Your happiest self? That all sounds slightly hippie doesn't it? My 15 year old, cool self - well, realistically I was never cool, but at least I thought I was - would've laughed out loud at that title and told myself to go and hug a tree, but as I've got older, I've realised that sometimes you do just need to give yourself a little TLC and make sure you're doing as much as possible to live the happiest life that you can.
I feel like this would be the perfect opportunity to use the phrase YOLO, but I also feel that I'd want to punch myself in the face for doing so.
Cringy phrases and harsh teenage comments aside, here are my top 5 tips for being the happiest you that you can be. And if all else fails, you can always go and plonk yourself in front of a photo of Ryan Gosling with a tub of ice cream and a shovel, because that always works... ;)
Stop comparing yourself to others - I know I wanted to avoid cringy phrases but comparison really is the thief of joy. Not comparing yourself is much easier said than done and something that I struggle with on a daily basis but I have come to realise that there is literally nothing to gain from comparison, and as I know it'll only serve to make me feel like shit bring down my mood, I try my damnedest to avoid doing it. One thing I always like to remember is that for every person that you look up to and negatively compare yourself to in comparison... there will be somebody that feels the same way towards you. Also, you can't compare your chapter 1 to their chapter 5 (oh jesus christ, what I did say about avoiding the cringe?) so focus on yourself and being the best version of you.
Surround yourself with positive people - The people around you can
really effect your mindset, so that girl that's constantly negative and bitchy and generally dampens your mood? They're not going to be the best person to be around. I'm not saying just ditch people from your life, but what I am saying is that you have the option to choose your happiness, and those people won't help you do that. I have the most incredible family and a very small friendship group - quality over quantity - that make me laugh, occasionally cry (with laughter and because of loveliness), make me feel good about myself and generally, just...
happy. And those are the people that I need in my life!
Looking after yourself from within - I've spoken about my stress/"I need a break, blogging is frying my brain" levels before, and have also waxed lyrical about the benefits of Yoga. Now, I love Yoga, and there are some great youtube video's out there, however sometimes I'm not really
committed enough to do it because it's too easy for my mind to wander and the next thing I know, I'm back on my computer editing a video. I recently discovered
Yoogaia and this is where my "Yoga life" (now that is a sentence I
never thought I would say) totally changed!
So why has Yoogaia made such a difference? Yoogaia are the first live, online Yoga studio in the world (yep, you read that right, pretty impressive!) that offers Yoga, pilates, core and barre classes to you in the comfort of your own home, and in real time. Live! OK, I think you get the gist that it's live now... But you do also have the opportunity to watch back a recording of a session you've missed so you definitely have the best of both worlds. All you need is your computer to watch the session with, a webcam (you're not visible to other participants, only the instructor who you can see on your screen too) and you're ready to go. What I also think is really impressive, is the pricing. If you go ahead and pay for 1 month it's €19.99 per month, book for 3 months, €14.99, and book ahead for the year, you get it for €9.99. Oh, and did I mention that using the code ELLE you get a two week trial? Well, you do [insert party popper/clapping hand emoji's here]. So you have no excuse to not give yourself the most zen - and therefore happy - experience whether it's for 15 minutes or an hour. Also if you compare it to the cost of a gym membership (that's collecting dust in your bag now that it's too chilly to go out early in the mornings and you'd rather be watching Gossip Girl on Netflix in the evenings) you're in for a right bargain I personally think. In all seriousness though, I really do love using Yoogaia, I love that you have the motivation of going to a class but the comfort of being in your home. I love that it fits around your lifestyle and that you can pick and choose which classes you want to do and when. And I love that I always come away feeling so much happier in myself.
Look after yourself on the outside... pamper yourself! - For me personally, whilst I love skincare and makeup, the one thing that I neglect is my body. Pampering yourself and taking even just an hour out to use some of your favourite products, paint your nails, wash your hair or even fake tan (if that's your kinda thing, I personally have lost the patience for it right now) can have such an effect on how you feel about yourself, and generally your overall happiness. One of my favourite pamper product collections comes courtesy of
Rituals and it's their incredible
Happy Buddah range* (I mean, it's almost like it was made
specifically for this blog post). Now, it is very,
very rare that I love a
whole range, generally I always find at least one product that doesn't quite compare to the rest but this range however, is really
special. Starting with the
shower foam which is genuinely one of the most luxurious I've ever used. The smallest amount lathers so well, it smells
incredible (as does the whole range which is based around Sweet orange and cedar and is completely
dreamy) and lasts forever. Next up is the
Body cream which I have to say, is probably my favourite. This cream is just pure luxury. Complete hydration that absorbs really well but also leaves your skin feeling nourished all day long. When I'm feeling fancy - [insert sassy girl in red dress emoji here] - I bring out the next product which the
Happy Buddha light bed and body mist. This acts like a light perfume and I love this because it's not too over powering and is totally non-offensive. It doesn't stain so is perfect for spritzing on your bed to keep yourself feeling happy and zen and also works as a great base underneath perfume. Finally (yep, we're getting there, I promise), we have the hand cream. Much like the body cream it sinks in really quickly but leaves your hands feeling so nourished, soft and smooth... perfect for this time of year.
Be grateful for what you have - we live in a world where we always want what we don't have. You're the girl with curly hair but you're desperate for it to be straight and vice versa. You compare yourself to others, you wished you had
that girls wardrobe, you wish you had
that girl's job... but you know what, we can't always have what we want and it's times like this when you need to take stock and appreciate the things that you
already have in life. I have the best family I could ever ask for, I have a fiance, I have a house that I own and I have the job of my dreams. Now, that all sounds pretty perfect right?
Wrong! I also have
a lot of health issues, I am a huge over thinker/worker and run myself into the ground, and I also have a job that whilst I love it more than anything - I'm a full time blogger in case you didn't know - it's also a constant source of stress and worry as I put so much pressure on myself. But the thing is, I've learnt not to focus on these things and by being grateful for the good/amazing things that I already have, it immediately puts me in a much better mindset and makes me realise that actually, I really need to get a grip and appreciate how lucky I am.
I would love to know what you do to be your happiest self? What are your favourite remedies for down days? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)
As always, thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post!
xx
This post is in collaboration with Yoogaia, but all thoughts, opinions and love of stress relieving downward dogs, my own.
Labels: health, Healthy, Lifestyle, Personal, Review, Rituals, yoga
