A post, by Amber: a gal who is so done with this aspect of 21st-century living. Take me back to the days of courtship, please. Now.

1. Talking. But basic talking about the weather and each other's lives. You're just friends at the moment, and when you say that, you're not even lying!

2. 'Talking'. So now you're... talking. Yep, you've reached the monumental stage two!

3. Tell your friends you're talking, talking. Stage two felt a little early, but this feels like a good time to drop this person's name into a suitable conversation.

4. You've probably had dinner together by now at least a few times. Not that you're dating or anything.

5. Tagging-each-other-in-memes talking. Wow, don't get too ahead of yourself, you're not possibly dating yet! You've just moved from the land of words to the land of GIFs and 'Type @X and the first name that pops up...'. Have fun, you crazy kids.

6. You're Face-Timing all the time, or each other's number 1 Snapchat best friend, so you know they're not 'talking', talking to anyone else, but you're *not in a relationship*. You know this because...

7. 'But you're together, right?' says the friend who is blissfully committed to their S/O (and knows it!). You die a little inside and decide you must have The Chat soon.

8. The Chat is a) a massive failure and you come away slightly reassured by the fact that the other member is not talking to anyone else, or married, but you're still not technically bells-and-whistles xfriend/xfriend. Or b), it's all quite chilled and you're now Exclusive.

9. At some point you go to an event or occasion where it is Simply Untrue for you to be 'just a friend' so you then reach the glorious, dignified status of 'someone I'm seeing'. As if that doesn't sound like they kind of hate you, but in a lowkey way, because god forbid there are actual feelings involved.

10. You've probably had sex, met each other's families and spent a holiday together but you're still just SEEING EACH OTHER. duh.

11. Maybe you'll get married soon, maybe you won't. Those are the delightful perks of not being *in a relationship*.


(But in all seriousness, this is probably v toxic, although many of us go through it. If you're looking to be with someone and they just aren't in that 'headspace' or 'the timing isn't right', put yourself first and evaluate if it's worth it <3)

After reading Klara's post about the coil (linked here), I decided to get a slice of the action myself, and post about my experience with the Mirena coil. I had mine fitted at the beginning of September, and thus far have been very pleased.

A few things to note: the Mirena coil is supposed to be used for women who have had children, and since I have never been pregnant, it is likely that some of my symptoms were worse than for those women who have, particularly the insertion. Also, it is 99% effective (according to the Mirena website) and suitable for people like me who cannot take the combined pill, as it only contains progestrogen. There are some health risks, so talk to your doctor first!

1. It fucking hurrrrrttsssss. Seriously, had I have known how much, I might have not gone through with it. It also will hurt for a while afterwards, but almost three months in and I am having absolutely no pain or cramping.
2. Prior to the Mirena, I had horrific periods, and had previously tried a range of things, from Mefenamic Acid to the mini pill, with no success. For me, the IUD has sorted everything out, but this may not occur for all people.
3. You might stop your period altogether, which is completely normal, and I'm personally very very glad about. Don't worry, you're almost certainly not pregnant!
4. You might want to get the string length shortened, even if you're not having sex. You're supposed to be able to feel it, and it's important to keep it long enough that your doctor can remove it at the end of the 5 years, but if you're concerned about it, go get it cut a little shorter. Not only this but they do soften a lot after the first couple of months, and often curl up, especially if you use a tampon.
5. If you're susceptible to things such as UTIs, you may want to choose a different contraception type, as there's a link between the coil and increased urine infections. 

A competitive environment, be that at school, university or your hobby can cause a massive push and not feel very comfortable. Joining a competitive environment can also be a strange transition which completely encapsulates you at a time when you have to carefully manage how much time each activity you do receives. Having been confronted with fierce competition both at school and in my hobby I have come up with a list of things which might make your time among other competitive students easier to manage.

