Quote of the Week: A Sweet Summer

Some people see Summer as a chance to get away; to jet off to some lovely unjourneyed location to have a little taste of bliss for a week or more. I'm not going to lie the idea of escaping to holiday in France or Italy does sound lovely to me but I can't let it ruin my summer of being home. Yesterday I sat in the garden gazing at the clouds floating amongst the sea of perfect blue. It was a perfect day to get snapping and take pretty pictures.

Here are those pictures (edited to look even more picturesque) along with one of my favourite quotes:

 

"With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, 

who could not be happy?"

Oscar Wilde 

 

 

Quote of the Week: Eat, Pray, Love

Hello again!

I haven't blogged in a while because work has really gotten the best of me; I've been too tired to do anything! However, I am now on summer holidays so I can finally pace myself and do more of the things I want/need to do.

This week's quote of the week comes from the book Eat, Pray, Love. This book is full of quotable quotes and really is full of wise words so picking one quote was not very easy.

 I loved reading this book and I would read a chapter at a time when I needed an escape and some words of comfort. Anyone who reads this blog will be aware that I do struggle with anxiety and sometimes depression- as much as I want to be positve sometimes my energy or aura won't allow me to be. This book was a true recollection of a woman who was not in a good place emotionally, mentally or spiritually and plans a journey to Rome, India and Bali to discover and practice the art of pleasure, the art of devotion and the art of balance. I was transported to these countries alongside her and I felt such an escape from my own worries and insecurities. I would like to think that one day I could do something like that- go on a spiritual and physical journey- but for now I think it's best I take little steps to improve my self.

Anyway onto the quote....

I chose this quote as I feel that it highlights our own uniqueness as people. None of us are the same. We are all different. We experience different experiences and we even experience the experiences differently. I sometimes feel bad when I am so different to everyone else, when I am not at the same 'stage of life' as people my age, but I really shouldn't. I need to learn to 'take whatever works from whenever you can find it, and keep moving toward the light'. 

Have any of you read this book? What are your favourite quotes from the book? 

Quote of the Week: Strength

For a while now I have been quietly wishing for more strength.

Anxiety often makes you feel weak, incapable and small and so I wished to be a little stronger.
I wanted to be resilient. To be able to bounce back from any difficulty. To move on from upset. To be a little stronger than I felt I was.

Sometimes anxiety and depression can both seem to be words that contrast with strength. Some people feel that you cannot be both a depressed person and a strong person. I feel like you can. I feel despite my negative patterned mind that I am getting stronger. That I do have strength within me. Anxiety and depression still live within me but they live together with strength.

We are stronger than we know.

Here is a reminder for everyone:

Stop overthinking!!

Yes this is a message to me and anyone else who spends their free time overthinking about everything!! Stop!!

Easier said then done? Of course; isn't that always the truth?

So how do we stop overthinking?

I find pinterest a good place to start. So I type: 'stop overthinking' into the search bar and lovely illustrations, quotes and articles of interest pop up. I do love pinterest.

One picture grabs my attention and I follow the link to this blog post: how to stop overthinking everything = perfect!  I love how the internet can connect you with what you need so easily.

 

 

 

 

Source: http://www.thequietlife.me

This post gives tips on how to stop overthinking which includes:

1) Put it on paper
I like this idea. I think writing down what's on your mind in a way processes it. It makes you see your worries on paper and you can choose, to write down further notes about what you can do to ease these worries, or you could scrunch the paper up and put it in the bin. This visual activity of what your overthinking about could help you stop.

2) Breathe and re-focus
Now I know breathing exercises helps many people but I personally do not find it so helpful. I don't like concentrating on my breathing and I get bored easily and do not take it seriously. So for me, I would change this tip to 2) Close your eyes and listen to music as this makes me sit quietly and focus on the moment.

3) Talk to yourself about it
 I think this is a good tip to try. We can often be hard on ourselves. I know I always think awful things about myself like,  I'm not very good at this; everyone is doing a better job than me; I will always find easy tasks hard; what is wrong with me?  I would never believe those things about anyone else so why myself? If I were to talk to myself I would say, you are better than you think; you have qualities that other people do not have; there is a place for you!

4) Do something
The last tip is to do something. Instead of sitting there overthinking read a book, watch a film, write a blog post or do something to take your mind off things.

Thank you Katherine Tate for your tips! Read her post here: http://www.thequietlife.me/introvert-how-to-stop-overthinking-everything/

Do you have any tips on how to stop overthinking?

Happy times...

I've had two weeks off work, I know lucky right? but I still find it hard to be happy because I spend most of my time worrying and being anxious about going back to work. Silly? Maybe? but telling myself that doesn't make it any easier.

Why do we always feel we need to BE HAPPY? Instead why don't we acknowledge those happy moments as what they are- moments. I know I will never be happy for a long amount of time and I don't mean that negatively :) Happiness is an emotion, just like sadness, and both can be as fleeting as each other. Anyway, I'm babbling and not explaining my thoughts properly haha!

Instead of babbling, here is a list of things that have made me happy this fortnight:

1. Spending time with my family
2. Sunshine
3. Eating out
4. The sea
5. Desserts
6. Quizzes and wine
7. Watching films (Blended and Katy Perry: Part of Me)
8. Easter dinner and Easter eggs
9. Music on a train journey home
10. Window views
11. Meeting friends for a good chat
12. Reading blogs on my new laptop
13. Early nights cwtched up in bed
14. Buying a new top
15. Things turning out better than I thought

I'm sure there are lots more! I hope to be more positive next week but maybe my anxiety will have other ideas. What makes you happy? Care to share?

Hello again and Hello Spring!

Hello!

It's been a while since I last posted. At first it was because I wasn't in the right mood to blog. I didn't feel my best and I was feeling quite stressed and down. Then, it was because my laptop broke :( I do miss my little netbook but I now have a new laptop which is quite nice as it is fresh. A fresh start.

Although, I currently have a blocked nose and feel quite shivery I am really excited for SPRING!! That is, days that feel like spring: sunshine, light nights, flowers and the feeling days shall be brighter in more ways than one!

So, to welcome Spring with open arms, here are some spring related pins from pinterest:

Source: molliemakes.com

Source: Unsure found on etsy.com

Source: etsy

Source: http://www.sandytoesandpopsicles.com/printables/free-spring-printable/ 

 

 

 

 

 

What are you looking forward to this Spring?

Inspiring art: Stella Maria Baer

 I am a fan of the moon. I love the beautiful light it shines in the dark sky. I love how it is a reminder of things greater than our little worries nagging away at our turbulent minds. I also love when I see pieces of art that capture the magic I see in the moon. Today, I found an artist named Stella Maria Baer that does just that. Below are some of her paintings and words are not needed to describe their beauty.

All images source: www.stellamariabaer.com

"The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to "

Carl Sandburg