Asos off the shoulder festival dress

Asos is my go-to fashion forecast for everydamnthing and when off the shoulder dresses became inescapable last year I gained a new favourite summer style. The laid back look caught my eye and I'm so glad the trend seems set to stay. When I spotted this pretty punchy pink dance studio it wasn't quite one of those 'STOP THE CAR' moments but it was definitely close. Instantly I thought of this off the shoulder festival dress from Asos, the ruffles and señorita style matching the dance studio vibe perfectly. The pink primp heels are also from Asos, you've seen them before in my Motel Rocks Metallic Rose post and Ice Cream Dreams OOTD. I loved them so much I snapped them up in white. Hopefully the glittery edge rubbishes the whole 'white stiletto shebang'. And as forever my holographic Asos beach bag tote is riding with me, because let's face it, what's a real outfit when it's not brimming over with beach anyway?

Most importantly today is National Pink Day. Can I get an amen? And just when you feared your pink-o-meter might explode, it's also National Pink Flamingo Day. Say whaaaat? I've gotten a bit of a reputation for the colour pink, in truth I love the vibrancy and how I've been able to express myself and this blog through bright colours and summery hues. Since I turned my attentions to hotter hues and summer style, I've definitely found my niche and colourful call. 

 Focusing firmly on the pink drink from Starbucks, I also told my mum we should go do a sassy shoot with some flamingos in honour of today. Unfortunately we never did get chatting to some for a collab but I think the dance studio was a happy medium, right? I love to seek out quirky little places that are unique for photoshoots. I'm happy we found this little treasure cove, I had it in my head that this outfit and the studio would be a match made in heaven and they truly are. In other news we saw the Baywatch movie and I can confirm it's every bit as life changing as expected (believe me I'm seeing it for the fifth time next week. Told you mum can't get enough of Zac Efron). I'd also highly recommend Gifted, such a heart-warming film that's one to catch for sure. 

I want to thank everyone so much for all the support and love on my last post. I can't even begin to tell you how much it meant from the bottom of my heart. I'd been holding back on talking about anxiety on the blog for a long time even though I'd wanted to and writing and hitting publish was just what I needed. It felt so good to be frank and open up and your kindness honestly floored me with gratitude. I've decided I'm definitely going to do more posts on anxiety and my experience with it as well as talking about other topics and issues in the future. I'll say it again, you babes really are the best!

Will you be celebrating National Pink Day?

Do you love off the shoulder vibes as much as me?

💖💃

Anxiety: 5 positive steps for improvement

Here's how quickly anxiety can manifest; back in February it was my birthday. I was having a lovely time away with Graham and then something horrible happened on the way back home that left me shook up, in tears and almost close to breakdown point over the next month or so. I started doubting everything, became paranoid, worried myself sick about stupid things that never would have ordinarily crossed my mind. I couldn't write my book or blog. I literally felt like I was trapped in my own prison cell. And all because of one trigger that set it off. For the rest of my whole birthday night I was crying, in a real state and feeling guilty as I knew all Graham and my mum wanted was for me to be enjoying myself. I didn't say anything online or ever really mention it to anyone apart from one close friend and I don't want to talk about what happened in the here and now, because it's already had too much power as it is. Thankfully I'm in a much better place now. I'm writing this post because over the past few months I've made some positive changes in my life and I wanted to share these 5 positive steps to improve anxiety. 

POSITIVE THINKING 

Positive thinking is key to an uplift and change in anxiety. My state of mind was so bad because all I was doing was constantly thinking and expecting the worst. My thoughts were so negative, I was my own worst enemy. Outside of all the anxiety I suffered with during February and March, I was belittling myself, my blog, my achievements in any spare second I had. "Why can't I have what she has?", :"Why does it never happen for me", "No matter how hard I try I never get anywhere", and so it went on. Instead of draining my energy away on these thoughts, I've learnt to see them for what they are and move on. Subconsciously I've learnt to replace the 'What If' with the "I Will'. I may not be where I want to be yet but I WILL work damn hard to make sure I get there. Shifting my focus from comparison and worrying about what everyone else is doing and thinking has given me more energy to put my all into completing my first novel and working hard on all aspects of my blog. Now my thought patterns seem to automatically switch to a more positive stream. When negativity seeps in, I manage to control it. 

FEELING GRATEFUL 

Where I live is full of bad memories; my Nana died in the hospital opposite my house a few years back, my Grandad too. My area seems plagued with unhappy times I'd rather forget; school, college, miserable jobs. All I've ever wanted is to move on and leave it all behind but that's not yet been possible. I used to waste focus and time feeling angry and resentful but I've learnt to channel that into positive energy. So much so that I've forgotten almost, where I'm living. I work hard and focus on the work I'm doing and on days off with Graham, we go to some lovely places and those are the places I call home in my heart. I'm still living at home because I'm writing my first novel with the aim of completion this summer. Then I can move on to the next chapter of my own life.  While I'm doing this, I'm grateful to have a loving boyfriend who has supported me from day one and parents who are understanding and appreciative of my goals and dreams. I keep my head and heart focused on the end goals, and the work I need to put in for THEM to work. 

SWITCHING OFF FROM SOCIAL MEDIA 

Was 100% necessary for my state of mind. I was spending time scrolling through Twitter seeing people slag each other off, worrying myself sick in turn that it would be me next. That everything I tweeted or said would be misinterpreted. Now when social media becomes too much, I switch the wifi off on my phone so there's no temptation and focus on other aspects of my blog, my book, my own goals. As a blogger, I'm on social media so much but when Twitter is getting particularly negative I pour more time towards Pinterest and Instagram. Aside from all that, reading a book in the fresh air is a million miles away from being glued to my phone and I'm starting to make more time for those precious moments like sitting outside, being in the garden, breathing in the fresh air and flowers that we so often take for granted. 

WORKING OUT

I would have scoffed at this one a few months ago and I can hardly say I keep a work out regime going every day because I don't. I bought a work-out dvd that I try and do at least a few times a week and it's definitely been a massive help in soothing my anxiety and making me feel more calm. I've noticed that even when I'm feeling absolutely shattered, exercise always leaves me tons more energised than I was before and with a fresh outlook on things. 

SELF-HEALING

Lately I've gotten really interested in the practice of self-healing. I'd like to have a room full of crystals one day. Until then, I'm meditating, practicing positive manifestations, as well as all the above steps I've mentioned. There are lots of different ways to self-heal, I'm still learning and trying to soak it all up. If you suffer from anxiety, I really hope this post can be of some help/comfort. 

What positive steps have you taken to manage your anxiety? 

Can you relate to any of these changes/steps?