MY TOP TIPS ON EASING AN ANXIOUS MIND

In case you didn't know, I decided to take some time off. Away from social media, away from my blog, time that was just for me. As selfish as that may sound, sometimes that is what we need. I felt built up of stress and anxiety and for no real reason. I figured there were a few things I needed to do to ease my anxious mind. Some things worked, some things didn't. However, I am currently feeling amazing, energised and inspired again so I couldn't help but share my top tips on easing an anxious mind. Overthinkers, I've got your back. 


E X E R C I S E
Ok so this is a simple one, that we should probably all know is extremely important but when you feel anxious or low it is one we often ignore or push to the back of our minds. If you're feeling anxious force yourself to go for a walk, do 15 minutes cardio or 5 minutes worth of jumping jacks, yes five minutes of exercise is all you need to do to help ease anxiety, however, once you've started you may as well keep going right? Try to exercise often, find something you love doing, even if it's dancing around your house.

G E T   O U T S I D E 

Being outside can make me feel instantly less anxious. There is something about fresh air that makes me feel like I can breathe easy again. & I personally love going for walks. Just getting out of the house and out of your comfort zone can really help.

M E   T I M E
Never and I mean never, underestimate the power of me time. You need to be selfish and take time for yourself. Whether it's 5 minutes or an hour, you need that time for you. I have a daughter and this can be hard, but no matter how busy your schedule is, you can always squeeze in 5 minutes to do something you like, or even 5 minutes to do nothing. 

T A K E   C A R E   O F   Y O U R S E L F
Eating well, exercise, painting your nails, these are all things that are important to me. That makes me feel good and put together. Whenever I have greasy hair or chipped nails I instantly feel rubbish about myself. Keeping on top of your brows, nails or whatever it is that makes you feel special, do it. If it makes you feel good,  find the time to squeeze in something every day and schedule in time weekly to keep on top of it and avoid it feeling like a chore. Trust me! I personally really notice a difference in my mood when I haven't taken as much care of myself as I should.

T A L K   T O   S O M E O N E
I'm so guilty of having a problem, keeping it bottled up then a few days later just having a complete meltdown. When in fact, the problem was so minor and I had just over thought it and let it brew in my mind and turn into a whirlwind of thoughts that would spin around my mind, fill my brain and leave me feeling like I'm going to combust. I tend to speak to my partner usually, however you can speak to your mum, sisters, friends or if you feel it is necessary even a doctor.

M A K E   P L A N S
Doing anything next week? Make at least one set of plans. Even if it's by yourself and your planning on popping into town or going for a walk. Whatever plans you make, write them down and keep them. When you feel anxious you often make plans and cancel, make a point of forcing yourself to stick to them. Plus making plans is a great way of giving us something to look forward to, no matter how simple the plans may be.

S E T   G O A L S
Set yourself goals, long term and short term goals. Thinking about what I want out of life and planning what I need to do to get there helps me feel motivated, inspired and a lot less anxious.

H A V E   A   C R E A T I V E   O U T L E T
For me, my blog is my creative outlet. It keeps me sane and gives me something to work on. I love creating something from nothing. It keeps my mind active, it makes me feel confident and over all it sooooothes me. (Not always, sometimes is stresses me out but 99% of the time it's my escape).

T A K E  A   B R E A K
Ok ok, so no matter how much you love something or hate it. Or whether you have to do it now or in 3 months, whatever it is. If you feel anxious. TAKE  A BREAK. Go for a walk and come back to it later.

Stress and anxiety can be present in our lives at any time, these are just a few of my tips to help ease an anxious mind. However, if you're having anxiety attacks and feel like you're struggling to cope then speak to a professional.  

I hope my tips help someone when they're having a bad day. How do you cope when your minds in over drive?

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MY QUICK& EASY PAMPER ROUTINE

As a mum, I find it difficult to find time to pamper myself. So once a week in an evening, I try to set some time aside to pamper(even if it is only 30 minutes). Whilst this isn't always doable for me, I try to do it as often as I can. I think having a little time to pamper always makes me feel good. So I figured I'd share my quick and easy pamper routine with you.

One of the most important things for me when I'm going to pamper is, to set the mood. Getting the environment right for relaxation is key. I love to surround myself with flowers and candles. My candle of choice at the moment would have to be Diptyque Baies Candle and flowers of choice would be pink/red roses obviously. I also like to make myself a cup of peppermint tea and get myself a bottle of ice cold water.

