THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

DETOXING YOUR LIFE BEFORE SUMMER HITS

If you're anything like me, you love the winter months with a passion, because you can wear layers upon layers of clothing, it's socially acceptable to wear coats indoors, and you can buy hot chocolate and chai latte's on your way to uni without worrying looks from strangers. But you know, deep down, there's just something about the summer months that warms your spirits, gets you feeling good and convinces you to buy bikinis in preparation for holidays you haven't even planned yet (or in my case, can't afford #StudentLife). 

Whatever your feelings about summer may be, I'm sure we can all agree it is one of the most beautiful times of the year. But it can also be a very stressful time. Summer time is unfortunately exam season for a lot of us or deadline season - for those who work. For whatever reason you may feel stressed this summer, (or any other time to be fair), I want to be sure that none of you out there have to deal with this stress alone. It won't help you out in the long run, and you won't enjoy any time off or annual leave you have while worrying about temporary things. 

If you want to de-stress your life this summer, you need to detox your life. Here's how you can start..

MAKE LISTS - If you need to get things done - from written tasks, to housework, to shopping - write it all down. Not only is everything out your mind and on paper where you can see it, but once you write it down, you can forget all about it and just refer to that piece of paper (but don't forget about it completely! You need to get that stuff done!). This is a great way to de-stress because you are physically de-cluttering your mind, something that should be done frequently to ensure a good state of mental health. I suggest putting these lists or notes somewhere you can see them, i.e. pinned up on a noticeboard in your room.

SPRING CLEANING - The state of your surroundings is often a reflection of your mind. Something I'm sure you avoided over the winter months - spring cleaning is another great way to detox your life. Wherever you work from specifically, would be a good place to start said clean. I'm guilty of not cleaning my room as often as I should, but when my room is spotless, I feel a lot happier (believe it or not). I notice my mood changes and I can actually unwind after a long day at university, which is always a great thing.

GIVING UP BAD HABITS - This is something I still struggle with daily unfortunately, but I can definitely see change. Giving up a bad habit is a great way to feel better about yourself. I gave up swearing for Lent this year, and I swear it's one of the best things I've ever done (see what I did there?) - I'm just hoping I can keep it up. Swearing, although common to chefs, is NOT a good habit, despite what you may think. You don't have to give up something as juvenile as swearing, but maybe cut down, or cut out the amount of ready meals you may have and instead, get up and cook your own food! Or another good one for me would be start walking a lot more to university instead of getting taxis (I'm a fifteen-minute walk away from university, so I have no excuse).

CHANGE OR IMPROVE YOUR ENVIRONMENT - A very, very important one if visuals affect your mood. Changing the layout or style of your room can lift your mood tremendously, especially if you're into this interior design craze that's been happening for a while. Similar to "Spring Cleaning", but it had to be mentioned again.

CHANGE UP YOUR LOOK - What we usually do when the weather starts to get warmer, but it's something that's just overlooked because it's seen as wearing fewer layers. But changing your look can promote confidence, something that you need when you're stressed out. So have a haircut, buy or rediscover some new clothes, add a few new makeup items to the collection - do whatever is going to make you feel good and look good all the time.

Nutella Dipped Green and Crimson Grapes

BE HEALTHY - Eating well in turn makes your body look and feel good. If you're going to detoxify your living space, you should definitely detoxify your body. Think about what you ate over Christmas, the New Year and Easter - but don't feel guilty, you deserved it - did you indulge? Well of course you did! And it's okay! But whatever you put in your body that wasn't so great for you is going to effect you from the inside out, so in preparation for the binge you're going to have this Christmas (yes guys, I'm thinking about it already), eat better than you have been doing! Change up your portion sizes, include more fruit and vegetables in your diet and without a doubt you will see a change in your mood and in your appearance. (I have some healthy recipes/inspiration coming your way!)

EXERCISE!!! - Have you ever heard that exercise is a great way to reduce stress? And you only need at least 30 minutes a day of exercise to see a difference? And that exercise improves your mental, physical and social well-being? Did you? Well okay, enough said then!

I hope you find these tips helpful and you will apply some this summer. I definitely will with all the exams I have!

Good Luck,

Christina x

P.S. To those still in education - don't worry too much about your exams. Study hard for them, but do not base your self-worth on what the outcome is. Either way, I know you're smarter, more creative and more talented than whatever grade or mark you receive in the end. And as you get older and start working, exam results matter less and less! As long as you do your best, you'll be fine!