Confidence is beneficial in many or most elements of life: Your love life, as a parent, social situations, work, driving, in the kitchen, even! It's truly got it's fingers in everything. However, even the best of us have a dip every now and then. I've always been a confident person, in so many ways. Some examples...

   - Even when I was a kid I'd chat to strangers in the supermarket
   - I enjoy traveling alone, including as far-flung places as New Zealand
   - In social situations I am chatty, energetic, and I enjoy meeting new people
   - I've done several things a lot of people have commented that they'd be petrified of doing (e.g. chopping off my long hair, caving, a trapeze swing)

But what does all this matter if one day you suddenly lose your confidence? Perhaps you're going through a relationship breakdown. Perhaps you had a fender-bender recently and are more cautious behind the wheel. Perhaps some feedback at work has left you feeling deflated and useless. It could happen. 

Today I'm going to compare my confidence from three years ago to today. 

Three years ago I lost my job. I was already on mild-ish medication for low mood and anxiety, and having counselling once a week (both of which were helping), but this really took my last ounce of confidence away. I remember having my final counselling session two days after I became unemployed. What timing! I was quick to book in some more sessions, let me tell you! That week I had lost more than my income; I lost my circle of work 'mates' (the ' marks are telling, but that's another story!), my routine, my ability to share financial burdens at home, and I realised having never not worked since I was 21, working had become part of my identity. I was also extremely worried how the rest of my life would work out after this sudden blank space appeared on my previously full and interesting CV, and quickly felt like I was turning into a distrusting recluse, unsure how I'd ever get back to work. 

Fast forward to now, and I'm on maternity leave - again, not in work (I'm a week from my due date when the 'real' work begins!), but it feels totally different. I have learned so much about myself in the past three years, my life has grown, and I'm back to my normal confident self. I'm fully aware I'm not 'normal me' at the moment with hormones, sleep patterns, and a changed physical state, but it makes an interesting snapshot. 

(Totally stole this chart idea from Paul, who writes a fantastic blog on mental health. Keep it up, bud! Check out his post about confidence here.)

The chart below is indicative of how I felt three years ago in relation to things which can affect your confidence (can you tell I'm missing work a little, hello Excel!).

​And the following chart is how I am feeling now...

These tables were more of an exercise for me to compare 2016 to 2019 personally, but I thought it may be useful to include. ​What a difference a couple of years makes. I can see some significant changes straight away, the impact of me losing my job and becoming more confident again in a temporary but positive pause in a working life. The biggest changes have been my use of voice and my growth in personal emotional awareness. Financially, again, it's tight, but for a positive reason this time, and being reminded I'm doing a good, responsible job of being pregnant by friends and family, midwives, my husband, is an incredible boost. Sometimes it can be hard to see or remember. I am learning to avoid comparisons with others - who knows how confident they feel themselves? Who knows what their real story is?

This has also reminded me of one of my favourite mantras. It may take some work but

Whatever situation, circumstance, body confidence or emotional crisis, it will eventually pass. Sometimes it needs a little encouragement, some changes, perhaps some personal training to improve your appearance or attitude, but things beyond your control will pass too. 

Missing confidence for me more recently has been more around feeling like I'm not good enough at work, no matter how many times I'm thanked or told I'm doing great. I am sure this feeling will be something I'll  experience as a first-time mum, so it's great to be aware that I can have a tendency to feel like that.  

Right now, confidence-wise it's mainly wonderingments. If that's a word. Will I be a good mum, that's the crux. It's all new to me (us), and many, if not most, new parents will not be able to avoid thinking or worrying about what the future holds for their new arrival. 

The second point I want to highlight is that some of these factors affecting confidence are controllable. Recording your achievements (however small) can help. Keeping on top of weight gain and some new clothes can do wonders for your self-esteem. Others are less in your field of control, like your upbringing, but simple awareness of the factors can make a little difference. 

I've also been lucky to be friends with and work with people don't make me feel like I need to be anyone but myself. 

​Remind yourself of and keep doing things that make you feel confident. Stand tall and know you are a capable person worthy of love!

