Tag: work

Dealing with Travel Anxiety…

Ruth IbbotsonLeave a comment

So it’s been about 5/6 months since I last wrote a post which is terrible of me! (Apologies, I know you’ve probably missed me 😉 )

I’ve been super busy working, finishing my course in Magazine Journalism and basically just not really having a massive spurt of inspiration to write.

I thought now it would be a great time to write something, but more importantly something that unfortunately effects me everyday and a hell of a lot of other people.

Dealing with Travel Anxiety…

 

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It’s only been in recent years that I’ve really struggled with travelling, when I was younger my family would go on holiday every year to places like Spain and Cyprus, and I remember actually looking forward to flying – it never phased me whatsoever. Then gradually as I got older I started to get more and more panicky when I travelled. This could be from a bus, car or train. It didn’t really matter what mode of transport it was. The main thing for me is how ‘busy’ it is – so if I’m travelling on a train thats full I will straight away go into panic mode because I feel like I’m being closed in, that I can’t get off, that I’m around people I don’t know – the list goes on. I’m VERY good at thinking the worst in every situation so I’ll automatically think the worst when I travel which reeaallly doesn’t calm my nerves.

When I moved to London I really chucked myself in the deep end as it’s just a little busier than a small farmers village I grew up in, even now I really struggle to catch the tube and will only take it if I have too, thankfully where I work is only a bus ride away which I prefer but even that is a struggle sometimes. I fly to New York in the next week for a holiday, and as much I’m looking forward too it I’m freaking out because we have to fly there. In my head I’m just about putting every single scenario together that could go wrong.

But looking back to when I first moved to London I’ve become a hell of a lot better dealing with travelling. Yes, a lot of the time I will try to find alternative routes if one route is busier, but sometimes I literally just go ‘Screw this, why am I letting this control me?’ and force myself into that situation – and you know what? Everytime, I’ve come out the other end absolutely fine.

I know an awful lot of people that deal with anxiety and honestly it really needs to be talked about more – as I’ve said before in previous posts, theres a massive stigma around mental health and the more it’s talked about the more that stigma fades. I’m still learning what helps me with my anxiety and finding new tricks and tips to help me deal with it, and slowly but surely I can see a gradual improvement and that in itself it amazing. Daily achievements whether dealing with Anxiety, Depression or any other mental Illness should be celebrated.

If you suffer just know that It does get better – It won’t always feel this hard or tough.

So while it’s still a daily struggle, I take each day as it comes and always do what is comfortable for myself – It’s scary and uncomfortable but there is always light at the end of the tunnel, it never stays dark for too long…

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A little list of things to leave behind in 2017…

Ruth IbbotsonLeave a comment
  • Leave your past behind – The past is in the past and no matter how hard you try and change that it will still remain there. Let it go. The more you keep looking back the more you’ll miss out on what is happening right now.

 

  • Leave the hate behind – Leave whatever hate you’re feeling inside of you and try and learn forgiveness. Forgive people that never said sorry, forgive people when they don’t even deserve it – don’t continue to feel hate because you’ll end up hurting yourself more.

 

  • Leave that lack of confidence – Stop listening to the voices in your head telling you that you’re not pretty or good enough. I can honestly say that it’s a load of crap. You are more than enough. Learn to love and look after yourself – the change has to start with you.

 

  • Leave behind comparing yourself to others – Don’t head into 2018 comparing yourself to people, you are on your own journey and walking completely different paths. The more you focus on someone else’s journey the more you’ll lose sight of your own.

 

  • Leave behind the things and people that don’t make you happy – You need to look after yourself first, leave behind the guilt you feel when what you want doesn’t match up with what someone else wants. This is your life, you’re not a puppet. Go and live it for you and only you.

 

  • Leave behind your phone – Physically leave it at home. We have become so attached and dependent on our phones and social media that we are missing what is really happening in the world. A text or a notification can wait, but the people that matter to you are in front of you now, and you never know for how long.

 

  • Leave behind perfection – Stop thinking that perfection equals happiness. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes. Imperfections are part of who we are, it’s what makes us – us! Just try and remember that you don’t have to be perfect to be happy. You just have to be you.

 

  • Leave your comfort zone – Go and do things that you have never done before, try new foods you’ve never tried, go and travel to different countries you’ve never seen. Be bold, daring and brave. Go out and experience new things. There’s a whole world out there – don’t be afraid to step outside of your bubble, you’ll be amazed at what you’ll find.

