The importance of self love x

As romance still lingers in the air following the highly anticipated Valentines day I wanted to talk about something that I only came to terms with this year. The art of self love. In my opinion self love is an art. Its something that doesn't come naturally to most and takes time , effort and patience to perfect. In reality its an art that one will never fully master due to the heavy weight of the worlds pressures and anxieties on our shoulders.

Up until this year the words "Self love" meant absolutely nothing to me. I would mistake the term with a large ego, or overbearing confidence. The type of confidence that would make you out to be cocky or thinking your better than anyone else and oh how I was wrong.
For the majority of my life I placed all my love and encouragement in others and spent my time building the ones I loved up which eventually meant that I was breaking myself down in the process. It was a paradoxical cycle. I abandoned myself and completely underestimated my self worth and what I could offer to the world. I am sure this is the case with many people.

In todays fast paced society it is so easy to get caught up in the never ending cycle that we call life. As humans I think we forget how important it is to love ourselves and take time out to rejuvenate and revive ourselves. Our worlds' most dominant and influential people have always placed an emphasis  on the importance of being kind and loving to thy neighbour but they always seem to forget the most important part. As the saying goes 'one cannot pour from an empty cup', and this could not be any more true.
There is so much hate, bitterness and hostility that prevails over our planet, and the stress of this could ever so slightly be relieved by teaching our people to start small. An act of self love is a miniscule step but a huge step in the right direction. The way I look at it is, if you feel good within yourself you will want to do good and express good to others. It's a win, win situation, don't you agree ?

In modern day society people are often compelled to abide by a strict and timely routine and find it very hard to make time for themselves. However self love doesn't have to be time consuming. I have learned this particularly over the last year when life has gotten a tad bit more hectic due to college, social and wellbeing commitments. For the first time in my life I feel like I have balanced the weight of looking after myself and working hard and it has done wonders for my mental health.

I have mastered how to incorporate certain things into my day that make it far more enjoyable. Whether thats taking time in the morning to sit and drink a cup of tea in the peace and quiet, or listening to a motivational podcast on my walk to college, self love is all about making life more enjoyable for ourselves and creating harmony and happiness from within. After all if you have love and happiness within you can project it outwards to the world. There is nothing more threatening to ourselves and the world than a spiteful and angry heart and mind. By making simple changes life can be that bit more wonderful!

It is so important to look after ourselves and treat ourselves like we treat others. Self Love isn't just as simple as buying ourselves a bar of chocolate. Its the little things like constant words of encouragement, having patience with our mind and body and most of all fuelling ourselves with nothing but positivity, good food, exercise and happiness. These tiny things tend to be overlooked ( this was the case with me in the past anyway), and if we make a change and invest in these things our lives can be that bit better!

How I incorporate self love into my day 

1. As I mentioned already I love to listen to motivational podcasts walking too and from college or whenever I have a spare moment really. My favourite ones to listen to are ones based on the law of attraction, mindfulness or simply people sharing their stories about mental health and positivity. My all time favourite podcast is by Lavendaire she is so inspiring and well worth a listen. 

2. I love the idea of nourishing myself from within and have recently really focused on having a healthy and clean diet. I don't like using labels as I find it very restricting so I wouldn't call myself vegetarian, but recently I have tried my best to cut down on meat products and incorporate more fruit, vegetables and whole foods into my diet. I have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels and my mood since. Of course I still love to treat myself to some chocolate because i absolutely love it, and in my eyes life is too short. Don't you agree ? 

3. Of course eating well and exercise go hand in hand and I am a huge advocate and believer in the power of exercise. It does absolutely wonders for my mental health and never fails to put me in a good mood and increase my positivity. I try to incorporate some form of exercise into my daily routine, whether thats a light yoga class or an intense HIIT class. However I am always conscious not to over work my body and the most important thing is to listen to your body and never over work it! 

4. One thing I have tried out in 2018 is meditation and it is now my favourite part of the day. I absolutely love it. Its the one time where i totally switch off, focus on my breath and let the worries of the day fall from my shoulders. I love using guided meditations and I couldn't recommend Jason Stephenson's channel any more. It never fails to put me in a good headspace.

5. Lastly right before I go to bed I spend time doing something that will completely relax me for example watching an episode of friends on netflix or reading the book I'm reading at the moment. It is so important to reward ourselves after a long day at work, school or college and surviving the challenges that the day has thrown at us. By celebrating the little things life is a bit more enjoyable!

Loving ourselves is so important. After all our relationship with ourselves is the longest and most committed relationship we will ever have, why not make it the most meaningful and loving it could possibly be ? As the quote goes " To fall in love with yourself is the first secret to happiness".
So I urge you to do something that brings you happiness and peace at least once a day! Trust me you will watch your life gradually change and your mindset and mood shift to a better place.