1. Don't put much emphasis on the fact that it is very competitive and stress as the result.
During my time in education I have found out that there are several groups of students. The least pleasant of those are people who put so much emphasis on how hard and competitive everything is they end up doing very little. Try to stay away from that mentality - simply treat every task, every application form and every competition as something you can learn from and grow rather than being afraid of failing. Moreover, it's good to have a realisation of how competitive a field is but don't stress about it. If you are giving something your best, constantly working and pushing yourself you will be able to reach any goal you have set for yourself. The key thing is to keep going and avoid silly distractions which you create via your own thoughts.

2. Be consistent.
When you are aware of the fact that something is very competitive, you have probably also had thoughts about how much work is required of you to perform well. In order to avoid the feeling of immense pressure and do well it is useful to split your work into chunks and conquer it little by little rather than trying to do everything at once. Cramming might have worked before, but there are certain activities where the amount of content is too vast and you need to master the skills to be good at what you do. Do part of work but do it often and you will be surprised how prepared you will be.

3. Have days to yourself.
Often you will find yourself quite stressed out because of the pressure to perform well, or general fatigue. Find a day in the week and dedicate it to the things which make you feel happy and relaxed ( perhaps take a bath, cook some good food, read, and get plenty of sleep). Having an entire day to yourself is an excellent day to regenerate your mind and body, which will leave you feeling prepared for the next week ahead of you and you will definitely find yourself performing better.

4. Make friends with people who are in the same place as you.
Although having friends outside of the competitive environment you might be finding yourself in might be useful in forgetting about its intensity, it is often handy to have people who are in the same boat as you. An internal support network helps you cope with difficulties and understand concepts then and there, rather than having to ask someone external. Especially with hobbies, I have found it particularly useful to have a chat with someone after a round of a debating competition to figure out how to find/ source resources or how to work on a particular skill to ensure rapid improvement.

5. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
I feel like it is a slight misconception that whenever there is competition involved you should not ask for help. If anything, having mentors, and peers around is the most valuable resources available to you. If you want to get full marks on a paper but can't figure out why you keep getting a question wrong it's definitely worth asking your teacher. If you want to find out how to enhance your performance in a physical or intellectual sport, it is definitely worth speaking to someone who has achieved your goal and shows it consistently in their own performance.

Sometimes life becomes less linear, things don't go to plan, and you do feel like everything is very overwhelming and want to run away from your issues. It happens but it isn't the end of the world - you can resolve anything as long as you stay in control and address the puzzles you are facing. Major setbacks might require time, attention, planning and most importantly effort, they happen to all of us at some point but it's important to look past them and move on.

Throughout this year I have experienced several unpleasant experiences, and despite some of my closest people being by my side have found myself breaking down, being in tears for 12 hours non-stop, suffering from bad insomnia and extreme fatigue during some of my exams.

The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone when it comes to situations like that, chances are there is at least one more person facing something just as difficult and you can push past it. Following my experiences this year I wanted to share some advice on how I have been able to deal with some of the most horrifying and detrimental experiences in my life, which I have not been able to share with many people either, leaving my educational institution completely blind to this despite it having affected me in a lot of ways.

When you first look at an absolutely shocking situation which you have no idea how to resolve you tend to worry, get anxious and just get upset because it might seem like there is nothing you can do about it at that given moment. Truth is, it is okay to cry and be upset about something which is clearly hindering your progress and your dreams but being upset all the time and shedding tears all the time won't take you anywhere and will result in you having a big headache - just don't torture yourself even more.

Be upset, cry, write your feelings down, see a friend you trust and talk to them about your situation. It is very important to let all of the emotions out at the start of the recovery process because a lot of the major setbacks people find themselves generate a lot of feelings you might have never experienced before, as well a lot of thoughts, which if bottled up will make you explode and take you somewhere dark. That won't help you progress and make everything better at least a little bit. If you are feeling overwhelmed don't start hitting your head against the wall, instead use some of the less harmful coping mechanisms - rip some paper up ( this works incredibly well), do some jumps at your local park, maybe even dance to some crazy music without caring about anything and anyone - let it all out.