 

  • Leave behind your mistakes – Whatever mistakes you’ve made in 2017 let them go. You don’t need to bring them over into 2018 – what’s happened can’t be changed but you can learn from your mistakes, it will help you grow into a better person. Don’t let them define who are you for the rest of your life – instead of letting your mistakes break you, let them build you.

 

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A Little Inspiration – Part Two

Ruth IbbotsonLeave a comment

So about this time last year (maybe a little later) I posted a blog of my favourite inspirational quotes to take into 2017, so over this past year I’ve fallen in love and saved some new ones! I love these kind of posts because sometimes all it takes is a few sentences to really touch home  – I love when a piece of writing can become something personal.

So if you’re having a bad day, week or year then I hope these quotes give you that little bit of comfort or that extra push you needed to go out and be brave.

Choose, everyday to forgive yourself. You are human, flawed, and most of all worthy of love. – Alison Malee

What’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn? that since day one, she’s already had everything she needs within herself.  It’s the world that convinced her she did not. – Rupi Kaur

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life. – Omar Khayyam 

They’re scars for a reason, they don’t hurt anymore but they’re there to remind you of all the things you lived through. The moments that almost killed you and ones that made who you are. Stay strong. – R.M Drake 

Beg no one to stay when they decide they want to leave. Your love is not a cage for wild hearts, it is a gift to be well received. – Nikita Gill

The world gives you so much pain and here you are making gold out of it, there is nothing purer than that. – Rupi Kaur

Whatever makes you feel the sun from the inside out, chase that. – Gemma Troy 

One of these days, you will see that your pain is the reason why you’re still here. This is how we make art. This is how we beat the monsters. – Erin Van Vuren 

Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go. – Herman Hesse

Maybe theres something you’re afraid to say, or someone you’re afraid to love, or somewhere you’re afraid to go. It’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna hurt because it matters. – John Green

We are all broken, that’s how the light gets in. – Ernest Hemingway

Be yourself, everyone else is already taken. – Oscar Wilde

There is freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky, and you ask ‘What if I fall?’ Oh but my darling, what if you fly? – Ernest Hemingway

If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all. – John Green

If you are broken and they have left you, do not question whether you were enough. The problem was you were so enough, they were not able to carry it. – Rupi Kaur

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See you soon with another blog x

 

Top Tips for moving to London.

Ruth IbbotsonLeave a comment

Since it’s Sunday and I have absolutely nothing to do today (although I should really go to the gym, but I highly doubt that will happen…) I thought I would write a spur of the moment post – I have a few posts lined up to publish but I just really wanted to do something a little bit different.

So a few weeks ago I made the big move to London with some friends to start my new life down here, and its been wonderfully crazy to say the least… Before you move, whether that is moving from a previous house or moving out from your parents it’s always scary and you need to be VERY prepared – but you can’t always be prepared for everything!

So here are a few tips of what I’ve learnt so far if you’re planning on moving to London (or any other city in fact) I hope you enjoy 🙂

  1. SEARCH, SEARCH AND SEARCH AGAIN FOR FLATS

This is a very obvious one I know, because when looking for a new place you obviously need to look, but when moving to somewhere like London – places come and go in seconds. When we started looking it was months and months before we were even on planning to move down but getting an idea of what you want is so handy. You can get an idea of prices and places – you can figure out which part of London is cheapest and if it’s near to transport and shops. We wanted somewhere as central as possible but the more central you go the more expensive it is – keep looking everyday on Right Move, Zoopla, Gumtree and any other sites you can find. If you keep looking something will pop up just right for you.

 

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2. BOOK A VIEWING

Again, a pretty obvious one but I’ve seen a lot of people get a flat before even viewing it. This is VERY VERY risky. Most of us were based in Yorkshire so we booked a day where we could all visit London and made sure to have some viewings booked, and we are so glad we did because the property we thought we wanted to get was not as great as we thought. We got to see the surrounding area, have an in-depth look into what the flat was like, ask all the questions you wanted – and once that was done we were all in agreement that the other flat we viewed was actually what we wanted. Before you move make sure to book viewings and have a look around – you don’t want to get the property and then regret it when it’s not what you thought.

