writing only about fashion and personal style I took a swing at all and gave it a whirl.
Initially called 'pallettt.blogspot.com', I finally picked a name.
Styled by Charlie.
I couldn't believe how quickly I caught the Blogging bug and was 110% completely riddled with it.
Styled by Charlie became the location of all my style tips, bargains and favourite outfits.
But after about a year my blog became a home to all things lifestyle. I started posting about everything from my favourite candles and recipes to my favourite beauty products.
I fell completely in love with writing.
Although I'd posting all my own opinions on my blog I'd never really touched on a certain subject area that was very close to me - My mental health.
I then plucked up to courage in 2015 to write a tell-all blog post about my Bipolar Disorder to raise awareness and share my story to hopefully help others.
I could not believe the response.
Something I never, ever thought I'd mention to even one stranger was out in the open on the internet for anyone to read, and I was totally okay with that.
In fact, I was more than okay with it.
It was like a weight lifted - no more secrets.
I'm never been ashamed of my Bipolar Disorder as it's something I have to live with every single day but I always worried about an outsiders opinions of it.
'Crazy'. 'Depressed'. 'Psycho'.
I am none of those things.
I have Bipolar and that's totally okay!
But writing that particular blog post was a turning point for me and I am so, so proud of it.
Without the support of my readers and blogging friends I wouldn't be at the point in accepting my battle with mental health, because I wouldn't of had my blog to be able to write and share my journey.
So, thank you.
The past 2 years have been amazing.
I've done some pretty damn awesome things!
From attending my first blogging event with The Bloggers Hangout (formerly Bloggers Love), to meeting some of my idols such as Tanya Burr.
I have my own chapter in a Book.
ME! In a Book? Crazy.
Thanks to my blog I now write for Metro.co.uk writing my own blog posts.
I've worked with some of the most amazing brands in not just the UK but the world.
I'm forever grateful for the amazing opportunities Styled by Charlie has lead me to.
But the best thing Blogging has given me is some amazing life-long friendships; Amanda, Camilla and Jess - to name a few.
It lovely to meet people you instantly click with and have so much in common with you can talk for hours.
So, here's for turning 2, and here's to 2016.
It's been a brilliant start so far and I can't wait for the next 2, 4, 10 years of Styled by Charlie.
Let's see where it will take me.
Thanks for everything.
Love you all.
Thanks for reading,
Charlie xo
WHERE HAVE I BEEN?
2.12.15
Firstly,
SORRY!
I'm a #BadBlogger.
I'm a #BadBlogger.
It's been a whirlwind couple of months of buying our first home and getting a puppy!
Yes. I think we are a bit crazy.
I decided to have a few weeks off Blogging simply because of the craziness of daily life at the moment as there just doesn't seem to be enough hours of the day to complete anything!
Thank you so much for all your patients, but I'm officially back!
What have we done?
Tom and I have been together for nearly 4 Years and have been saving for our first home together for about 2 Years. We thought we'd need a couple more years of saving until we had a big enough deposit to purchase our first home but in late September we noticed the perfect house had come on the market in a local town called Uppingham for a really, really great price.
So.. We bought it!
It was much, much less than we'd originally planned to spend on our first home but it was just so perfect.
A little Victorian Cottage built in 1890 with quirky features and original wooden floors and doors set over 4 floors. It needed a bit of work doing to it but we couldn't miss the opportunity of buying this house and spending money on it to update it a little, restore the original features and make it ours.
So that's exactly what we've been doing!
It's not finished yet, in fact work has just began however we should (fingers crossed!) be in for Christmas.
I'm going to share the journey weekly on my Blog showing your the changes and work being down to create our perfect first home.
A Puppy too?
Again, yes we are crazy.
A house and a puppy at the same time, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
It's been my dream for 10 Years to have Pug one day.
Years of driving my parents crazy with constant persuasion and tears.
But I was only allowed one when I moved out.
So, after years and years and finally moving out, that's exactly what I did.
This is Arla.
Our now 12 Week Old little teeny tiny Pug puppy, and she's perfect.
