Remove Toxic People From Your Life (NOW)

It was only when I began focusing on my spiritual journey that I became aware of how much I allowed other people to affect my emotions. I was always fully aware that I am quite a sensitive person but once I decided to improve my life I realised that for me to truly be happy I had to stop living for other people and start focusing on what was right for me and my mental health.

If you read this and anyone in particular springs to mind I hope these tips can help you to find some clarity.

• You Can Absorb Their Energy

It's important to remember that as humans we are vulnerable to other peoples energies. If you are constantly surrounded by negativity you will most likely feel it and as much as I would love to tell you to walk away from anyone who causes you to feel anything but good I realise fully that, that isn't always possible.

All I want to tell you is that we may only get one chance to experience life and it's so important that you recognise that. You are not obliged to stay around anyone who makes you feel worthless, unhappy or unloved. It may not seem like it right now but you ARE in control of your emotions and you choose whether people effect you or not. 

When I realised that my whole life changed. I look back on how much people used to effect me compared to how they do now and I can't even believe it myself! In fact, I don't think there is much anyone could say that would effect me the way it used to. 

• Love Yourself Enough To Walk Away

Before I started this journey I can truly say I didn't love myself at all. I didn't realise that I stuck around people who made me unhappy because I was so unhappy myself. 

I want to make sure that everyone reading this is aware that you are worthy of love in every form. You never ever need to settle for people who don't value or accept who you are and as long as you love yourself you'll have everything you will ever need. You do NOT need someones love or acceptance to love yourself.

• Ask Yourself Why You Keep Them Around

If you are in a situation where you can walk away from someone who you feel is toxic to you I want you to ask yourself why you are choosing to keep them there. 

If you can't find any good reason to keep someone around then it is time to let them go. I truly believe that some people are in your life so that you can learn what you do and don't want. Stop allowing yourself to be hurt. You never have to feel guilty for putting yourself first and I honestly believe that removing toxic people will open new doors to people who where truly meant to be in your life.

I really hope this helps some of you!

Love & happiness,

Katie. xx

How To Handle Stress

I realise that stress can be such a huge part of our lives at some point and if i'm completely honest this idea was sparked because recently I've been feeling super stressed for a number of reasons that aren't really that important!

Now, don't get me wrong if this is an on going thing or it is really effecting your everyday life you may want to speak to your GP. These things definantly can't change whatever it is that's bothering you but they are just some helpful tips to release stress instead of keeping it all inside & I'm hoping that it can truly help some of you.

So, lets get started.

1. Exercise

I know that when you're feeling down, stressed & over whelmed the last thing you probably feel like doing is exercising but if you give it a try you may find it really helpful. Exercise has been known to have a huge positive effect on mental illness' along with improving sleep and releasing endorphins which are chemicals within the brain that give you a 'feel good' feeling that can really lift your spirits. Not to mention that exercising keeps your brain occupied and will stop you from thinking about whatever is causing you stress. WIN!

2. Meditation

I tend to talk about meditation a lot when it comes to improving mental health & stress. This is because it truly does help. Meditating allows you to be in the moment and have a couple of minutes (or hours!) to yourself where you can gather your thoughts and get in touch with your true emotions. It also brings clarity to a lot of situations and can bring you peace & calmness when everything around you seems hectic and over whelming.

3. Talk

I'm really lucky to be surrounded by people who are always willing to listen when I need advice or just a good old rant! Not only does talking to someone allow you to release your thoughts but it also allows the person you're talking to to provide advice and support. Sometimes we can be so deep in our own thoughts that getting another persons advice can be great so we can look at situations from other perspectives. 

However, if you're reading this and worrying that you don't have anyone to turn to the best advice I can give is to write all your thoughts down. I done this a few weeks ago when I was feeling over whelmed and I can't explain how much of a relief it was just to get the thoughts out of my head! 

4. Breathe

I know this sounds ridiculous but sometimes when a person or situation is causing us stress it is so easy to build up so many emotions that you can actually feel the ball of anxiety in your chest / stomach, etc. Breathing deeply can really allow us to release all the tension we feel inside from stress and help us to relax our muscles and reduce that ball of anxiety you may be feeling.

5. Make Yourself Happy

I know that 9/10 people reading this will be feeling stress caused by other people. Remember that ultimately you are in control of what you allow to bother you. You are in no way obliged to stay around anyone or anything that is bringing you down. 

