tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50734755999640200122024-02-07T05:32:42.214+00:00Anxiously MePersonal blog about anxiety and depression (which the writer suffers from).
Includes information that has been passed down from mental health care professionals that the write has found helpful such as a list of physical symptoms and what causes anxiety.First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-38794638461361653032018-04-30T11:00:00.000+01:002018-04-30T11:00:20.190+01:00Get To Know Me Part 2Hi everyone!<br />
<br />
Here is part 2 of the "Get To Know Me" post that I did last Friday to celebrate one year of being with Blogger. If you haven't already, please read <a href="https://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/one-year-anniversary.html" target="_blank">part one</a> first.<br />
<br />
Anxiously,<br />
<br />
Me<br />
<br />
You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This Blog<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
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*****</div>
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<b>51) If money were no object what would you get for your next
birthday?</b>
Oooh! It would have to be either a new laptop or a new iPod.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>52) If you could live anywhere in the world where would it
be?</b>
I would love to live closer to my only surviving grandparent. I miss her so
much and only get to see her for a few days out of the year if I’m lucky.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>53) Were you ever a scout or a brownie?</b>
Nope. Even as kid I had severe social anxiety so the most you got out of me
going out was either to choir rehearsals or to the local kids club for an hour.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>54) What city where you born in?</b>
I was born in Stirling, Scotland.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>55) What did you last eat?</b>
It was a packet of Galaxy Mini Golden Eggs. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>56) What did you want to be when you were younger?</b>
I wanted to be a teacher up until about primary 5 and then I changed my mind
and wanted to become an author. I may not have a published book but I am still
a writer and have a website where I publish all my stories.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>57) What do you do on a typical Friday night?</b>
I have such a boring life compared to so many bloggers I read about. I stay in
like every night and watch “Emmerdale” with my parents before going to bed and
watching YouTube and Netflix the rest of the night.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>58) What is one food that you refuse to eat?</b>
Any kind of melon. I’m allergic to them.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>59) What is one item on your bucket list?</b>
I want to have a published book (a physical one rather than an ebook). I’m too
scared to go for my dreams, though. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>60) What is one item that you can’t live without?</b>
It depends. If I’m venturing outside, minus the essentials like my purse, it
would have to be my iPod. If I’m at home them my laptop. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>61) What is your shoe size?</b>
In some ranges I am a five and in others I am a 5 ½.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>62) What movie have you watched repeatedly?</b>
“Wild Child” starring Emma Roberts. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>63) What phone do you have (Apple or Android)?</b>
I have an android.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>64) What should you be doing right now?</b>
Probably writing a story or housework.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>65) What’s one goal you would like to accomplish this year?</b>
I want to take more time out of blogging and writing to do more for me, maybe
book a holiday for next year.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>66) What’s one of your pet peeves?</b>
Hypocritical people – especially on social media. In one tweet they’ll be like
“spread positivity/be a nice person” and in the next they’ll be subtweeting
someone.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>67) What’s the last song you’ve listened to?</b>
As I’m writing this it’s “Poet’s Heart” by Westlife.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>68) What’s the most expensive item of clothing that you own?</b>
That would be my winter jacket. It was £27.50 in the Black Friday sales last
year down from the previous sale price of £35 (I think it retailed for at least
£20 more). I know that’s not expensive to a lot of people but that’s the most
any clothing item I own was. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>69) What’s the thing you can’t leave the house without?</b>
My iPod. It goes everywhere with me.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>70) What’s your best physical feature?</b>
I really like my eyes. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>71) What’s your Chinese sign?</b>
Does anyone know this just off the bat without looking it up? Google tells me
it’s the monkey.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>72) What’s your current obsession?</b>
I am obsessed with the Sims right now. I’ve been playing it every day. I watch
Deligracy and the Sim Supply on YouTube and have caught the bug from them.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>73) What’s your dream car?</b>
A working one?<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>74) What’s your favourite animal?</b>
I like my domestic animals – cats and dogs. As mentioned previously I am more
of a dog person.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>75) What’s your favourite book?</b>
As a child I was “Lola Rose” by Jacqueline Wilson. I hope to introduce her
books to my own kids one day. As of right now I don’t have one but I am reading
“Dear Amy” by Helen Callaghan. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>76) What’s your favourite colour?</b>
I like peaceful shades of green, purple and blue.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>77) What’s your favourite dessert?</b>
A local restaurant does a great ice cream and waffles with toffee sauce.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>78) What’s your favourite drink?</b>
It sounds really boring but I only really drink water and fruit teas. Out of
those, it has to be water.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>79) What’s your favourite food?</b>
I could live off of roast dinners and Morrison’s chicken fajita wraps.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>80) What’s your favourite foreign food?</b>
I’m not very adventurous when it comes to food (it’s an anxiety thing) but if
I’m feeling up to it I’ll have a chicken chow mein. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>81) What’s your favourite gadget?</b>
Again; my iPod, my laptop or my Xbox. I’ve got to have my music and internet
access.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>82) What’s your favourite hobby?</b>
It used to be writing but as I do that quite a lot these days, now it’s singing
and playing the Sims.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>83) What’s your favourite movie?</b>
I feel like I’ve kind of answered this one before… “Wild Child” starring Emma
Roberts.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>84) What’s your favourite restaurant?</b>
I rarely go out these days, much less eat out but when I did it was between
Nandos and a local “home cooked” style restaurant.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>85) What’s your favourite sandwich?</b>
Again; I’m not adventurous. I like classics like tuna and turkey ham (not
together).<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>86) What’s your favourite season?</b>
I have 2: summer and autumn. Summer because that’s when we finally get to have
the windows open at all times (it’s so freeing) and autumn because of the
colours. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>87) What’s your favourite series?</b>
I was obsessed with Pretty Little Liars for such a long time. Right now I’m
really into Ru Paul’s Drag Race (Only on S5 atm so no spoilers please). <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>88) What’s your favourite snack?</b>
I love a fruit pot filled with strawberries, apple slices, grapes and kiwi.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>89) What’s favourite sport to watch?</b>
I don’t watch any sports at all unless you classify the fierce competitive
nature of Ru Paul’s Drag Race as a sport. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>90) What’s your favourite thing to have for breakfast?</b>
I really enjoy having banana on toast or porridge – but it’s got to be flavoured.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>91) What’s your full name?</b>That would be telling! Let’s just stick with ‘Kayleigh; the “me” behind ‘Anxiously,
Me”.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>92) What’s your longest relationship so far?</b>
The one with my bed.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>93) What’s your lucky number?</b>
I stopped believing in things like that a long time ago but when I’m stressed I
do things in set numbers.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>94) What’s your star sign?</b>
I am a Gemini.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>95) When is your birthday?</b>
It’s in June. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>96) Which city did you grow up in?</b>
I grew up in Stirling, Scotland.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>97) Which city do you live in now?</b>
I still in in the one in which I grew up.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>98) Who do you miss right now?</b>
My grandparents. 3 have sadly passed on over the last 18 years and I have a
nana that lives 460-odd miles away that I don’t get to see very often.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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99) Who is your celebrity crush?<br />
Without a doubt; Niall Horan.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>100) Who’s your favourite fictional character?</b>
I assume musical and movie stars count in this too? If so; Tracy Turnblad from ‘Hairspray’
and book-wise I really like the Pretty Little Liars and Emma Becker in ‘The
Lying Game’ by Sara Shepard.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-61192384973427540152018-04-27T11:00:00.000+01:002018-04-27T11:00:29.570+01:00One Year Anniversary!<br />
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Can you believe that it has now been a whole year since I
switched hosts? It has honestly been the best thing I could’ve done for my blog
aside from really focusing on an update/promo schedule from June. After
existing on Tumblr for about 5 years prior to the change and receiving no
interaction over there, moving has made it so much easier for people to leave
comments and to take part. Thank you all for the continued support and for
contributing to the growth of my blog.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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For a while now I have been scouring the internet for fun
tags to do to celebrate this anniversary and to my delight I recently
discovered the “Get to Know Me” tag over on Lindsay’s blog. You can find her
original post <u><a href="https://lindsaylovinlife.wordpress.com/2017/04/21/100-questions-for-your-get-to-know-me-tag/" target="_blank">here</a></u>. What better way to celebrate a full year of "properly" blogging than to let you all get to know me a bit better? <br />This also happens to be a double celebration as I am pleased to
report that, in time for this one year anniversary, we have reached over 20,000
views since the end of June last year! I am over the moon that this has reached
so many of you. If you would like to subscribe to this blog, there is an email
subscription box to the right of this post or if you would like to follow my social media accounts then they will be linked at the bottom of this post.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are 100 questions in total but I’m going to split it
up into 2 posts (one on Monday) so go get a drink and/or snack, get comfortable and I’ll see you back here in
a sec!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Settled? Let’s get started!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>1) Are you a morning or night person?</b>
I used to be a night person up until about a year and a half ago as I was
unable to sleep at night due to my anxiety, and my depression made it so that I
was sleeping until 2pm at the earliest. These days, if I have somewhere to be
(appointments, town etc) I prefer to be up for about half 7 to catch the
quietest bus and to be home before 11 (permitting) but I wouldn’t say that I’m
a morning person either as, on minimal sleep (if any), I get into some really
bad moods.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>2) Are you afraid of the dark?</b>
I used to be as a kid but not in the traditional sense of “there’s a monster
under my bed/in my cupboard”. I just didn’t feel comfortable in the dark and
felt really panicky. As I got older I found that I could lay in the dark but
still couldn’t sleep properly unless I let some light in at the side of my
curtain next to my bed. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I discovered
that I was feeling so bad in the dark due to it triggering panic attacks and
severe anxiety – a condition that I didn’t even realise that I had until I was
diagnosed with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>3) Are you an extrovert or introvert?</b>
I am an introvert.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4) Are you double jointed?</b>
I am! I have double jointed fingers and if I’m not careful they tend to stick
and stay that way!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>5) Are you left or right handed?</b>
I am right handed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>6) Are you more of a tidy person or messy one?</b>
I am a tidy person. I can’t stand mess! It just unsettles me so much. When I
used to stay at friend’s houses I had a reputation for asking if I could tidy
up or at least make their bed (if they hadn’t) as it made me feel unsafe and
stressed out. I have since been told by mental health professionals that I have
anxiety based around cleanliness and safety (as part of having GAD –
generalised anxiety disorder) and that this need to clean and do checks in
order to feel safe is part of the OCD traits that come with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>7) Are you on time or always late?</b>
I am perpetually early! Aside from it being rude to keep others waiting, it is
a massive feature of my anxiety. I just <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">can’t</b>
be late otherwise I feel really ill.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>8) Are you ticklish?</b>
I am. In general I hate people touching me too and I have really quick "fight" (out of "fight or flight") skills so if you ever tried to tickle me you'd probably find yourself (accidentally) being hit/knocked out. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>9) Can you curl your tongue?</b>
I can! I can turn it onto both sides as well so that it’s vertical rather than
horizontal!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>10) Can you ice skate?</b>
Nah. I’ve never even been to an ice rink.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>11) Can you wiggle your ears?</b>
Nope.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>12) Coffee or tea?</b>
I miss coffee so much but even when I drank it I still preferred tea. I have to
be careful of my caffeine intake as it messes with my adrenaline which in turn
makes my anxiety worse so these days I have caffeine-free fruit/herbal teas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>13) Cookies, cake or donuts?</b>
I’ve taken a bit of a shine to donuts recently. I sometimes treat myself to a
bag (to have over a few days) every so many months.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>14) Did you ever participate in a talent show?</b>
Never anything labelled as a “talent show” but I used to perform with NYCoS
(National Youth Choir of Scotland) from the time they recruited me until I left
and I was in at least one school play a year. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>15) Did you go to prom?</b>
I did and I actually regret going. If you want to know why, feel free to ask for a post about my prom experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>16) Did you like school?</b>
Hahahahahahahahahahaha. No.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>17) Do you believe in ghosts?</b>
I’m not actually sure. I’ve never been in a situation that couldn’t be
explained logically (something falling off a shelf, feeling cold) but after one
of my grandads died when I was eight I used to feel like something was stroking
my leg in a comforting way when I was in bed. It only ever happened at night
and I’m not sure if I did actually feel something or if it was my imagination
running wild as a kid.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>18) Do you bite your nails?</b>
Yes, and it’s been a tough habit to try to break. When I was in
school/college/work/volunteering I would bite them all the time. It was another
sign that I was agitated and anxious. These days it does still serve as an
indicator that I am feeling wound up but, as a result of growing out of wanting
to do it and minimising stressful situations, I do it a whole lot less now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>19) Do you consider yourself a good cook?</b>
Nah. I can cook if I need/have to but I don’t go out of my way to actively
learn how to make certain meals or to improve. I like simple, basic meals and
cooking doesn’t interest me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>20) Do you enjoy dancing?</b>
I do but only on my own (*starts singing “On My Own” from Les Mis*) in the dark
with the curtains drawn. A friend’s aunt once told me that I was a “pretty sexy
mover” once so…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>21) Do you enjoy DIY or crafts?</b>
I love arts and crafts and I do enjoy DIY. Aside from two pieces of furniture I
have built up the rest that’s in my room by myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>22) Do you forgive easily?</b>
Not so much as forgive but forget. My memory is so bad that even if someone has
done something really horrible to me my brain just doesn’t absorb it (it’s my
way of protecting myself from said hurt) and I can go on as if nothing ever
happened. I’ll still remember that they did something bad but it doesn’t affect
me as my brain just blocks out the pain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>23) Do you have a nickname?</b>
I do but that’s too personal for this blog (aka; anyone who knows me will know
that this is my blog if I reveal it). For the record; I hate all shortened
versions of my name.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>24) Do you have any allergies?</b>
Yep. I am allergic to penicillin, melon (all kinds) and to loads of animals. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>25) Do you have any phobias?</b>
I have an intense fear of needles and anything to do with hospitals. Even just
being outside of one makes me feel faint and wobbly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>26) Do you have any piercings or tattoos?</b>
I have four piercings – two in each lobe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>27) Do you have children?</b>
I don’t but I really want to have as many as I can handle. I can’t actually
physically have children and have known from a young age that I want to adopt.