We got her when she was 8 Weeks and 2 Days Old.
She's full of character, loves cuddles and has what we call 'Crazy Pug Time' every evening from around 8pm for about an hour.
'Crazy Pug Time' consists of ears back, tail down and running -faster than you thought a pug ever could - round and round and round a room for no apparent reason on and off for ages.
She's just so funny.
You can follow @ArlaThePug on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
What's to come?
Now I'm back you'll have 2 Blog Posts a week again, every Wednesday and Sunday evening.
No slacking! Promise.
As I mentioned before, they'll be a Weekly House Update on the Progress and Plans.
First House Update coming this Sunday evening.
Also, as it's Christmas they'll be a few Gift Guides running up to Christmas for alls kind of budgets, big and small.
As well as a few Puppy Updates too!
I found getting a puppy such a fun and special experience and I'd love to share with you all my advice when getting a puppy and what things you'll need for you new addition.
Hopefully, we'll be in the new house for Christmas with our little pup Arla and our new super fast WiFi of 76mb, life changing compared to our 0.2mb at our current house.
So be prepared for a YouTube relaunch in the New Year also...
But until then!
Thanks for your patients and understanding about my absence and new crazy life at the moment.
I can't wait to share and document it on my blog.
See you Sunday!
Yes. I think we are a bit crazy.
I decided to have a few weeks off Blogging simply because of the craziness of daily life at the moment as there just doesn't seem to be enough hours of the day to complete anything!
Thank you so much for all your patients, but I'm officially back!
What have we done?
Tom and I have been together for nearly 4 Years and have been saving for our first home together for about 2 Years. We thought we'd need a couple more years of saving until we had a big enough deposit to purchase our first home but in late September we noticed the perfect house had come on the market in a local town called Uppingham for a really, really great price.
So.. We bought it!
It was much, much less than we'd originally planned to spend on our first home but it was just so perfect.
A little Victorian Cottage built in 1890 with quirky features and original wooden floors and doors set over 4 floors. It needed a bit of work doing to it but we couldn't miss the opportunity of buying this house and spending money on it to update it a little, restore the original features and make it ours.
So that's exactly what we've been doing!
It's not finished yet, in fact work has just began however we should (fingers crossed!) be in for Christmas.
I'm going to share the journey weekly on my Blog showing your the changes and work being down to create our perfect first home.
A Puppy too?
Again, yes we are crazy.
A house and a puppy at the same time, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
It's been my dream for 10 Years to have Pug one day.
Years of driving my parents crazy with constant persuasion and tears.
But I was only allowed one when I moved out.
So, after years and years and finally moving out, that's exactly what I did.
This is Arla.
Our now 12 Week Old little teeny tiny Pug puppy, and she's perfect.
We got her when she was 8 Weeks and 2 Days Old.
She's full of character, loves cuddles and has what we call 'Crazy Pug Time' every evening from around 8pm for about an hour.
'Crazy Pug Time' consists of ears back, tail down and running -faster than you thought a pug ever could - round and round and round a room for no apparent reason on and off for ages.
She's just so funny.
You can follow @ArlaThePug on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
What's to come?
Now I'm back you'll have 2 Blog Posts a week again, every Wednesday and Sunday evening.
No slacking! Promise.
As I mentioned before, they'll be a Weekly House Update on the Progress and Plans.
First House Update coming this Sunday evening.
Also, as it's Christmas they'll be a few Gift Guides running up to Christmas for alls kind of budgets, big and small.
As well as a few Puppy Updates too!
I found getting a puppy such a fun and special experience and I'd love to share with you all my advice when getting a puppy and what things you'll need for you new addition.
Hopefully, we'll be in the new house for Christmas with our little pup Arla and our new super fast WiFi of 76mb, life changing compared to our 0.2mb at our current house.
So be prepared for a YouTube relaunch in the New Year also...
But until then!
Thanks for your patients and understanding about my absence and new crazy life at the moment.
I can't wait to share and document it on my blog.
See you Sunday!
