Lockdown Mental Health

 

If like myself you live in the UK, you'll know the country is currently under its third national lockdown. It's okay to feel overwhelmed in such a scary and unknown time, and you are not alone in feeling that way. The pandemic as a whole is completely unknown, and it is normal to not know what to do or how to feel during this time. 

Being at home for the last month or so has slowly made me feel unmotivated and uninspired to do anything. It can be really tough finding motivation when you're stuck looking at the same four walls, I've felt a lot of frustration that I'm not doing anything and that my life is on standstill. Realistically life hasn't stopped at all, and as cliche as its sounds, this is all part of the journey. If this pandemic didn't happen, you wouldn't be this version of yourself. You can use this time to work on yourself mentally. 

"When everything is uncertain, everything important becomes clear."

My reason for writing this post is to spread some mental health awareness and to help others who may also be struggling with the effects of the lockdown. There are no rules on how to feel during this time, and these are just some things I do to feel more motivated and that have improved my mental health! 

A little disclaimer - It's okay to not be okay, to have bad days, to sleep in late and stay in your pj's all day, eat too much and binge Netflix shows for 6 hours+ each day. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to be busy every day and to feel like you should be doing more during this time, chilling out of the couch in sweats is perfectly fine too! 

"Love isn't cancelled. Kindness isn't cancelled. Imagination isn't cancelled. Hope isn't cancelled."

Make your bed - Set your alarm for a similar time you would typically wake up for work, and once your up make your bed straight away, do not get back into it! I read an article recently that said "making your bed is the first success of the day" and I couldn't agree more. Not only does it make the room look a lot more clean and presentable, but it also makes you feel more productive as you've already completed the first task of the day, encouraging you to do more of your to-do list. 

Don't look at your phone straight away when you wake up - I know it can be really tempting to see whats happened on social media overnight, I too am guilty of it, but it's important to wait. Not checking your phone straight away reduces anxiety and keeps your head clear, not letting messages, peoples opinions, requests occupy your mind for the first part of your day. 

Have a glass of water - Start your day on a positive note. Drinking water first thing and throughout the day has so many benefits relating to your completion and your immune system. I can often fall behind on drinking enough water during the day so I recently downloaded an app to keep reminding myself and its been working really well! 

Go for a walk - Getting outside and getting fresh air is great for clearing your head. Try and get out once a day & explore new walks near you, but of course in line with government guidelines. 

Meditation - Meditation is something I've started recently and I've found it really helpful. Apps like Calm and Headspace are great for any just starting or someone who has been meditation for a while. Not only does it help relieve stress, but it also helps control anxiety, enhances self-awareness and lengthens your attention span. 

Limit your intake of news - It's important to stay up to date with what's happening but don't create more anxiety for yourself by reading a hundred different articles about the pandemic. If you're feeling anxious after an announcement or reading an article, apps like calm etc are helpful if you're getting anxious, and great for helping with sleep too. 

Keep in touch - Stay in contact with loved ones over text, over the phone or however is most convenient. Being at home can make you feel very isolated and alone so it's important to keep in contact as much as you can. Plan to have drinks over facetime with friends, games nights or a family zoom night. 

Set yourself goals - Setting yourself goals, however big or small will keep you motivated and working towards something. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to be achieving loads right now, a goal can be as simple as getting up, making your bed and getting dressed to cooking a new meal, going for a walk or learning a new skill. However big or small, a goal is still a goal. 

If you're struggling, reach out - It is completely normal to not feel okay all the time, especially during a pandemic. If you're struggling, reach out to someone, this can be friends, family, colleagues, or a helpline. Support groups are still running also, so it's worth checking what groups are running near you and to attend if you feel it will be helpful. 

Helplines:

Samaritans - Call 116123 (Available 24hrs a day) 

Shout - Text 'Shout' to 85258 

CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) - Call 0800 58 58 58; Webchat - www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat  (5pm - Midnight daily) 

NHS - 111 (Available 24hrs a day) 

Mind - Call 0300 123 3393 or Text 86463

Remember this won't last forever, this is only temporary and you are going to get through it. Make sure to check in with yourself and how you're feeling mentally, as well as checking in with friends and family too. Reach out if you need support, you aren't alone. ♡

Stay safe everyone! x 

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Let's Catch Up

Hello blog, guess who's back... 

