Keeping sane

Hello everyone,

This is just going to be a quick, lighthearted post. We all go through those times when it just seems like life is whizzing past, you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, & everything is rapidly descending into chaos. Yes, that's what I'm feeling like at the moment. We often find in these times that we forget to just take a step back, relax & smell the roses. But most people don't realise what they miss when they don't take the time to just enjoy things. I find that some me-time, an hour or so at the end of the day, keeps me sane in times like this.

My "me-time" usually takes place at night, when I can just relax & put my feet up. It's also the time when I am least likely to be interrupted- my man is playing on the Xbox, my parents are watching telly & my brother is out. It's great. During that time I choose to do things that are just relaxing, don't require much effort & help me to switch off. I have alot of problems sleeping as it is, & find that if I do things before bed that require alot of thought or get me wound up/excited, it makes this worse. These little things keep me sane & give me an escape from the busyness of life:

1) Music- this is such an important thing to me. Some people are often only interested in one or two genres, but I love so many genres & don't restrict myself to just one. I like to explore new artists & just listen to the songs & often find ones that really have alot of meaning. One particular artist who's music I am really loving at the moment is Gotye (for those who don't know who he is, he sang "Somebody that I used to know"). His songs are just so well performed, with meaningful lyrics & very creative backing music. He's certainly not your average popstar- his music isn't full of violence, sex or the other nonsense that modern music is filled with (you certainly wouldn't hear crap such as "Oh my Gosh, look at her butt" in his lyrics). It's very calming & just different. I love the videos too- often very surreal & artistic, but they paint a picture & represent stories. Amazing & really does help me to relax.

2) Pictures of amazing places, animals & generally interesting or funny things- Since I have joined Google+, I have seen some really awesome posts. There is one page in partivcular that I follow called Diply. Whenever I look at my feed, I always see a new picture that makes
me smile- baby animals, flowers, stunning views, cool gadgets. It really brings home just what you could see if you just took a step back for a minute & looked.

3) Small kindnesses- The smallest kind actions mean alot. Whether it's someone holding a door open for you, or an offer of a cuppa, it can really make a world of difference. My lovely man & dad are working hard at the moment to renovate mine & my mans room. I appreciate this so much as the extra storage will be a big help. My mum was lovely enough earlier to make me some proper honey & lemon tea as I still have this yucky cold. The simple act of her saying "Here, I made you this, it will help" really boosted my mood. It's little things like this that restore my faith that people still know how to be kind to others.

4) Crafts & hobbies- I'm not talking clay pigeon shooting or restoring old cars. Because of my poor health I often find I can't do physically demanding activities. I love knitting & often find that it is relaxing as it is so simple & doesn't require huge amounts of concentration. At the moment I am working on a shawl for when it gets cold that I can wrap around my shoulders.

So there we go! Just a few simple little things I can do when I just need to relax. What is your favourite thing that helps you unwind? Comments below or feel free to email me at: dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

Thanks for reading!
Xxx