Hey Everyone!I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebrating with family and friends! I know it’s not the easiest time of the year, so hope you found some time for yourself over the past few days.Given it’s almost the new year, I thought it would be an awesome time to talk about our wellness in’s and out’s for 2025! (I saw it on TikTok and loved the idea!)Here are mine:InsGetting outside in nature moreLess screen time & social mediaEarly bedtimesBreathwork & meditationReading more booksManifestingJournalingSaving moneyOutsComparing myself to othersWorrying about things I can’t controlNegative self talkHustle / overachieving cultureDoomscrollingWould love to hear yours💛

A happy place is somewhere you feel calm and safe, and you can retreat to when you need to cope with things. It might be in real life, or somewhere from your daydreams or meditation.If you have a happy place, real or imagined, share your experience of it here. Gifs and anonymous photos are encouraged!If you don’t have one, you can build a story of what your ideal happy place would be. Consider who is there, what the weather is like, and how to engage with all of the senses 🌁For me, my happy place is on the grass next to my local outdoor pool, where I can dry off in the warm sun after a swim 🏊

Hey guys!Just thought I’d share a resource that I personally have found really useful - mindfulness meditation! I’d highly recommend trying it out if you haven’t yet.I personally really enjoy a type of mindfulness called a “body scan”, essentially you get into a comfortable position and slowly observe the feelings you have within your body, one body part at a time! I’ve found it really useful in helping me recognise the physical sensations of anxiety or worry within my body, which allows me to practice my grounding skills sooner, before my anxiety escalates.There’s plenty of mindfulness meditation videos on YouTube that you can access, some are even just a couple of minutes long so you can get in a quick bit of self-care as needed! This is a skill that requires practice, so I’d recommend giving it a go even if you’re feeling good right now, so you can be well prepared to use it next time that you feel a bit anxious!I hope this is helpful 💛

Self-Care Day is on the 24th of July and represents how there's always time in the day to look after ourselves... 24/7 😄There is often a cliché of self care being bath bombs, face masks, or a well-deserved nap. But there’s another way you can nurture your mental health and overall wellness — being creative!What makes creativity special?Creativity encourages us to be in the momentMindfulness involves being present without judging yourself or what’s happening around you. If traditional mindfulness exercises like meditation are tough for you, being creative is a great alternative. Creativity allows you to slow down and get into a ‘flow’ state, where you’re just paying attention to what’s in front of you and being with yourself.Creativity allows for self-expression and releaseCreativity not only allows self-reflection, but also allows you to express your internal world. Arts and music can be a healthy outlet for processing and letting go of difficult feelings.Creativity helps you manage stressStudies show that creativity can help with anxiety, stress and negative mood. Being creative can release the feel-good hormone dopamine, which is why it feels so rewarding!Creativity is funBeing creative is not only good for developing skills that you may not know you have, but it’s something you can look forward to🎨How can I use creativity for self-care?There are lots of different ways to be creative, and not all of them have to be costly. You might want to print off some free colouring in sheets, or pick up a journal to do some daily sketches or writing. You can also look up tutorials for free online.It’s easy to get frustrated with whether you’re ‘good’ at being creative or not. When it comes to self-care, the process is what’s important. Developing your skills and finding time for yourself and what you enjoy is a huge achievement, whether or not you end up with a finished project.And one final note: self-care is not something that you only do when things become overwhelming. It’s important to have it as part of your everyday life to keep you feeling well when things get tough❤️What’s your favourite creative self-care activity?

Remember you are beautiful and amazing,you deserve the world and all the happiness and safety in it. Trigger Warnings: Mentions of SH, ED/BN, ST, DPDR, ADHD I love my mum and dad but it's really hard to be honest with them and they fight a lot, my dad has had this sickness for many years now which makes him extra controlling and hypervigilant (fibromyalgia). My sisters cut off communication with my dad (I have 2 half sisters and 1 actual sister. I haven't seen one of them for 15 years, one of them I haven't seen for almost 8 years, and one of them I see occasionally), school doesn't feel right for me, I don't have a social life, I feel like I don't have any best friends even though I know I do, and I don't see the point in trying when it feels like everyone I love will disappear like I'm in a dream. Nothing feels real and I'm lonely. There's no meaning to my life. I think I have Derealisation Disorder and ADHD but it has not been clarified by a doctor. I also self-harm and experience disordered eating when I feel really bad about life or myself in general, and experience suicidal thoughts. Don't worry I am safe and live in a safe environment with supportive people around me, I do not have specific plans of suicide.I have not self-harmed for 15 days now. I am keeping myself safe and using healthy ways to cope by using an app (HarmLess) that has meditation and a tracker on it, and when I feel like self-harming or having suicidal thoughts I listen to music and write poetry.