People will say I’m crazy but I want 5 children – minimum! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>28) Do you have any pets?</b>
Not right now. I’m open to having a dog in the future, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss the one we had when I was growing
up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also had budgies (I’m terrified
of birds so…), a rabbit, a kitten at one point and many goldfish.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>29) Do you have siblings?</b>
I do. I have one younger brother.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>30) Do you prefer dogs or cats?</b>
I prefer dogs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>31) Do you prefer MAC or PC?</b>
I’ve only ever had PCs/laptops – always Windows-based devices.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>32) Do you prefer the beach or mountains?</b>
Out of those two? I would chose the beach but I would rather be in a field
somewhere near a river or lake.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>33) Do you prefer the bath or the shower?</b>
I miss having a bath so much! When we re-did our bathroom we only had a shower
unit installed and whilst it’s great for quickness sometimes you just want to
lay back and relax. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>34) Do you sing in the shower?</b>
I sure do!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>35) Do you smoke?</b>
Nope. I’m the only person in my immediate family who has never smoked at some
point in their life and I don’t ever intend to start.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>36) Do you speak any different languages?</b>
I know a lot of French and Spanish (I sing in these languages too) and I also
sing in Portuguese as well as a bit of Italian.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>37) Do you still have your wisdom teeth?</b>
I do and they are the bane of my life. They’re mostly impacted so I won’t need
them removed but my bottom right one has been trying to break through for about
2 years now and I have a hole in my gum above it so I’ll probably need that
removed soon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>38) Do you still watch cartoons?</b>
Nah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t even watch animated movies
unless I happen to be entertaining a child. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>39) Do you/have you played any sports?</b>
I don’t play sports and I hated P.E at school due to bullies but I was rather
good at games that required a bat or racket.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>40) Does your name have a special meaning?</b>
Like a lot of women in the last 30-ish years, I was named “Kayleigh” after the
song by Marillion. My middle name is after one of my great grandmothers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>41) Have you ever been hospitalised?</b>
As a child I was for some sort of bladder infection, I believe. Other than that
I tend to stay away from them as even just standing outside of one makes my
legs wobbly. I went in when I when I was about 12 for mouth surgery and
actually forced myself to eat something about half an hour after I had woken up
so that I could go home as soon as possible. I woke up just after 7 and was
home by about 8.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>42) Have you ever been on a diet?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As a teen; constantly. I’ve always been overweight due to
medical issues stemming from when I was about 2. I’ve always been
self-conscious of eating in front of people so I would go home for lunch even
though walking home and back to school cost me 2/3 of my lunch break. When we
moved campuses I would eat in one of my classrooms with my friends so that I
didn’t get bullied for eating. These days I view my eating habits as a
lifestyle change and have completely over-hauled what I eat. In doing so I’ve
lost over 5 stone (70+ pounds).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>43) Have you ever been to a concert?</b>
I have been to several. On tour I’ve seen Westlife 4 times, McFly twice, One
Direction twice, Little Mix once, 5SOS once (as a support act) and the Drifters
once. I went to the last Live & Loud (05/06) where I saw McFly again and
acts like Lemar, the Faders, Mel C etc.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>44) Have you ever gone camping?</b>
Never. It just doesn’t appeal to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>45) Have you ever met any celebrities?</b>
I’ve met a few. To name a few; I met Westlife in 2011 and Robbie Coltrane
(Hagrid from Harry Potter). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>46) Have you ever skipped class?</b>
Yes but not to be rebellious or because I didn’t feel like going. I would call
the school at lunch times and tell them I wasn’t going back due to the
relentless bullying I was suffering and a lot of the time I felt too ill to
attend due to my anxiety over said bullying.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>47) Have you ever won something?</b>
I won tickets to see One Direction and Little Mix at the Apple Music Festival
in 2015.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>48) Have you ever had braces?</b>
Yes and now because of my wisdom teeth, it looks like I never did.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>49) How are you feeling right now?</b>
If you’re a regular reader of my tweets then you can probably answer this for
yourself. I’m tired and actually feel rather low.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>50) How tall are you?</b>
I am 5ft 1 (no relation to how low I feel). <o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><br />
Tune in on Monday to see part 2 of this "Get to Know Me" special. Again, you can find the original post <a href="https://lindsaylovinlife.wordpress.com/2017/04/21/100-questions-for-your-get-to-know-me-tag/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Feel free to leave your own answers in the comment below or send them to me via Twitter!<br />
<br />
Anxiously,<br />
Me<br />
<br />
You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a>First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-90719195738792641602018-03-26T11:00:00.000+01:002018-03-26T11:00:17.152+01:00Blogger Recognition AwardA little foreword before the nomination form:<br />
<br />
I have been hum-ing and ha-ing over posting this award nomination post since last November. I have wanted to post this as I am so grateful to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/beautylifemom" target="_blank">Jen</a> for nominating me but I also haven't wanted to post this as I am so aware that people may not like the reason why I have taken so long to post it.<br />
<br />
The reason why it has taken me so long to even fill out the nomination form is because I have not nominated anyone to take part and it has been a great source of anxiety for me so instead I want to invite my readers to nominate someone they think should be nominated in the comments below and I will contact them to let them know.<br />
<br />
Here is the post I had written before over-thinking got the best of me:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEgQ2X8WJltT27SO3doqTAy_MdQvhBxN459RcfqBVsMKn0eaeVEeJ0wEjQPsf23e36SadXOlUFZdCK2P-HmLevYoxApPKP6yLTQngniZrZLuaMfMmKZATRsiu9JOB1DQYQwnF1jLg0Jnu/s1600/blogger-recognition-award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="600" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIEgQ2X8WJltT27SO3doqTAy_MdQvhBxN459RcfqBVsMKn0eaeVEeJ0wEjQPsf23e36SadXOlUFZdCK2P-HmLevYoxApPKP6yLTQngniZrZLuaMfMmKZATRsiu9JOB1DQYQwnF1jLg0Jnu/s400/blogger-recognition-award.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s another sneaky catch up on a blogger nomination form!
The wonderful Jen at BeautyLifeMom has nominated me (waaay, back in
November) for the “Blogger Recognition Award” and this is me finally getting
round to doing it. Thank you to Jen for said nomination! You can find Jen’s
blog <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><a href="http://beautylifemom.com/" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>The rules of this
post are as follows:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and provide a link to
their blog.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Write a post to show your award.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Give a brief story of how your blog started.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Select 15 other bloggers for this award<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Comment on each blog to let them know you nominated them and
link to the post you created.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>How My Blog
Started:<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve mentioned this a few times as part of the requirements
for other nomination forms but basically I started this blog about 7 years ago
(nearly 8 now) and forgot about it. At the start of last year I remembered that
I had this blog/name and decided to change hosts in April of 2017 as I wanted
to be taken seriously with my posts about mental health and since then my
passion for blogging has been refuelled. I started putting out more posts from
the end of June and from there have watched my blog grow to all that it is
right now. I’ve had several blog over the last 14 years but this one is by far
my favourite.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Two Pieces of
Advice for New Bloggers: <o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Write about what you know. If you are passionate about
something (for me it’s sharing the mental health information that I have been
provided with over the years as part of treatment sessions) then you will never
be short of what to write about. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Interact with other bloggers/your followers (they don’t
have to be of the same blog genre as you) and create your own network of
blogger friends. Not only does it help you make new friends but you can also
support each other – something that is really important to have. If your
followers see you as a nice person they’re more likely to keep following you
and will interact back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remember to leave you nominations below!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anxiously,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can find Anxiously, Me on:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a></div>
<br />First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-85743167440847885842018-03-19T11:00:00.000+00:002018-03-19T11:00:00.541+00:00Unmotivated: Stream of Consciousness<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m sat here in front of my laptop and, like most days, I
really cannot be bothered to write. I feel completely drained and so deflated.
I’m tired. I’m anxious. I’m lonely. So instead of talking about one topic I thought
I would just share my opinion and take on some things and splice in some of my
real-time thoughts at the same time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
*Some of these thoughts were inspired by some tweets that
I’ve seen recently and disagreed with. I’m not in any way trying to start
arguments or drag people down; I’m using my platform, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my </i>blog to express how I personally feel about them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
** Also; some of these may be “unpopular opinions” so be
prepared for that. If you don’t agree that’s fine and it’s OK to say so but
please be mindful of what you write in response to me, an actual human being
with feelings. If you wouldn’t say it in person then you shouldn’t write it
online.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
***I may end up completely removing the “unpopular
opinions”/controversial thoughts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here we go:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Competition between bloggers: I am only in competition with
myself. I strive to be better than I was the day before; as a blogger, a writer
and as a person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I wonder if anyone
gets excited when they see I’ve posted something new.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wish more people would say “hello” to me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">HI!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wish more people would try to have a conversation with me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thanks for reading
this post! How are you?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wish that when I post my views on something I wouldn’t see
people that I once regarded as friends writing indirect tweets after.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wish I didn’t feel so bad about being myself because I’m
not “positive enough” and “always depressed”. I have depression; go figure.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I really should finish
those books that I started.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just because I have severe anxiety and depression it doesn’t
mean that I am unworthy of even basic communication (“hi”). It also doesn’t
mean that if we have a conversation that everything will be based around me
telling you how sad I am and how panicked I feel. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m more interested in getting to know you than you realise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still think about that time that I replied to a fellow
blogger’s tweet and he and his friend tried to call me out for
replying (note: it was because I had REPLIED and wasn’t due to what I had
said. I had agreed with him). They made me feel like a complete idiot for daring to reply despite said friend not being tagged so it wasn't like it was a "private" conversation of theirs either. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'd also never spoken to said blogger before so there was no past history of any wrong doing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
His need to shame me actually caused me to have a breakdown.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thanks for that.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I resist replying to anything he posts now and contemplate
unfollowing him daily.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why is it so hard to
unfollow fellow bloggers?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why is it so hard to
unfollow former friends?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why does one of my friends not understand that mental health
isn’t a competition and that she shouldn’t be trying to one-up people?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why do people ask me for advice and then never take it yet
blame me when they don’t and it goes wrong? That is not my problem. You wanted
advice; you got it. You didn’t want to take it; things went tits-up for you.