Now the emotional side aside, you need to gather your thoughts together. The mistake I have made many times was to overburden my friends with my thoughts and sad feelings for several days whilst not making the slightest attempt to change anything. Great as friends are some situations are incredibly unique and it might be difficult to find someone who can genuinely relate and give you an action plan. Having had the chance to speak to someone about how you feel it is key that you sit down and think for yourself and by yourself about what went wrong and how things can be changed to make the situation better. At first you will probably have no idea as to how you should work on something going wrong, which is completely normal but do not let that defeat you - there is nothing you can't do if you believe in yourself. Despite constantly repeating "self belief" that is probably the hardest part but I will soon provide ways via which you can reassure yourself and help yourself move on from the horrors you might be experiencing.

It is important that you separate yourself from your emotions and build a logical development of the situation which went wrong because that will allow you to have plenty of room for improvement and will leave the situation broken down enough for you not to feel overwhelmed. After you have identified what went wrong, take each point you have identified and think of ways you can work on it, some will come sooner than others but generate ideas using your own mind because this is your situation and its nuance is personal to you.

Going back to self belief, as mentioned before this is the most challenging part at the initial stages of the process but it's not impossible to do, even if you are completely losing hope in yourself and the world. Here are some ways in which you can ensure you retain your sense of self belief, no matter what:

- Positive affirmations are the way forward. If you are like me and get deeply upset by harsh words and what is said to you by the people around, teachers and so on make a list of the great things about yourself and what you are capable of doing. The art of persuasion is key here, so just close your eyes and think of the better things about yourself as a person, which also define you to combat all the negativity.

- When feeling down, or in a very difficult situation some people tend to demean a lot of their achievements but we all have done something fantastic. Regardless of whether it includes the time when you have worked for a charity, wrote an amazing essay or simply got through school despite having been in an incredibly disruptive classroom and having lived in bad area, you did it. Keep a list of your achievements - no matter how big or small, they will cheer you up when you feel down and will keep you going when you feel like you can't.

- Having a reason behind anything you are doing/planning on doing also helps with maintaining self belief. Whether you are retaking exams in order to go to a better university or simply want to take action to prove being honest to yourself and your beliefs make sure it is something you can justify to yourself. There will be points when you will be questioned about your choices, people will try to prove you wrong and you will doubt yourself, but if you know why you are doing everything you are doing you will be able to respond and come back feeling even more reassured and strong. If it feels like a lot of information to keep in your mind, journal it or just make a brief note of it but never forget it.

Following the probably extensive thinking process on your own, it might be worth speaking to people who have been in similar situations or just very close friends who have experienced something similar in their lives because it might help you tweak your own ideas and push forward. The benefit of this step is two-fold: you gather information and therefore improve on your initial ideas with additional information but also come across as someone who can move on and constructively move on. You will draw more people in, received more support and work towards the outcome you want to achieve with a much larger support network, which will make it easier. At this stage it is important to gather information as it will help you construct a plan and move forward.

Before making any substantial changes to the current situation it is important to have a plan, be it written or mental. It is important to dedicate some time to filtering the information you have acquired so far and see what is relevant and applicable to you. Truth is, you won't need all of it and maybe not even half of it at this stage. Go back to the breakdown of issues you are facing and apply the additional information to your challenges, adapt it to suit you and have a detailed plan as to how you will work on improving everything you are currently facing. In the long term, it will work and you will see the progress despite some of the challenges you will face on your way there.

The last key element of this recovery process is that everything you have written and collected must be executed and implemented as you have planned to do it. It can be tempting to give up and expect for things to settle but unfortunately nothing happens on its own and you are the one to make it happen. On some days, especially at the start, you will struggle - we all do, but if you keep going it will get easier and easier until you won't even notice it being part of your life and routine. Don't make the mistake of leaving it aside and forgetting about it because if all of those unresolved setbacks collect you will collapse or explode and neither will make you happier or more energised. You have worked very hard to reach this point, don't let all of your effort go away and waste your own time and resources.

