How to make the best of yourself

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Sophie in the Sticks 
This is some advice I would love to have been given in my late teens when I was supposed to grow into a happy confident young lady and instead sort of crumpled into an awkward, shy girl who felt pretty awful about herself most days. It's nothing revolutionary, nor complete but some ideas I'd just like to share, maybe some of these you might not have considered before.

Eat healthily
This is a tricky one to directly quantify for everyone so you do have to judge this best yourself. If you eat a sensible diet then not only will it energise you, keep you in a better state of everyday health and make your skin and hair look at their best but it will in fact be the best way to spend your food budget. Think of it as investing in your long term health. Of course, eat treats but remember why they are called treats; wolfing down fatty/sugary 'treats' every day wont do you any favours in the long run.

Sophie in the sticks

Invest in some make up basics and learn how to use them
For me this is still a work in progress. Trust me, you do not need to spend the Earth on each piece. I'm a huge fan of Garnier Bb cream for oily skin, MUA powder, Beauty UK blush, pretty much any mascara with a big brush (to me they are all the same, I never claim to be a beauty blogger!) and NYC for lipsticks, stains and nail polishes. To be it's far better to know HOW to do make up that flatters you than slapping designer stuff on any-old-how.

Figure out your style and dress to make yourself happy
Granted, it may take years to find your personal style so a fair bit of dabbling may need to be undertaken first but make sure on all occasions that you dress in a way that makes you feel comfortable. There is nothing that makes you look more awkward than constantly pulling a jumper over your backside or readjusting a miniskirt. 'Fashion trends' come and go, some you will look back on and cringe – disco pant shame anyone? Glad I didn't go there... So by all means take inspiration from current styles but don't feel obliged to wear everything just to 'fit in'.
Charity shops are a great place to find inspiration and gems; it costs far less to dress well from a charity shop than badly in high street.

Sophie in the sticks

Find a form of exercise you enjoy
It's always worth saying again and again; if you find a form of exercise you enjoy then sticking with it is so much easier! Having a good workout will give you endorphins which will make you feel good, you will grow stronger, burn calories (think of those little treats), and lead to increased body confidence.

Friends are important
It's no secret I have a shortage of friends. Apparently, I'm not alone in finding it difficult to meet people I like and want to hang out with. It's not the number that counts, so don't fret but do try to seek out people that make you happy. I didn't and even though personally I didn't feel like I cared, it did affect me; these days it's even harder to connect.
As a consequence of starting this blog I've made a good few friends, some I'm lucky enough to live near-ish which is even better. Share your thoughts and be there for one another; it's enriching.
Be kind, thoughtful and polite to everyone you meet.

SONY DSC

Laugh
You don't hear people laugh often enough. I make it a priority to laugh whenever I can. The act of laughter releases endorphins which can reduce pain, stress and promotes a good feeling, it's actually HEALTHY! Genuine outbursts of laughter and put on laughter count just the same, so don't hold back, let it out. It's infectious too, so join in; you'll feel good.

Maybe I'll go into more of 'Sophie's advice on life in general' at some point if anyone is interested?
Sophie





















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Sometimes I am sent items to feature as part of a post and these will be clearly mentioned as part of each post.Everything else is bought by myself. Any sponsored or collaboration posts will be clearly marked. Each post is my own content and all opinions are honest.