I guess it would be interesting to see how confident I feel going back to work in a year's time... 

This blog didn't go the way I was planning, so I'm sorry if it's a bit rambly. My brain is clearly out of practice with thinking through big ideas and constructing coherent text at the moment!

Hopefully next time we speak I'll be a mum. One week to go!

Lou x

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I've been on a sugar-free, extremely low carb diet (almost keto) since mid-January due to my gestational diabetes (it's a joy...). The hormones in my body decided I won't be able to process most forms of sugar while I'm pregnant fairly early on, so I've had time to try out a few new things. It can be hard to find tasty desserts and cake that isn't chalky when your diet is this limited, so maybe this will help one or two readers. Let me know what you think!

Photos are from the respective websites

These no bake cookies from Stacey at Soccer Mom Blog went down a treat. Great on their own, or a cheeky dollop of cream. They're quick to make, have the added depth of flavour of peanut butter, and you can feel really smug knowing they're not at all bad for you!

Brenda, from the USA, AKA Sugar-Free Mom has a brilliant recipe for gluten, dairy and sugar-free brownies, and they're gooooood, especially if you like yours fudgy. The beans replace the flour, and they are one of the few keto-friendly desserts without coconut in them, if that's not your thing. Obviously with no flour, they don't rise, so be prepared for a shallow bake or use a smaller traybake tin. 

This was my favourite find. It's hard to find things which aren't chocolate based, but this carrot cake was delicious and I've made it repeatedly when I needed a baked goods fix. A great addition to the breakfast table, even, it's so not naughty! You can tell it's not so sweet, but it's by far and away the best keto cake I've come across. I didn't make the frosting and it was still great. Thanks to Maya, the blogger here!

Yes, you can still eat chocolate on a low sugar low carb diet! I buy Nick's sugar-free chocolate from Amazon, and it worked amazingly in this chocolate bark recipe from Jennifer Banz. Ultra quick, simple ingredients, and a bit of a novelty (or it was at the picnic I took it to). Just watch it doesn't melt on the picnic table in this gorgeous sunshine we've been having!

I've got just three weeks until Baby V is due but I fully intend on continuing to bake mainly less sugary and lower carb recipes. These treats will be a regular in our house even after the pregnancy diabetes has gone!

Why not follow Stacey, Jennifer, Maya and Brenda's blogs, there's a great collection of recipes to be enjoyed. Thanks ladies!

Lou x

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I've always been a HUGE Disney fan, so seeing the new version of Aladdin was never in question. My first ever Disney movie ownership came in the form of Mary Poppins in 1991; I was lucky enough to go to Disneyland twice as a kid, something I hope to do at least once with my own; My sister and I wanted to name our baby brother 'Eric' after Prince Eric of The Little Mermaid so bad (we got the first letter alone, he was named Edward). 

So when I heard the Disney cartoons were starting to be remade in 'live action' with real people and CGI animals, I was pretty excited. A refresh, and potentially a more life-like story. 

Jungle Book was pretty good in 2016, and a popular film for Disney to begin their new live action endeavours with, though not in my top rated ones. It was a good start, impressing me with how life-like the animals were and their interaction between the human actors. 

Beauty and the Beast (2018) was less good in my eyes, but it's probably my third favourite overall from the 90's cartoons, so it was always going to be a hard sell. One of my favourite parts was re-shot and missed out (when Belle sits on the fountain edge and the goat eats her book), and Emma Watson ... never been a fan. Please, autotune. 

2019 brings us to Aladdin. And it didn't really bring me to a 'whole new world'. I was disappointed, left feeling a little underwhelmed by the roll of the closing credits. To be honest, I wasn't surprised. On the way into the theatre I said to my brother - let's call him (Prince) Eric just for this blog - that it would be a weird Aladdin without the late, great Robin Williams as the Genie. Will Smith was cast as the new-look Genie and, despite myself, I think he may have been the best character in this re-make - love the way he drops a bit of rap in occasionally and the added storyline he gets (no spoilers). Added to this, his 'Never Had A Friend Like Me' rendition was probably the best bit of the whole film, and he made it his own. Nice work. 

