5 things to try when you’re feeling lonely.

Hey!

It’s been so long since I last posted, it feels good to be back in front of this laptop screen typing away, occasionally catching my reflection in the screen and frightening myself, reminding myself I MUST start going to the gym and putting more thought and effort into my appearance!!! But most importantly, it feels good to be writing about something that will (hopefully) help others.

I’ve been desperate to talk about this topic for a while now. It’s taken me a couple of weeks to really think about it and decide what is appropriate for a public blog, what is not, how best to word my thoughts and opinions etc. because it’s a sensitive subject to talk about, but I try and talk about it as much as I can – mental health. Focusing mainly on feeling lonely.

Now, there’s a difference between being alone and being lonely. There are times when I cannot wait to be alone and have some well-deserved and over-due “me time” whilst everyone else around me kindly pisses off, leaving me to have a quiet bubble bath, candles, peaceful music, a big jar of Nutella and a spoon, you know, the obvious stuff. However, feeling lonely is completely different. Everyone has felt lonely at some point in their life and just the thought of that breaks my heart. Even people with the busiest and happiest social lives will feel lonely sometimes. I truly believe it is an emotion everyone can relate to on some level.

Did you know that elderly people are especially vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation? According to AGE UK, 2 million elderly people over the age of 75 live alone and more than a million of them say they go over a month without speaking to anyone, even a neighbour or shop assistant. This breaks my heart! And according to Campaign to End Loneliness in the UK 17% of elderly people are in contact with a family member, friend or neighbour less than once a week, over half of all people aged 75 and over live alone and about 3.9 million elderly people say the television is their main company. This breaks my heart so much. So, please can I kindly suggest the next time you spot an elderly person on their own, perhaps strike up a conversation with them, about anything! Or at the very least just smile, say hello and ask how they are. I can guarantee it’ll completely brighten up their week. Some people get a bit irritated when elderly people start talking to them at the bus stop or in a queue about the weather and all things irrelevant to their lives. But please open your mind to how lonely that person could be and how desperate they may be to have some social interaction with someone. The most interesting stories I’ve heard have all been from listening to elderly people tell me about their lives. You’ll be pleasantly surprised if you stop and give people a chance to talk to you.

I think that feeling lonely is one of those emotions and problems a lot of people just brush under the carpet because they think it’s not a big deal and that everyone can overcome loneliness, piece of cake. However, loneliness is a much bigger problem than society believes it to be. It’s much more than just an emotional experience that can be easily fixed. Research shows that loneliness and social isolation can cause many health issues and are genuinely harmful to our health. Social isolation and a regular feeling of being very lonely is just has harmful to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is actually more harmful to us than common health issues such as obesity. This needs to be addressed more and taken more seriously. I’m just trying to think of how I, personally, could help with this, so I decided to sign up to volunteer for Campaign to End Loneliness.

If I’m ever feeling lonely there are 5 things in particular that I like to do to help me, and they genuinely help me, so give them a try:

1.) Seek relief from a furry friend – there is nothing better than cuddling up with my dog when I’m feeling lonely or sad. Dogs and cats, especially, just seem to sense when you’re not feeling yourself. Pets truly love you for you and don’t give a damn about how you look, what you do for a living, how much money you have etc. Cuddling up with my dog and telling him my troubles can sometimes really help me and takes a little weight off my shoulders. 🙂

2.) Text a friend to say hello – It seems so simple but I completely get that sometimes it can be easier said than done, especially if you are feeling like you don’t really have any friends or anyone to turn to. In which case, text your neighbor, your baby-sitter, your dog-sitter, your gardener, anyone! Make that first move just to simply say hello, see where that simple hello takes you and the conversation it might strike up.

3.) Volunteer! – I started volunteering for a few charities when I was going through a very lonely and isolated time in my life. Not only does it make you feel good for helping others, but you will meet tons of other like-minded people who are also kind and caring just like you.

