The healing power of baths
If you follow me on Instagram and watch my Instagram stories, you’ll know already that I’m a big fan of baths. Every Wednesday and Sunday evening, like clockwork, I’ll sink into the tub and let everything else just melt away. I’ve found myself relying on these regular baths more than usual at the moment. Not surprising perhaps, given that we’re in the midst of a global pandemic. Having that time…
Seedling Ep 22. Chronic pain, mental health and growing a business with Trona Freeman
It’s time for this season’s interview and I’m excited to introduce you to Trona Freeman, who is a beauty blogger and Pinterest coach. I’ve been following Trona for a long time now and aside from her brilliant insights about Pinterest, I really admire her openness about living with disability, chronic pain and mental illness. As always, these interviews are designed to shine a light on other perspectives, so I’m looking…
Seedling Ep 21. How to tell someone you’re struggling with your mental health
This week’s podcast is all about telling someone you’re struggling with your mental health. This can be a tricky subject to broach, whether you live with a mental health condition or you’re starting to struggle with something for the first time. In the episode I share a couple of thoughts that can get in our way of telling someone, how to overcome them and then a range of ways you…
Seedling Ep 7. Mental wellness - how to take care of your mental health
On the podcast this week I’m talking about mental wellness and how we can take a more proactive approach to our mental health. I don’t feel like this subject gets enough air time, for many of us the term ‘mental health’ conjures up images of people at crisis point, but the thing is - we all have mental health, and we can all take steps to help ourselves before we…
A cup of calm - what happened when I reduced my caffeine intake
*This post contains gifted products* For the longest time I’ve been telling myself and others around me that one day, I’m going to cut back on caffeine. Just when I thought that day was never actually going to come, Adagio teas got in touch asking if I would like to try some of their teas and write about them. Perfect. I’ve never seen myself as a true ‘caffeine addict’ who…
Night-time anxiety: tools to quieten your mind
When I’m feeling anxious, one of the first things to be affected is my sleep. My body will be tired, but my mind stays wide awake, turning over worries about the future and ruminations of the past. Conversations from the day will play on repeat as I question what I should have said instead. I’ll toss and turn, wrestling with my bed sheets, feeling irritated by every noise and sensation…
How fashion helped me recover from anorexia
The fashion industry is notoriously not great for positive body image - it’s rife with beauty standards that demand thinness… so perhaps it’s surprising to hear that, for me, fashion was a key part of my eating disorder recovery. My interest in fashion was hugely influenced by my sister. She was the one I turned to when I needed outfit advice, hell, she was the one I got to pierce…
How to make a self-care first-aid kit
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” ooooft, that’s a strong quote to start with, isn’t it? In all seriousness though, I want to talk about how self-care can be a preventative measure when it comes to our mental health and how we can get the most from it with a little preparation. An act of self-care is, to me, an act that gives me energy, reduces stress…
The benefits of mood tracking
I can’t remember exactly when I started tracking my mood, but at a guess I would say about 3-4 years ago. It would have been when I first bought myself a Happiness Planner. This planner prompts you to track your mood and since then, regardless of what planner/journal I’m using (I’m currently using the Positive Planner and looooove it) I’ve kept up this habit of tracking my mood. It doesn’t…
Dealing with anxiety and depression in relationships
A while ago I asked my Instagram followers if there was anything they wanted to see here on Blue Jay of Happiness. One of the ideas that came through was ‘how to deal with anxiety and depression in relationships’, something I’d had in the back of my mind to write about. I took this as the sign to get on and write it, but realised in order to do this,…