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3. SAVE

I cannot stress this one enough – wherever you move too you need to have some savings behind you – but if you’re planning on moving to London you need to reeeaaallllyyy save! I knew London was expensive but DAMN it’s ridiculous. Rent is crazy high down here – and like I said previously the more central you go the more expensive it is. Make sure to have some savings behind you so you have that blanket of money just to give you that comfort.

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4. BUSES ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS

One of the best things about London is the transport – everywhere you go there is a tube station or bus and it is SO easy to get around – but once moving down I realised that buses are one of the best ways to get around. If you can, take the bus – firstly it’s £1.50 wherever you go and you hop on and off when you please. Don’t get me wrong the tube is brilliant but it’s double or triple the price of a bus – also it gets very manic especially during rush hour to and from work, and if you add the time it takes to actually get into the tube station, walking to which line you want to catch, catching the tube then finding your way out – takes you probably the same amount of time as a bus.

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5. LIVE BY CITYMAPPER 

Once you move down you have to download the app ‘Citymapper’ – I live by this now, it’s so handy to know where you need to go and how long it will take you, it will plan out everything for you and show you the nearest tubes, your route, buses, which number to catch, time, distance, how much it will cost you and so on. It’s so handy and makes travelling round London a little less stressful!

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6. WALK AND EXPLORE

Once you’ve moved in go and walk around your area and see what’s about! Get to know what restaurants, bars and shops are around – and see what activities are on! We have a gym next door to us which is very handy, then down the road is a Mcdonalds. I bet you can guess which one I’ve been to more…Big superstores are great and there are a few little bar and restaurants near us too. Go and explore and see whats there! It’s great to know your surrounding area.

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7. DISCOUNTS ARE AMAZING 

I loved discounts before moving to London – I think everyone does but I LOVE them even more now – especially when I go food shopping!  I always go to the discount section and see what’s on offer. I’ve cooked some great meals for a very little price. You have to really know the time of day to go so you can really pick up some bargains!

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8. MAKE FRIENDS AND SOCIALISE

Go out and have fun, make friends, go to bars and live your life! London is full of so many different kinds of people! It’s a bloody good night out – whatever you’re after! Shoreditch and Soho are great nights out, it’s always so vibrant and busy – cute little bars, cocktails and great music!

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9. TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF

London is a big city and with that comes a hell of a lot of hustle and bustle. It’s loud and busy whatever time of the day, something is always going on. That’s one of the things I love about London but at the same time I like my peace and quiet, and I like to spend time by myself. I live with 3 friends and we are super close but sometimes you just need to have some time to be on your own and do nothing. It can get a little bit overwhelming especially since it’s still new to us all. Take some time just to be on your own – read, listen to music, go for a walk. I always feel so much better when I do.

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10. BE YOURSELF AND HAVE FUN! – YOU’RE IN BLOODY LONDON! 

Have fun! This is such an exciting time in your life, moving to the capital where exciting things happen every single day! Yes, it’s scary and daunting – but it’s wonderful and so thrilling! You get to wake up each day and make it amazing – you have so many opportunities and things to do right on your doorstep, so many places to go, people to meet! I’ve fallen in love with London already and I can’t wait to see what this next year holds. Be yourself and have fun!

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These are just a few little suggestions there are so many more but I would be here for hours 😉

 

Have a wonderful Sunday and see you soon another blog! x

 

 

 

 

Life is only just beginning.

Ruth IbbotsonLeave a comment

So this is a really spur of the moment post but I’ve been wanting to write something like this for a little while but I didn’t really know how to write it, but I’m currently laying in bed with a cup of lavender tea (tastes WAY better than it sounds) and I’m finding myself just typing away on my laptop.

These past few weeks I’ve been scrolling social media and it’s round about this time now that everyone is graduating! It was only last year that I was doing the same. It’s weird to think that you were once a student that had no responsibility and suddenly you’re thrown into this big scary world trying not to drown. It’s hard. And extremely overwhelming. Even if you went straight into work you could still be there doing the same routine day in and day out wondering when something will just click.

After university last year I moved back home to sunny Yorkshire and got myself a job in my little town, I couldn’t really stay in Manchester as I had literally NO money whatsoever and in all honesty I needed a big break from the city and to come home and just breathe. I saw a lot of my friends stay in Manchester or move off to other cities and go travelling and I was just living back at home doing the same thing. As the months went on I became comfortable, I was up and out the door for 8 and then back at whatever time in the evening, I would watch some TV or read a book and then go to bed, and it was the same, Every. Single. Day. 