Thanks for reading,
Find Me:
Snapchat: CharliePallett
Email: styledbycharlie@yahoo.com
SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel:
Check out my latest YouTube Video!
AUTUMN EVERYDAY MAKEUP | Styled by Charlie
Watch & Subscribe here
If you've been reading my blog from the start or since last year you'll know I previously wrote a tell all truths blog post about my battle with Mental Heath, Depression and Anxiety about my diagnosis with Bipolar Disorder.
See Blog Post here.
Since then I wrote another blog post about How I Stay Positive, Happy and Relaxed.
See Blog Post here.
Continuing my journey to happiness and sharing it with you all I thought I'd share with you how I deal with daily struggles, staying positive and being mindful.
Mindfulness is very, very important to me and something that can I can say is the main thing that has helped me sculpt the positive and open minded attitude I'm now lucky enough - after my exhausting journey - to say I'm in.
There are several Mindful things I do in my daily life to prepare myself for everything I may panic about, worry about, get anxious or stressed about that keep me calm and collected when certain occasions arrive I may have previously struggled with.
I thought I'd share with you 5 Tips and Tricks for Living Mindfully.
1. Take Each Day with a Fresh Mind
Something I always used to struggle with was carrying over my worries, troubles and concerns from the previous day or week.
My New Mindful Attitude has taught me that once I wake in the morning it really is a New Day with New Findings and New Experiences, don't mix that with worries that are in the past and they don't need to be carried over.
Start the day by filing those concerns in your Mindful Filing Cabinet in the 'In The Past' File.
2. Don't chase Happiness. Live it.
For years and years since being diagnosed with Bipolar I've chased Happiness.
Thinking 'Now I have the medication and the diagnosis, all I need now is the happiness and I'll be fine.' Well this was a lot more difficult than 14 Year Old me initially though.
Happiness wasn't waiting for me in some long lost abandoned cave by it's last owner and it didn't need chasing.
I just needed to let myself live it.
I spent too many years thinking I would stumble upon Happiness or it would finally find me like a Hogwarts Wizards Owl until I finally realised I just needed to accept that I could, and was allowed to be Happy.
Do what you love, spend time with who you love and give yourself some credit (because you're pretty awesome too you know!) and Live Happiness.
3. Be Creative
By creative I don't mean dig out your childhood paints and got wild with several canvas' in the garden - although that would be awesome and if you do please hola at me so I can join in - Unless that's how you generally spends your weekends then go for it!
I mean, let you mind be creative.
Do things you wouldn't normally do, Suggest thing you wouldn't normally suggest and Try new things you'd normally completely ignore.
I'm naturally a creative person. I can think of nothing better than spending an afternoon letting myself loose on Photoshop downloading new fonts and creating new designs or going on Holiday and spending more time with my Camera than with any of my friends or family.
But living mindfully has shown me new ways to be creative and have fun doing it.
If you struggle to get your creative juices flowing as an adult - as it was all so much easier when you were a child in primary school with nothing else to do than let your imagination go wild and be as creative as humanly possible - May I suggest you invest in An Adult Colouring Book.
I recently bought the Mindfulness Colouring Book for adults that has the most amazing selection of 100's of patterns from mandala's and tea cups to cabbages and it's so great for getting in to a creative and mentally healthy zone that my Boyfriend & my Mum who suffer from Stress and Anxiety have both invested in Adult Colouring Books and love them!
4. Give yourself Me Time
I used to try my best to plan and cram up all of my spare time so I wasn't alone and always had someone with me as one of my worst fears with my stress and anxiety was being alone as I always felt more vulnerable and unsafe with my thoughts.
However, since practising being Mindful in the past few years I've come to cherish my Me Time.
It's the time where I become a version of myself I'd not seen in a while where I get creative, positive, motivated and calm.
I now try and have as much Me Time as possible in my spare time.
This isn't on my Weekends which I spend with my Family or my Boyfriend this is when I'm off work, or on those rare occasions where my boyfriend is away for the night or on a job.
I now adore my Me Time.