Yes, the costume design was good. Princess Jasmine grew some balls and some sassy, learned character attributes which I loved, and the new songs were pretty decent. What I disliked the most was the stage school vibe the actors had, Aladdin in particular. Sure, the actor needed to be able to look the part, sing, dance and act without a cartoonist's help, but he (no one!) spoke with any conviction and it felt all too rehearsed. I missed those odd voices like the "still I think he's rather tasty" woman in Agrabah's market at he start, and Prince Ali failed to live up to the original song - previously my favourite part. It felt like the Genie was the protagonist at many parts, and the royal parade announcing the arrival of another prince for Jasmine to check-out was one of these. 

And Jafar? One of the first real bad guys I've ever loved, back in 1992. This portrayl by Marwan Kenzari was a complete let-down, even after him being billed as the all-new 'hot Jafar'. He wasn't evil looking enough, and he offered another flat delivery of the script. Where was the passion? Where was the signature twizzly beard??? And Iago, his pet parrot side-kick was just plain mangy. 

So, overall, I enjoyed the Aladdin remake, but it could have been better. At least Aladdin had nipples in this version. How about a 7/10 for this movie. I'm on the fence as to if I'll bother with the Lion King live action remake. 

Lou x

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When I was asked to write a piece for Miss Write during Mental Health Awareness Week (#mentalhealthawarenessweek) I couldn't turn it down.
 
This week is one dedicated to breaking through the stigma that's attached to discussing mental health issues, and educating those who are still learning about how mental health affect people differently.
 
The hardest thing for me isn't how to write this piece, but where to start. Which story to share. I may only be in my mid-30's but life's thrown a few challenges my way and I have had many a battle with my own mental health.
 
From a young age, I remember being seen as different. I was loud, quirky, weird and a bit eccentric. An overly enthusiastic kid with a side of harmless trouble thrown in for good measure. Teachers and other parents were a bit wary of this crazy ball of energy bouncing around the classroom.
 
Luckily I was a pretty hardy soul, comments went over my head whilst I distracted myself with the next shiny thing that drew in my interest. The problem is that as you get older, you become aware of what people are saying and thinking about you. No one took interest in WHY I was maybe like that. It's just how I was, so I grew to accept this too. 
 

​Of course, there are dark days for someone who is unsure of why they are the way they are, why they have burnouts, why people take a step back from you or treat you differently. As I grew up, this led to bouts of depression.
 
It didn't matter what I tried, I could join all the societies and clubs, run toddler groups as I entered motherhood, join the PTA and more. I would be known as the YES and the IDEAS lady. Want something done, ask Louise, she will probably have the energy to do this. Want some good ideas about how to fix a problem? Louise will probably have 100 ideas and again, being the YES lady, she will probably offer to run every one of them herself too.
 
And in my bid for acceptance, I did it ALL....  This ended up being more detrimental to my mental health than I realised, and a link that I failed to spot myself.
 
Everything I signed up to was attacked with every ounce of energy I had, to the point once a project was finished I suffered serious burnout. I was so keen to please and be accepted and people to say, WOW; that's the sort of person we want as a friend, not just as a dogs body... that I just kept going.
 
My husband would step in and try to warn me, seeing negative patterns in my behaviour, but unfortunately for him, I was in denial there was anything else going on. I just liked to be busy and wanted people to need me and the excitement of running all these projects I found addictive.
 
Two years ago I started to see some behaviour in my youngest daughter that I recognised. She was struggling to find her place within school, the kids were wary of her overly creative storytelling and enthusiasm, the teacher was calling me to complain she was distracted in class and was concerned it was due to her being mentally incapable of doing the work (just to clarify here, she was being expected to sit and trace and colour in alphabet letters for ten minutes, something she had been doing since the age of two and that she was bored to death with doing...). 
 
Not only did I feel upset for her, but it took me back to my own childhood. I could see the whole thing playing out again. Parents weren't encouraging of their children being friends with a kid that may encourage their own kids to become distracted and a little on the weird side.
 