I’m 24 and I felt that my life wasn’t really heading in any direction. I felt stuck. I wanted to do all these things but somehow I couldn’t quite get there and I didn’t really know how to get there either. Especially since I’m at the age where my student days are long gone and real life is calling for me…

But after taking some time to really think about it, in all honesty it’s absolutely fine to feel like that. It’s okay to feel a little lost at 24. Or 30, or 40. It doesn’t matter what age you are you’re always going to feel a little lost at some point, and I think that it’s a pretty magical thing, that you can feel so lost and unsure of what the future holds but you eventually find your path, you get to rediscover yourself over and over again and become someone who is proud of who they are.

You might find that getting your dream job is a lot harder than you thought it was, or that your relationship has broken down and you have no idea which way to go next but the wonderful thing is you get to decide EXACTLY what it is you want to do. You decide which path you take next. Yes, you’ll feel lost and worthless and hurt, and it may seem like the world is against you and doing everything in it’s power to keep you from being happy, but it’s not. Every morning is a chance for you to wake up and make today the best day of your life, to go out and reach whatever goals you have set yourself. You don’t have to permanently feel lost, you just have to close that chapter in your life and move on to the next one, and the best thing is you get to write it.

Don’t be scared to try living out of your comfort zone, be brave and take chances. You don’t want 30 years to fly by and to regret all the chances you didn’t take. Have faith that things will work out and enjoy the journey. You might end up surprising yourself.

A few months ago I didn’t know how my life was going to pan out, and I still don’t. The mystery makes it that much more exciting, but I got off my backside and put working on my dreams into gear. I go travelling around Europe in 3 weeks and then I move to London with 3 wonderful friends to start a life down there and I couldn’t be happier, and for the first time in a long while I’m excited to see where the future takes me.

The best time for new beginnings, is now. 

 

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Be your own Valentine…

Ruth IbbotsonLeave a comment

So Valentines Day is fast approaching and to lot of people that means celebrating it with the person you love. But to a lot of people it means spending it alone. With a bottle (or 2) of wine and the biggest box of chocolates you can find.

Don’t get me wrong it’s lovely when you have someone special and you spend the day with them, enjoying each others company, but why all the emphasis on this certain day each year? Shouldn’t we love and be loved all year round? To a lot of people spending Valentines Day by yourself can be quite a depressing thought, but before you resort to going on tinder and swiping right to the first human you see, why don’t you be your own Valentine.

SO, if this year you’re spending Valentines Day alone then I hope this makes you feel a little comfort 🙂

You don’t NEED someone else in your life to make you happy on Valentines Day or any other day of the year infact. You can do that perfectly by yourself. So before you start searching for someone to fall in love with you, start by falling in love with yourself.

Start embracing the way you look and love every part of yourself, appreciate your talents, be your own best friend and for once stop caring how other people see you. Its the way you see yourself that really matters. You’re so amazing and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Enjoy your own company, I know for a lot of people that can be hard – but take yourself out on dates. Don’t wish and wait for someone else to do it. Take yourself to that movie you’ve been wanting to see for ages, go to an art gallery or museum and take lots of photos, go to that cute little cafe on the corner and order whatever the hell you want. You know that love you’ve been giving out to everyone else? Well for once maybe use some of that on yourself.

It’s hard to stay on track and not get distracted. We forget that we are capable of being there for ourselves, we are so much stronger than we think we are and sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom for us to realise that. Though you may not feel like it right now, you as an individual are a whole person, you are so complete on your own.

The world out there is much bigger than just this one day of the year. Valentines Day does not define you as someone who isn’t capable of being loved. You are so much more than that. So, this year embrace being your own Valentine. Be happy being on your own and don’t wish it away. Be happy with just being you, you are pretty damn great just as you are x

(If you do find it hard this time of the year, then The Blue Tree Clinic is offering discounted counselling therapy, just quote Valentines using your contact form – The Blue Tree Clinic )

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My letter to you…

Ruth IbbotsonLeave a comment

Dear you,

I’m sorry that right now, life isn’t going the way you planned, that every day seems a little worse than the last and nothing you could try to do can make it better. I’m sorry that you’re sad, that no one or nothing can numb the pain, not even for a second.