4.) Watch your favourite movies/TV shows – my go-to TV show when I’m feeling down and lonely is Friends. It makes me laugh endlessly, even when I’m feeling awful! But most importantly, it makes me feel like I’m a part of their lives for a little while, and it reminds me that there are over 7 billion people in the world who I am yet to meet. The world is my oyster and I can make friends with whoever I want.

5.) Take a random bus, train for flight to absolutely anywhere, go on an adventure, talk to strangers along the way, strike up conversations with anyone you meet, try something new, do something fun and let your hair down.

If you are feeling lonely, please reach out to someone, anyone. Sometimes it actually feels better to talk to a stranger about any problems you may have. I know I definitely find it easier telling my problems to a stranger! It makes you feel like you aren’t being judged so much? There are many helplines you can call and counsellors you can reach out to who would be happy to talk to you about anything on your mind. That is their job, and more often than not, they volunteer to listen to people and talk to them – that’s how much they want to help people. If you’d like some advice, or just simply someone to talk to, to overcome loneliness then please may I recommend the following:

mindinfoline: 0300 123 3393 (as mentioned on ITV This Morning)

Or visit:

campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk

Lots of love to you all,

Lauren x

MY BIGGEST SECRET – My hand-written letters to strangers all over the world.

Hello blog-readers, friends, family strangers,

Today is Monday (already!) how is everyone doing? I have had the worst back pain today, I’ve tried painkillers, heat packs, ice packs, bubble baths, laying in bed, you name it! It’s been a pretty crap day for me. But like I always say, onwards and upwards and let’s get through this!

I wanted to write a blog post today about my handwritten letters to the world. It’s one of my biggest secrets – nobody knows about it apart from me (until now haha!l) and I’ve been doing it for a few years now and have thoroughly enjoyed myself with it. As you will know just by reading my blog posts alone, I am all for motivating and inspiring people. I’m all about trying to make others happy, I support mental health 100% and I do all I can to try and make the world a happier place. So, a few years ago I decided to hand-write anonymous letters of love and happiness and post them to random addresses around the world. Leaving the sender (me) completely anonymous. It’s made me feel better in so many ways. Not only will I have made someone else smile by reading my supportive and motivational letters, but it’s been a therapeutic journey for me too. Doing good deeds always makes you feel better. Making others happy always makes you feel better too.

Last year I decided that I wanted to see if these people were actually receiving my letters and what they thought of them, but I didn’t want to give my identity or personal information away. So I decided to make an email address in a random name & Twitter account too (which I’m still going to keep anonymous to anyone who hasn’t received my letters) specifically for my lovely receivers to get in touch with me if they wanted to, without having to give any of my personal info away other than my first name. So far I’ve had lots of people get in touch thanking me for my random letters – it has put a smile on their faces and they’re grateful. This makes me feel so good. I have made a stranger smile. I have brought strangers together for all the RIGHT reasons. 😊 I post letters to every country in the world, completely at random. And I do not save or share any addresses after I have posted them. In fact, I can’t remember a single address I have posted to. I keep it all very safe and anonymous.

Take a look at a few of the tweets I have received below..

I will continue to write my letters of inspiration, love and happiness to random addresses around the world in the hopes to put a smile on other peoples faces and bring strangers together for all the right reasons. 😊

I hope you enjoyed reading about my secret as much as I have enjoyed sharing it with you.

Have a great week, everyone!

Love,

Lauren 💕

TOP 3 EMBARRASSING MOMENTS!!!

WARNING: Not for the faint hearted! 😂😂

Hello to whoever has given this post the time of day to read 😊 I promise it will either make you laugh out loud or at least make you exhale through your nose a little harder than usual (you know the little lazy laughs you do when you read something a bit funny but not quite funny enough to laugh out of your mouth!?)