I mostly have my Blogging to thank for my changing in thoughts on being along, as for the past year it's meant I've needed to be alone to work on posts. Then once I'd finished a post I'd have more Me Time with my fresh and accepting mind from being creative writing my posts feeling so motivated.
In the past year using my Me Time I've created a Blog, YouTube Channel, Silhouette Signs Company and made more time for my Photography Jobs!
5. Challenge & Experiment
This is something I touched on in my How I Stay Positive, Happy and Relaxed Blog Post where I regularly challenge myself with things I'd normally struggle with.
Well with Living Mindfully I Challenge all the time.
Even yesterday during my Me Time instead of spending the next hour watching YouTube Videos with all of my jobs completed, I decided to take myself to my car and travel to a destination which I normally have anxiety issues with (which is only a shop in a town I struggle visiting. So to some of you this may sound utterly ridiculous, or some of you who suffer with anxiety may be able to relate) on my own to do some shopping for the evening.
Normally I'd only go with my boyfriend and even on a good day would I go in with him, otherwise I'd stay in the car in my comfort zone.
But after I'd done this I felt so accomplished and proud of myself.
Anxiety it's challenging in itself as you don't know when it's going to spring upon you but you start to notice the things that trigger it.
So adapting a Mindful Life is amazing for you if you suffer from anxiety as it allows you to thing differently and from new perspectives about certain situations.
Being Mindful and Experimenting in every day life is another Top Tip I would recommend.
Try Random New Things such as:
• Take a new route home from work.
• Grab some random ingredients from the fridge and create a new meal.
• Doodle with no intention of an outcome.
• Take a walk exploring with no final destination.
• Have a hour away from you phone and social media. (you'll be surprised)
• Type a random 3 Digit Number into your Sky Remote and watch a program you've never heard off.
• Take a Baking Book off your book shelf and stop on a random page and baking something new.
• Go into a Book shop or onto Amazon and pick up/order a random book and take a read.
• Spend a weekend off in the sun driving in a direction and stumble across a destination to spend the day at;
Try new things, experiment, explore and find a version of you you didn't know before.
Maybe you watch a new TV Channel and educate yourself about something you didn't know or find a love for watching gymnastics. Maybe you take a different route home from work and stumble across as restaurant or shop on the way you didn't know existed and a new place to visit over the weekend.
All the things help calm, free and find yourself into a new way of things helping you change your mindset into an accepting and experimental mind.
Being Mindful is fabulous.
Try it.
Books I'd Recommend:
The Calm Book
Buy Here
The Mindfulness Colouring Book
Buy Here
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying
Buy Here
Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter
Buy Here
Get The Glow
Buy Here
Nourish: Mind, Body & Soul
Buy Here
I hope this post has either inspired, motivated or educated you to something either you didn't know about, were nervous to try or something you were curious about.
Either way, I hope it helped!
Please leave me a comment with your thoughts.
Thanks for reading!
I thought I'd share with you 5 Tips and Tricks for Living Mindfully.
1. Take Each Day with a Fresh Mind
Something I always used to struggle with was carrying over my worries, troubles and concerns from the previous day or week.
My New Mindful Attitude has taught me that once I wake in the morning it really is a New Day with New Findings and New Experiences, don't mix that with worries that are in the past and they don't need to be carried over.
Start the day by filing those concerns in your Mindful Filing Cabinet in the 'In The Past' File.
2. Don't chase Happiness. Live it.
For years and years since being diagnosed with Bipolar I've chased Happiness.
Thinking 'Now I have the medication and the diagnosis, all I need now is the happiness and I'll be fine.' Well this was a lot more difficult than 14 Year Old me initially though.
Happiness wasn't waiting for me in some long lost abandoned cave by it's last owner and it didn't need chasing.
I just needed to let myself live it.
I spent too many years thinking I would stumble upon Happiness or it would finally find me like a Hogwarts Wizards Owl until I finally realised I just needed to accept that I could, and was allowed to be Happy.
Do what you love, spend time with who you love and give yourself some credit (because you're pretty awesome too you know!) and Live Happiness.