Make sure you take time to do all the things that bring you happiness and take control of your own emotions and don't allow others to be the reason you aren't living life to the fullest. It'll be the best thing you've ever done - trust me!

Wishing you all the love, happiness and peace.

Katie Ellen. xx

Why I Started A Spiritual Journey

I first began delving into spirituality about a year ago. It started when I was going through a pretty rough time with my mental health and also going through some things in my personal life. I had discovered a YouTube channel called 'infinite waters' (AKA Ralph Smart who you can also view by clicking right here) and my whole perspective on life changed; I truly believe that I was meant to discover his channel.

After binge watching his videos I started to wonder how amazing life could be if I really pushed myself to become the best version of myself that I could possibly be. I decided then that I was more than ready for a change. I immediately discovered more channels like Ralph's, ordered books on spirituality and positive thinking and also started meditating every day (which I talk about in my other recent post which you can view here) and since then I've never looked back. 

I won't lie it's been quite difficult because I have / still am learning to break my old way of thinking which can be quite hard when you've been stuck in a rut for 20 odd years! But I can honestly say it's been worth every second and the difficulties are just parts of this amazing journey.

If i'm being honest before I discovered spirituality I felt like I had no purpose in life, I felt useless, worthless, depressed, anxious and at times I just didn't want to be here at all. Now I can truthfully say that I feel the complete opposite now; I know I have a purpose, I'm not useless or worthless and although at times I still do struggle with my anxiety / depression I know that I will always be stronger than they are. Now I wake up every single day so grateful to be living on this beautiful planet with amazing people and I can't believe how lucky I am to experience this life every single day. 

I can't wait to carry on sharing this journey with you all!

Have a beautiful day,

Katie Ellen. x 

The Start Of A New Journey

First of all I would just like to say a huge happy new year; I'm wishing everyone happiness, peace, love and luck throughout 2018 - and on wards!

It's been a while since I last wrote a blog post so do excuse me while I shake the dust off!

I made a promise to myself that after taking a pretty big (and much needed) break from blogging I would start again in the new year feeling more focused and positive than ever and I definantly feel like i'm in that head space right now.

There's going to be some pretty big changes to my blog this year. Throughout 2017 I have been working so hard on myself and going through my spiritual journey. I've learnt so much about myself and I finally feel like i'm beginning a true awakening and I would really love to share this experience on my blog as well as sharing some tips I've learnt that could maybe help you too!

Of course I will still be mixing it up and there will still be all a variety of content coming to my blog. I will just be writing about whatever is inspiring me at the time! No limits!

I'm so excited to start a new journey with you and hopefully helping a lot of you along the way!

Hope you have a beautiful day,

Katie Ellen. x

Time To Change

Hey guys,

I am writing this just as World Mental Health Day is coming to an end and I'm feeling super emotional so obviously I had to write a blog post! Haha.

Firstly, I wanted to talk to you about a post that I wrote for the Time To Change campaign website. I always express that whenever I talk about mental health there will always be a reason behind me doing so - and that reason is always to help the people who are struggling.

Time To Change campaign against mental health stigma - which believe it or not still exists! And I had the opportunity to share my story and how I have also been stigmatised for having a mental illness. This was / still is a HUGE deal for me. To be able to potentially help so many people makes me almost want to cry and i'm not afraid to say that I feel really proud of myself for being able to open up beyond the comfortable space of my own YouTube channel or blog.

If you want to read the post I will have a link at the very end of this post. If you feel like my story or anyone else's on there could help someone then please do share them! It would mean the world to myself and everyone else involved.

I also wanted to say how days like WMHD make me super emotional. To see everyone coming together to support each other makes me so happy and fills my heart with so much love. As a person who struggles with MH I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that it's extremely nice to feel like someone cares.

I would just like to end this post by saying that if you have a mental illness I want you to know that you're not alone. There are so many people out there feeling the exact way that you do so please don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help. There is nothing to be afraid of - I promise you there are people who love you and want to help you.

Let me know in comments how you felt about world mental health day!

Thanks for reading,

Katie Ellen. xxx

TimeToChange.com/KatieEllen

Dog Therapy

Hey guys!