That is not my fault. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
People shouldn’t self-diagnose. Always, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always </i>seek professional help.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Buying followers, likes, comments should be banned.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bot accounts should be banned and shouldn’t be allowed to be
created at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I think I just cracked
a tooth.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cyberbullying needs to stop.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Well, it doesn’t hurt
and I can’t feel any obvious change with my tongue so…<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you use IM/text speak in your posts then I won’t read
them. I just can’t take adults and/or professionals seriously when they use “u”
or “ur” etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The same goes if you have no grasp of correct grammar. "We was" drives me up the wall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really can’t stand blogs (that are supposed to be true to
what a person has experienced) that read as fictional stories<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. Is this the real life? Is this just
fantasy?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I wonder if my readers
would be supportive of my fictional writing...?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those who constantly follow and unfollow accounts in aid of
gaining more followers (and having more followers than they are following)
should just be banned.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Same goes for those who straight up rip off or plagiarise other people's content.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I should probably wrap
up this post. I’m definitely going to remove the “controversial” opinions; they’re
not worth the worrying and the “what ifs” over people not being civilised.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you made it this far you deserve some sort of reward. You
should probably go reward yourself now. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You
may want to reward yourself with the art of conversation by starting one below
or even by saying “hello” on Twitter… <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anxiously, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram </a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<br />First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-40622854697805199572018-03-12T11:00:00.000+00:002018-03-12T11:00:25.501+00:00Can't Sleep<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Can’t Sleep<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just before Christmas my anxious brain thought it would be
hilarious if I could no longer sleep in the dark (or at all a lot of the time)
and since then I have either been up all night or coasting by on very little
sleep. In the 14 months before that I had finally managed to get into a pattern
of falling asleep before midnight (or at least before 2am) and waking up at a
reasonable time (for me this is before 10am) after over a decade of being
unable to sleep before 4am (or not sleeping at all) and not being able to get
out of bed before 3pm.<br />
For those who are familiar with my late night tweets (you can follow me <u>here</u>)
then you’ll know that, for me, being in the dark leads to panic attacks. It’s
not that I’m afraid of the dark in the traditional sense( I’m very aware that
monsters and demons do not live under my bed but rather in my head), it’s the
fact that the darkness feels rather smothering and that in turns means that I –
quite literally – cannot breathe. In cases like that I usually open my window
up as wide as I can and breathe in and out for counts of 10. However, that is a
lot easier said than done when it’s winter and the Beast from the East has
taken over. I’ve had to resort to using distraction techniques instead to take
my mind off of an attack.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">*Trigger Warning – Don’t read the next line if associated words trigger
you. If you want to know the triggers are then they listed next.*<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">*Triggers: panic attacks, nightmares, death*<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is a breakdown of this time period and how I managed to
feel even just slightly better about falling asleep and how I’ve managed to get
at least a couple of hours sleep each night:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This first night started with a panic attack. As soon as it
started to get dark outside (around 3pm) I could feel the panic is my
constantly anxious body rising and I knew that I would be in for a night of
broken sleep at best. I managed to stave off a panic attack until the time I
got into bed at about 8pm. That may sound really early for some of you but,
with my depression being worse due to the winter months and lack of sunlight,
I’ve been finding it hard not to be in bed ready to wind down enough to sleep
before 7:30pm. I managed to get through the panic attack but, like they always
do, it left me feeling rather deflated, lethargic and unable to get my mind off
of it. It might sound cheesy but putting on a Westlife tour DVD that night
really helped me to at least not think of what my brain and body had just gone
through. All until I wanted to go to sleep. I had managed to drift off just
after 2am but was awoken by an anxiety nightmare (I have no idea why anyone
calls them “anxiety dreams” as I certainly don’t consider one of my dreams to
be discovering that my teeth are shattering and falling out) and a bit of a
fever at 3. The nightmare had felt so real that even though I was checking with
my tongue, I couldn’t feel my teeth for a good five minutes. It was like my
tongue had gone numb or just that it just didn’t recognise what my teeth felt
like and it made the aftermath all the worse. It took me a while to calm down
(I recall looking at the clock and seeing that it was after 5 in the morning)
with the help of deep breathing and putting on “Friends” quietly in the
background. By having a focal point I managed to concentrate on breathing and
very slowly all my senses came back to me. It no longer felt like I was
underwater and I decided that I was brave enough to try to sleep again. I only
slept for about 3 hours in total but it was so much better than not sleeping at
all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since then I haven’t felt comfortable enough to fall asleep
without a familiar comedy playing in the background and for the first few nights
I purposely only watched Westlife tour DVDs before attempting to sleep as they
are guaranteed to make me feel well enough to do so. Even though Westlife
haven’t been together in about 6 years they still bring me immense amounts of
joy and bring a sense of calmness over me. I owe a lot to them but I’ll leave
that for another post. <br />
After a couple of nights I felt well enough not to put on one of their shows
and switched to watching at least one movie before changing over to “Friends”
or another movie that I have previously seen because my anxious brain’s FOMO
(fear of missing out) is apparently still prevalent even when I’m alone and I
know can watch the movie again thanks to Netflix or even my DVD collection.
Some nights I would just switch on “Friends” straight away and watch a couple
of episodes before falling asleep and then watching the ones I had slept
through the next day. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been about twelve weeks since this cycle started and I
am yet to feel like I can go to sleep without the TV being on. Aside from
having frequent panic attacks, I also struggle with the intense feeling of
panic that I am going to die if I close my eyes or that something bad will
happen if I do. It has also been during this time that my phone, which is
usually on silent because ringtones get on my nerves after a while and
notification sounds trigger my misophonia (so they can do one), has been set to
sound or, at the very least, vibrate as this fear that someone needs to get a
hold of me late at night to tell me something has gone wrong/someone’s in
hospital or has died has taken over my life. I should probably tell you that
just before this period of not being able to sleep started that my brother had
been taken into hospital and both my mother and I could not be reached at that
time and I was also dealing with anxiety over pains and lumps I had found, so
it (being unable to sleep) was bound to happen at some point. Hopefully I’ll be
back to my new old self soon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope this post made sense and I’m sorry if I jumped around
a lot or if you feel like I missed anything out/glossed over anything. I wrote
this a stream of consciousness but tried to stick to the topic of being unable
to sleep and it’s subtopics of why I can’t sleep and what I’ve been doing to
remedy it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
If you want to know more or want me to go into detail about something that I’ve
mentioned then feel free to ask. If you want a list of what programmes/movies
I’ve managed to sleep through (because they are familiar) then let me know and
I’ll post it as a lighter take on this post. I know some of you like that more
in depth look into other people’s brains and what they like/don’t like and I
promise that I will not find it intrusive of you to ask for it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take care!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anxiously,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can find Anxiously, Me on:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-83215067356901510212018-03-05T11:00:00.001+00:002018-03-05T11:00:14.730+00:00Back to BasicsInstead of having a guest blogger answer my "Self-Care Q&A", posting an award-type post (I <i>will</i> get round to doing them) or writing up some mental health information that I've found helpful I have decided to go back to basics and do what I did when I first started this blog; just write whatever has been on my mind.<br />
Since before Christmas everything has revolved around being tired (physically and mentally as well as figuratively) and feeling inadequate so I thought I would get it all out into the open in the hope that I might start to feel better once it's all been released.<br />
<br />
Without further ado, here is: <u><b>A Slight Stream of Consciousness: “Tired”</b></u>.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>*May be triggering to some*<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the last couple of months I have been completely floored by my anxiety and depression which has left me unmotivated to do anything. I was about to tell you that I have no idea why everything had suddenly felt ten times worse but as I was writing that very statement I realised that I do know where it came from this time. I’m used to living with anxiety and depression on a daily basis – my earliest memory of having anxiety is from when I was 8 (but I know I felt it long before that) and depression from as young as 9 – but sometimes it hits me harder for periods of time. This is what normal has been for me for (at least) the last eighteen years and right now I am both mentally and physically tired of it.<br />
I’m tired of every day being a struggle, of being alone and feeling lonely, of never having a break. I’m mentally tired of not being able to sleep (and tired from little to no restful sleep), of having such horrible anxiety nightmares and of feeling like if I close my eyes then I will die or that someone I know will.<br />
I’m tired of always being on the lookout because years of relentless bullying taught me that in order to get through the day without falling victim to cruel pranks (confuse don’t abuse, people) or being a target I always had to be one step ahead of them both figuratively and physically.<br />
I’m tired of being unable to leave my home because said bullies would literally bring their taunts to the door and now it haunts my every thought.<br />
I’m tired of jumping every time the phone rings because all throughout primary school and high school we were subjected to prank phone calls and abuse being yelled down the phone.<br />
I’m tired of not feeling safe in my own home because we’ve been targeted in the past by vandals and people who think it’s funny to ruin your private property by jumping over your back fence and using our outdoor furniture as a way to boost themselves over the next.<br />
I’m tired of having to keep my mouth shut because it’s better to be quiet than to express an opinion because you’re “always wrong” and that your “opinion doesn’t matter”.<br />
I’m tired of not being able to be myself and not feeling like I can tell you who I am without people that I used to know leaving anonymous hate comments because that’s all I ever received growing up.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know a lot of you will be thinking “this happened in the <b>past</b>, you should be over it by now” or “high was years ago; you don’t live there anymore” but I guarantee that if you are thinking these thoughts then you’ve never experienced the type of trauma and mental abuse that I was subjected to.<br />
Do you know how hard it is to overcome all of that? To not feel inadequate, like nothing you say or do is good enough or to feel like your life is meaningless every second of every day? It’s exhausting to feel every little thing so intensely because I’m one of these people who actually gives a fuck about creating good impressions and will spend all day worrying about whether or not you actually liked the tea I made and going over every little detail of the day over and over again in my head, over-analysing things to the point where I don’t know if I even said or did whatever it is I’m worrying about. That type of trauma and abuse has you second guessing everything and you never feel confident in just <i>being</i> because you’ve always been told by your peers (and some adults) that who you are just isn’t good enough or that what you think isn’t valid. You <b>believe</b> that all the negative things they tell you about yourself are true because that’s all you’ve ever heard.<br />
It doesn’t matter if you grow up to be a success because you never truly feel like you are. You always believe that anything good that happens to you must be someone pranking you because the only times people have been nice to you it was all just so that they could get a laugh out of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are things that happen currently that make me feel like this too. A lot of them are now centred round blogging and the maintenance of my website but they are all still people-made problems:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Messages being left on read and unanswered despite the conversation not being finished. I’m not talking about waiting a while to figure out a response, I’m talking about reading the message, being disinterested and conveniently “forgetting” to reply until I message weeks/months later daring to check in on you.</li>
<li>One word answers.</li>
<li>No further conversation being had on a blog post or comment board even though you took the time to carefully word a reply back.</li>
<li>Only being good enough to talk to when the person has no one else.</li>
<li>Being used to gain followers, subscribers or even just visitors when you host a guest post but never actually being asked to do one.</li>
<li>Being made to feel inadequate or like you did something wrong when something great happens to a really terrible or undeserving person.</li>
<li>Very little to no support.</li>
<li>Making so much of an effort to be supportive and not even receiving a “thank you”.</li>
<li>Only getting a comment/follow/reply if you are the one who makes the first contact.</li>
<li>People playing the “follow/unfollow” game.</li>
<li>Not receiving any kind of interaction on something you worked really hard on/are really proud of.</li>
<li>Not being check in on or given the same respect that I give others.</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Any of what I have mentioned above is enough to make anyone give up so think of how someone like me must feel when they are dealing with all of the above (either the past or current section, or both in my case). It not only effected my past and affects my present; it also has an impact on my future. How you treat others matters. I don’t feel like I’m entitled to replies or for people to check in but it would be nice, and let’s be honest; a lot of it is just common curtesy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No one seems to care. I want to be able to go to any one of my friends or followers and say “I’m having a tough time. Can we talk?” without mind games being played or seeing my message be left on read because you “can’t be bothered” talking to me because my tweets are rarely positive or because you feel like I’m not worth talking to because, yes; I am depressed and you might catch it. Depression isn't contagious. I see it all. I <i>feel</i> it all. I want it to stop. I’m trying so hard to get into a more positive head space and it’s just so mentally exhausting to go to therapy, go to group sessions and to just try to speak to someone as it is without feeling like this community of friends that I’m trying to build really just have no consideration for how I’m feeling. I made my blog and my other website to help others not feel lonely or alone by creating a place where anyone can talk to me, where at least one person understands or is there for them but the same kind of consideration is never given.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On my other site I can mention that I was really ill but no one will care; they just want the next update. Last year I was so ill with anxiety over getting updates out to them that I thought I was having a stroke because the left side of my face felt numb/tingly/like it wasn’t moving yet no one cared. They just wanted more from me. All I do is give and all others do is take. How is that fair? I work myself down to the bone to make others feel included, to feel like someone is there for them yet when I need them I get nothing. No “I saw you were struggling”, “how can I help” or even a “hello”. Even when I reach out to them I get a wall of silence. What have I done that is so bad that you can’t even be bothered to say “hi”? Don’t even get me started on the disaster of actually asking people for guest posts last year for Christmas/Winter and only having ONE person send anything even though all 10-15 that I asked promised they would send something in and promised that they were “writing as we speak”. I couldn’t even use that person’s post because they ended up plagiarising at least one of my tweets and I didn’t feel right rewarding that kind of behaviour (as in the “giving someone something despite them doing me wrong” sense not in the “I feel like my blog is better than theirs/being a guest blogger on my blog is that big of an honour” sense. Come to think of it, since I told them that I didn’t feel right posting it it’s felt like there has been some kind of vendetta against me with them and their friends blocking me despite me having not done anything wrong and never having spoken to their friends…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I digress.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I like doing these “what’s been on my mind”/stream of consciousness/almost diary-like posts. I may do one about the “vendetta” mentioned above or even how that came about some time. It would simply read like a story time blog or even vlog would do and no names would be mentioned either because whilst I believe in writing the facts and documenting the truth, I don’t agree with giving people that kind of attention by mentioning their names. At the end of the day names don’t matter; actions do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anxiously and oh-so-very tired,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-34089596960189420562018-02-12T12:33:00.003+00:002018-02-12T12:33:34.207+00:00A Little Social Media Round up<div class="MsoNormal">