Not everyone has a perfect life, and a lot of people quietly suffer whilst smiling but they get through it. If you are facing something difficult in your life or have no idea how to progress it is important to remember that you are someone special and can do anything you put your mind into, no matter how difficult the situation might seem at the time. It is okay to be emotional and feel down but you can't let it consume you, otherwise you will reach complete darkness and collapse. You are a wonderful human being who can do anything and everything, you have a purpose and you can keep going - don't give up.

• When feeling down and prone to self depreciation whilst having nobody close to speak to, a pen and some paper are your best friends. Be that journaling or simply putting random words on the page, it all helps as long as you list down all of the wonderful attributes you have. If you feel like you have nothing think about your great smile, the fact that you have helped someone today or have even been able to start your journey of self love. Those minor, and as you might think insignificant things, have made today a better day, but by doing those things you are the person to have made today better. Show some appreciation - you deserve it.
• If there is a close friend you trust enough, share what you like with them and they will be happy to help you. Chances are, your friend might have been in a similar situation and can tell you that you are an absolutely wonderful person because they most probably know how you feel and don’t want for you to be feeling down.
• If you want to encourage self love in a friend writing them positive messages about why they have been so fantastic and why you value them so much is an incredibly handy way to make someone feel better and smile when they don’t feel too great.
• Positive affirmations. This method has been recommended to me by a friend and it truly works wonders. If you tell yourself that you can do anything you will feel stronger and more encouraged to act despite having limited support by your side on some days.

Since I missed 4 months out of my first year of A levels due to glandular fever, I have had a lot of catching up to do this year. This means I have had to stop procrastinating as much as I used to and have collected some pretty useful tips on how to do this.

1. Make a schedule. Last year I revised what I felt like revising when I felt like revising it, which meant that some topics that I enjoyed had been revised thoroughly, whereas others didn't get looked at at all. It also meant that often I'd spend an hour or so revising and then get bored. If I have everything planned I do my revision and then fit everything else around that.
2. Plan for rest days. Make sure there is at least one day every week that you leave free for doing all the fun things which would otherwise distract you from your work.
3. Get a proper sleeping schedule. If you're tired, you're less focused and therefore more likely to put off doing important things. It can also become tempting to take naps, which is very dangerous because you never know how long they will last and can take up a lot of your time.
4. Allow yourself a daily treat. A massage, an hour reading a good book, even just a tea break. Taking a small step back from work makes it seems less daunting and allows a calmer more focused approach. Be careful to stick to your allotted time for this though, otherwise it can become procrastination itself.
5. Set realistic targets. If you plan to do one chapter's worth of notes you're more likely to do it than if you try and force yourself to do a whole book. Similarly, make sure you leave enough time to achieve the goals you have set out for yourself.
6. Prioritise. This may seem obvious but last year I tried to do everything at once and it was just too much. This year I get my work done in order of priority so if I don't manage to do something it doesn't matter so much.
7. Eat breakfast!!! It's the most important meal of the day for a reason.
8. Plan a trip. This works particularly well if you're revising, plan something for after exams that you can look forward to and makes all your hard work seem worthwhile. Since you probably won't go out much during exam season it should be easy to save up for too ;).
9. Remind yourself why you're doing this. I want to do well in my a levels so that I can go to university next year, therefore I have a photo of the campus up on my wall to motivate me. A friend of mine is trying to make his mum proud so he set a reminder on his phone to tell him that once a day if he's struggling. It just makes it all easier to bear when you think of the outcome.
10. Don't be too hard on yourself. If things don't go to plan, don't give up and put off working at it again, keep focused and try again. Also if you're having a bad day, don't overwork yourself. Take a break. It makes everything better long term.