I knew there was something more to it, and luckily, worldwide, there is now a better acceptance and understanding of kids who maybe were struggling in school due to being different. I pushed for an assessment. If anything I didn't want my daughter to go through the same unnecessary challenges as I went through if there were answers available.
 
As we sat with the doctor, they noted the pattern I was expressing through my own journey and my daughters and asked me if I had ever thought about getting an assessment. It had never occurred to me that it would still be relevant, I was 34 and had managed so far without an assessment... Yes, I was still doing all the things above, still heavily distracted, disorganised, prone to burnout and depression, but I hadn't even considered my own mental health was worth looking into...
 
A few months later I was being told I displayed very strong signs of having adult ADHD and a very mild form of bipolar. I was in shock at first... would I now be expected to go on drugs to help me manage myself? I was a bit freaked out to be honest. I had lived my whole life without medication and I wasn't planning on my own daughter (who also got diagnosed with ADHD) taking medication for something that I hoped we could try and work through.
 
What I have I done to try and help myself? The same things I would suggest to anyone, no matter what mental health issues they are battling.
 
* Learn who you are
 
Taking the time to understand yourself is VERY important. No matter if you have bouts of depression, suffer from loneliness, anxiety, or maybe something more pronounce: take time for YOU to understand why and if there are any underlying reasons.
 
* Accept yourself
 
YES!!! Sometimes I am a bit mental or different and that's ok!
 
* Believe it
 
Yes, I am repeating the comment above but as I shared in my own journey, I thought I did accept myself.  Even though I had this basic acceptance of myself I still found myself falling over at the same hurdles time and time again. 

​
*A diagnosis is ok
 
There's still so much stigma attached to going to the doctors and asking for help. We are all human, but some people would be more likely to go to the doctors for minor aches and pains than they would for something as important as mental health and well being. It's not irrelevant or less worthy than physical well being!
 
*Own it
 
The more people who can stand up and say they are living with or have gone through a journey with their own mental health, the more it helps others come forward and talk about their experiences and maybe, seek help. The less we hide away from mental health issues and discard its importance of being accepted worldwide as an OK subject to talk about freely, the more we normalise it and can help people find the confidence to continue the discussion. By owning a bigger understanding of yourself, you give yourself the chance to set more realistic limits, goals and boundaries for yourself.
 
*Mindfulness
 
I HATE this word, but what I would say instead is take time for you. Not to go shopping or do errands you normally do all day, but do things to let your head calm down. 

Read a book. Sit in the sunshine with your eyes closed, feeling the sun on your skin and listening to the world around you. Watch a thunderstorm. Be aware of others around you, open your eyes. 

Everyone has their own story, their own journey, be mindful of that. You may feel alone but you are surrounded by many who are also going through their own journeys too.
 
*Never use it as an excuse
 
If your mental well being has affected others, be aware of that and make it right. Your behaviour could have a knock on effect to others, and as I've said above, you can't understand anyone else's journey fully, but you are responsible for your own. Mental Health is never an excuse to be cruel or mean to someone. You of all people know the power of an encouraging word or a hug, a smile and know how an angry face when you are feeling down can be the thing that causes you to break, and feel worse. BE 'MINDFUL' OF THAT.
 
Through an acceptance of myself I am hoping that I have found myself a happier place. I have connected online with other adults with ADHD to see how they have managed their own journeys. Being self-aware has given me the tools to take little steps in finding a better life balance for myself.
 
If I volunteer to do something, I do it not for the praise of others or the need of their adoration, friendship or the desire of feeling wanted. I do it because I want to and because I want to feel my own self-worth. I'm also very aware that being busy all the time isn't THE answer.

I am sure life will still find a way to present me new challenges, new adventures. But for now, I'm happy to know, that I quite like me, especially now I know who I am.

​Life is a journey and most journeys include ups and downs, right paths, wrong paths, moments of feeling lost or moments of absolute joy. Not all of us walk the same path, some of us are lucky enough to have our paths cross each other, to share a moment in that journey together. 