Next, it's time to remove my makeup. I'm going to use my Tri-Peptide Deep Cleanser and Intelligent Toner from Purelogicol.  These work great at cleansing, toning and detoxifying the skin. My skin is left feeling smoothhhh and hydrated.

Once my skin is clear of makeup I'm going to use the Keeome Hydration Therapy Mask for a cheaper alternative why not try Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask. You can find this for 99p in Boots usually, so there's no excuse not to pamper!

Now it's time to run a nice bubble bath, of course, it wouldn't be a pamper evening without a Lush bath bomb and melt. I'd recommend throwing in Ladybird Bubble Bar and Cupid Bath Bomb. Are you feeling pampered yet? I'm using Patisserie-De-Bain Shower Creme Lemon Bon-Bon this smells delicious if you love sherbety sweetness! Once I'm out the bath it doesn't stop there, I've opted for Patisserie-De-Bain Body Lotion Lemon Bon Bon not only do they smell delicious, they are also really affordable. They are stocked in Superdrug to so you can collect beauty card points.

I then like to prep my teeth. There is nothing more beautiful than a bright white smile. I personally love this PopSmile Teeth Whitening Pen it's affordable, convenient and it works. It is great for a quick boost but if you're looking for a full kit, check out my full review with before and afters here. You won't be disappointed!

I always get my nails done, but if I didn't now would be the time I'd paint them. My go-to brand for nail polish is Ciate London, I've always found they just work well for me, I like to stick to what I know. My shade suggestions would have to be, Dangerous Affair and Iced Frappe

Once your nails are dry, it's time for a head massage. I love giving myself a head massage. They are free and encourage hair growth. Oh and super relaxing. If you have someone who will give you a head massage, it makes it so much more relaxing, but for me, my partner would tell me to, how should I put it? do one. 

Now would be the time for an overnight hair mask, I personally love warming up coconut oil and combing it through, and wrapping it in a towel or turby towel thingy-ma-bob and now it is time to stop faffing and go grab yourself a fresh tea and relax.

Why not read a book about not giving a F**K whilst you relax? This is the perfect pamper routine for me.

How do you like to pamper yourself? What are your go to pamper products?

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Disclaimer: Popsmile, Purlogicol, and Patisserie De Bain kindly gifted me the items featured in this post. All opinions are honest and my own.

THE VALENTINES DAY LIPSTICK LINE UP.

If I'm honest, I'm really not all that bother by Valentine's Day. Whilst I absolutely love receiving Chocolates and Roses, I mean who doesn't? I've never really been bothered about going to a fancy restaurant or receiving expensive gifts. My perfect Valentines Day would be snuggled up with my partner and our baby on the sofa, watching Prison Break back to back. In fact, that's exactly what we will do. However I thought I'd put together a Valentines lip line up for everyone, so whether you're out with the girls, having a romantic dinner or a cosy night in I've got you covered.

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Carinas Love RRP: £24.00

This red compliments all skin tones, it looks beautiful on pale skin and also really deep skin tones. It is quite bright and a little daring but also a very classic, timeless shade of red. Super romantic and matte!

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Super Cindy RRP: £24.00

Super Cindy is one I wear on a daily basis, it's my go to matte nude. Whether I've opted for a smokey eye, winged liner or gone for the natural vibe, this shades always got my back. It looks beautiful for every occasion. I always stay well clear of red when I'm going for dinner, nobody wants to be faffing over their lipstick when there is a piece of steak with your name on.

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Tell Laura RRP: £24.00

This is for the fun and the feisty! This is such a playful and bright shade. I'd recommend this for a girls night out. This looks amazing on deeper skin tones and again it's a matte finish.

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Secret Salma RRP £24.00

A modern matte lipstick. For me, this shade and formulas are perfect for day dates & dinner. The formula is super comfortable, non-drying and smooth. The shade can easily be played up in the evening with a smokey eye or played down with a simple wing, the option is completely yours. This is my personal fave if you're looking for something subtle yet sexy.

On a budget? How about...

Rimmel Rock 'N' Roll Nude RRP: £6.49

Yes, another nude, a slightly pinker nude. The kind that screams pretty and playful. Picnic date for anyone who's in a warmer climate? 

Rimmel Retro Red RRP:£6.49

These deep reds are my fave. Sexy and sophisticated. Daring and understated. If you going on an evening date, preferably not a dinner date this would work amazing. 

Rimmel Boho Nude RRP: £6.49

Rimmel does some of my favourite more affordable lipsticks and this shade just speaks to me. If you didn't know I'm a sucker for a nude. They're my thing.  This is great for a day date, dinner date or a girls night out if you want to play it safe.