I am the sort of overachieving overthinker that unfortunately means that I have a tendency for anxiety, especially around exam season. In order to actually carry on through life without panicking or crying too much, I've developed a few ways to distract myself from the anxiety.

• Positive affirmations. Essentially saying loudly that everything will be okay (which, by the way, it will) and you will believe it and calm down. This is my newest and preferred strategy.
• Happy music. Sometimes a pounding beat can make it worse, but some good music can make you feel so much better, especially if you can dance to it!
• Go for a walk
• Frothy television, even if it's just something shitty to play in the background. Would recommend Gilmore Girls, the Kardashians or Are You The One (which my friend Francesca introduced me too - v addictive!)
• Taking a shower
• Talk to a good friend about something else. I actually prefer to ring someone than see them face to face while I'm really anxious, but just let them know how you feel.
• Writing - my friend Ana suggested this and I agree so much. Journaling, writing a letter, whatever it is: it can help so much to write about your fears and make them tangible and certain.
• Some people (although not me personally) find herbal remedies useful, even if partly due to the placebo effect.
• If it doesn't seem to be related to one specific thing, and doesn't clear up, I'd definitely advise seeing someone, as counselling/therapy/whatever you want to call it, can really help, and to be honest I think everyone should take advantage of it.

As my time at university approaches, I have been a little worried about feeling homesick so I've started a collection of items to bring with me that will make my dorm room feel more homely. I began by buying goldfish, fairy lights and scented candles, but found that photographs were really the best way to keep a piece of home with me wherever I go. I have mentioned my love of LALALAB in some of my previous posts, and was lucky enough to be sent some free prints by them which have really helped me develop these ideas.

I have always enjoyed making scrapbooks, and my mum and her sister always used to help me when I was a kid. As I've got older my scrapbooks feature more photos and postcards than drawings of people that are really just faces with stick legs. LALALAB's prints (my favourite kind are known as vintage in the app) are perfect for adding sentimental value to a page.

While I'm not an expert in that I have a huge amount of piercings, I have four and can remember having them all done, unlike some very small children who get their ears done. In the last year, I had my belly button pierced, and more recently my forward helix, which is basically where your ear joins onto the side of your head at the top.

1. It will hurt. People who say it won't are probably like mothers who tell other people that labour doesn't hurt: they have the beautiful veil of their shiny new piercing that blocks the memory of having it done. Cartilage hurts more than just skin but it's one of those things that is over v quick.
2. You WILL have a moment of regret while it's healing. Whether that's because it's now uncomfortable to sleep or smile or eat or what, is location-dependent, but at some point, you'll wonder if it's worth the hassle.
3. Saltwater solutions feel gross. Usually, you'll have to bathe your new body jewellery in a sea salt solution, and sometimes bits of crusty grossness will come off.... yeah, it's a little odd.
4. Don't get it done with a gun. I have experienced both a gun and a needle and had a traumatic experience with the former, so I would seriously not recommend it. That and the fact that they can be way more unsanitary, and if you have your cartilage pierced, it can shatter. 
5. Don't make price your deciding factor. You're literally having a hole poked through your skin. Treat yo'self.
6.  Schedule it knowing what you're going to be doing. Some piercings won't like a chlorine swimming pool, so if you get it done in June just a month before your resort holiday, you may spend that whole time with it feeling awful. The safest bet is probably September onwards so that you can have it fully healed by the summer.
7. Don't get it done for someone else. It may be for a partner, or to piss off your parents, or because all of your friends have it, but seriously, like anything, be your true self. (Also bodily autonomy is an important thing, and just generally it's an unhealthy thing to change a part of yourself for anyone else). Also, you're more likely to regret it if it wasn't actually your idea in the first place.
8. Ask the person piercing you about future ones. If you want a triple forward helix or something, ask them to leave enough room, or even if it will be possible. Plus this helps you work out what you can do, before the agony of a failed appointment and disappointment. You may also receive some unusual compliments, such as 'you're the anatomical model for an ear' or 'ooh you have a lovely outer conch' (I have such high self-esteem about my ears now).
9. If you have your bellybutton (officially named navel) pierced, you can then draw a mouth or curve your finger to look like one, and Snapchat recognises it as a face!

