FASHION: A Weekend In Birmingham

At the weekend, myself and Scott went to a ball for his work and it's quite possibly the biggest thing I've been too. I found the entire process leading up to the event really stressful and it definitely tested my anxiety. Firstly, it's a ball and I was told that it wasn't the kind of occasion where you wear a long dress so opted for something in between where it was longer on one leg than the other. Whilst many did wear long dresses other wore shorter ones too. I initially felt a little out of place but in reality I felt really comfortable and confident in what I was wearing that I didn't actually care in the end.

Dress - River Island (similar) / Shoes - New Look (similar) / Bag - Whistles 

Before we left to go to Birmingham (about an hours drive for us) I was so anxious and there was a moment when I wasn't sure on whether or not to go. But I decided that I didn't want to miss out on this opportunity and ruin the day for myself and the event for Scott. So I swallowed the nerves down and got in the car and got myself ready.

The event was really lovely. The people were nice, and the entertainment was brilliant. I also felt myself relax a lot throughout the evening and the nerves and anxiety quickly went and I was soon back to my normal self.

We stayed at The Hyatt in Birmingham and it's the nicest hotel I've ever stayed at. I asked Scott several times if we were in the right place. It was also lovely because it was connected to the ICC where the event was so we only had to cross a closed bridge when everyone else got wet through walking over from different hotels. The breakfast was amazing and there was a wide selection to choose from and the staff were really friendly. I was gutted when we had to leave Sunday morning. However, we did go shopping and I may have treated myself to a 21st birthday present, you'll see it on Friday.

Anyway, whilst you can see what I wore, I also wanted to write this post just to remind you that anxiety is a daily battle and it's not something that you can ever be cured with. But you just need to keep pushing yourself. Whilst this was a big deal for me in terms of anxiety (because I had to travel, stayed in a hotel without my parents, met lots of people I didn't know, stayed in a place I didn't know) I managed to get through the day without it ruining my plans. Even the little victories are still victories.

♥

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LIFE: Comparison is the Thief of Joy

It's easy to look at someone else's life and think 'wow, they've got it all'. Whether that be the job you want, the lifestyle, fashion, friends and family, the list is endless. But really, they're looking at someone else thinking the exact same thing and so on. Everyone at some point in their life has compared themselves to someone else, in fact it happens daily for most people, however this is no good for anyone.

The other night I had a massive meltdown to Scott because somebody else appeared to be doing what I want to do better. I simply assumed that their life was so much easier than mine without really knowing anything that's happening in their life. It's easy to get caught up in social media and think that everyone is living perfectly, that's only because we show people the highlights of our day/week. If I'm sad nine times out of ten I'm not going to share that with the internet. If I've had an argument with my boyfriend, my family or friends I'm not going to post that on the internet. However, I will post pictures of a night out with my closest friends, or me and Scott acting goofy or having some family time. That's what people do. We all feel like we have to compete with people sometimes, and sometimes that's the case for example trying to get a job. However, the rest of the time, we don't need to compare ourselves to the person next to us. 

For me, I often compare myself to others if I feel down about myself. So if I'm feeling bloated and I go to the gym and see a slim girl killing it on the treadmill, then I automatically tell myself that I'm not as good as her. I don't know if she's feeling the exact same way about herself. I also compare myself when it comes to careers. I'm at that age where a lot of my old friends are ready for leaving University and some of them will get really good jobs and others will get your 'normal' or 'standard' jobs until something more suitable appears. Even though I might not necessarily want that career that such and such person has chosen, I get jealous because to society their job appears better than mine, when really it doesn't matter. What I'm doing with my life doesn't affect anyone other than myself. If I chose to work in retail then that's okay, I've made wonderful friends that I know I'll have for years to come and I know that sitting up studying trying to become a nurse isn't suitable for me when I can't stand vomit or blood, so why do I compare myself to that person? 

The truth is I honestly don't know. As soon as I begin comparing myself to someone else my mood drops. One minute I could be incredibly happy and the next it's like a switch has been flicked and I'm really down about myself. So I'm trying not to let things bother me as much. Nobody knows what's really going on in someone's life apart from that person. Nobody else knows what someone else is struggling with. It's easy to say, but we should all try and be a little kinder and supportive of each other. There's no need to compare yourself to someone else because they're goals aren't the same as yours. As long as you're moving in the direction that you want to be in then it doesn't concern anyone else. As long as you're doing something that you love, does it matter what other people think or say? 

These are just a few things I've been thinking about lately. I know I can't be the only one. Even if only one person relates to this then I'll be okay with that.

♥

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LIFE: Dealing with Stressful Days

We all have 'those' kind of days. It's not always easy to break out of those bad moods that we can get ourselves into, sometimes without reason. I'm not immune to these down days either. Especially lately, I've felt like I've had more than my fair share of them. It started for me when I got ill at Christmas, I'm so miserable when I have a cold and I could tell that I was bringing everyone else down with me. For one reason or the other I found that so far in 2016 I've felt really stressed which then makes me feel low. However, I thought I'd share with you how I get through these times.

I usually have a pamper evening or just some time to myself. I normally have a bath and wash my hair and have a little time just focusing on myself. Then, I usually get into bed with a film or a tv series and just try and relax a little bit by distracting myself. There's no point in focusing on all the negatives its much better to try and do the things that will cheer you up a little.

Spend time with loved ones always cheers me up too. Kind of the opposite to what I've just said but talking to people I really trust and getting things off my chest really helps. Some people say that I always seem to be moaning but this is kind of my release to not let everything get me down. Also I like watching movies with my family or going out shopping with them or walks with Scott. Whether its family, your friends/boyfriend or a colleague at work don't think that you're boring them with what's on your mind, most of the time they care about your happiness too.

Water really relaxes me. Going out and getting some fresh air makes me feel a lot better, especially if it's somewhere you don't get signal. You just feel completely relaxed and away from all your problems. I like going to lakes and rivers, though I can't swim and I panic if I have to, water really relaxes me. I like watching the ducks and I just feel like all my worries are washed away kind of.

As silly as it sounds, try not to worry quite so much, usually things will sort themselves out or its things that you don't really need to be worrying about. Most of my problems I've spoken to a family member or a friend and they've helped me to see the bright side of things. I know it's not always easy, trust me I'm such a pessimist, but having that support network is always good. Just remember you're not the only person who's going through something bad, everyone goes through stressful times whether they're putting on a brave face or not.

♥

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