I wanted to share my top 3 embarrassing moments with the world to spread a little joy. To show people that everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes and ends up in excruciatingly embarrassing situations sometimes!! My blog, so far, has mainly consisted of posts trying to motivate and inspire others, sharing my thoughts and experiences on mental health etc. They’re more serious posts. But I really want to post about something light-hearted, funny and stupid. So, without worrying about being judged and laughed at by everyone, here are my top 3 most embarrassing moments…

1.) I’ll start with my most recent embarrassing moment, and it actually happened this morning. I walked into the toilet at work (it is a normal bathroom, not a cubicle) however, I forgot to lock the door.. (you can tell what’s coming can’t you?) anyway, I pulled my trousers and underwear down about to sit on the toilet, but just at that second I noticed a little spider in my hair in the mirror so I quickly tried to get the spider out of my hair, meanwhile with my trousers and underwear still down by my knees. It was at this split second that someone decided to walk into the toilet and we had the most awkward stare-off for a few seconds whilst she registered what the fuck was going on….. I quickly realised that to this person I must’ve looked like a complete odd-job looking at myself in the mirror with my trousers and underwear down by my knees with my bits on show! It’s safe to say I stayed in the toilet for a further 5 minutes cringing haha! I give you permission to giggle, cringe and judge me for this. School boy error – forgetting to lock the door in a public/shared toilet.

2.) My second most embarrassing moment happened around 10 years ago when I was shopping in Topshop. I was in the changing rooms in the middle of trying on some clothes and the fire alarm goes off. It can’t have been a scheduled alarm as the staff quickly began to panic. A shop assistant ran into the changing room and demanded I run outside as quickly as possible regardless of what I was wearing (or wasn’t wearing, in my case) in a panic I did as she said and ran outside with everyone else. It wasn’t until I got to the front of the shop about to go outside that I realise I was not only wearing a pair of trousers with a security tag on them, but I wasn’t wearing a tshirt – just a bra. So I grabbed the first thing off the racks that I could find to cover myself whilst I was running out of the shop. It happened to be the fluffiest ugliest top and 2 sizes too small. I didn’t have a chance to put it on until I was outside. The security alarm went off because of the trousers I was wearing and many people saw me in my bra struggling to put this weird fluffy top on that was super tight and didn’t cover much of me. We were stood outside for a good 15 minutes before we were allowed to go back in. I got many weird looks and there was literally nothing I could do haha! I can confirm that as soon as we were allowed back in, I sprinted to the changing rooms, immediately got dressed and ran back out. Even though I actually wanted to buy those trousers. But by this point I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible!! I swear I carry bad luck with me everywhere I go!! For a little while afterwards some of the staff remember me and gave me the occasional awkward look. Nice one, Lauren. A proper Bridget Jones moment.

3.) My final most embarrassing moment happened about 4 years ago, just before I met my current partner. This is a double embarrassing moment all tied up into one, because 2 embarrassing moments happened on this particular evening. I was single and on a date with a guy at a bar. 2nd date and going well (but not for long). Whilst we were there, we bumped into some of his friends. When they asked who I was, not only did he introduce me by the wrong name “Laura” which then lead to me being called Laura most of the night (so embarrassing and annoying!!) I then quickly realised I recognised one of his friends. And it seemed that he also recognised me as we looked at each other with dread in our eyes and a sudden pale complexion. We had previously dated before and it had ended awkwardly (that’s another story completely! I’ll save that for another time haha) so by this point I was feeling super super awkward and embarrassed and, inevitably, we had to tell my date that we knew each other and previously dated and everyone just sort of fell silent and awkward for ages. The rest of the night didn’t go too well and it’s safe to say we didn’t go on another date after that!

I hope you found enjoyment out of my embarrassing moments that will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I still cringe badly at the thought of them!!

I know I’m not the only one who manages to get themselves into these stupid situations haha!

Anyway, have a great weekend everyone and I hope you don’t embarrass yourself too much!!