I realised the other day that I really enjoy finding new musical artists, bands etc, introducing my friends to them, and being able to watch them as they grow. There's also nothing better than a small, (cheap), intimate concert and so I've compiled a list of a few artists that I love, that aren't massive yet, and I hope/think they will be soon! Feel free to let me know your opinion too, below.

1. clipping.
That isn't a grammar mistake, I promise, but clipping. are very very good. I actually first came across them on a Donald Trump diss album (called '30 days, 30 songs' - also containing tracks from Franz Ferdinand, Jimmy Eat World and many others), and then got really into their first and latest albums. Other people may know them as they contain the actor Daveed Diggs, who is really talented as their frontman, and I'd recommend the tracks 'Work Work' 'Taking Off' and 'Fat Fingers'.

2. Christine and the Queens
I discovered their debut album 'Chaleur Histoire' in my local record shop, as they were playing it, and loved it. I've been playing it almost non-stop, and even have got to the annoying phase of trying to persuade all of my friends to listen to them (particularly one person that I often try to convert to my music taste ever since I did it with the Japanese House and it worked <33). I bought the French version, but here is the English version of my favourite song, 'Christine', which I think was on a British tv talk show at some point recently.

ENFJ

Four simple letters, that describe a whole person, and pretty accurately. I've done the Myers-Briggs Personality Test  (linked) on three separate occasions and had the same answer each time, and it sounds like me, so I'm fairly certain that this is the one I fit into.

The theory is that everyone fits one of the 16 different combinations of I/E (introverted/extroverted) N/S (iNtuition/sensing) T/F (thinking/feeling) and J/P (judging/perceiving), and although obviously, I don't have multiple personalities with which I can test the system, I have heard other people too discuss how closely it did reflect them as a person. You receive quite a thorough report of what it 'means' to be you (an odd concept I think) and certainly as I read it, I was thinking 'YES THIS IS SO ME'.

I made this post today to kind of cover two different areas: a little more about me, and then the curiosity of human nature to have someone else define us.

Regarding me, I am extroverted, intuitive, feeling and judging, and happen to have these traits in common with Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Demi Lovato, Daenarys from Game of Thrones and Martin Luther King Jr., which I personally take as such a compliment. I also feel a *little* bit like I'm not using these traits maybe as effectively as these people!

However, in an effort to judge myself less comparatively with others, I'll actually talk about the traits that I most strongly identify with. The positive ones include tolerance and reliability, as I am usually the one that my friends turn to if they feel down or have a problem, and I also like to think of myself as quite charismatic. This is where my extroverted nature comes in: I think I am a mix between introverted and extroverted in that I don't need to be around people all of the time and do quite enjoy my own company yet in a new social situation, I'll be talking to everyone and making friends left, right and centre!

The negative traits I also identify with: fluctuating self-esteem definitely being one of them, along with being too sensitive, too selfless and overly idealistic, which combined with my apparent propensity to be a leader is maybe why I enjoy debating and politics so much??? I think that I recognise these in myself, and while it is not ideal that I worry about EVERYTHING, it's always good to know your less-good qualities and work on them.

Anyway, there's a ton more, but I thought that a little insight would be enough, as it's not always interesting to hear someone else's personality dissected, but would show definitely how much I related to mine.

My other area of interest was in why we find it interesting to label ourselves so deeply by other people. I think on one level there is an element of 'ha, let's see if a machine knows me better than I know myself', and maybe even a deeper thirst for wanting to know ourselves better. Or perhaps there's just an instinctive part of human nature that wants to rationalise our feelings and know that we do fit in. This part seeks to be reassured that we are understood, and while enjoys seeing the fact that only a relatively small part of the population have the same personality type (fulfilling the desire to be unique), we aren't truly alone...