Love Rach x 

5 lessons I have learned in 2017 x

Is it too late to say Happy new year ? Even though it is February I think its never too late to reflect and think about what the previous year has taught us, therefore I took the month of January to deeply reflect on 2017's most valued lessons. Although January is quiet a dreary month it is also one of my favourites. I have always loved the idea of a fresh start and a new beginning and January is just that. It is a blank slate which allows for so many opportunities and new experiences and yes I am very excited.
For me personally 2017 has been one of those rough years, but a very important year. I have gone through many experiences I never thought I would go through and they have taught me life long lessons that I will hopefully carry with me throughout life. As we step into a new and exciting chapter I think it is so important to sit back and reflect on the previous years biggest lessons. This post is dedicated to the good the bad and the ugly challenges that I have endured which have led to the most beautiful lessons.

1. Hard work pays off
2017 was a huge year for me as well as many as i was doing the dreaded Leaving cert and trying to get into college. These final exams brought endless days and nights of panic and tears but looking back now i have realised it was all so worth it. I worked myself to my absolute limit and it paid off the minute I opened my exam results. Throughout the whole two years of my leaving cert I continuously beat myself up over the fact that I wasn't working hard enough or i could be putting in more hours. This was my subconscious beating me down when in fact I gave it my all! That was clearly evident when I opened my results and I was exactly 100 points over what I needed for my college course. I was ecstatic!
The past year has taught me that if you work hard enough anything is possible. It is up to you how hard you work and what direction you choose to take. The hard days of grafting and making your way up in the world are so worth it when you reach the final goal. 2017 has taught me that dreams don't work unless you do and that you are so capable of living out your dream if you take the time to invest in it.
Life isn't plain sailing! It comes with hard days and good days, and as the saying goes, you can't have a rainbow without a little rain right ?

2. It is okay to ask for help!
As humans we all find it very difficult to push our pride aside and ask for help and that is normal to a certain extent. However, everyone has their limits! One major thing I have taken away from 2017 is that you can't do everything on your own, no matter how much you want too. Sometimes the weight of the world is just too much and the load has to be shared. I always felt like a burden asking for help but 2017 has helped me to ease that burden just a little bit. Whether it is a major mental health related issue, or simply asking your lecturer a question after class, help is always there if you need it. It took me a very long time to realise this and 2017 has opened my eyes to just how much help is out there if your willing to let people in.

3. A tablet does not define you
This is more of a deeper topic but one of the biggest lessons I have learned to date. At 18 years old being diagnosed with clinical depression is a big one. You wouldn't expect it of an 18 year old right ? Well that's what I used to think and oh how I was so wrong! For the majority of 2017 I put off going to the doctor. I refused to think that there was actually something major wrong with me, simply because I believed tablets defined depression. I used to think going down that route was wrong and I sought alternative medical practices and methods when my life could have been a bit easier if I didn't believe the stereotypes. We are all guilty of falling into the narrow minded road of stereotypes in some aspect of life and I am sorry to say that I used to think this way about treating depression medically. 2017 has allowed me to think about mental health in a more open minded way. I no longer believe these stereotypes, and I strongly believe that a tablet does not define you.
I certainly don't think it defines me. After all if you have the flu or a cough you get medication, if you have a neurological mental illness it should be treated the exact same. A tablet will never ever define you and you should live your life the way you want too regardless!

4. Give credit where credit is due
I mean this in a personal context as well as everyday life. It is so important for us to give ourselves credit. If you get a good result in an exam, or manage to beat your new personal best in your favourite sport, it is so important to celebrate the little things. I certainly didn't do enough of this in 2017 and it is so important. We are so hard on ourselves when we go through the toughest of times and still survive. I can proudly say I have been through days where I thought I wouldn't survive and here I am! That is something worth celebrating! I think anyway.....

5. Be gentle with yourself
Lastly but certainly not least, be kind to yourself. I spent the majority of 2017 beating myself up over things and it is something I hope to reduce greatly. Self love was non existent for me and that was so wrong! We only have one body, one life, what is the point on not loving every piece of our being ? After all you are the only person who gets to live your life. 2017 taught me that you cannot look after anyone else if you can't look after yourself. It has taught me that self love is a must and self belief is one of the best qualities anyone could have. Although I haven't mastered the whole self love and self belief thing, time is the way to achieve this. Always be kind, believe in yourself and above all love yourself even the parts that are hard to love! Everything starts from within. After all how can you receive love if you don't love yourself first ?

So there you go, 5 major lessons i have learned from 2017. It turned into a long one so I will leave this here. I hope your 2018 is full of Joy, laugher and love. There is a whole year ahead full of possibilities and its up to us to make the most of the next 365 days.

Love Rach x