Lauren ❤️

How to cheer yourself up/ Book Recommendation

I decided to take a little break from blogging & social media in general for 2 weeks to focus on myself, my family and life in general. I do that occasionally if I find myself looking at my phone too much haha. (I can’t resist the occasional Instagram post though!!) Does anyone else feel the need to do this sometimes? Like you want to go into hiding for a few weeks, no phone, technology or social media of any kind. Complete silence to focus on your own life instead of everyone else’s, even though you feel like you are apart of so many other peoples lives, families and even relationships because you see and read it all over social media every day. Even people you barely know anymore and haven’t spoken to for years, you still know a lot about their lives, like how last Friday night that girl from school went to that really nice Indian restaurant in town with her boyfriend, she ordered the chicken korma and he was a little more daring and went for a vindaloo, which resulted in him being poorly the next day. See?! We know all the details, yet we haven’t spoken a word to some of these people in years!  Either way, hello, I’m back 🙂 …. for now!

So, my Monday started off with being woken up by my 6am alarm clock and being genuinely confused. I had a whole week off work the previous week, so I was just starting to get used to the bliss of not being woken up at the crack of dawn by my alarms every day. It was still dark outside and as I struggled to wake up and realise where I was and who I was I realised I was literally hanging off the side of my bed. Why was I all the way over here? This isn’t comfortable at all. In fa?ct, it’s painful. Meanwhile, my alarm was still deafening me. I look over…ah yes, it’s starting to make sense now, my partner had star-fished the bed and it was, in fact, the start of my working week again.

Do you ever go to bed really late and immediately regret it the second you wake up the next morning so you vow to go to bed much earlier that evening, in fact you wake up and look forward to going to sleep as soon as you get back from work…? SAME! That sums up my Monday morning haha!

But as the day goes on, I always find motivation and inspiration most places I look. It brightens up my day each day and gets me through my days. If I’m feeling low and down in the dumps, I like to do some of the following things to make me feel a little better:

• Text a friend just to say hello
• Drink lots of water
• Search for motivational and inspirational quotes and videos online
• Read the current book I’m reading (I’m a huge bookworm)
• Yoga/Pilates
• Cuddle my dog
• Cuddle my son
• Watch a Disney movie
• Take a hot bubble bath (with candles and/or music)
• Play happy/feel-good music
• Get dressed up (this doesn’t have to be a little dress and heels. Just put on some make-up and put on your favourite clothes)
• Dress down (Put your PJ’s on, take all your make-up off, tie your hair back and relax!)
• Buy some flowers
• Smile at people – you’d be surprised how nice and refreshing it is to just be smiled at and to smile at someone.
• Do a good deed
• Plan a trip (Big holiday or short trip – doesn’t have to be expensive!!)
• EAT CHOCOLATE AND SWEETS!
• Cry if you need to – let it all out.
• Take a nice long nap
• Turn my phone off for a while.
• Re-arrange a room in my house
• Decorate a room in my house.
• Play a board game or cards with family/friends
• Pick one night a week to have a really early night and catch up on sleep.
• Reminisce – just take some time to think back to happy memories.
• Talk to someone about my problems, whether that be a loved one, a professional or a stranger. Don’t keep it all in.
• Take up a new hobby.

I hope some of the things above motivate you or cheer you up a little bit. They always help me 🙂

Have a cheerful and content week, everyone!

Love,

Lauren 💕

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BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

A Stranger In The House – Shari Lapena was a thrilling read for me and had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. I read it in 2 days because I simply couldn’t put it down. So many twists and suspense throughout this book will keep you completely hooked. I can’t recommend this book enough. It will continually make you doubt your predications. Please give it a read and let me know what you thought!

Click the link below to buy this book from Waterstones:

A Stranger In The House

Motivation Monday / Book Recommendation

Hey everyone! 😊

Yet again, Monday has creeped up on us, tapped us on the shoulder and given us that creepy smile that we all loathe. BUT onwards and upwards, you’ve managed to get through most of it, go you!!… and it’s almost Tuesday!!

