Hello you lovely lot! And happy Sunday! I bet you're surprised to see me pop up in your Bloglovin' feed - I'm certainly surprised to be penning a post so early in my blog break. Turns out I just couldn't bear to be parted with ya! I've had a lot of epiphanies regarding my blog and where I want it to go this past week but I'm not sure how I'm going to go about it all. One thing I do know is that I want to flex my creative muscles in terms of photography, writing style and post layout so bear with me whilst I experiment!
But now, onto my week and guys - it's been a happy one. I don't think my anxiety is any better or any worse, I'm just finding it easier to endure. I still have a long way to go but I'm able to see the light, so much so that I've been wandering around singing 'At Last I See The Light' from Tangled (which, btw, is my favourite Disney movie). Feel free to laugh at my cheesiness.
one. B L O G G I N G. My blogging and social media detox is going well. I've only had about a week off so far but I feel a lot more inspired already. After a few evenings reading a handful of my forever favourite blogs (starting with their most recent posts and going back as far as 2014) I feel like I've figured out where I've been going wrong with my blog this year. I realised that I'd been treating my blog as if it was my full-time job and it completely sucked the passion and fun right out of it. I also noticed that it had lost the natural lifestyle element because I'd been so unwell and didn't have anything to talk about, so instead of letting it be I forced it. I feel much happier about my blog now and am hoping to pen some more personal lifestyle diary-like posts in the coming months!
two. H A I R R E F R E S H. I got my hair did! I've already shared a photo on social media but I do have a post showing it off coming your way on Tuesday. I tried out a new style and I'm in l o v e with it - think PLL-season-six-part-two Spencer Hastings. I feel super swish and pretty and refreshed and I can't wait for the colour to be put in next week!
three. C I N E M A D A T E S. Going to the cinema to see Mockingjay Part Two back in November 2015 was what triggered my recent relapse and I've been too terrified to go back since - until Thursday when I went to see The Jungle Book with my dad! I was shaky, sweaty and almost hyperventilating but I managed to sit through the entire film, despite my mind constantly telling me to run away. To reward (and challenge) myself further, I picked up a few things from Ikea, including a cat cushion and two of their Quorn hot dogs. Yum. */ on a side note, I'm not really sure how I felt about The Jungle Book. It was good but I could have lived without seeing it. I just don't think the acting and voice acting was particularly good. Visually it was stunning, though!
four. D E L I V E R I E S. A few exciting deliveries arrived this week: my little painting of Luna and my mum's (early) birthday present. I ordered this painting from Ren Yeats Illustration a little while ago actually but it finally arrived this week and I love it. I literally am that crazy cat lady that has framed photos of her cat all over the bedroom and I couldn't be happier. My mum's gift came in the form of a Melt Crowd box from Flamingo Candles, which is essentially a subscription service offering scented wax melts. My mum loves the Yankee Candle tarts but I've heard so many good things about Flamingo Candles (plus they're vegan!) and the service just seemed like fun so I signed her up for two months. Her first box went down really well and she loves all of the scents - it took her several rounds of blind sniffing until she could narrow down which one to use first. I'm already excited for her to receive June's box!
five. H E A L T H. In a weird twist of fate, my physical health has been a lot worse than my mental health this week. I suffer with IBS and I've had a sudden flare up which has left me very uncomfortable and in a lot of pain. Stomach cramps for days! Literally. I do have a doctors appointment soon though so hopefully I'll also get my acid reflux 'officially' diagnosed and something can be done about all of this!
How has your week been? Let me know one happy thing that has happened to you down in the comments <3
Great to see you back - and I'm glad your blogging break and social detox is going well and helping you feel inspired! That's great :) One happy thing that happened to me this week? Scoring a 50/50 on my practice theory test - I know it's only a practice test but I've been so worried about the real one (in June) this has helped ease some of my worries! x www.aimeeraindropwrites.co.uk x
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I feel so refreshed already. & Wow that's amazing, congratulations! & good luck for your real test! X
DeleteI think unless you really are blogging full time for a living treating it that way can really suck the fun out of it but blogging breaks and social media detoxes are a brilliant way to make you feel inspired and motivated to continue again. I've just recently saw The Jungle Book and loved it so I'm surprised with your thoughts about it and congratulations and making it through the whole film! One happy thing that has happened? Managing to get out of the house every day for a walk, my anxiety has been terrible but it's really helped! :) xx
ReplyDeleteYasmina | The July Journal
Totally! I feel like I got wrapped up in the fact that a lot of other bloggers are trying to go full time and I felt like that's what I SHOULD be doing too, but now I see it's definitely not! Thank you so much Yasmina, I'm SO proud of you too! X
DeleteGlad you're back blogging and you've found a new approach that works well for you! Blogging can be quite overwhelming at times and it is good to take a step back.
ReplyDeleteI saw your new hair on Instagram and I love it, the fringe suits you so well!
Well done with facing your anxiety and getting to the cinema, it must have been tough but such a big step too. I'm going to see The Jungle Book in the week and I'm excited to see what I think! xx
www.bethanlikes.com
Thank you so much Bethan! Enjoy the film! <3
DeleteAh, it's so lovely to see a surprise post pop up in my feed! Hope you've been ticking along okay Lauren, despite the health flare-ups. SO proud of you for getting to the cinema as well - what an achievement! And I 100% agree with you on 'approaches to blogging'; having blogged for so long and seen my immediate peers go into it full-time, it's often difficult to keep my own way of doing it all, if that makes sense? xx
ReplyDeleteEeeeep thank you Michelle! I know exactly what you mean - a lot of bloggers that started around the same time as me (if not later) are beginning to try going full-time and subconsciously I thought that because they were, I should be too x
DeleteSocial media detoxes are the best! So it's good to give yourself a break. I went and saw the juggle book too - much darker than I expected it to be!
ReplyDeletehannatalks
Wasn't it?! Definitely not what I was expecting but it was a refreshing change! X
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