It's been a few years since I last sat and wrote on this blog, and despite it being so long, it feels so natural to sit at my laptop and start freely writing again. I find blogging therapeutic, and being someone who reads a lot of blogs myself, it feels fun to have my own and share my own content. 

For anyone who is new to this blog, my name is Megan and I'm a beauty therapist living in Cornwall. I recently updated my 'Get To Know The Writer' blog post, so If you want to get to know me more please feel free to read that too.

Since I last posted life has changed a lot, and it's been strange to read my old blog posts but also cool to see how I've grown and changed over the years. I've left some of my old blog posts up, so feel free to read them (I promise my writing has gotten better since then). 

Grab a cuppa, and let's catch up!

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After spending my whole life growing up in the countryside with my family, I made the big jump around a year and a half ago and moved out of the family home into a little house in the city on my own. I never imagined myself living alone because I've been so used to being with a big family, I have absolutely loved having my own space and freedom. Living alone has taught me a lot, and I've grown up a lot in the past year. It has come with its struggles too, but I feel like its all worth it and I love my little space. 

When I first started my blog I had only just begun my first job in the beauty industry and was hoping to complete college after taking a gap year. I've been qualified and working as a nail technician for almost 3 years now, which has flown by and I love my job more than ever! The industry can be difficult, but I have met some lovely and inspiring people during my journey, and have been given so many great opportunities over the years which I feel extremely grateful for. Summer 2019 I was able to attend the British Summertime Festival in London and painted thousands of nails, and a few celebs nails too! I've been able to visit both London and Birmingham on numerous occasions and attend lots of training courses over the years, and most importantly gain much more confidence in what I do. I recently started a new job at a new salon, surrounded by some incredibly talented individuals and feel so lucky to be part of a little family. It was strange saying goodbye to my previous job because the beauty studio was like my baby, but I can't wait to grow and progress even further in the salon I'm in now, as well as in the industry and see where my career takes me! 

I've touched on issues surrounding mental health on my social media platforms before, as it has always been something I've struggled with in numerous ways. More recently I've been more open in discussing it and learnt realised so many other people struggle too, on a bigger scale than I ever imagined. I've found being more open about my feelings has helped the people around me understand what's going on, and its good to know I'm not the only person feeling this way, especially during the current pandemic. I want to help others by sharing my mental health journey in hopes it will spread some more awareness, and if it helps at least one person see they are not alone, then it's all worth it!

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I still can't quite believe it's been three years since my last post, but I feel so proud of myself for everything I've achieved in those three years. It doesn't feel like a lot has changed but in the grand scheme of things, so much has! 

I'm really looking forward to writing about all aspects of life, from beauty and fashion to places I've visited and new things I'm trying. I hope it gives inspiration to others to try new things too. I can't wait to see where my blog goes and to see where life takes me next. 

Thank you for stopping by!

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Get to Know The Writer

This blog post was originally posted on the 28th March 2018 after I had spent HOURS trying to redesign my blog from its original boring theme (if you're also a blogger, you will understand the stress of changing the theme of your blog on your own, or is it is just me that struggles?). Things have changed a lot since then, and it's only right to start this new 'blog era' with some info on myself. 

My name is Megan, as I'm sure you can tell from the branding of my blog, and I'm a Beauty Therapist living in the beautiful coastal county of Cornwall. I love all things beauty, fashion, astrology and the odd murder documentary here and there. I thought I would start this new era of my blog by posting about myself to engage on a personal level with anyone who may stumble across my blog, before posting more lifestyle, beauty and fashion content. I personally love finding out more about the people behind the blogs I read because I feel much more connected to their posts and can relate to them more on a personal level despite not actually knowing them in real life. 

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- Cornwall is where I was born, and where I have always lived. I'm a true cornish gal! I grew up in the countryside in various villages as my family moved a lot, and I now live in Cornwall's only city in a little house on my own. I try to take advantage of living in such a rural location by exploring all the countryside, lots of beach walks and exploring Cornwall's hidden gems. 

- I have been a nail technician for almost 3 years, and absolutely love my job! I'm hoping to branch out and expand my skills within the beauty industry to pursue more avenues in the near future, and feel so lucky to work in such a beautiful salon with incredible colleagues. 

- My friends, family, and partner are the most important part of my life. I try to spend as much time as I can when I'm not working with them, and when I can't, we're all always on the phone or facetime! My favourite things to do with them are going out on coffee or cocktail dates, long beach walks and cosy nights in. 