3. Be Creative
By creative I don't mean dig out your childhood paints and got wild with several canvas' in the garden - although that would be awesome and if you do please hola at me so I can join in - Unless that's how you generally spends your weekends then go for it!
I mean, let you mind be creative.
Do things you wouldn't normally do, Suggest thing you wouldn't normally suggest and Try new things you'd normally completely ignore.
I'm naturally a creative person. I can think of nothing better than spending an afternoon letting myself loose on Photoshop downloading new fonts and creating new designs or going on Holiday and spending more time with my Camera than with any of my friends or family.
But living mindfully has shown me new ways to be creative and have fun doing it.
If you struggle to get your creative juices flowing as an adult - as it was all so much easier when you were a child in primary school with nothing else to do than let your imagination go wild and be as creative as humanly possible - May I suggest you invest in An Adult Colouring Book.
I recently bought the Mindfulness Colouring Book for adults that has the most amazing selection of 100's of patterns from mandala's and tea cups to cabbages and it's so great for getting in to a creative and mentally healthy zone that my Boyfriend & my Mum who suffer from Stress and Anxiety have both invested in Adult Colouring Books and love them!
4. Give yourself Me Time
I used to try my best to plan and cram up all of my spare time so I wasn't alone and always had someone with me as one of my worst fears with my stress and anxiety was being alone as I always felt more vulnerable and unsafe with my thoughts.
However, since practising being Mindful in the past few years I've come to cherish my Me Time.
It's the time where I become a version of myself I'd not seen in a while where I get creative, positive, motivated and calm.
I now try and have as much Me Time as possible in my spare time.
This isn't on my Weekends which I spend with my Family or my Boyfriend this is when I'm off work, or on those rare occasions where my boyfriend is away for the night or on a job.
I now adore my Me Time.
I mostly have my Blogging to thank for my changing in thoughts on being along, as for the past year it's meant I've needed to be alone to work on posts. Then once I'd finished a post I'd have more Me Time with my fresh and accepting mind from being creative writing my posts feeling so motivated.
In the past year using my Me Time I've created a Blog, YouTube Channel, Silhouette Signs Company and made more time for my Photography Jobs!
5. Challenge & Experiment
This is something I touched on in my How I Stay Positive, Happy and Relaxed Blog Post where I regularly challenge myself with things I'd normally struggle with.
Well with Living Mindfully I Challenge all the time.
Even yesterday during my Me Time instead of spending the next hour watching YouTube Videos with all of my jobs completed, I decided to take myself to my car and travel to a destination which I normally have anxiety issues with (which is only a shop in a town I struggle visiting. So to some of you this may sound utterly ridiculous, or some of you who suffer with anxiety may be able to relate) on my own to do some shopping for the evening.
Normally I'd only go with my boyfriend and even on a good day would I go in with him, otherwise I'd stay in the car in my comfort zone.
But after I'd done this I felt so accomplished and proud of myself.
Anxiety it's challenging in itself as you don't know when it's going to spring upon you but you start to notice the things that trigger it.
So adapting a Mindful Life is amazing for you if you suffer from anxiety as it allows you to thing differently and from new perspectives about certain situations.
Being Mindful and Experimenting in every day life is another Top Tip I would recommend.
Try Random New Things such as:
• Take a new route home from work.
• Grab some random ingredients from the fridge and create a new meal.
• Doodle with no intention of an outcome.
• Take a walk exploring with no final destination.
• Have a hour away from you phone and social media. (you'll be surprised)
• Type a random 3 Digit Number into your Sky Remote and watch a program you've never heard off.
• Take a Baking Book off your book shelf and stop on a random page and baking something new.
• Go into a Book shop or onto Amazon and pick up/order a random book and take a read.
• Spend a weekend off in the sun driving in a direction and stumble across a destination to spend the day at;
Try new things, experiment, explore and find a version of you you didn't know before.
Maybe you watch a new TV Channel and educate yourself about something you didn't know or find a love for watching gymnastics. Maybe you take a different route home from work and stumble across as restaurant or shop on the way you didn't know existed and a new place to visit over the weekend.