Hi all!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just making you all aware that aside from on here, you can
find me on the following:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog">Twitter<o:p></o:p></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe">Facebook<o:p></o:p></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
& <a href="http://www.instagram.com/">Instagram</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really appreciate all of your support and would love it if
you continued to do so. If you could subscribe to my emailing service and
follow my blog as well then I’d be really grateful.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Feel free to start a conversation with me anytime on any of
those platforms and I will reply as soon as I can (a girl has to sleep
sometimes). If you write a comment on one of my posts then make sure you click
to get notified of when I respond. You’d be surprised by the amount of
conversations that were missed because no one opted to be notified. I really
want to have more conversations with you all – even if it’s just a quick
exchange. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you’re feeling down or lonely feel free to message me any
time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also invite you to leave your social media handles below
and/or your latest blog post and I’ll be sure to have a look.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anxiously,<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06565127464348775521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-62129892439518317282018-01-29T11:00:00.000+00:002018-02-05T12:22:42.262+00:00The Key to Keeping Resolutions<div class="MsoNormal">
To a lot of people the term “New Year’s Resolutions” sounds
rather daunting and final. “I <u>will</u> lose weight”, “I <u>will</u> quit smoking” sound pretty definite and when
they don’t achieve it or fall off the wagon by the second week in January they
get rather disheartened and quit. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To combat this, I stopped making “resolutions” about 8 years
ago and switched them out for goals. I don’t even make these goals at the start
of the year anymore unless I have been contemplating doing something for so
long and have decided there and then to make a change. Instead of “I <i>will</i>…” I now say “I will <i>try</i>.” <i>I will try</i> means that you are giving yourself a chance to actually
try to actively change something rather than “I <i>must</i> do x/I <i>must</i> do y”
and then feeling bad when you don’t stick to it. It means you are allowing
yourself the chance to continue should you, say, break from the new lifestyle
change you are implementing (I loathe the term “diet” as it only sounds
temporary). It also means you are aware that there will be days when things
will be more difficult than others and are therefore allowing yourself to be OK
with the fact that it’s not going to be plain sailing; that you will try again
whether it’s in the next hour, day or when you have recovered.<br />
I firmly believe that one of the only ways to achieve your goals is to change
your mentality and not be so hard on yourself when, if your eyes, you’ve
failed. Another is to <i>keep trying.</i>
The more often you do something, the more likely you are to stick to it. You
also have to <i>want</i> to do it. A
sure-fire way of resenting what you do and not accomplishing it is doing it purely
for other people. If you don’t <i>want</i>
it then your heart will not be in it and you will never really be happy with
anything you do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year, instead of resolving to lose weight, I thought “it
would be really nice if I lost one stone (14lbs) by the end of the year” and
then put in effort to do so by changing what and when I ate, making sure I was within
the recommended guidelines for calorie intake, sugar intake etc. If I had said “I
<u>will </u>lose weight” it would’ve seemed an impossible task as I had vowed
to do so before and it had never worked therefore I would quit by week two or
by the end of the month. By <i>trying</i>
and not being so hard on myself (allowing myself to be fine with knowing that
it’s OK to “fail” or have days/periods of time where I was more lenient), not
only did I lose one stone (14lbs), I – at the time of writing this – have lose
a total of 4 stone 10lbs (66lbs) with only 4lbs to go until I have lost a total
of 5 stone (70lbs) and I am now two dress sizes smaller in both my top and
bottom halves. <br />
I said I would try to maintain a blog (win) and to relaunch my other passion project
(double win). I wanted to do a lot more writing last year - 25 stories to be exact - and by setting
aside some time each day/each week I accomplished that plus more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year my goals are to:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Continue to try to lose weight as well as tone up. I needed
to do this for my own wellbeing/health but I also <i>wanted</i> to. I did it for me and not because other people told me to.
I’ve always been big but I’ve also always been content with who I am as a person
and have never seen why I should do what other people say just so that they’ll
like me or so that I’ll be included in what they do. Why would I want to be
friends with people who couldn’t see past my weight or who wouldn’t take me for
who I am?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to be more open on my blog’s Twitter account with
other projects that I do and what I lend my name to. I have a website that I
think a lot of you will enjoy or will support me on and whilst I do promote it
on Twitter, I don’t ever say “this is actually mine” as it has links to
personal details of mine (my YouTube channel, my nickname etc) that I want to
keep separate from the blog.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to read more books. I used to read 10+ books a week
(not to brag but this was also when I had a social life and a full time job)
and now I’m lucky if I read one a month. I’m aiming to finish my second of the
year either this weekend (at the time of writing this it is Friday 26<sup>th</sup>
January) or early next week (the week you’ll see this post) and to start a new
one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to write more. I have a goal of 25 stories to write
by December. This is a goal I have been keeping annually over the last 4 or so
years as part of my other project/website. It started out with just writing
enough for ten days and I’ve now built it up to span over 25 days from December
1st up to and including Christmas Day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I really want to keep questioning why I feel the way I do
when I have a bad day and to not let others make me feel bad.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, I want to keep saving up for when I eventually move
out and keep buying in smaller items so that when I do, I just need to think
about the bigger items like furniture and carpeting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What are your goals for this year/in the long term?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><o:p></o:p></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-80754907896663643252018-01-01T11:00:00.000+00:002018-01-01T11:00:10.528+00:00Happy New Year (+ Goals for 2018)!<b>HAPPY NEW YEAR!</b><br />
<br />
With the start of a new year, I thought (with some help of my lovely poll-voters) that I should do a “Goals for my Blog (2018)” post! It’s a bit of a weird one to be writing as people like to constantly tell you “blogging isn’t about numbers” but, let’s be real; it is. Seeing you stats increase is one of the best feelings in the world and for so many people like myself who have gone through life with people not caring about them, it means a hell of a lot to actually see that people like what you do. Not only do those numbers on social media total the amount of people who enjoy your content but, from my personal experience, they also signify the number of friends I have made over the course of my blog. A lot of awesome opportunities also arise from said numbers.<br />
Whilst I may disagree to an extent that “blogging isn’t about numbers”, I do believe that you get what you give. For instance; if you want to have friendly interactions with someone on Twitter you have to be nice when talking to them. If you want to pass certain goals then you have to put in the work and effort; you can’t just expect to get things for free or for minimal effort/work. <br />
Even though my list of goals is mainly number-oriented, know that I do not expect to just get them; I put in a lot of effort (self-promotion and hard work as an example) to achieve them and that the results I am posting of last year’s goals have only been due to me actually putting in dedication to my blog as, without it, why else would anyone click on my links or even come keep coming back?<br />
<br />
<b>Looking back on last year’s goal…</b><br />
On the 27th of June of last year, when I started putting more effort into my blog, I decided upon two goals: one to share the information that I had gained over the last 6 or so years from actively seeking and being involved in treatment for my mental health conditions (severe anxiety and depression) and to reach 1,000 views by the 27th of July. I never thought I would reach it, never mind surpass it, so imagine how shocked I was to pass this goal by July 4th! I then changed by goal to 2k but kept the same end-date and to my absolute amazement smashed through 2k on 17th July and had ANOTHER 1,000 views by the 29th of July, 2 days after my end-of-goal date! Since then the blog has come on it leaps and bounds and I’m absolutely thrilled to finally feel as though I belong somewhere. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would ever have one viewer never mind those that consistently come back to read MY posts.<br />
<br />
<b>Things are a little different this year…</b><br />
This year, as this incarnation of my blog and the social media accounts I have for it are still relatively new but still ending the year with some results, I want to be optimistic and tell you all what my goals are for them.<br />
<br />
<b>First off: my blog. </b><br />
As I’m writing this in the middle of the afternoon on December 31st (UK time), I am 11 views off from 17k. As April will be a year since the host change, I would love to surpass 20k by then. I feel like this is doable as it’s only taken me since June 27th (2017) to reach nearly 17,000 from only having 300 before the whole “putting in effort” phase.<br />
I would like to see more people actually following my blog and signing up for email notifications.<br />
<br />
<b>Now for Twitter!</b><br />
I made my account back in March and have been so surprised to see that I am ending the year with just over 700 followers! As someone who has no self-confidence/belief/esteem and who has been put through the wringer by toxic people, I hadn’t even dared to set a goal before as I thought “no one will want to follow me to then read my blog posts”. This year I would like to turn that 700 into 1,000 and interact with 300 new people – even if it just to say “thanks” for the follow!<br />
<br />
<b>Facebook & Instagram.</b><br />
These two are my least favourite forms of social media. For Instagram; it’s obvious. Everyone knows how bad it’s become with posts not being in chronological order. My only goals for Instagram is to keep reporting spam accounts and maybe reach 100 followers.<br />
With Facebook, I’m not sure what it is but people seem to be less inclined to “like” pages over there. Maybe it’s because by doing so that their own friends & family then see that they are following a mental health blog and it may create conversations that they do not want. Even so, I would still like to have 100 followers by the end of 2018.<br />
<br />
Now these may be my goals for the year but to be honest, I’m just happy to continuing sharing my findings and journey of self-discovery.<br />
<br />
I hope the New Year is good to you.<br />
<br />
Happy New Year!<br />
<br />
Anxiously,<br />
Me<br />
<br />
You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a>First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-10558768709862101462017-11-29T11:43:00.000+00:002017-11-29T11:46:31.852+00:00Christmas Card AppealHi everyone!<br />
<br />
If you could read this post all the way through to the end that would be amazing.<br />
<br />
It's nearly that time of year again when families and friends are gathering around to engage in the Christmas festivities, making love-filled memories and it's really got me thinking. There are a lot of people out there who don't get that option or who end up spending Christmas alone and I wanted to help make the holiday season a little bit easier by sending out cards to those who may not receive any, who fear that no one is thinking of them and who get really quite deflated/sad/depressed at this time of year. Having said that; I would also love to send out cards to all the fantastic people who I've become friends with over on Twitter and those who read my blog daily even when there's nothing new to read.<br />
<br />
I would like you to do the following:<br />
<br />
Either leave me your name and Twitter handle in the comments below OR email me at anxiouslymeblog@gmail.com saying that you have seen this post and would like a card.<br />
This needs to be done by the 10th at the latest to make sure they arrive in time (physical cards).<br />
<br />
I will be sending out physical cards as well as e-cards (these are cards that will be sent to your email address that may come as a link to an external site which you can then print out if you want) so those who do not wish to give out their address but still would like a card can receive one.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately I do only have a limited amount of funds and cards so the first 15 who request a physical card will definitely receive one and the rest will be in the form of e-cards.<br />
<br />
Thanks for taking the time to read this.<br />
<br />
Anxiously Merry,<br />
<br />
Me<br />
<br />
xxxFirst Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-74805579443548757282017-11-20T11:00:00.000+00:002017-11-20T11:00:14.117+00:00YouTubers I Would Like to Meet<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">YouTubers I Would Like to Meet<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hi all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of you know through reading my posts and maybe even my
Tweets that a lot of the time, due to my depression and anxiety, I find it hard
to leave my bedroom – and that’s on a good day. I can go downstairs and sit
through a TV programme with my parents but that is my limit when other people
are home. I have to know how long the programme is, though, so I can prepare
myself. If I have to go out (appointments etc.) then I have to plan everything
very meticulously. I have to know how I’m going to get there, when I need to
leave, have my distraction techniques in my bag (phone & iPod) and how I’m
getting home/when the bus is. Oh – and have the correct bus far if needed. If I’m
going out with other people I need to know when they plan on being ready/are leaving
so that I can be on time to leave with them or to meet them. It saves a lot of
hassle and confusion and it also means that I have less of a chance for my
physical symptoms of anxiety to get worse because, when they do, I have to go
home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I feel at my worst, I can’t function at all so I put my
phone away and I go to bed. This can last anywhere from a day to weeks on end so
when that happens I just mindlessly watch TV until I feel better. Thanks to the
technology of today I can watch Netflix and YouTube on my TV as well as Sky or
DVDs so there’s always something to watch. My go-to when I feel bad is usually
YouTube. There’s always a couple of new videos to watch in my subscription feed
but I always end up going back and watching some older favourites on mine that
I know have made me feel better in the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
Today I thought I would write down a list of all the people I watch on YouTube
that I would like to meet or just see perform live as their videos really help
me to focus on something other than my illnesses and how I’m feeling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>YouTubers I Want to
Meet/See Perform Live:<br />
</b><br />
Jenna Marbles<br />
Julien Solomita<br />
Cristine (Simply Nailogical)<br />
Lilly Singh (iisuperwomanii)<br />
Rose & Rosie<br />
The “Holy Trinity” – <br />
Grace Helbig, <br />
Hannah Hart <br />
& Mamrie Hart<br />
Tyler Oakley<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Is there a YouTuber that you would love to meet or see on some
sort of tour? Are there any that you would recommend meeting?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Anxiously,</span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me</span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can find Anxiously, Me on<br />
This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-5188520792063325592017-11-13T11:00:00.000+00:002017-11-13T11:00:04.437+00:00Pet Peeves<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Pet Peeves<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Everyone gets annoyed. It’s a natural reaction. It can be