Left to right

CarinasLove/SuperCindy/TellLaura/SecretSalma/Rock'N'RollNude/RetroRed/BohoNude

What is your Valentine Day shade? Let me know in the comments!

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HOW TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND DEFEAT DISTRACTION.

I'm just going to have a quick coffee before I start my daily jobs. 3 hours later, a dozen flicks through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and 20 youtube videos later and I'm still stuck to the sofa, moulded into it like a saggy cushion in fact. Whether you're 'Mrs productive' or 'Mrs I can't be asked right now', I'm pretty sure at one stage or another you've done everything but what you wanted to do. Whether it is because your phone pinged during your morning coffee and you got caught up in replying to emails or its because you sat down for so long you've convinced yourself you deserve a day off. Whatever it is I'm sure you can all relate, so I've put together a few quick and easy tips and tricks to defeat distracting and actually get stuff done.

W O R S T   F I R S T
Yes, you've guessed it, start with your worst task first. Of course, everyone is different but for me, I always tackle my biggest task first. Once I've accomplished that, everything else feels easy to do.
I love clean makeup brushes, but I hate cleaning them. One task I always say "I'll do later" is cleaning my makeup brushes, I've recently been trying to set this as my first task and have found once the worst is out the way, I can achieve everything else easily that day.


R E W A R D   Y O U R S E L F
When you wake up, spend the first 30 minutes of your day being super productive, get showered, get ready and work. Making the very first half hour of my day really productive gets me inspired to be productive for the whole day. Make sure this 30 minutes is just productive time, no sneaky phone checking! Once the half hour is up, reward yourself with a 10 minutes break, in this time you can check your phone, emails or whatever you wish. Then once your 10 minutes is up, start over. To make sure you stick to your 10 minutes set a timer.

W R I T E   L I S T S

If I set myself tasks in my head, I usually completely forget the next day what it was that I actually needed to get done. I find writting lists is the most effective way for me to ensure I'm getting all my tasks done. I personally prefer writing lists on paper with a pen, for me I like to see it visually and there is something satisfying about putting a tick next to a task once you've completed it.

Q U I T   S O C I A L   M E D I A
Okay, so this is only temporary, but quitting social media is a must to be productive! In fact, anything distracting tv, radio whatever it is that makes you sit down and not get back up, TURN IT OFF. Seriously if you know its a distraction just remove it out of sight for now.

6 0   S E C O N D   J O B S
If a job takes less than 60 seconds do it. This is a tip that has changed my life and I have lived by for quite some time. If a job takes less than a minute do it there and then. This applies to anything, work, tidying, whatever it is. If you stick to doing every 60 second job there and then, you will be surprised at how much time you can save. For example when I would get ready I'd have clothes every wear, makeup every were and leave it. I'd go out come back in my house take my coat off and chuck it on the sofa and the jump in the shower. By the time I'd done all of this, the house would be a tip, if I had just started with putting my makeup away, clothes away and then my jacket on a hook, I'd easily save myself 15 minutes and these 60 second jobs feel so much easier when tackled one by one as I go.

 C O M M U N I C A T E
Whether your at work or at home, make sure to communicate. Let people know you have stuff to get done and can't be distracted. People are usually really understanding and actually helpful so don't be afraid to asking for some peace and quiet whilst you work away. If you have a child ask someone to come over and watch them for 30 minutes so you can get something done. You'd be surprised at how many people will volunteer!

H A V E   A   V I S I O N
Depending on what it is your working on/towards remember why you started. This mainly applies to if your working hard towards something. Maybe starting your own business? Remind yourself of what you want to achieve and how much you have already achieved. Whenever I'm feel un-motivated  looking at other peoples success and setting myself goals pushes me to want more. However if your goal is to tidy your front room, or deep clean the house, think about the small goal. Think about how homely your home will feel once it's tidy. For me having a tidy mind, means I can fully relax, mind, body and soul. Although it's only small always have a vision of what your end result will look or feel like. When you feel like giving in remind yourself and set yourself some simple steps to achieve your end vision.

C L U T T E R   F R E E
Keep your space clutter free, wherever your working keep it clean and if it is not clear, make that your main priority. It is a lot easier to work in a clear environment. It allows you to have a fresh start for creative ideas and also reduces the risk of finding something that can distract you. So keep it clear!

And last of all, just do it. If you have had a day you haven't done as much as you would have liked to, quickly get over it and plan ahead for the next day.

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