All the things help calm, free and find yourself into a new way of things helping you change your mindset into an accepting and experimental mind.
Being Mindful is fabulous.
Try it.
Books I'd Recommend:
The Calm Book
Buy Here
The Mindfulness Colouring Book
Buy Here
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying
Buy Here
Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter
Buy Here
Get The Glow
Buy Here
Nourish: Mind, Body & Soul
Buy Here
I hope this post has either inspired, motivated or educated you to something either you didn't know about, were nervous to try or something you were curious about.
Either way, I hope it helped!
Please leave me a comment with your thoughts.
Thanks for reading!
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Since I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder I'm struggled with lack in routines and planning and craved a relaxed organised lifestyle.
Through years of battling my disorder - as mentioned in my tell-all Blog Post here - I've realised certain ways to manage my stress, anxiety and have created a level headed positive lifestyle for myself through years of practice and trial and error.
I get asked how I cope and deal with situations, as although my Bipolar is now maintained by medication and my strict routines and planning - as well as all my tips bellow - I still have bad days with it too, so I thought I'd share my tips on how I try to lead my positive and relaxed lifestyle to stay calm and level headed.
Disclaimer:
Disclaimer:
I'm not writing to say these 'tips' will or will not help you, but as I had such an amazing response and inspiring feedback from my Living with Bipolar, Depression & Anxiety post, I thought to all of you that were helped by the post, my personal tips of how I manage my lifestyle to maintain a positive, happy and relaxed mindset, that this may be some new ideas to consider to get you to your happy zone.
My Top Tips!
1. Maintain a routine
Before and during my diagnosis with Bipolar, Depression & Anxiety I always struggled with managing my stress without a routine as I've never really had a structured lifestyle.
I live in a very spontaneous family where nothing is really planned ahead.
Before and during my diagnosis with Bipolar, Depression & Anxiety I always struggled with managing my stress without a routine as I've never really had a structured lifestyle.
I live in a very spontaneous family where nothing is really planned ahead.
My tip would be try and have a strong routine that you stick to so nothing worries or stresses your ideas or planning and pops up out of the blue.
So you know exactly what is happening where.
Remember, you're the boss!
For example;
• Wake up at the same time and go to sleep at the same time
• Eat around the same time every morning and evening
• Try not to make last minute decisions
Try and leave yourself enough time to plan it into your schedule/routine and make sure you family and friends are aware of this
Last minute sprung decisions and choice bring on stress and anxiety for me so I try to avoid that and my family and friends are very supportive of this.
2. Have things to look forward too
This is a huge thing for me, I have to have something to look forward too.
Be it a Holiday, meal out or maybe just a planned movie night in or even a takeaway evening with friends.
I find this the easiest way to stay positive and smiling with something to look forward to, so every time I've feeling lower than the day before I can use it to pick me back up again.
Remember, it's about making you happy not about breaking the bank
3. Treat yourself
People say 'money doesn't make you happy', but treating yourself to something every now and again is something that we all need and as well all know, does perk you up.
However, I'd recommend in treating yourself to something affordable, productive and positive.
I don't go on a huge spree I just purchase the odd thing every now and again if it's something I'm been excited about for a while.
For example; Camera lens or accessory if you like photography that's going to be productive to your hobby, Makeup brush is you adore makeup, Piece of jewellery you've always wanted etc
Something that's going to benefit your daily life and be continuously productive to positive so it's not something that perks you up for a day or two, it's something that every time you use it or wear it gives you a positive feeling or a smile.
4. Do what makes you happy and content
It may sound boring to some of your but my all time favourite evening and past time is having alone time with my boyfriend watching a movie, TV series or comedy program in the evening with a candle lit, an occasional glass of wine with a huge duvet cover and some nibbles.
This is something I've noticed makes me really happy, feel positive and content, it's something I like to spend most evenings doing as if it works, why not?
4. Challenge yourself
This is something I've started to do very recently after feeling in a happy headspace for quite a while. I've decided to challenge myself in situations I'd usually avoid or struggle with.