Over the past week I’ve been feeling a little down in the dumps (being on my period may have a teeny tiny bit to do with it..) I’ve been on Pinterest and Tumblr a lot over the past week looking at inspirational and uplifting quotes and photos. I found a ton of them and kept reading them every time I felt a bit low or anxious. It really helps me. I recommend it! Suffering with anxiety myself, I think the main reason people get anxious and low is because they have this self-doubt that just won’t budge. You can have an amazing few weeks and feel on top of the world.. but that self-doubt will crawl it’s way back into your head. You will always have a bad day here and there and THAT IS OK! Completely normal.. and healthy, in fact. If you suffer with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder or ANY mental health issues, you will continue to have the occasional down days here and there and that’s ok. What you need to focus on are things, people, places, food, clothes, anything that makes you feel good about yourself and happy. A temporary fix, to be exact. Because nothing is permanent. AND THAT IS OK! The temporary fixes are what get me through day-to-day life and I love them. I want to share with you one of my temporary, BUT INCREDIBLE, fixes that always manages cheer me up for a few weeks/months at a time and makes me feel fresh, organised, tidied up, pretty and together.

Room changes:

Every few months or so I will re-arrange some of the rooms in my house, mainly my bedroom and living room because that’s where I spend most of my time within the house. Changing the way your house looks can really help you, and it has helped me so much over the years. It’s almost like a fresh start every few months. Goodbye to the old bedroom and living room, goodbye to any bad memories in those rooms.. and hello new bedroom, hello new living room, hello new happy memories! It gives you that motivation to start a fresh if you want to. It’s a very refreshing fix for me and I will continue doing it! Give it a try 😊 trust me, you’ll feel a little better!

Have a beautiful week! Stay safe, healthy and happy!

Love,

Lauren xx 💕

(head over to my “favourites & Recommendations page for a new post recommending my favourite February bite & bobs)

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Book Recommendation:

This week I am going to recommend another of my favourite books (I’ve read it countless times) AND it’s another Lesley Pearce book. I just love her books, they’re always so dramatic and emotional. She creates characters that have such a story, history and background you immediately fall in love with the characters and you genuinely miss them when you finish the book.

Without a Trace has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

“Coronation Day, 1953. In a sleepy Somerset village, young shopkeeper Molly Heywood makes a terrible discovery: her friend Cassie has been murdered and Cassie’s six year old daughter Petal is missing. Weeks pass but the police make no progress, so molly, against the advice of childhood friend and village policeman George, takes matters into her own hands. Clutching a letter sent to Cassie from London, she leaves in search for Petal. In the Blitz-scarred East End, Molly meets and befriends strangers from Cassie’s past, but the big city is a dangerous place for a country girl – especially one on the trail of a murder.”

Below is the link to buy Without a Trace for just £3.99! Definitely give it a read, you will not be disappointed.

Without a Trace 💕

Monday Motivation/Book Recommendation

Hey all!

So….. it’s Monday again. And I almost want to apologise to everyone that it’s Monday 😂 wow Monday really doesn’t have a good reputation does it? But onwards and upwards!

How is everyone feeling today? I hope whoever you are, reading this, that you’ve had a smooth Monday. Be proud if you’ve got even the tiniest of things done and checked off your list. I applauded myself this afternoon after work for tidying up my closet room and living room! It’s been a mess for weeks and I finally tackled it! *pat on the back* …. please give yourselves a little pat on the back if you’ve completed a job today – small or big. It could be something as small as getting out of bed today when you’ve felt like absolute crap – mentally or physically. Go you!!! Maybe you got that dreaded pile of ironing done today, or you got all of the kids to bed on time. Or something as big as getting a promotion, engaged, married, pregnant, giving birth! Woooo!! Either way, whatever it is you have done today – small or big, be proud of yourself 😊