Above all, this is YOUR journey and YOU are responsible for the direction you take it, so if you can, try and make sure to enjoy the little things and appreciate where you have been and all you have achieved. 

Louise Gooding
Find me on Twitter @OnceUponALouise

---

Thanks chick, great stuff! I can certainly relate to "busy = happy" ... An attitude I learned to fight against a few years back. A good reminder.

Find out more about Mental Health Awareness Week here, and be well!

Lou x
​
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I've sat on this drafted blog for a few years now, for reasons that will become apparent. I'm trying to blog more often again, so here's a re-write. I know some of my loyal readers love a good rant! 

This is an actual email I received from a former colleague a few years back. 

--------

Hi,

In view of the cold weather, XXXX County Council are making  one off emergency cash payments from 14 libraries to those in need of fuel on a one off emergency basis:

(Here they list the libraries allegedly taking part)

All libraries are open Saturdays and Sundays as well as during the week. (Hoorah for libraries!)

Customers will need to come with

Proof of identity
Proof of accommodation
A fuel bill or details of your energy supplier

They will receive £20 in cash. This is a one off payment.

………………This hasn’t been advertised but it is legit. There are no criteria only that people are in need of fuel (as in saying you do!). 

(I’m going to my local library for my £20!)

Your Benefit Scrounging Acquaintance 

(Ok, it wasn't signed like that, but I have to make the point - again!)

-------

We do all love libraries and the services they provide, but this is taking the biscuit!

The person who emailed me has a full-time job, lives with her family rent-free and doesn't pay bills. She doesn't even drive to count 'fuel' as petrol. She's just after a quick £20 bonus ("my" £20) at the Council tax payers expense (of which she is not one due to her living arrangements.  

My light-hearted seemingly library-loving reply to my colleague was as follows:

At least borrow a book while you're visiting the library! ;)

Note the wink I added to soften the blow - never mind it's sarcastic! 
Her reply:

Why?! 

I replied:

'Cos that that's what libraries are for and I could recommend a couple of books if you wanted...

...But it didn't go down too well! I think that was the end of our semi-friendly office relationship!

The fact that these emergency fuel payments are for those people in serious financial need, for people who cannot afford to heat their homes, completely escaped her moral compass. She was off to the library to claim the money 'just because' she could.

Obviously, I think the libraries in question needed to ensure they see something that proves the people claiming are struggling to pay their bills (e.g. a final demand). I should have gone along to see what they were asking for as proof, there must have been something. The fact that £20 won't cover half of a utility bill in this day and age is another issue - makes me wonder how legit this scheme was back in 2014... 

And certain people need to get a grip and realise the bigger picture and not take advantage of a benefit they're not entitled because they reckon they can cash-in. The welfare safety net we're lucky enough to have in this country is there to support those who cannot support themselves in their hour(s) of need, for whatever reason. 

This is part of what is wrong with today's "Benefit Britain". Anyone dare to disagree?!

Rant over.

Lou x

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Image courtesy of Women Health Info

This self-indulgent post came about from a chat with a friend of mine. She hasn't had kids, and this is my first - it dawned on us how little we knew and what odd expectations we had/have of what being pregnant was going to feel like.

Before getting pregnant, I imagined I would be a puker. I imagined significant weight gain, and, yay, the freedom to eat what I want (the causing factor the weight gain, but hey, I'm pregnant!). I did not expect to be so tired I fell asleep at my desk at work. I didn't puke til I got a stomach bug (twice), and actually am losing weight due to the limited diet of Gestation Diabetes kicking in. There has to be some up-sides, even if it means I would kill for a bowl of granola right now!!

I appreciate every woman's journey is different - my mother-in-law swears she had ZERO symptoms bar a growing belly - but here I am, just for fun and because I'm a little bored, in cartoon form, 31 weeks in. Two months to go!

EDIT: 2 WEEKS LATER... Now I can add fainting spells, heartburn, pelvic girdle pain (bum cheeks, hips, 'undercarriage' - mainly at night), bleeding gums and constipation to the list!

