The Sunday Post 13

Hihi! Happy Sunday! I feel like this week has passed so quickly but also so slowly. I've been notably down most days, although I think my general feeling has been 'blank'. The US election made me very anxious mid-week, although I can't even imagine how those in America must feel. Similar to how we Remain voters felt about Brexit, maybe. I also felt quite unwell this week which in turn made me more anxious... or maybe my anxiety made me unwell. It's hard to tell sometimes when I get trapped in the circle.

one. Monday was a pretty great day for me, although it was riddled with anxiety. Firstly I had a doctors appointment and although I was in the waiting room panicking for 30 minutes, the appointment went really well. I'm seeing a new doctor as my old one is on maternity leave and I was worried about how seriously she would take me but we spoke over lots of new steps for me to take and things for me to try and I'm so pleased. Right after my appointment I went home to bake for my friend's son's first birthday. I made 36 cupcakes and around 20ish chocolate cookies for his little party and although it stressed me out it went okay! I went round to the party for a little while, too, and endured 45 minutes of straight-up silent panic before I went home to make dinner and chill the f out.

two. Tuesday saw me tackle something pretty intense, too - I went to the co-op by myself! Luke and I walked there and filled our basket but I forgot my card (stupid, embarrassing, omg) so we went home to get it, planning to return together to buy our stuff, but he wasn't able to come back down with me or he would have been late for work. So I could have either waited for him or walked back down alone and I chose the second option !! It wasn't as bad as I'd imagined, actually, although I did panic a bit.

three. Outings have been few and far between since then. My anxiety spiked mid-week (see opening paragraph) and I think the emotional exhaustion of Monday & Tuesday took it's toll on me. I've been trying my best to go on little walks around the block or to the corner shop but I had a few days this week where I didn't leave the house at all. Instead I've been reading and watching The Walking Dead with my mum!

four. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was my book of choice this week and I l o v e d it! For some reason whenever I reread the series I jump right in at the Goblet of Fire which meant that reading the Prisoner of Azkaban was a new(ish) experience as I couldn't remember a lot of the little things that happened. I did try and start at the Chamber of Secrets but I just couldn't get into it for some reason. Boo.

five. I've been trying my best to get my Christmas presents sorted this week. I've decided to buy 90% second-hand this year - partly for budget reasons, mostly because of my own eco-friendly beliefs. I also kind of wanted to show other people that it was possible to get amazing presents second-hand, because I feel it's looked down upon, especially where gifting is concerned. I have a vague idea of what I want to get everyone which is really helping when it comes to eBay but I'm mainly just rummaging around in charity shops and the like. I also got my Christmas cards to send to my blog friends which are from Paperchase. I really love modern Christmas cards and decorations, although I am also partial to the 'woodland creatures' kinda vibe.

Posts This Week

- Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts For Cat Lovers | My first gift guide of 2016! I shared 12 gifts perfect for the cat lover in your life. Prices range from £1.50 - £16.

- Things To Do On A Down Day | A list of twenty-something things to do when you're having a bad mental health day.

- Lush So White Bath Bomb | Luke bought me this bath bomb as a treat last week and I finally got around to using it. Psssst: it was the best bath bomb I've used all year!

- The Happy List Project 02 | The second instalment of my new ~ positive ~ blogging series. I'm still accepting submissions if you'd like to be involved! Just drop me an email whatlaurendidtoday@gmail.com or tweet me @whatlaaurendid!

Also - don't forget to enter my giveaway!

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