For example; There are certain locations I really struggle visiting with my anxiety and tends to stem panic and anxiety attacks for me which result in me only being able to visit those locations accompanied.
However, recently on a good day or week when I'm feel positive and happy I've taken myself into those situations alone and managed to cope with something that would usually of put me in a very vunerable position all by myself, which is very rewarding.
Granted, everyday isn't a good day where that's challenge is possible and it's not always as easy as that but I've realised occasionally challenging myself with the situations that would normally be extremely difficult is making me stronger and more positive when faced with them.
5. Don't surround yourself with any negativity
Unfortunately, I learnt this the harder way but now it's my biggest tip out there, whether you suffer with an anxiety or stress disorder or not.
This is my biggest life tip and my favourite quote:
'Don't surround yourself with negativity or with negative people.
So you know exactly what is happening where.
Remember, you're the boss!
For example;
• Wake up at the same time and go to sleep at the same time
• Eat around the same time every morning and evening
• Try not to make last minute decisions
Try and leave yourself enough time to plan it into your schedule/routine and make sure you family and friends are aware of this
Last minute sprung decisions and choice bring on stress and anxiety for me so I try to avoid that and my family and friends are very supportive of this.
This is a huge thing for me, I have to have something to look forward too.
Be it a Holiday, meal out or maybe just a planned movie night in or even a takeaway evening with friends.
I find this the easiest way to stay positive and smiling with something to look forward to, so every time I've feeling lower than the day before I can use it to pick me back up again.
Remember, it's about making you happy not about breaking the bank
3. Treat yourself
People say 'money doesn't make you happy', but treating yourself to something every now and again is something that we all need and as well all know, does perk you up.
However, I'd recommend in treating yourself to something affordable, productive and positive.
I don't go on a huge spree I just purchase the odd thing every now and again if it's something I'm been excited about for a while.
For example; Camera lens or accessory if you like photography that's going to be productive to your hobby, Makeup brush is you adore makeup, Piece of jewellery you've always wanted etc
Something that's going to benefit your daily life and be continuously productive to positive so it's not something that perks you up for a day or two, it's something that every time you use it or wear it gives you a positive feeling or a smile.
4. Do what makes you happy and content
It may sound boring to some of your but my all time favourite evening and past time is having alone time with my boyfriend watching a movie, TV series or comedy program in the evening with a candle lit, an occasional glass of wine with a huge duvet cover and some nibbles.
This is something I've noticed makes me really happy, feel positive and content, it's something I like to spend most evenings doing as if it works, why not?
4. Challenge yourself
This is something I've started to do very recently after feeling in a happy headspace for quite a while. I've decided to challenge myself in situations I'd usually avoid or struggle with.
For example; There are certain locations I really struggle visiting with my anxiety and tends to stem panic and anxiety attacks for me which result in me only being able to visit those locations accompanied.
However, recently on a good day or week when I'm feel positive and happy I've taken myself into those situations alone and managed to cope with something that would usually of put me in a very vunerable position all by myself, which is very rewarding.
Granted, everyday isn't a good day where that's challenge is possible and it's not always as easy as that but I've realised occasionally challenging myself with the situations that would normally be extremely difficult is making me stronger and more positive when faced with them.
5. Don't surround yourself with any negativity
Unfortunately, I learnt this the harder way but now it's my biggest tip out there, whether you suffer with an anxiety or stress disorder or not.
This is my biggest life tip and my favourite quote:
'Don't surround yourself with negativity or with negative people.
Surround yourself with love and happiness, and don't look back."
I'm always hesitant to write these kind of posts.
I'm aware not every out there has the same every day challenges as me or the same disorder, however I'm also aware that a huge amount of people out there do.
If I can share my tips after years of battling with mental health and help just one other person out there with one of my tips to maintaining a positive and happy lifestyle, then this is all worth writing.
Obviously I have a many more things that help me every day, however I believe these are the most important ones for me and the ones I think are well worth sharing.
Please comment bellow if you have any other tips, if you've tried or plan on trying one of mine or if you're that one person out their I hope this post will help.
Thank you for reading,
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