You can see, it's been a fairly un-enjoyable ride so far! And I'm not even a 'complicated' pregnancy.

Some symptoms really don't bother me (e.g. the caffeine deprivation headache - it only lasted 3-4 days), and some are some bonuses (e.g. good hair), but most of pregnancy is just plain hard work. There's been two occasions (admittedly before anyone realised I had Gestational Diabetes and that something was up) when I've slept night-day-night. And yeah, 'belly growth' is an obvious side-effect, but I hadn't realised how soon I'd need maternity jeans and how tight my belly would feel - constantly. It's a big job, growing a human!

What's surprised me in a positive way is that I'm totally not freaked out by having a little being inside me. Pregnant bellies used to make me feel a bit grossed out, and I thought I'd be horrified seeing my belly move when little one does her acrobatics, but actually it's pretty amusing. And the size of my bump is 'tidy', I've been told; I'm kinda proud of it, really. As hard work as it's all been so far, my daughter is doing amazing, even if I feel a bit rough most days.

I've also felt a lot less emotional that I imagined. Hormones are a 'Bee with an Itch', causing everything from acne to diabetes, and I've been pretty consumed with PMS in the past, so I was preparing for the worst... with no need. Sure, I've had a handful of days when I've cried for no reason, but luckily it's not been in public! I've generally felt a lot more chilled, probably mostly due to the fact I'm tired/sleeping (i.e. silent) more. El Husbandio has got off lightly there, I think!

It's not good to compare, but whenever I feel a bit miserable about not sleeping due to hip pain, or I'm dying for a massive piece of chocolate tiffin, I remember my friend's mum's story. She was confined to a hospital bed for both her children's gestational period. I can still work, meet with friends, and I'm well looked after at home with a husband who likes to cook and is ever-so-slightly obsessed with cleaning and DIY. We're truly nesting!

It's totally got to a 'means to an end' situation in my world, and I can't wait for Baby to arrive.

Lou x

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Now there's a question. I didn't really expect an answer when I tweeted this message this morning, but my random 'had to share' musing made me think (more). Why do bad things happen to good people?

Recently, some friends of mine have been 'going through the mill'. From medical and financial complications, to spirit-crushing things at work and problems at home, things seems to be an uphill struggle. They're good people though, so how is this fair that their life is not sunny? Why can't they be given a break, or at least be given reasons for why such things happen?

I guess the question I tweeted is an age old question as no one really knows why things like that happen. Sure, sometimes it's bad decision making or a brief lack of judgement, but I see so many cases where there's nothing they did wrong. Some would say "life just sucks sometimes" but that's a bit simple and defeatist to me. Here's my opinion on why bad stuff happens to good people.

1. People who feel pain more intensely  may be those who care and love more. More openly, stronger, without judgement. That's a nice way of thinking about it, and it may be true. Totally stole this from the last episode of Fleabag on the BBC, by the way. Find it on the iplayer for a few weeks, well worth a binge.

2. Perhaps people who are nice, unselfish and caring expect the same from other people. I personally don't think this is unreasonable, but maybe it makes good eggs more vulnerable or naïve... Cue the bite in the ass shock you get when it's not a mutual thing. I know I've been there. I've expected the same courtesies back from people sometimes and received the opposite, and probably most of us can relate to this.

3. It doesn't apply most of the crap that's happening to my friends at the moment, and it's a bit of a weak argument, but sometimes good people can be busy people. Maybe having minor undesirable stuff happen to them could be a side-effect of distraction, stress, or just a lack of time to do things properly or on time?

4. Some good people may know they're good people and unintentionally offend or make mistakes as they know they didn't mean to cock-up. If you didn't mean to cause waves or create a negative situation, surely everyone understands that you meant well?! Well, no. They won't. Everyone is different. Good people are not perfect, give yourself a break, make amends if needs be, and know you meant no harm. And if people don't 'get' you, that's their problem, not yours.

It just occurred to me that bad things happen to bad people too. It's universal. Bad people may just absorb them better, be less inclined to share the news, or maybe we non-baddies think "well deserved" and move on, forgetting... Good things happen all the time though, so look out for the light and the moments of joy.