I want to say I know what it feels like because I’ve been there, that feeling of loneliness and unstoppable tears. I know what not being able to eat feels like and lying awake thinking ‘how the hell does this get any better?’ I know what it feels like to have no energy to do anything, no energy to smile or move, to just lie there, feeling nothing. I know what it feels like and in some way I hope that brings you some kind of comfort. But I know what I felt like isn’t the same as what you’re feeling or going through.

It’s impossible to control how you’re feeling, the way the darkness creeps in and just takes over your life bit by bit. I know you try to smile and try to put on this front, but you can only keep it up for so long before everything comes crashing down. Because this feeling wins. It always wins. Thats what you tell yourself anyway. Theres no hope.

I’m sorry that right now the dark is so familiar that strangely it feels like home. But please don’t get used to it, please don’t settle and believe you will never get out of this place. I know words sometimes don’t help and that nothing I can say will ever shift how you’re feeling right now but I hope you start to try, it will hurt like hell but please try.

I know you’ve been struggling for a while, and in some weird way I guess it never really does leave you. You do make it through to the light but you still have the past and the memories of what it was like. You still can remember the pain, but those demons don’t have that power anymore. You’re so much stronger than that.

I know that right now, it sucks. You have no direction, no hope, no nothing to wake up to and want to start the day. But I hope more than anything you just hang in there. Just hold on to the smallest piece of light, because it may not feel like it now but that small piece of light will soon become the sun and you’ll soon smile again.

You’ll start to laugh and hang out with friends. Breathing won’t seem like such a task and you’ll start to enjoy peoples company. You’ll look at different types of food and actually want to eat it, the smell of it doesn’t make you feel quite that sick anymore and you look forward to trying new things. You’ll wake up in the morning wanting to make yourself look nice, and when you look in the mirror you don’t flinch away. You smile. You see an unbelieveably strong person and you start to fall in love with yourself. You’ll start to appreciate the little things, like how blue the sky can actually be, or the sound of the waves when you walk along the beach. The laughter of couples that are sat in restaurants as you walk by and the way it can go from being so dry one minute to absolutely chucking it down with rain, and you’ll just stand there, taking it all in, because for the first time in a long time you can actually feel again. And it feels so good.

I know it may seem like a long way off, but I hope more than anything you just hang on to that image. Where you’ll smile again and it will be the most incredible moment.

One last thing, please talk to someone… please don’t hide away and keep it all to yourself. Yes you are incredibly strong but sometimes having people to talk to takes the weight off just a little bit. Don’t ever feel ashamed or embarrassed. You’re fighting something that sadly defeats a lot of people, but don’t let it defeat you. You are stronger than you know and having people to fight with you makes it seem a little easier.

Don’t ever feel like you’re alone. You’re not. Hang on to that. Hang on to hope.

You’ll soon breathe again, and I can’t wait for the day that you do. 

x

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A little inspiration for 2017…

Ruth IbbotsonLeave a comment

Since 2016 is drawing to a close and we’ll soon be heading into 2017 (which is a scary thought!) I wanted to do a blog on some of my favourite quotes I’ve fallen in love with this past year, which hopefully will give you some kind of comfort, guidance and inspiration for 2017.

2016 has been a crap year for a lot of people, relationships have ended, people have lost their jobs, the loss of family members and friends, and it’s hard to pick yourself back up once these things have happened. I’ve come across a lot of inspirational quotes from some amazing authors and poets which put a lot of things into perspective. Whenever you’re feeling a little down I hope you read some of these and find a little comfort 🙂

 

  1. ‘And her heart was the best part, it would always calm the storm for those who were afraid of a little rain.’ – R. M. Drake

 

2. ‘Don’t think. It complicates things. Just feel, and if it feels like home then follow it’s path.’ – R. M. Drake

 

3. ‘Never again, in this life or the next will I give someone the power to destroy me. No longer will I be reckless with my heart. I won’t force a love that isn’t meant to be, nor will be afraid of being alone, I will fall in the deepest love humanly possible. Love of self.’ – R. M. Broderick

 

4.  ‘It is supposed to hurt, my child. That is why there is water in your eyes and blood in your veins. If we knew no pain, we wouldn’t have known truth, and truth, my child, is the soul of the universe.’ – Christopher Poindexter

 

5. ‘Fairytales are more than true: not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.’ – G. K. Chesterton

 

