Why Taking Time For Yourself Is Okay

Life is hard. Life isn't all sweetness and light. Life can be the biggest bitch out there. But life is also the greatest gift any of us can be given and it's completely what you make of it. That may mean that sometimes it's hectic, filled with dinners, lunches and nights out whilst other times it's just you in your pjs with the cat, watching a rerun of your favourite show. And whilst the former is filled with amazing memories and mementos, sometimes the latter is exactly what your mind, body and soul needs.

I for one am a big believer of taking time out for yourself. It can come in any shape and form but as long as you come out of it feeling grounded and ready to take on whatever life has to throw at you, it's served it's exact purpose. Holding together a job, social life, love life, social media presence as well as the million other commitments life throws at you can be stressful, can push you to breaking point at it's worst but are not worth comprimising both your physical and mental health for. Cancelling that dinner date, that cinema trip or taking a break from social media isn't going to make your life crumble down around you feet. Don't concern yourself with what others will think of you for taking time out for yourself, take the time to do what you love, the things that make you feel more you, that put you back together and help you bounce back from what ever stress or low that's been bogging you down.

There have been many a time when I've disappeared off social media for a few days, not replied to texts for a few days and just taken time to recenter myself and sort my shit out. My friends understand why it happens as they do it as well so they never get angry or judgemental about it, they just accept that's what I've needed to do and that if there is still anything I need to talk about, I'll do it in my own time. And that's one of the main things I want you to take from this. It's okay to take a time out, to spend time caring for yourself both physically and mentally whether the people around you understand or not. If they judge you, get angry when you cancel plans or stop including in plans afterwards, I think it's safe to say you need to reevaluate the people in your life. If your family and friends truly love you, they'll understand the pressure of life; especially in this day and age, and that it can take it's toll.

What I'm trying to say is that it's okay to take a break. To cut off from all the pressures of life for a while to regroup, ground and pull yourself together. Not replying to a text isn't going to be the end of the world and neither is not retweeting that viral meme that's doing the rounds on twitter. Taking time out to bake, read, sleep or binge your favourite show or film isn't a waste of time that could be spent doing other things, especially if it help you to forget about all the stress you've got going on. Time for yourself is vital if you want to life a happy life. Trust me, you may feel guilty about doing it but after a while that guilt will disappear and you'll be able to see the good it's doing for you as well as being able to recognise when you need to take that break and focus on yourself for a while. 

3 Things I Do To Unwind

 

The last week has been stressful to say the least and I've just needed some me time. Which got me thinking, what kind of things do I always turn to when I need to unwind and relax after a stressful or particularly hard day. So today I'm sharing with you the three things I do when I want to unwind and relax.

1- Get Comfy
Nothing says unwinding after a long day than getting comfy. To me that means make up off, hair in a pineapple, no bra and in the comfiest pjs I can find. At the moment I'm loving these Aladdin pjs from Primark. They're just the right mix of cosy and cute without being too flimsy or gaudy like a lot of character pjs can. Plus Aladdin is my all time favourite Disney movie so any excuse to wear them is welcome. And occasionally if I'm not feeling too lazy, I'll put on a sheet mask to give my skin a pamper as I make a myself a cuppa and get settled for the rest of the night.


2- Hobbies and Passions
Nothing destresses me like my myriad of passions. So once I've washed the day off, given my skin some TLC and dressed appropriately, I attempt to get some work done on the blog before I indulge in a passion or two. This can be anything from baking to reading a book or snuggling up to watch a film or catch up on the latest show I'm watching. At the moment I'm currently working my way through all the Marvel movies in preparation for Infinity War which releases next month and whilst I'm not indulging in my love of Marvel, I'm trying to get into both Riverdale and Rick and Morty. So far I'm not sure on both but am going to keep watching in hopes I like it as much as the people who recommended them to me do.

3- Baths/Hot Chocolate/YouTube
And the last way I find helps me unwind after a long day is a long soak in the bath accompanied by a large mug of hot chocolate and a good old catch up on my YouTube Watch Later list. I always feel so much calmer, relaxed and less stressed once I've had a good long soak in the tub. And when I do this, I load my bath full of relaxing oils, bath bombs, bath salts and tons of bubble bath. It may seem a lot but it just makes it feel so much more luxurious and that in itself is calming and relaxing to me. They've also been perfect for warming up after that horrid cold snap we had towards the end of February.

Top 5: Halloween Films

This Saturday coming is Halloween and if you like me have no plans except a cup of tea and popcorn while watching a film or two then I thought I'd share my top 5 Halloween Films. You can probably tell from the picture above that I'm more a fan of the kids Halloween films than the scary ones that make you jump every five seconds.

My first pick for this top 5 is a film that has been one of my all time favourites for as long as I can remember. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favourite Tim Burton films and I can watch this repeatedly without getting bored of it. It has a brilliant range of characters and the soundtrack is amazing, I always have a good sing along when watching this much to my neighbours dismay. If you haven't seen this one I recommend you check it out, it's one that will keep you entertained for years. Plus you can break it out at Christmas as well as you get the best of both holidays in it.

My next pick is Hotel Transylvania. Yes I know it may seem silly and childish but around this time of year where work gets busy and I start to see the first Christmas rush of the year I just love turning to this film. With a host of recognisable voices, this feel good film gives a twist to the monstrous side of Halloween. And if I'm honest I watch this throughout the year, purely for the feel good vibe it gives me everytime. Plus if you've seen the advert for number two and weren't planning on seeing it as you hadn't seen the first then this is a great time to watch it.

My third pick is a film I only discovered this year but instantly fell in love with. And too be honest who wouldn't fall in love with Bette Midler as one of the main characters. It comes across cheesy but that is exactly what I fell for. Good laughs, a brilliant cast and a young Sarah Jessica Parker has put this well on truly on my Halloween Film List.

My next pick is another that I've loved for as long as I can remember. It's just a shame though that it can't be brought on DVD in the UK. I remember loving it every Halloween when Disney would show all these films in a row. If you haven't seen Halloweentown, it's about a girl called Marnie who's a witch but doesn't know it until her grandma comes home from Halloweentown one year. Then and only then does Marnie find out about her powers and the existence of Halloweentown. And of course from then on, there is a villian who's out to get Marnie and her family. However I won't go into too much detail in case you plan on watching it this Halloween.

And finally my last pick of this top 5 is The Craft, the only grown up Halloween Movie in the mix. I was torn between this and Practical Magic but this I've seen more so it had to be part of this. I think the main appeal of this movie to me is that instead of being the damsels who end up being killed, the female characters are woman not to be messed with and to me that says a lot. Not one I've watched this year but definitely one I'll be breaking out before Saturday.

So that's my Top 5 Halloween Movies. What are yours? Were any of them the same as mine? Let me know in the comments.