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I think I'm similar to a lot of other bloggers in the respect of not having a lavish lifestyle, trips to Dubai every few weeks and not having consistent brand deals to post about, but I think it's cool that I have my own little space on the internet to voice my opinions, share my life, write about what I enjoy and maybe inspire others. One of my favourite things to do is watch or read bloggers chat about their lives and products they love to get inspiration and see what's popular in terms of beauty and style and get new trip destination recommendations, so I hope I can inspire others also!

Thank you for stopping by!

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Beauty Conference in London

Last month I attended my first ever conference! London has always been somewhere I've liked visiting and to get to experience it again was a lot of fun. Last time I visited I got to experience London in it's full glory whereas this time I attended a conference and got to see the hotel & headed home afterwards, but it was still an amazing time. 

The trip started with a long, hot drive to London from Cornwall. Despite the overwhelming heat the 6 hour journey flew by singing along to various albums and snacking on fox's glacier fruit sweets.

We all had ideas of how we pictured the hotel from several google image searches and trip advisor reviews but when we arrived it was so much more beautiful, modern and glamorous than we had expected! The hotel lobby itself had gorgeous high ceilings and was filled with trees and modern furniture. From particular bedrooms, you could look out of the window and see the lobby!

After taking in the views of the hotel we headed down for dinner, and at this point we were very hungry. The food was incredible and of course I was that person who took a picture before everyone could eat! I ordered ravioli which is one of my favorite dishes and finally tried pink gin, which is now one of my favorite alcoholic beverages!

Me and the other girls attending the conference spent the evening practicing nails and learning new tips and tricks from one another and eventually headed to bed, me with a fresh set of acrylic nails feeling like I could take on the world.

As nail technicians we were attending the conference to learn more about the brand we work with and to talk all things business, marketing and social media to grow. I had no idea what to expect from a conference because I've never attended one or been to anything similar. Was it going to be a silent room full of people all taking notes? Was it going to be one of those intense meetings that only real adults can do well by acting professional and taking notes of all the important things? It was far from both.

A few familiar faces popped up onscreen during presentations including Zoella and Sophdoesnails to promote their collections with Superdrug and overall it was a super fun day! We were able to hear about exciting launches coming very soon for Superdrug and also for Orly as well as drink lots of coffee and try gorgeous puddings whilst we took little breaks.

The conference itself was very busy but so relaxed and welcoming. A good 200+ of us nail technicians & managers got to meet with different brand executives who run make the products we use everyday and it was very informative and fun, filled with music, laughter and best of all, freebies. It was nice to see a few friendly faces i'd met before at previous training days from other Superdrug stores and have such a great day with other like minded individuals.

I'm feeling very positive about myself as a nail technician and a business woman after such a successful day and I can't wait to grow professionally and hopefully explore more of London further on in the year! I'm already planning future trips!

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Turning Nineteen

It only seems like yesterday I was frantically tearing open barbie dolls to play with at 9 years old and now I’m celebrating my 19th birthday! I’ve always loved birthdays, not because of all the gifts and attention, but because it’s one day where the majority of the family comes together and the day is filled with laughter and fun. and cake. Turning 19 hasn’t been a big deal to me as it isn’t a big birthday like 13 and 18 were and how 21 will be, but it is a strange thought that this year is my last teen year? I always wanted to grow up quickly and be a big girl with a great job and my own mansion with 10+ dogs, but now thinking I will, in fact, be an adult next year with responsibilities is kind of scary! 

I was super lucky to be able to celebrate with not only my immediate family but also my extended family and some of my closest friends! My day consisted of breakfast with my grandparents, whom I find so adorable. I had a fun-filled afternoon with my parents and siblings opening gifts and eating too much cake and the evening was spent at pizza express, followed up by a walk along the coast. The days after my birthday I got to spend time with my close friends and celebrate how old I already becoming. One evening, in particular, I spent in my friend's car, eating chips talking about our lives and it was a great evening!

This birthday, in particular, may have been one of my favourites. It wasn't filled with business, noise and trying to make it to a meal on time, and it was just how I like it. My favourite gifts were all the skincare products I accumulated, beautiful flowers and some lovely scented home pieces for my wardrobe. Along with all of the wine too!

Thank you to anyone who wished me a happy birthday!

Megan Jane x 

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