over something little, something major or even a build-up of so many things
over a period of time. Usually, for me, when I am stressed and/or sleep
deprived I end up getting annoyed by the little things. It doesn’t help that I
have misophonia which is sensitivity to selected sounds. I’ve compiled a list of
the things that really get under my skin. I’ll put (M) next to the ones that
are triggering to my misophonia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">1. People ending statements with a question mark. It just
makes you sound unsure of yourself and if you’re not sure about what you’re saying
then how can others trust your statement? For example, if someone writes “I had
so much fun?” I end up thinking “did you or did you not have fun?” Are you sure
you <i>did</i> have fun?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">2. Messiness. If I am in a room I can’t concentrate or sleep
if it is messy. As some of you may know; I have been known to tidy friends’
rooms when I’ve stayed over (with permission) but if that’s not possible I go
home. It still grates on me, though, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I have
spoken to mental health workers about this and have been told that I have obsessive
compulsive tendencies brought on by stress and anxiety.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">3. Open mouthed chewing/eating noisily. (M) When someone
starts crunching down on food or smacking their lips it’s all I can hear. My
brain tunes into it and seems to amplify the sound. My shoulders end up by my
ears and it makes me want to cry. It drives me crazy and I have to remove
myself from the room the person is in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">4. People touching me. I can’t stand being touched – even if
it’s someone just putting their hand on my knee or putting their hands on my
shoulders. Ideally I like people to ask if they can hug me/touch me for
whatever reason (haircuts etc) and it’s all down to not feeling safe around
people. If you read my Blogtober post about my experiences with bullying then
you’ll probably have guessed that my fear of being touched stems from that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">5. Tinny music in public spaces. If you have headphones; use
them. I guarantee no one else wants to hear whatever it is you’re listening to.
(M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">There are loads more I could list but out of fear of boring
you all or just seeming out of my mind for being triggered by the little things
I will stop here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Is there anything else that grates on you? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Me</span></div>
<span style="color: #666666;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on<br />
This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-22432677632697074572017-10-31T11:00:00.000+00:002017-11-01T12:12:42.896+00:00The End of Blogtober/ A Recap<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Blogtober 2017</span></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;">Here you will find all of the links to my Blogtober posts!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">I know it’s only been two days since my last master list post but I thought I would recap the entirety of Blogtober for you in case you missed any or want a single post where you can find all the individual ones. I’ll list all the links to the weekly recaps which were published on Sundays and then I will list all of the individual posts by type/day below it.<br />Some artices may have the links missing (from around week 4) as I have been without a secure internet connection this week and as I'm writing this, these posts are still currently listed as "scheduled" so I don't have the published link to be able to set them up now. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Each individual post can either be accessed by clicking on its title or through any words that are in bold and are underlined.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/blogtober-week-1-recap.html" target="_blank">Week One (1<sup>st</sup> – 8<sup>th</sup>)<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/blogtober-weekly-recap-2.html" target="_blank">Week Two (9<sup>th</sup> – 15<sup>th</sup>)<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/blogtober-weekly-recap-3.html" target="_blank">Week Three (16<sup>th</sup> – 22<sup>nd</sup>)<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/blogtober-weekly-recap-4.html" target="_blank">Week Four (23<sup>rd</sup> – 29<sup>th</sup>)<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/my-experience-with-paranoia.html" target="_blank">30<sup>th</sup> October<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">31<sup>st</sup> October (This post)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Mondays – Personal Experience With…<o:p></o:p></span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/my-experience-with-bullying.html" target="_blank">Bullying</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/my-experience-with-depression.html" target="_blank">Depression</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/agoraphobia.html" target="_blank">Agoraphobia</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/coping-distraction-techniques.html" target="_blank">Coping/Distraction Techniques</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/my-experience-with-paranoia.html" target="_blank">Paranoia<o:p></o:p></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Tuesdays – Posts You’d Usually See on Mondays<o:p></o:p></span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/social-media-cleanses.html" target="_blank">Social Media Cleanses</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/why-i-started-blogging.html" target="_blank">Why I Started Blogging</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/art.html" target="_blank">Art</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/little-known-facts-about-me.html" target="_blank">Little Known Facts<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></a></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Wednesdays – Mental Health Information<o:p></o:p></span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/the-circle-of-avoidance.html" target="_blank">The Circle of Avoidance</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/10-rules-for-coping-with-panic.html" target="_blank">10 Rules for Coping with Anxiety</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/avoiding-situations.html" target="_blank">Avoiding Situations</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/obsessive-compulsive-disorder.html" target="_blank">OCD<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Thursdays – Self-Care Q&A Responses<o:p></o:p></span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/self-care-q-response-11-ft-jen.html" target="_blank">Jen</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/self-care-q-response-12-ft-bunnie.html" target="_blank">Bunnie</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/self-care-response-13-ft-kerry.html" target="_blank">Kerry</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/self-care-q-response-14-ft-lola.html" target="_blank">Lola<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Fridays – Favourites<o:p></o:p></span></u></b><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/friday-favourites-songs.html" target="_blank">Songs</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/friday-favourites-bands-artists.html" target="_blank">Bands & Artists</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/friday-favourites-products.html" target="_blank">Products</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/friday-favourites-youtubers.html" target="_blank">YouTubers<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Saturdays – Super Bloggers<o:p></o:p></span></u></b><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/super-blogger.html" target="_blank">Courtney (Unfiltered Mama)</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/super-blogger-bunnie.html" target="_blank">Bunnie (HappyBunnyBlog)</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/super-blogger-cairon-of-travel-bear.html" target="_blank">Cairon (Travel Bear 92)</a><br /><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/super-blogger-jordanne.html" target="_blank">Jordanne (Of a Glasgow Girl)<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Again, please let me know what you think of these posts; I always look forward to reading your comment and I will reply to all of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">I’m going to take a week or so off from blogging but my next question is: should I do Blogmas? You can either let me know in the comment section below or by the poll I will be posting on <b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<br />Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666;">Instagram<o:p></o:p></span></a></div>
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First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-81111839958596523822017-10-30T11:00:00.000+00:002017-10-30T11:00:10.952+00:00My Experience with... Paranoia<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b><u>Paranoia</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">*Before you read this
I would like you to remember that what I am discussing affects me daily and
whilst it is an entirely irrational series of thoughts, it is very real to me
and is to be taken seriously should any comments be made. I am aware that I
sound insane when making the points you’re about to read.*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Out of all the things I haven’t talked about, paranoia is
one of them. Not because I don’t want to talk about it but because there’s not
really much to say about it. I am extremely paranoid whenever I go out and, at
the risk of sounding completely insane, it got so bad when I was 15/16 that I
had to take down all of my posters.<br />
I know this started back when I was in school just like a lot of my
disorders/illnesses but I can’t quite pinpoint when it started. I know I was at
least 15/16 when it got really bad, as pointed out previously, but it’s one of
those things that I’ve always felt. I know it started because when I was in
Primary School people used to laugh and point at me, and they would make up
rumours (childish ones like “she’s so weird”). When I got to high school the
pointing, staring, laughing and whispering got even worse that even now I’m
convinced that anytime someone is looking at me or when a conversation stops
when I walk into a room/past others it’s because of something negative about me
– my hair is a mess, I’m too ugly, too fat etc. etc. This is why I had to
remove the posters because, no matter where you were in the room, eyes were on
you (even though they couldn’t actually <i>see</i>
you). I can’t even have my favourite bands/artists as a background on my laptop
as it would be there on start-up and shut down and all dvd and CD cases are
either in cupboards or boxes because I find them disturbing – and that’s just
because the person on the cover was looking directly at the <i>camera. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">I’m aware that I sound completely bat-shit crazy but that is
how insane paranoia makes you. It’s not rational – as I said I <i>know </i>whoever is on a magazine or CD
cover isn’t actually looking at me because there is no way a two-dimensional
object can possess the power of sight – but it is something that takes over my
daily life. I don’t even like getting changed in front of the Netflix or
YouTube home screens because of it, I have every camera (web cams, phone
cameras) in my room at is covered and my curtains either don’t get opened or
are drawn most of the day when I’m feeling at my worst. Thankfully my paranoia
doesn’t extend to other people’s belongings but I do hide when the cameras come
out. <br />
I can’t eat in front of others as it makes me extremely uncomfortable. This began
in Primary School as I was either being teased about what I had (tuna pasta
isn’t “cool”, apparently) or shamed for eating <i>at all</i> because I’m “big enough as it is”. Often this would result
in me finding my snack had been stolen and my lunch tampered with. In high
school this developed into people throwing their lunch or home economics
(cookery class) creations at me. Thanks, peers. You really saved me from those
pre-existing medical conditions and medications that made me gain weight and
made it impossible for me to lose weight. It was clearly what I ate that
brought it on. *insert eye roll emoticon”.<br />
Paranoia also controls whether or not I go out or do certain things in front of
others (for example: eating as mentioned above or going to the gym). And I find
that I need my distraction techniques whenever I dare to venture outside to
stop me from completely breaking down in public.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<br />
Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-14183603678836981622017-10-29T11:00:00.000+00:002017-11-01T12:11:00.861+00:00Blogtober Weekly Recap #4<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Weekly Recap #4<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Wow. This month has really flown by. Here I am writing the
final master list for a week’s worth of posts. There’s only two days left of
Blogtober after this and then I think I’m going to take a well-deserved break
from blogging for a week or two whilst I consider doing Blogmas or not. What do
you think? Should I do Blogmas? Let me know in the comments below. Also; apologies in advance if this post is missing some links. I'm writing this in advance as I most likely won't have access to a compute/secure wifi and the links aren't available to me right now as they are still set as "scheduled". By the time you read this, however, they will be live. I will try my best to get them set up before I end up with no internet but if I am unable to I will update this page next week.<br />
As always; anything in bold and underlined can be clicked to take you to the
blog post I am referring to.<br />
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<b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/coping-distraction-techniques.html" target="_blank">Coping and distraction techniques</a></b>
are a key part to me keeping from having complete meltdowns when I’m out and
about so I shared mine with you on Monday.</div>
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<br />
On Tuesday I shared some more <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/little-known-facts-about-me.html" target="_blank">little known facts about me</a>.</b> I previously shared some when I did the requirements
for the <b>Versatile Blogger Award</b>.</div>
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Wednesday brought some more information in regards to mental health. This
week’s informational post was about <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/obsessive-compulsive-disorder.html" target="_blank">OCD</a></b>.</div>
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The lovely Lola sent in her answers to my self-care Q & A for Thursday’s
post which you can find <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/self-care-q-response-14-ft-lola.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>.</div>
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You can learn all about who my <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/friday-favourites-youtubers.html" target="_blank">favouriteYouTubers</a></b> are and why via Friday’s instalment of favourites and who my
super blogger of the week is over on Saturday’s post <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/super-blogger-jordanne.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thanks for coming back for another master list; I really
appreciate it and look forward to hearing from you.<br />
<br />
Anxiously,<br />
Me<o:p></o:p></div>
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You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a><o:p></o:p></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-55760887033155667082017-10-28T11:00:00.000+01:002017-10-28T11:00:43.196+01:00Super Blogger - Jordanne<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Super Blogger Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">My final Super Blogger of Blogtober is … Jordanne of The
Life of a Glasgow Girl! Jordanne is also the creator of @Bloggerstribe on
Twitter and she is an Ambassador of Magnitone.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>How we met: </b>When
I was asking around the blogging community for help over which hashtags to use,
the most common one that came up time and time again was the one for
bloggerstribe (#bloggerstribe) so I followed the account and, as the creator of
the account, Jordanne’s own account was recommended for me to follow. Our first
correspondence through her Twitter account was just me replying to a Tweet of
hers with a simple hug gif and her thanking me for it. Sometimes all you need
is a hug (gif). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Her personality: </b>She
is one of the most hardworking bloggers that I have come across during my short
time blogging on here. She is another all-round good human who is so lovely,
sweet and caring. She is also so helpful and supportive which shines through
not only on her personal blog/Twitter but through her Bloggerstribe account
too. She is forever rt’ing everyone who uses the hashtag – she must be sick of
seeing my name by now!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>What she writes
about: </b>Jordanne’s blog is full of posts about beauty products, reviews,
life stories and parenting tidbits. She is a very “no holds barred” blogger
which means that, as long as she is happy to talk about it, no subject is taboo
and there are no restrictions as to what she writes about.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Her writing style: </b>When
I read Jordanne’s blog posts I feel a connection to her writing and to who she
is as her posts are very relatable. I’m not a parent nor have an interest in
the beauty genre but every single one of her posts makes for an interesting
read. You don’t have to be into that she writes about to enjoy reading her
content. <br />
Reading her most recent piece (at the time of writing this) “<a href="http://www.thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk/2017/09/thats-life.html" target="_blank">That’s Life</a>” hit me hard. I
understood the inner struggles she talked about and my heart went out to her;
not out of pity but because <i>I got it</i>.