Sometimes (and I’ve done this many a time before. Lesson learnt) people start their weeks off in an atrocious mood and attitude because they’ve had a bad weekend for some reason or another and it puts a downer on the rest of your week. But just because you’ve had a bad weekend, it doesn’t mean your week has to continue like that. Not at all. Monday’s may be gloomy and depressing because for a lot of people it means snapping back to reality after a great weekend of relaxing and being around loved ones and fun hobbies. But Monday’s can also be a blessing in disguise. They can be the start of a fresh new week if you’ve had a bad weekend or previous week. It gives you a chance to really kick your ass into gear, keep your head high and paint a smile on your face and get shit done! Kiss that crap weekend goodbye and start this week with a positive attitude so that you don’t have another bad week. ❤️👍🏼

Remember you are loved and you are important. No matter who you are or what it is you do in life.

xxx

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Book Recommendation:

This week I absolutely MUST recommend a favourite of mine and one I have recommended to so many people before (all of whom have thanked me greatly for forcing it upon them!) if you like a crime/thriller novel then this is 100% the book for you. And can I just also point out – even if you aren’t a crime/thriller lover, this is still the book for you! It is everyone’s kind of book – it’s that great! 👍🏼

The Couple Next Door.

Utterly, utterly twisting and suspenseful, it literally had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I can proudly admit that I read the book within a day! I didn’t put it down.

May and Nico seem to have it all: a loving relationship, a wonderful home and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night, when they are at a dinner party next door, their baby daughter, left at home alone next door to sleep, goes missing….

Rated 5/5 by WHSmiths and 4.3/5 by Waterstones, it’s a big deal!

Click the link below to purchase the book from WHSmiths for 30% off! 😊

The Couple Next Door

 

 

Love, Lauren xx 💕

The moment your mistake saves a life…

Hey 👋🏼

I’ve been super ill this week so haven’t really had a proper chance to sit down, focus and write about what I really really want to write about. I’m currently on a long drive (as a passenger) to Surrey from Essex – so what better way to use the time? I’ve had a lot of time to think about things this week due to being at home poorly in bed with nothing to do other than feel sorry for myself, hallucinate due to a high fever, and let my mind wander! I started thinking about how different my life could’ve been if I did certain things differently and how such a tiny change in your day could change your entire future. Does anyone else think about this? After watching a film called Sliding Doors years ago, I started actively thinking about how different my life could be right now if I had done something slightly different in the past. I wandered if I would still be with my partner in this beautiful house of ours and our future planned together if I had not come across his message on Plenty Of Fish all those years ago 😂 (and who says romance is dead???) I didn’t spot his message for days, it was hiding in my inbox somewhere, it was only out of pure chance that I started scrolling through my inbox on Plenty Of Fish one afternoon to try and find a message from someone else that I accidentally came across his. And it all went from there. I also thought about how if I hadn’t had been so bullied throughout my GCSE’s if I might have better grades, gone to university and have a completely different career and lifestyle. Sometimes I even wonder about how if I had accepted a date from a beautiful woman who had feelings for me years ago I may have ended up with her instead of the man I am currently with. All these little day-to-day things that people do without really realising that could change their life completely.

Whilst letting my mind wander into a complete wormhole of could-have-been’s, I also started realising that there have been a few mistakes I’ve made in my life and how if I hadn’t had made those mistakes I wouldn’t be where I am today. Mistakes that, at the time, seem like a complete mess and you hate yourself for them, but actually end up changing your life for the better in the long run.

Sometimes in life you will make mistakes and temporarily hate yourself for them. You’ll go through things that break your heart. You’ll have regrets. You’ll have times thinking about could-have-beens like I did this week. But ultimately, you would not be where you are today if you hadn’t had done everything EXACTLY as you have done in your life so far. Life choices you’ve made, mistakes you’ve made and even tiny things you don’t think about or realise.