6. ‘Every door leads somewhere. Every chance is a blessing. Every song, every movie, and every book is another world. Every person you meet will change your direction. Every person you love will strengthen your connection. (The one to yourself.) Every moment you spend looking, something breathtaking will be found. And above all, every time you feel broken, someone will be there to help you heal. You have to hope for all of these and believe in them…so you can learn to live better. This is how you will find paradise.’ – R. M. Drake

 

7. ‘Either no one knows what it is like to be alone because no one truly is. Or everyone knows what it is like because everyone truly is. I believe we are all in this together – more than your tired heart will ever know.’ – Christopher Poindexter

 

8. ‘If you are broken and they have left you, do not question whether you were enough. The problem was you were so enough they were not able to carry it.’ – Rupi Kaur

 

9. ‘What’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn? that since day one, she’s already had everything she needs within herself. It’s the world that convinced her she did not.’ – Rupi Kaur

 

10. ‘Give yourself time to heal. It is okay to get your heart broken. It is okay to shatter and slip through the cracks a few times. For the world wants you to believe that loving yourself is an illness but none of that is true. Take the time to love yourself. Your body isn’t broken. Your body is marvellous and you are more than what they expect you to be. You are everything they could never understand: love and light mixed together and all things that blow with the wind.’ – R. M. Drake

 

11. ‘Maybe there’s something you’re afraid to say, or someone you’re afraid to love, or somewhere you’re afraid to go. It’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna hurt because it matters.’ – John Green

 

12. ‘If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.’ – John Green

 

13.  ‘You have to allow yourself to break apart. That’s the only way you’re going to know what you’re made of. Let yourself go. Let yourself fall. Let yourself drown. Let yourself shatter. And above all, let yourself get hurt. Do all these things and know…how you have to really know your demons to defeat them. Befriend them to destroy them. Love them and walk with them. That’s the only way you’re going to bloom.’ – R. M. Drake

 

14. ‘Choose everyday to forgive yourself. You are human, flawed, and most of all worthy of love.’ – Alison Malee

 

15. ‘Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.’ – Carl Bard

 

Don’t let the thought of going into 2017 scare you, let it excite you. Get ready to start a new year being who you’ve always wanted to be, go and do things you’ve always wanted to do and believe that anything is possible.

Just know that better days are coming. x

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Life after Graduation. Where do we go from here?

Ruth IbbotsonLeave a comment

Hey guys,

Sorry it’s been so long since I last posted! I got really inspired to write this post earlier this week, on monday I graduated from university! WAAHHEEEYYYY!

I can’t quite believe that 3 years has gone just like that, I’m so happy to have finally graduated but also really sad at the same time. That was my life for 3 years and now its over. Now I’ve graduated I have to officially be an adult (which is slightly daunting)

I’ve put together a few pictures from graduation  –

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For lots of people life after graduation is scary, you have to jump into the real world and figure out what you want to do. Some people have already figured out where they want to go, and I’m looking at myself thinking ‘I really have no clue.’

It’s not that I don’t know what to do exactly, it’s more of ‘how can I get there?’ I have goals and dreams of what I want to achieve out of life but trying to find the right path to lead me there is tricky. I started uni with my whole career planned out, by the end of it my career goals had completely changed, and thats okay to change what you want to do, just because you once wanted to do something else and now you want to try something different, thats pretty amazing. You’ve been figuring out what you want to do, and at least you know for sure that its something you really want!

Fear of the unknown is natural, for most of our lives we’ve been on a schedule with school, college, uni and all the rest of it. But now, we are out in the world with no teachers telling us what to do or how to get there. For the most part we have to figure it out by ourselves, and that’s a scary thought, it’s okay to be afraid. But don’t let that fear stop you from fulfilling what you want to get out of life. Don’t let it make you unmotivated and stop you from even trying, don’t let it stop you from taking risks.

‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’ – Eleanor Roosevelt

The things is, the sun will come up tomorrow just like it always has done, and just like it always will (unless you live in Manchester than most likely it will be rain) but you are given 2 choices at the beginning of each day…you either live your life or you don’t. You either try or you don’t. And my god I really hope you choose to try, I hope you breathe in every moment and take opportunities that scare you. I hope you laugh every day and choose to love people so deeply. I hope you stand up for what you believe in and choose to have a forgiving heart, because the truth of the matter is, whatever comes next whether it’s that dream job you’ve been hoping to land or you move in to your own place, this world will continue to go on. The sun will continue to rise and set, and life will continue to surprise you.