I get the whole feeling of “bleh” and just having this fog come down around you
seemingly out of nowhere when you think you’re getting on great in life. I was
glad to hear that she is gradually exposing herself to the things she loves
again as it shows how resilient she is. I really admire that quality in her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Why you should follow her/read her blog:
</b>Aside from the fact that she possesses all of the traits I have listed
about under “Her Personality” and being a tremendous help hashtag-wise, she
also offers packages for advertising with her. These packages start from as
little as £1 (rate will vary depending on which currency you use) which
includes your blog being listed in her Advertisers post and being included in
her #ff (follow Friday) every Friday and her most expensive is the Unicorn
Package at £10 which is still a bargain for the amount that she offers within
it. You can find all of her package deals here (http://www.thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk/p/advertise.html).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Where you can find
her: </b>You can find Jordanne on her personal blog’s <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ofaglasgowgirl" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, her <a href="http://www.thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk/" target="_blank">blog</a> and through <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bloggerstribe" target="_blank">Bloggerstribe</a> on Twitter. You can also follow/like her on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thelifeofaglasgowgirl" target="_blank">Facebook</a>,
<a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ofaglasgowgirl" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and <a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/life-a-glasgow-girl-14297709" target="_blank">Bloglovin</a>.<b><br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<br />
Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</span></div>
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First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-41961925239482916692017-10-27T11:00:00.000+01:002017-10-27T11:00:18.263+01:00Friday Favourites - YouTubers<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Friday Favourites: YouTubers<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">For this final favourites post I thought I would share with
you who some of my favourite YouTubers are and display some of their videos
that have really given me a laugh/much needed motivation (or were even too weird to not share) when I’ve felt quite
terrible mentally. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><u><br />
</u></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JennaMarbles" target="_blank">Jenna Marbles</a> – Jenna is one of the first YouTubers I discovered back
before the whole concept of being a YouTuber was even a thing. She’s also one
of the few whose channel I have followed all the way from the start. She always
makes me laugh and is the reason why I look forward to Thursdays. I just love
her “I don’t give a fuck” attitude and how she still makes content that makes <i>her</i> happy but still asks her viewers
what they would like to see. She’s the only person who can post a nearly 12
minute-long video of her dog reviewing soap and over 2 million (stats so far on
the video) people will won’t even question it or think she’s lost her, well,
marbles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/RoseEllenDix" target="_blank">Rose</a> & <a href="https://www.youtube.com/TheRoxetera" target="_blank">Rosie</a> – Rose & Rosie provide some much needed
comic relief when everything is going wrong. Their good moods are always
infectious and I love how they can make each other laugh – which is great at
drawing in their audience. They also come across as two of the nicest women on
YouTube and I think that is key in making their viewers feel welcome to their
channels. They are the only people who can make me laugh until I pee from a single
word - “boop” for example (embarrassingly that is a true story. Hey! I was
really ill at the time). Every time they post on Rose's channel, I leave it for viewing last (save the best til last) and even though content isn't as frequent on her channel (Rose's channel is their main video hub), I have been watching all of the vlogs on Rosie's channel all over again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Cristine (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/simplynailogical" target="_blank">Simply Nailogical</a> & <a href="https://www.youtube.com/simplynotlogical" target="_blank">Simply Not Logical</a>) - Cristine is another who constantly makes me
laugh with her videos. Not only does she do nail tutorials (wait; what? lol)
that are easy to follow along with but she is also able to take the mick out of
herself. She is another who isn't afraid to be herself and I admire her confidence. Going back to her tutorials, I've learned a lot from her. For example, I now know how to make my own nail decals and what holo actually is.<br />
Just watch one of her videos and you’ll see what I mean. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Lilly Singh (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/iisuperwomanii)" target="_blank">iisuperwomanii</a>) – Most people know Lilly for
her comedy sketches and whilst they are hilarious, it is her vlogs that really
draw me in. Anyone who has watched one of them knows that not only does she set
out a mission list for herself every single day (whether it’s to do x amount of
interviews, rants etc. or even just keeping on track with self-care) but she
goes above and beyond to make sure that she conquers that list. I always start
of any writing day with one of her latest vlogs whilst I eat and plan out my
own mission list. She is currently on a mission to make sure that every girl in the world has the opportunity to go to school and receive an education so below is a link to her campaign announcement. it also serves as an example of her being an absolute Bawse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/lizakoshy" target="_blank">Liza Koshy</a> – Liza is someone who has only recently just
crossed my radar. She originated over on Vine until it closed but it was only
through her YouTube channel (and Lilly Singh’s Christmas collab from last year)
that I became aware of who she is. I find her character sketches hilarious –
Helga and Younger Liza are two of my favourite characters. She's not afraid to just be out there and to be herself. I know for me I would struggle even just walking and talking in a store, never mind filming parts of character videos and vlogs in them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/tyleroakley" target="_blank">Tyler Oakley</a> – Tyler is another whose channel I have been
watching grow over the years. Not only that but I’ve seen him grow into such a
wonderful person. I really admire all the work he does for/in the LGBTQ+ community,
particularly for the Trevor Project and all of his fundraising. I know that
over at least two of his birthdays he set up a campaign for his fans to donate
to the Trevor Project in lieu of sending him gifts. That’s the kind of person I
like to see on YouTube; one who is not only charitable but also encourages his
fans/viewers to do so as well. Also, who else can get Zayn Malik to confess
that his middle name is Beyonce? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">If you would like to a part 2 to this, let me know. I still
have so many left to share with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<br />
Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">You can Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This mental health & lifestyle blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span>
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First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-27220923031900876502017-10-26T11:00:00.000+01:002017-10-26T11:00:07.982+01:00Self-Care Q&A Response #14 ft Lola<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #666666;">Self-Care Q&A Response #14<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #666666;">The final contributor for this this round of responses is
Lola of <a href="http://www.dontdreamdo.com/">Don’t Dream Do</a> (formally Jittery Jetsetter). You can find her on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lola_sam_">here</a> if
you want to check her out or give her a follow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">1. How do you know when you are in need of some
self-care?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background: white;">It’s a feeling that I get in my chest, almost like very mild
anxiety. It can either just come over me randomly or I can wake up with it and
i feel down or sad.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br />
<b>2. Once
you are aware that you need to take care of yourself, do you usually do so
alone or do you have someone you can go to when you need some TLC?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><br /></b>
<span style="background: white;">It depends on the severity of it, if I’m feeling really down
I need to be alone but if its not as bad I would definitely seek out my
partner, one of my friends, my sister or my niece.</span><br />
<br /><br />
<b>3. Do you find it
hard to make time for yourself?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><br />
</b><span style="background: white;">Yes for sure! Life is so hectic, I work full time, visit my Dad who’s in
a care home with dementia 2 hours every day, walk the dog twice a day so
there’s barely time cook meals never mind time to relax.</span><br />
<br /><br />
<b>4. Is there
anything that gets in the way of your “me” time/disrupts it (for me: noises
outside can put me on edge or if other people are home I need to be mindful of
how long I take, say, in the shower)?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><br />
</b><span style="background: white;">Yep just everyday life lol, I feel like I shouldn’t be chilling out or
something fun when there are things that need doing like housework or errands.</span><br />
<br /><br />
<b>5. Do you ever feel
guilty for having “me” time?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><br />
</b><span style="background: white;">As I rarely have ‘me’ time not really no.</span><br />
<br /><br />
<b>6. Do you schedule
in “me” time or do you “go with the flow”/only take “me” time when you feel you
need it?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background: white;"><b><br /></b>
I would say I only have ‘me’ time when I’m feeling really low. I should try to
‘treat’ myself when I’m feeling good too and hoping to try yoga and meditation
if I ever get the time:)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">7. Is there a self-care routine that you try to follow?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><br />
</b><span style="background: white;">Once I’ve woken up in the morning i need to lie for 5 minutes just
to take in the day, during which I’m usually complaining in my head about
having to get up and walk the dog, however having to go out in the fresh air
really clears my head and then I enjoy a nice hot bath before starting work.</span><br />
<br /><br />
<b>8. When you feel
down/not like your usual self; what do you do to cheer yourself up (hobbies,
being with loved ones etc)?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><br />
</b><span style="background: white;">A bath always helps, a face mask and I always feel better after washing
my hair. If I’m feeling down I usually have to get out the house and into a
different space. I love swimming and used to go every day but I don’t have a
car anymore so can’t fit it it.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">9. Do you have any
mantras that you say to yourself as a pick me up or on a daily basis?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><br />
</b><span style="background: white;">I don’t really, but if I’m feeling down I always try to remind myself of
times when life has been worse, like when I had to go to a job I hated or
didn’t live in the nicest of houses to make myself see how much better things
are now.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>10. Finally;
do you have any self-care tips for anyone who might be reading this?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><br />
</b><span style="background: white;">Do what you love! Theres no set rules as everyone enjoys different
things so whatever makes you feel good - do it!!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #666666;">~ That is it for this round of responses. I know that
whenever I do a poll with this as an option no one ever picks it but numbers
don’t lie and people do actually read them so I’m going to be keeping it open for
this section to make a comeback at some point. Plus, I’m actually really proud
of the Q&A. It was my first attempt at something of its sort and I feel
like it did really well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #666666;">See you tomorrow for the instalment of favourites!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<br />
Me<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">If you decide to use this, please let me
know first and give credit. There’s nothing worse than finding out something
that you worked really hard on has been taken and uncredited, sometimes even
plagiarised.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br /><a href="http://www%2Ctwitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger">Instagram</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-46560158740898591592017-10-25T11:00:00.000+01:002017-10-25T12:02:09.595+01:00Obsessive Compulsive Disorder<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Obsessive Compulsive Disorder<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">The main features of obsessive compulsive disorder are: <br />
obsessive thoughts; a person may notice upsetting or even anxious thoughts
continuously popping into their heads time and time again. These can ended up
going around in their heads for a a very long time.<br />
and compulsive behaviours (usually
occurring with said thoughts).<br />
These can not only be very upsetting but scary as well and the person may try
to avoid the situations that trigger these thoughts to prevent them from
happening in the first place or will feel compelled to go along with them to
prevent harm (say one of these thoughts is presented as “I must do x this
amount of times to prevent x from happening”).<br />
They may carry out rituals such as repeating a particular prayer or word/phrase
to make these thoughts go away/decrease in intensity or to keep someone safe.<br />
They may also do certain activities to stop harmful consequences such as
checking locks and switches.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">A lot of people notice that is it a particular behaviour that they have to
carry out in order to feel “right” such as excessively cleaning a room or even
their hands.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Many of these things are, when not overcome by compulsion,