To wrap this blog post up, I want to show you the best part of this post!…

I came across an amazing video on YouTube that completely explains exactly what it is I’ve been thinking and wandering about this week. This video gave me goosebumps all over and truly made me see how much little mistakes you make in life can actually change your life for the better. And even save a life. A young woman explains how if it wasn’t for her little mistake she made one day back in high school , her dad would not be alive today. Please give it a watch, it’s completely worth the few minutes of your time and you won’t regret it 😊 Click the link below:

https://youtu.be/Pt5UYbQ9mOM <— How Your Mistake Can Save A Life!

Have an awesome weekend! Stay happy and positive. Keep your chin up and remember how important and loved you are! ❤️

Lauren xx

Motivation Monday / Book Recommendation (a day late!)

A BIG FAT GENUINE SORRY for posting this a day later than planned. I’ve been so ill 🤧

High fever – check! Migraine – check! Lethargic – check! Throat that feels like it’s on fire – check! Complete loss of voice – check! The inability to breathe properly through my nose – check! 🤒😭 it’s been a pretty crap week so far. But, onwards and upwards and let’s try and get motivated!

My Monday was S H I T! Mainly, because I felt so ill! I laid in bed all day feeling sorry for myself and dozing in and out of sleep, sweating and shaking – feeling like a failure because I couldn’t even take my own son to school or tidy the house & cook him dinner. My partner had to do those things and those are usually the things I do for my son. If you’re a Mum, I’m sure you’ll understand. Even though I know deep down that it’s not my fault I’m ill and I’m not really a failure, on the surface at the time of being too ill to be a Mum I felt like a failure and it’s at times like these that I go on Pinterest and Instagram in search of inspiration & motivation. 😄🤓 Soon enough, I was a little more inspired and feeling better. And sometimes that’s all it takes. When you suffer with anxiety and mental health issues it can be challenging and distressing trying to stay positive and push the anxiety away simply by yourself with no help. So that’s why I read quotes, blogs, books etc that will inspire me & make me feel better.

I have so many inspirational and motivating quotes – I couldn’t narrow them down, so I’m just going to post them all below! ❤️ Enjoy:

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Book Recommendation:

This week I’m going to recommend a journal that has truly helped me see the good in every day, something to be happy about. Whether that be something as tiny as you managed to get the kids into bed on time, or the food shopping done, or that project/coursework in on time. Let’s not forget how good it feels to have a nice relaxing bubble bath. It’s the little things.❤️

The Five Minute Journal was created by a very talented, intelligent and inspirational man called Alex Ikonn with his beautiful wife Mimi Ikonn (Great people to follow on Instagram @alexikonn @mimiikonn) every day you aim to write a few things that has made you happy each day and a few things that could’ve made you happier. Click on the link above if you would like to give it a little scope or purchase it. 😊

Stay happy, healthy and safe everyone!

Love,

Laurenx 💕

Can we autocorrect humanity?

Can we autocorrect humanity?

This is an ironic topic to talk about, expressing the negatives of using social media, considering I’m currently on social media typing this, but it’s the only way to get these things heard and seen. Social media is my worst enemy sometimes. I love using it to keep up with the news and goings-on of my friends and family, and I love scrolling through inspirational quotes and funny memes to cheer me up. But it can completely control and take over your life if you let it. Which is easy to do, from personal experience. And we simply don’t realise how much we look at a screen every day. Whether that be a little phone screen, or an iPad, TV screen, laptop, tablet.

Britons spend more time using technology devices than they do sleeping, research suggests.

It is said that UK adults spend an average of eight hours and 41 minutes a day on media devices, compared with the average night’s sleep of eight hours and 21 minutes.

Almost four hours a day are spent watching TV according to Ofcom’s survey of 2,800 UK adults and children.