Yes, life does suck sometimes, and often you'll find you've seemed to have done nothing to deserve it. But good people should be rewarded, in my book, with less sh*t to deal with. Sometimes it's relentless and, if you're reading this, God, this tactic needs improvement! 

Just keep swimming, folks, and be kind to one another. After all, kindness and unselfish actions are often just the absence of 'unkindness' and selfishness. And if you are kind to others, that could be their 'good thing' that happens to that good person that day. Pay it forward!

Have a great week,

Lou x

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I've been reading 'It' by Stephen King for over a year now.
I can't read too much in one go as it's a bit of a monster (pun intended) and I start to dream about creepy clowns at night, so it's slow progress.
It's a great book though, if you like a bit of horror. Here's a video from SK himself, and 20 tips from Smart Blogger's interview with him, sharing tips on writing horror stories.
Enjoy...!

Lou x

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So why my focus on cling film? I have known for a long time that cling film is an environmental devil in sheet form, but I haven’t done much about it. Cling film is just so darn useful, available, and easy! It is however, not recyclable, and not really reusable. The stickiness of the cling seems to be a single use thing. Cling film, incidentally, can also be really dangerous when it’s heated (like in a microwave), but we never do this, as the chemicals in it leach into the food. Another good reason to drop the cling, though!
 
How did I cut out cling film, then? Well, I didn’t do it alone. I made sure El Husbandio was on board. Essentially, I hid the cling film box. This not only reminded us not to use the cling film, but put it out of sight so we didn’t even consider it, nine times out of ten.
 
I also had amazing support from one of my best friends, Louise (yep, there’s been a Terrible Two for over 20 years now!) who lives in Switzerland. She’d clocked my cling film challenge announcement on Facebook and recommended using beeswax wraps – see photos below – and I replied I had considered them, they were just a bit pricey at £15 each. The star that she is, Louise posted me some almost without delay.
 
Note for you creative types: You can make your own beeswax wraps – try this method from the Moral Fibres blog. 

A couple of weeks ago my friend Paul posted an emotions checklist on his wellbeing blog, demonstrating there is potentially/often a lot going on underneath than just being 'alright', his default answer when someone enquires how he is.

His article really struck a chord with me, so I printed off the list of emotions he referred to.

The day in question was a normal kinda day; nothing amazingly impressive, exciting, good or bad happened, just a day in the life. 

​Before I went to bed that night, I grabbed a pen and checked off the emotions on that list I could remember I'd felt during the day. 

And I was surprised. Even with my now fairly self-aware state (compared to a year or two ago), I was experiencing emotions I had never thought were in my collection, much less would I have been able to articulate that was actually what I was feeling, if asked. Just wish I'd done this when I was a teenager - would have helped with the cacophony of stress I experienced then, I think. 

I can remember the feeling of others on the list which didn't feature that day, and it's funny the response my body gives when considering them. Some of them I feel in my head, occasionally behind my eyes (like a tiredness), most manifest in my chest. That goes for the good and the bad. 

​It was also sort of nice to think, hey, there's one or two on there that I don't recall having felt before. Spiteful, I am pleased to say, is one of them. However, there are a few on there I would happily never feel again: Powerless, bitter, guilty, rejected....

Emotions are a complex thing. Small things, big things or nothing things can kick them off. I have a theory that waking up in a bad mood could be because you've had a stressful or sad dream. Often you have no control, like many things in life, over when they pop up or how you feel at certain times, but you can attempt to control the way you react to things when they happen. 

​  - Look for the blue sky - no unnecessary complaining, wear that smile!

  - Self-care (physically, mentally, emotionally - all) should be high on your priority list. Look after no.1.

  - Give yourself a break. 

​  - Remember all emotions are a natural response - just because you feel a little more inclined to one than another, it doesn't mean it's a bad thing. It only becomes negative when it dominates. 

  - Keep breathing. 

​Enjoy your weekend and enjoy some emotion-spotting - one kind of labelling I think is actually good for you. 

Lou x
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