are completely rational (checking locks before leaving the house). However, with
OCD, these rational actions/behaviours/thoughts become excessive and the person
ends up repetitively going through the same actions/behaviours/thoughts until
their mind tells them that it is safe to, for example, leave the house or even
go to bed. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #666666;">*Note: Pieces about Mental Health Information are based off of what I have been taught and the "homework" books that were given are used as a guideline for these posts. Whilst I may have been taught these things by health care professionals, I am not one and information may change or be inaccurate. If you feel at risk by your thoughts and feelings or have concerns about you health; please seek help from loved ones and health care professionals. <b>This information is not to be used to self-diagnose</b>. If you know you have hypochondriac tendencies, are sensitive to subjects like bullying, depression and anxiety, and are easily triggered then information and experiences shared in this blog may cause distress. I have tried my best to provide trigger warnings and warnings about sensitive subjects but please read at your own discretion.</span></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-29358980186897582752017-10-24T11:00:00.000+01:002017-10-24T11:19:26.914+01:00Little Known Facts About Me<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Little Known Facts About Me<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">I thought I would take it easy for this post and do a little
list of 10 little known facts about me. Then I
realised that I’m probably one of the most boring people to ever have
existed and discovered that it was actually really quite difficult coming up with
even 3 facts but I. DID. IT. So here are “10 Little Known Facts About Me”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">1. I did Judo. Once. I was the only girl and when it came to
pairing up, much like with every time we were asked to pick partners in school,
I was the odd one out. I think I was about 10 at the time but isn’t it funny
how when you’re a kid you can just suss out right from the start whether
someone or a group of people are right for you? I just couldn’t shake the
feeling that if I went back I would yet again be left out so I quit. It wasn’t
a big loss to me; I had no interest in sports of any kind and had no
tolerance for martial arts. I don’t regret it either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">2. When I was a kid I used to fantasise about being a
popstar and living in a mansion somewhere hot. It wasn’t so much the fame,
money or the luxury that drew me in; it was the need to be recognised in a
positive way (or just seen at all) and being able to live a life where I could
escape from my past by moving as far away as possible. If I’m completely honest; I still want that.
I want people to see me for me and I want to be able to provide for myself
despite being unwell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">3. I am double jointed. I only discovered this when I got my
fingers jammed in a door and my fingers came out of it looking not unlike
E.T’s. Turns out the joints had locked and because they were injured they were
taking a little while to release and go back to normal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">4. I can also turn my tongue onto its side (both sides). How
I discovered that is beyond me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">5. I can’t sleep if there is a mess. I have been known to
tidy up friends’ bedrooms (or wherever we ended up sleeping) just to be able to
sleep. I would ask permission first and they would be fine with it – it was
freeing cleaning after all. They didn’t understand my need, this compulsion, to
do so and neither did I until I started going to group sessions for anxiety and
found out it was one of the traits that belongs to the OCD side of one of the
forms of anxiety that I have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">6. Just over two years ago I won tickets to see Little Mix
and One Direction at the Apple Music Festival in London. Aside from the anxiety
and travel side of things (over 9 hours by coach and then another hour or so
navigating the tube), it was an amazing experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">7. That trip was also my first time away without my parents.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">8. I have met Westlife, two of my favourite
YouTubers/Vloggers (Jenna Marbles and Julien Solomita) follow my personal
Twitter and Lilly Singh (iisuperwomanii on YT) has mentioned me by name in one
of her vlogsprobably about 2 years ago now. If you’re wondering why there is no
link to said vlog; I don’t want my personal account to be associated with this
blog as it takes away the whole “being anonymous” thing I have going on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">9. In school I chose to learn both French and Spanish. I
learned how to speak French when I was 3 from educational TV shows and songs
but no longer speak it or Spanish fluently. I loved being in those classes.
Myself and one other girl ended up confusing the teacher we had as she taught
both of the classes and we sat in the same seats for both lessons. It also
didn’t help that one day a week she taught us French 2<sup>nd</sup> period and
then Spanish 3<sup>rd</sup> after a break. I also know Portuguese and Italian
through songs and translating Tweets on an account for my other website.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">10. I don’t speak about it but I have PCoS (Polycystic
Ovarian Syndrome). It’s an absolute pain in the ass (well, ovaries and uterus).
I was told at 14 after tests that I had it and it was a relief to know that the
extremely horrendous pain I was feeling, the breaks in between periods and the
amount of blood loss I was experiencing was actually down to a medical
condition and not something being seriously wrong. I was on medication for
about 7 years for it until they had to change it because it was deemed a health
risk (links to causing cancer and , oh, death) and also would have been a
lethal combination with the antidepressants I was prescribed at the time too.
Fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">I hope you enjoyed those facts and learned something about
me that you didn’t before. Have you had similar experiences?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<br />
Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on<br />
This mental health and lifestyle blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-28685268239824223722017-10-23T11:44:00.000+01:002017-10-23T11:44:38.431+01:00Coping & Distraction Techniques<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Coping/Distraction Techniques<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">My need for distractions began, like with my disorders, at a
very young age. I would come home and the first thing I would do was go to my
room and listen to music to escape the torment of bullies and to stop their
vicious words from going around in my head on a continuous loop, completely
destroying me and driving me insane. Here is a small list of distraction techniques
that I use when I’m going into situations that cause me distress like
travelling and when I begin to feel run down my by depression and anxiety:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Music/iPod</b> – I like to listen to a lot of the artists
featured on my favourite bands & artists list from week one of Blogtober.
If I’m at home I will have them on whilst I write up posts that make me
incredibly sad to rehash or they will be on whilst I take some time to just lay
on my bed and breathe. If I’m out and about I will charge up my iPod the night
before to make sure it has enough battery to last the length of my travel time
or for however long I may be in a particular shop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Movies/Programmes/YouTube</b> – Sometimes music isn’t enough and
I need a visual distraction. This is when my favourite movies come out and I
watch some of my favourite programmes on Netflix or I watch some of favourite
YouTubers listed <b>here</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Tapping</b> – We had a session where the facilitator taught us
about tapping pressure points. You start at the top of your body and you use
two or more fingers to tap parts of your body to a particular beat. You make
your way down, tapping various pressure points and repeat until you feel calm.
You can even say positive affirmation with it for something like “I am not
afraid of x, I am in a safe place” as long as they follow the same beat – like
when making up a rhyme. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>My phone/Kindle</b> – As with movies/programmes and YouTube,
sometimes you need more than background noise to feel calm or, in cases like
mine, safe. My phone allows me to have a physical distraction if I’m waiting
for someone and they are late (I’m always early too due to my anxiety issues
which doesn’t help in this case). I also always have it on me so I can keep in
contact with my parents as I rely on that contact to keep me from driving
myself sick. Along with my phone, my
Kindle allows me to talk to my friends who are available about how I’m feeling
and it also provides other forms of distraction such as access to YouTube,
games and music.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Breathing techniques</b> – Again, this was something were taught
in one of our group sessions. There are a few but the one that seems to be
working for me when I’m coming down from having a panic attack is the one where
you breathe in for a count of, say 8, and then out again for a little bit
longer. It helps to steady my breathing and allows me to get enough oxygen if I
have been hyperventilating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">Continuing on this list but as coping methods, these are
some of the signs that I am getting more anxious than usual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Bouncing my leg</b> – I could be sitting down or on my bed and
my knee will bounce up and down. I also have a habit of tapping the sides of my
feet against each other or the soles of my feet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Rocking</b> – I’ve has a habit of doing this since I was a kid.
According to my mum I used to rock back and forth in a corner if there was a
thunder storm outside. This still happens but when I’m feeling like I can’t
cope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Thumb twiddling</b> – I do this a lot when I’m watching TV. I’ve
found that it happens if I’m watching a distressing scene or if I feel myself
getting emotionally involved with a movie or programme. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Nail biting</b> – This is a habit that, fortunately, I have been
able to kick. It used to be that during term time at Primary School, High
School and even college I would be constantly biting my nails because I was
constantly worrying about what my peers were going to do or say to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">A lot of the techniques described above for distraction only
help me in the short term or when I’m coming down from a particularly bad
episode and have no energy to even move. Oftentimes I have to get to a point
where I’m relaxed enough to even think about doing them mindfully – something I
will touch on at a later date. To further relax myself I will take a hot shower
with some of the products I listed last week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">I think that is is for now; nothing else is coming to mind…
Oh! Writing. I do a lot of writing too. Not because I want to have content for
my blog or for my website but because it helps to take my mind off of whatever
is causing me distress. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">I’d best let you go for now, this post is long enough
hahaha. See you tomorrow for another post!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<br />
Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br /><a href="http://www%2Ctwitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-35767027770819372962017-10-22T11:00:00.000+01:002017-10-22T11:26:55.597+01:00Blogtober Weekly Recap #3<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Weekly Recap #3<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">Welcome to another weekly recap! Here you will find a master
list all of this week’s Blogtober posts and where you can find them.<br />
As always; anything in bold and underlined can be clicked on to take you to
said post.<br />
<br />
On Monday I talked about living with <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/agoraphobia.html" target="_blank">agoraphobia</a></b>
and the likes of when it started, when I was diagnosed with it and the on-going
treatment which I receive for it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br />
Tuesday brought along something that I have never shared with this blog; my wish to share my <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/art.html" target="_blank">art work</a></b> with you and what led me to stop doing
it. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br />
As I’m no stranger to <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/avoiding-situations.html" target="_blank">avoidingsituations</a></b>, I thought I would share some information about it on Wednesday
and why it is unhealthy over on my mental health page.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br />
My new friend Kerry sent in her response to my <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.com/2017/10/self-care-response-13-ft-kerry.html" target="_blank">self-care Q &A</a></b> on <b>Thursday</b> and on <b>Friday</b> I discussed what some
of my <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/friday-favourites-products.html" target="_blank">favourite products</a></b> are that I
use in my day-to-day life and what products I gravitate towards when I need to
take care of myself.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br />
Finally, on Saturday I revealed that my Super Blogger of the week is Cairon
(TravelBear92). All of my reasons why are <b><a href="http://anxiously-me.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/super-blogger-cairon-of-travel-bear.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">Thanks again for checking out my blog! If you liked a post;
let me know. If you have thoughts on one of them; let me know. I look forward
to hearing from you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<br />
Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-88096439548790680952017-10-21T11:00:00.000+01:002017-10-21T11:00:22.220+01:00Super Blogger - Cairon of Travel Bear<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Super Blogger Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">My Super Blogger of the week is the amazing Cairon of <a href="http://www.travelbear92.wix.com/travelbear" target="_blank">TravelBear</a>.