On my blog I talk a lot about mental health and the impacts of social media on people’s mental health because it’s something I’m really passionate about and I actively do a lot of research about it in my spare time (proper geek, me, I know!🤓😂… and people say I’m boring. Pffft don’t know what they’re talking about)

This rap/poem below is something I came across on YouTube a while back and I listen to it quite regularly – it’s says everything I’ve ever wanted to say and explained much more beautifully! The lyrics are below, however, I definitely 100% recommend clicking on the link to the video because it’s so much more powerful to hear it and see it than it is to simply read it.

Social media can be a wonderful thing if we want it to be – I guess it’s just all about balance and kindness. ❤️

Enjoy the video below 😊

https://youtu.be/dRl8EIhrQjQ

“Did you know the average person spends 4 years of his life looking down at his cell phone?

Kind of ironic, isn’t it?

How these touch-screens can make us lose touch,

But it’s no wonder in a world filled with iMac’s, iPads and iPhones,
elfies, not enough “us”‘s and “we”’s,
and separate than ever,

Cause while it claims to connect us, connection has gotten no better,

And let me must express first,

Mr. Zuckerberg, not to be rude but you, should re-classify Facebook to what it is
>

Cause while we may have big friend lists,
,
em>

Cause friendships and more broken than, the screens on our very phones,

We sit at home on our computers, measuring self-worth by numbers of, followers and likes,

Ignoring those who actually love us,

It seems we’d rather write

An angry post than talk to someone who might actually hug us

Am I bugging? You tell me

Cause I asked a friend the other day, “Let’s meet up face to face.”
you wanna Skype?”

I responded with omg, srs, and then a bunch of smh’s
>
to have conversation without abbreviation?

This is the generation of media over stimulation

Chats have been reduced to snaps

The news is 140 characters

Videos are 6 seconds at high speed
the rise faster than 4G LTE

But, get a load of this
an of the average adult today
of a gold fish

So if, you’re one of the few people or aquatic animals that have yet to click off or close this video, congratulations

Let me finish by saying you do have a choice, yes

But this one my friends we cannot Auto-Correct – we must do it ourselves

Take control or be controlled, Make a decision

Me?

No longer do I want to spoil a precious moment by recording it with a phone

I’m just gonna keep them

I don’t wanna take a picture of all my meals anymore – I ‘m just gonna eat them

I don’t want the new app, the new software, or the new update

And If I wanna post an old photo, who says I have to wait until Thursday

I’m so tired of performing in the pageantry of vanity

And conforming to this accepted form of digital insanity

Call me crazy but, I imagine a world where we smile when we have low batteries

Cause that will mean we’ll be one bar closer – to humanity”

The speech that completely changed my perspective on life..

Speaking out about mental health is something I’m very passionate about and it’s so important to me. I’ve suffered with troubled mental health from a young age which started when I was bullied profusely throughout school. Thankfully, I received counselling throughout my final years at school and for a while afterwards that helped me cope and fight through it. However, I know others who suffer with their mental health get very little support and love and that breaks my heart for 2 reasons. 1.) Because I care about them and want them to be happy. And 2.) I know they’re not the only ones in the world alone and unsupported. 💔 If you are one of those people, please remember you are not alone. I know that’s what you’ve probably heard before and brushed it off but I promise you’re not completely alone. There are genuinely kind and caring people out there who can help you and who you can confide in and I know this from personal experience. Click on the link below for some amazing helplines..

Various Mental Health Helplines

A while back when I was suffering the worst I’ve ever suffered and finding it really difficult to find hope and see the light at the end of the tunnel, feeling worthless and like I wasn’t good at anything, like I would never succeed in anything I did.. I came across a speech on YouTube and it really kicked me up the ass and changed me. It’s such a passionate speech, so personal and touching. Just listening to it truly gave me hope and more self-belief. It changed my perspective on things and inspired me. You will understand why if you click the link below and watch it for yourself. If you do watch it, I hope it inspires you in some way. ❤️❤️❤️

The Most Inspiring Speech : Wisdom Of A Third Grade Drop Out.