And what you make of it is entirely up to you. 

 

Lots of Love,

R x

Essays and stress..

Ruth Ibbotson2 Comments

Hello guys!

I had a really cool idea for this blog post – since the end of the academic year is coming closer, or the end of our whole university degree for many of us, we are swamped down with millions of essays. (By millions I mean several) With loads of essays comes a huge amount of stress. Through this post I just wanted to share some tips and ideas with how to deal with stress. I’m no expert in how to deal with stress at all, but I’ve found some useful tools that have helped me, so I thought it would be really cool to share!

The first thing to do is write a list. I can’t recommend this enough. I didn’t realise everything I had to do until I wrote it all down. I then sorted out a little timetable, this is a really helpful idea – I’ve planned my days in advance with what I’m going to do. So when it comes to it I’m not stressing about which essay I should do first as it’s all planned out!

Secondly, If you’re feeling stressed out and you’re worried about how much you have on your plate, get out of the house! Go for a long walk or a run and have time to clear your head. I can guarantee when you come back you will be thinking much clearer! The walk might even jog some ideas for what you want to write about or have to deal with!

Next, stop saying CAN’T. I’m sure many of us have been told when we were younger that there is no such word as ‘Can’t’. ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I can’t do that’. But as a matter of fact YOU CAN. Stop thinking negatively, I know it can be hard when you have a 4,000 word essay to write on a subject you really can’t be that bothered with, and automatically you just think I can’t do it. So whats the point. But there is a point, try and think positive and straight away you’ll see a shift in mood, and when I’m in a good mood I feel more motivated to do work! Stop thinking that you can’t do it, as long as you try your best and put your mind to it,  you’ll be surprised at how well you can actually do. c825e10b195db447261486dd0ebcdc82

Try not too compare yourself with how well other people are doing. I know it can be hard when your friend has written 3,000 more words than you and that’s made you feel a little crap, but stop focusing on how well everyone else is getting on and focus on you! Just because your friends have nearly finished an essay and you’re only half way through it, it doesn’t make what you’ve done any less of an achievement. Go at your own pace, some people work a lot faster than others and thats fine, everyone has their own pace to work at. Stop trying to be in line with everyone else, they’re not writing your work, you are. Go as fast or as slow as you feel comfortable.

Next, try and listen to music whilst you study. For some people listening to music when writing essays or revising doesn’t work, and thats fine. But if you’ve never tried it then I highly recommend it. I don’t mean blasting Drake or Beyonce full blast, but actually listening to music that has a calming and relaxing element to it. Instrumental music is great to study too, as there are no lyrics to distract you from what you’re writing and it has a really calming aura about it. Here are some links to some of my favourite pieces to work too;

  • This one may be around 3 hours long, but it’s absolutely beautiful. I used this all the way through second year when I was writing essays.

 

  • This album is all instrumental, and I’ve been a huge fan of Keaton Henson for a long time. Each piece is incredible. Give it a listen.
  • Obviously I was going to mention Ludovico Einaudi. Any of his albums really are great to study too.
  • Finally, the Theory of Everything soundtrack is another great album to listen too. When I went to go see this movie, I fell in love with the soundtrack. It’s unbelievable. There are some beautiful pieces on there which are great to study too. I highly recommend it.

 

Next, try and avoid procrastination. That’s easier said than done, but try not to leave everything till the last minute. I’ve done it before and it’s not exactly a great idea. Have a plan of what you’re going to study for that day. It will make everything a little easier for you, and you’ll feel great after you’ve completed what you’ve set out to do for the day!

Don’t be too hard on yourself! This is important! Stop thinking you have to be sat at your laptop for 12 hours straight everyday writing and revising. Give yourself a break, go hang out with some friends. (Maybe even start a little study group) Enjoy your time off and be kind to yourself. Don’t feel bad that you’re not working every minute of everyday. Its okay to have breaks!

Take care of your health – this may seem like a pretty pointless one but it’s actually one of the most important! Try and stay as healthy as you can – I don’t mean going on all these crazy diets but keep an eye on what you’re eating. Try and exercise and get a good nights sleep. You’ll wake up feeling refreshed and ready to work.

Like I’ve said, I’m not an expert at dealing with stress, but trying out a few of these has really helped me recently with my work!

Hope you enjoy.

Lots of Love,

R x