I've been ill lately and I know Klara has been too, so here are some things you can do to make yourself feel normal again.

1. Get a haircut, or at least a wash and trim. This is the ultimate. My hair gets absolutely awful when I'm sick (it's been dry af but gets greasy way too easily) and so today I took myself down to the hairdressers and enjoyed having my hair washed, dried, cut and curled. Plus my hairdressers have massage chairs :)
2. Talk to your friends. It sucks to not see people for a long time but just do it, even if you can't be bothered. This leads into...
3. See people face to face (that you do not live with). The people you live with don't count, you'll have seen them already. I mean, get out and even if you just go for a coffee for half an hour, you'll enjoy seeing some people that you love. Also you can catch up properly!
4. Go shopping. Treat yo'self <3
5. If you've been sick/lost your appetite, buy some of your favourite food and actually be able to enjoy it once you're feeling better.
6. 'Cry' - my good friend Klara Hughes suggested this, and I'm on board with this suggestion lol. Crying in the face of shitness is sometimes a good plan.
7. Do a face pack. My skin also is disgusting when I'm sick, so this can make it feel soft and clear up imbalances.
8. Sleep. I love sleeping so much. 
9. If you've put on weight, as I have, don't worry. As soon as you get back up and moving, you will lose it.
10. Paint your nails, sing along super loud to songs, play the flute, or do whatever it is you love!

1. Taking tablets. Not as in I can't take them, because I can, but I'm currently on a course of 8 tablets per day. I have to schedule meal times around it, and even when I wake up or go to bed so that I'm able to take the 4 doses.
2. FOMO. I have the worst fear of missing out anyway, but when I can't go out and do things it makes me sad :(
3. Temperature control. I hate having fevers, but recently I've just felt really cold. It's bad enough when it's winter, but being ill too makes it even worse. Sometimes even snuggling up in a blanket isn't enough, and the other day I felt cold in the bath which was really weird.
4. People who don't understand. This is especially common when it's been more than a short illness, and some of the most annoying people are the ones who simply don't understand. They either think you're not ill, that you should be able to do things you can't or that you're 'not trying hard enough'.
5. Skin. My skin is always disgusting when I'm sick. I haven't been wearing makeup (apart from a couple of days) for the last 6 or 7 weeks, and you'd have thought that would make my skin, gorgeous, reinvigorated and clear. NOPE. It's awful.
6. Hair. Ditto: gets greasy very quickly.
7. Fatigue. There's only so much sleeping you can do in a day.
8. Being lonely. I have been ill for so long (70 days today wooooo!!) that I miss all of my friends, but at the same time I'm too tired/ill to almost be bothered to talk to them. I'm also turning a bit clingy, which was gr8 (not) but one of my friends literally hasn't spoken to me since Friday and it upsets me more because I'm feeling a bit low.
9. Weight changes. I find putting on and losing weight quite easy anyway, but there's nothing more disheartening than when you're not doing anything, and you can just tell you've put on a few pounds.
10. Boredom. Netflix is my favourite thing, but even that gets boring after weeks of watching telly.

As someone who is sad a lot I have to find ways to cheer myself up so these 10 things always help.

1. Chocolate. Need I explain? I think there's actual science that proves chocolate makes you happy but even if there isn't it's delicious.
2. Tea. Hot beverages in general to be honest. They imitate human warmth and make you less lonely apparently.
3. Cuddles. Always always always cuddles. Or other forms of affection, especially from someone you love.
4. Hobbies. Something to take your mind off what's bothering you.
5. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Other feel good movies will do but this one is the best (in my opinion).
6. Cats. They're so cute!!!! Also puppies.
7. Fluffy socks. And fluffy blankets and fluffy jumpers and anything else that will keep you warm in the winter.
8. A good book.
9. My brother. He's so funny and always makes me laugh, everyone needs a friend or family member like him.
10. Chicken nuggets!!!!!!!!