If you love the whole aspect of travel,
amazing destinations and reading about them from someone else’s point of view
then yyou should check out her blog.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>How we met: </b>When I was new to doing promotion for my blog I
followed a lot of people. Pretty much anyone who was recommended to me who was
an advocate for mental health, had an amusing bio or Tweeted relatable things
got a follow from me and Cairon’s account ticked all those boxes. She is also
the one who nominated me for the “Versatile Blogger Award” and is the sole
cause of the small breakdown I had because of it. I’m just kidding. I saw all
these notifications and thought “what have I done?” I was so relieved it was
just other people responding to her nomination list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Her personality:</b> She
is adventurous as you can tell from her blog content (some listed below) and
just super sweet. I think we had only maybe shared a couple of tweets between
us before she nominated me but after she did I sent her a DM thanking her and
she was just so friendly. She’s the kind of person that you talk to and you
think “I really hope you get to see your dreams come true”. There’s not a mean
or unkind bone in her body. She’s also incredibly helpful which you will
discover if you read her post about budgeting (linked in the next paragraph)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>What she writes
about: </b>Her blogs include posts about her <b><a href="https://travelbear92.wixsite.com/travelbear/single-post/2017/07/12/My-Hong-Kong-Bucket-List-%F0%9F%87%A8%F0%9F%87%B3" target="_blank">Bucket List for Hong Kong</a></b>,
her experiences with <b><a href="https://travelbear92.wixsite.com/travelbear/single-post/2017/05/21/What-Ive-Learned-So-Far-About-Budgeting-%25F0%259F%2598%25A8" target="_blank">budgeting</a> </b>for her new venture in Australia next year and how <b><a href="https://travelbear92.wixsite.com/travelbear/single-post/2017/08/22/How-Disney-Worlds-Magic-Changed-My-Life-%F0%9F%94%AE%E2%9C%A8)" target="_blank">Disney World’s magic</a> </b>changed her life. You’ll find posts jam-packed with all of her fun adventures and even some posts
where you can get to know all about her.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Her writing style:</b>
When Cairon blogs she always comes across as enthusiastic which is something I
think a lot of us look for in a blogger. Her posts are informal and you feel as
though you are reading something a friend has written even though at first you
are on the blog of a complete stranger. Her budgeting piece that I have listed
above is full of information about the services that she used but she doesn’t
tell you that you HAVE to follow the exact same plan or go with the same
services she has provided information for. She simply writes that this was who
she used, what her experience was with them and if she recommends using them or
not. At one point she even recommends going a different route rather than using
the example of a service she has given. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br />
<b>Why you should follow her/read her blog:
</b>Cairon is just such a lovely lass and if you enjoy reading about
travelling/other peoples’ experiences with travelling then she is the blogger
for you. She’s super friendly too so if you leave her a comment or tweet at her
she will find time to respond. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Where you can find
her: </b>You can find Cairon on Twitter as <a href="http://www.twitter.com/travelbear92" target="_blank">@travelbear92</a> and you can read her
blog <a href="http://travelbear92.wixsite.com/travelbear" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">So why not go check Cairon’s blog and social media out and
give her a follow or send her a friendly “hello”?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<br />
Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on:<br />
This blog<br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank">Twitter</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-41198094553635999152017-10-20T11:00:00.000+01:002017-10-20T11:00:01.085+01:00Friday Favourites - Products<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;">Friday Favourites: Products<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">Today’s favourites post is dedicated to the products that I
use that not only help me to look good (in an “I’m a presentable human being”
kind of way) but also help me feel good. You won’t find anything majorly
expensive (the most expensive item was about £15) but they do the job. I also feel like I need to put in a disclosure
here that states that I am not getting paid to promote these items; I just
really like them and wanted to share this part of my self-care routine with
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">Most of these products have also been key in helping me to
relax enough to be able to sleep at night/get through the day without feeling
too wound up. Here are the items that do so:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Nourishing Shower
Crème – Dove.</b> This shower crème is ridiculously creamy (as the name
suggests) and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth. I love to apply it; it goes
on like a dream. I especially like to apply it after I’ve shaved my legs; it
makes me feel better about myself in the “I like something about my body for
once” way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Shampoo – Dove Daily
Moisture & Garnier Fructis Colour Last</b>. Both of these products work
wonders on my hair. As I dye my hair quite frequently, I need to take care of
it and make sure that it doesn’t become brittle. They both leave it feeling
really soft and luxurious which is something a lot of shampoos lack. A lot also
lack in moisture but these two make my hair look and feel like I have just been
to salon. These and conditioner are the only things I put on my hair as I swear
by them. By making my hair look and feel good they make me look presentable and
feel good about myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Conditioner – Dove Daily
Moisture & Garnier Fructus Colour Last. </b>These are great for making my
hair look and feel super soft and shiny. Like with their corresponding
shampoos, they leave my hair feeling moisturised which for me is a must have
as, due to my depression, there are a lot of times when I don’t take care of
myself as well as I should. Even when I put my hair into a messy bun because
I’m feeling like crap, knowing that these products take care of my hair (even
after just one wash) when I put very little effort into doing so really helps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Face scrub – Nuage Skin
& T-Zone.</b> When I’m feeling like my skin is in a bad way, I reach for
these two products. The T-Zone Gel Facial Wash is the first treatment I tried
for reoccurring spots and I have to say that it works like a charm and has been
my favourite since. I like to apply it before I shower and then wash it off
after shampooing my hair but before washing it out. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;">The Nuage Skin face scrub is a grit-based face wash. I like to apply this one
when I’m in the shower and really scrub at my face to get rid of dirt that has
accumulated throughout the day (or days if I don’t have time). It’s excellent
at really getting in there and cleaning out your pores. It is a go-to when I’m
in need of looking after myself as it makes me feel more presentable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Pore Strips - Skin
Benefits.</b> These plain white pore strips are amazing. They really get in
there and do exactly what they are supposed to. I’ve tried other pore strips
before but I keep coming back to these ones as they are the only ones that I’ve
seen really good results with. I did try a charcoal brand a few times but
between them not drying and having zero flexibility around the nostrils, I
wasn’t impressed. These Skin Benefits pore strips are flexible and give a great
coverage over pesky nose blackheads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Hand Cream/Moisturiser
– Dove & Inecto.</b> For whatever reason, when I get really anxious, the
skin on the back of my hands gets cracked and the skin on my hands peels
easily. I like to rotate between a small pot of Dove moisturiser and a Coconut
Scented one by Inecto. I love that they are really lightweight and don’t feel
greasy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Foundation</b> – I
know I don’t talk about make-up or even about going out but when I do wear it;
the only foundation that I like using is the No.7 Beautifully Matte foundation.
It has an “all day velvet matte perfection” look, is oil free and contains SPF
15. It’s lightweight and doesn’t end up “cakey”. I use the shade “calico”; my
local Boots were happy to do a colour match for me and found the perfect shade
– when I put it on you can’t tell that I’m wearing it.<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Lipstick</b> – dark
colours, matte. It might come as a surprise to some but New Look’s matte
lipsticks are my current favourite lipstick brand. I especially love their
rich, dark colours from last year’s collection; they really compliment the
matte finish. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Schwarzkopt Hair Dye</b>
– I have been dying my hair since I was about 11. It started out with just
getting highlights as that was the “in” thing at the time and I wanted a more
mature look for starting high school. Anytime I have had my hair bleached or
had anything done to lighten my hair I have gone to the hairdressers or they
have come to me. When I have felt the need for a colour change-up, though, I
always use Schwarzkoft products, particularly their “Live” range and have someone
help me get to the hard-to-reach places as my hair is so long and thick. I’m
currently a dark brown (natural hair colour) but you can still see the red from
one of their dyes when my hair catches the light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b>Nail Polish</b> –
matte. You might see a bit of a theme appearing and you would be right; I’m
really into the matte look. Surprisingly enough, a matte top coat that works
wonders is one that I picked up by Makeup Gallery – the line that Poundland
carries. It’s quick-drying and you can see results instantly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">Apologies for not including any pictures, I’m still figuring
out the whole photo-editing process and learning to take pictures that don’t
like they were taken on a potato and I don’t want to use pictures from other
sources as knowing my luck I’ll end up forgetting to credit them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;">Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on:</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;">This blog</span><br />
<a href="http://www.twitter.com/AnxiouslyMeBlog" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666;">Twitter</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/AnxiouslyMe" target="_blank"><span style="color: #666666;">Facebook</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/AnxiouslyMeBlogger" target="_blank">Instagram</a> </span></div>
First Lighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05812093773114488299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5073475599964020012.post-55060168009255347562017-10-19T11:00:00.000+01:002017-10-19T11:00:01.757+01:00Self-Care Response #13 ft Kerry<div align="center" class="m3541134249846499165xmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">Self-Care
Q&A<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="m3541134249846499165xmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">This week it’s the wonderful Kerry at <a href="https://dontdropthebaby.co.uk/" target="_blank">Don’t Drop the Baby’s</a></span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> turn to write a response! Find out what she had to say
below. You can find her on <a href="https://twitter.com/KerryMeeGee" target="_blank">Twitter</a> as well!<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">1. How do you know when you are in need of some self-care?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="m3541134249846499165xmsonormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">When I start to get snappy with my
family, my chest starts to get tight, and intrusive thoughts start to appear
again. This also happens when I'm extremely tired or have PMT!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">2. Once you are aware that you need to take care of yourself,
do you usually do so alone or do you have someone you can go to when you need
some TLC?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">I am very much a loner, especially
when I am feeling anxious or overwhelmed. I need to spend time by myself either
listening to music or being mindful.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">3. Do you find it hard to make time for yourself?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">Yes definitely. I have a 3 year old
daughter, my partner works shifts, and neither of us have any family nearby. My
'me time' is squeezed into a couple of hours every evening! Although my
daughter has started nursery now so things will get easier.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">4. Is there anything that gets in the way of your “me”
time/disrupts it (for me: noises outside can put me on edge or if other people
are home I need to be mindful of how long I take, say, in the shower)?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">I'm the same with noises outside!
Sometimes if I'm extremely anxious and my partner is working nights, I get very
jumpy at every little noise. I suppose social media can also affect my 'me
time', as sometimes it can wind me up or make me even more anxious!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">5. Do you ever feel guilty for having “me” time?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">I used to when my daughter was
younger, but not so much anymore as I hardly ever get it!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">6. Do you schedule in “me” time or do you “go with the
flow”/only take “me” time when you feel you need it?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">I do try to schedule in nights out
with my friends as it gives me something to look forward to. Other than that I
very much just go with the flow. I will always tell my partner if I need a
break though and he will take my daughter out for a bit on the weekends.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">7. Is there a self-care routine that you try to follow?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">Yes, I do high intensity cardio
workouts every other morning (at home), yoga, follow a healthy diet and
use my Headspace app to practice mindfulness.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">8. When you feel down/not like your usual self; what do you
do to cheer yourself up (hobbies, being with loved ones etc)?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">I listen to my favourite music, write
my blog and have a couple of glasses of wine. This usually leads to a really
good cry and I always feel better the day after.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">9. Do you have any mantras that you say to yourself as a pick
me up or on a daily basis?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">Not on a daily basis, but I usually
just say "what will be will be"</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">10. Finally; do you have any self-care tips for anyone who
might be reading this?</span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><span style="color: #666666;">I cannot recommend a regular exercise
routine strongly enough, it has completely changed my life. I haven't used
medication to control my anxiety for years, I do it all through exercise, diet
and mindfulness.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">~ Thanks again to Kerry for answering the questions!
Again, you can find her at </span><a href="https://dontdropthebaby.co.uk/"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;">https://dontdropthebaby.co.uk/</span></b></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> and</span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"> </span></span><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/KerryMeeGee">https://twitter.com/KerryMeeGee</a>.</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #666666;">Anxiously,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #666666;">Me<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #666666;">If you decide to use this, please let me know first and give
credit. There’s nothing worse than finding out something that you worked really
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<span style="color: #666666;">You can find Anxiously, Me on:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;">This mental health and lifestyle blog,<br />
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