Breathe, Refocus and Go!

The last few days have been filled with exam stress, something that I always find overwhelming very difficult to deal with. Yesterday was a combination of maths, tears and way too many giant chocolate buttons, which didn't help the overall downer I’d been in all week (not the chocolate buttons, they never make things worse!).

Then one of my best friends text me asking if I wanted to go for a late night drive. Never one to turn down an opportunity of adventure, tears of laughter and memories that spontaneous nights always bring, I was on board. This led to us sat in a field with blankets and enough food for an army, not particularly classy or adventurous I know but that's not the point, I had a great night!  

I can honestly say I don’t remember the last time I had such a good evening, and it just added to the overall feeling of thankfulness that I have such amazing friends. We’re definitely a quirky bunch that can be overly dramatic and difficult to handle but that’s what I love so much! The whole thing made me wake up this morning with a smile on my face, ready to face the week ahead with renewed confidence and energy. Come at me mocks, I dare you. 

So the moral of this little whirlwind of a post is that if something is dragging you down and no matter how hard you're trying you just don't seem to be getting there, take a little break. A couple of minutes, an hour or a night off will help you refocus things and you'll feel a lot better for it, a lesson I need to start practicing and not just preaching.

Until next time, 

Elise x

The Power of a Smile

Quite a few things have happened over the past few week that have just made me realise that you never truly know what is going on in the lives of others. No matter how close I am to someone, unfortunately I am not a mind reader (although it would make most things a hell of a lot easier)! I don’t know how different situations affect them or the challenges they are facing on a daily basis.

I have a few very close friends who have opened up to me about the turmoil they are facing and on the surface you can’t even see a ripple. I am so proud of them for the way they always handle themselves and forever thankful that I have them in my life but it just really brought things into perspective for me. This is the same for everyone you come across in life, we all have our own struggles and it can be all too easy to become bundled up in our own thoughts and forget how easily we can have a positive impact on their day, even if it’s only a small gesture.

So I am going to set myself the challenge to make the extra effort to be kind to everyone who’s path I cross in the next week (and onwards of course!),  and I urge you to hop on the feel-good train with me! So go on, make your mum a cup of tea; give the cashier an extra big smile or tell a friend how thankful you are to have them in your life, you never know it might just make their day!  

Until next time,

Elise x