Today's post is going to be all about those little 4 legged human / animals that live in your house totally rent free and eat more food than you do. Yes, I'm talking about dogs! *fangirls*

So, first of all I would like to begin by saying that I wasn't always a huge dog lover. I have always loved dogs and animals in general to an extent but never really understood how people become so passionate about them. I remember having a conversation with my boyfriend Karl about his dog Jake (this is before I had my own dog) and I remember him saying he would take a bullet for him. Honestly, at the time I thought this was such an insane thing to say but I can completely say that my view now has changed 100%.

This is me and Jake, he's such a little sweetheart!

I guess before I carry on I should introduce you to my dog, right!?

This is Phoebe my little 10 month old Cavachon and we have had her since she was around 16 weeks old. She is a little a bit crazy (in the best way possible) and I honestly couldn't imagine my life without her.

It's absolutely no secret to the internet that I suffer from anxiety and depression but I truly do believe that Phoebe has helped me through bad times more than humans have, surprisingly! There have been multiple times when I have lied on my bed curled up in a little ball crying my eyes out due to depression just wishing I had the courage to ask someone to help me when this little fluff ball jumps up onto my bed and starts trying to lick away my tears and curling up onto my lap; suddenly I find myself crying with happiness. For once I didn't have to reach out to anyone and ask for help as she was already there. I'm honestly welling up just typing this!

I feel that she has also helped my anxiety more than I can even put into words. I struggle a lot to walk places by myself so before having Phoebe I severely avoided leaving the house unless I was jumping into a car. However, knowing that I have the responsibility of a dog I force myself almost everyday (other days my family members take her out) to take her for a nice long walk and having her by my side makes me feel so much less anxious and on edge; even if she does like to bark at everything! Haha. 

I honestly believe that if you do suffer with mental health issues that a dog can be a real help in your recovery but always remember that you have to show them just as much love, too! I would give cats a shout out too but I have never owned one so I'm not sure if they act the same. Do let me know in the comments below if you feel the same about your dog or any other animal you may have as I am always happy to talk about animals, haha!

Thank you so much for reading,

Katie Ellen. xx

Getting Your First Tattoo?

Hello loves,

So for this past week I have been wanting another tattoo so badly and since that is what I've had on my mind so much I decided I would write up a little post to try and help out people who are thinking of getting their first tatt by giving you some tips on how you can prepare for it.

First of all this is super cliche and kind of annoying but please make sure that the tattoo you are getting is 100% the one that you want. I suggest giving an idea a couple of weeks to think about before getting it done as there have been times when I have wanted a tattoo so badly and then a few weeks later had second thoughts. It's all about patience.

I would also like to state that I am of course not a professional; these are just tips that have helped for me in the past but for the best advice about preparing for a tattoo your best bet is to speak to your tattoo artist.

STEP NUMBER ONE

One of my main tips of advice is to make sure you get a good night sleep. Depending on the time of your appointment you want to make sure that you get yourself to bed nice and early so that your body is feeling alive and ready to tolerate pain.

For my first tattoo I made sure I went to bed early but as I got more & more tattoo's I became super cocky and thought I could handle a tattoo while I was tired and I can 100% tell you that I definantly felt the pain more when I was sleepy than when I wasn't.

STEP NUMBER TWO

Make sure to bring some kind of drink with you - preferably something quite sugary. This is because rising your sugar level can make you feel better during your tattoo. Sometimes the pain can make you feel quite light headed & some people even faint during the process so it is important to keep those sugar levels up & to also stay hydrated.

However, if you aren't a fan of sugary drinks you can bring a bottle of water with you to stay hydrated and also bring along a snack as this has the same effect as a sugary drink.

STEP NUMBER THREE

Something that helped me so much to stay calm during my first tattoo was bringing my sister with me; especially since she already has tattoos so I trusted her when she told me everything would be fine - and it was!

Having someone that you love there with you can make the experience much less scary and a lot more comfortable / calm. Now me and my sister often go together and it's become a really fun and bonding experience for us both.

STEP NUMBER FOUR

This step is completely optional and will depend on what your tattooist wants you to do after your tattoo is complete.

I always make sure that I purchase a cream called Bepanthen to use on my tattoo during the healing process. It has worked wonders for me and really helps with the itching you have during the scabbing of the tattoo. You do not have to use this specific cream but do ask your tattooist what cream would be best for you.

STEP NUMBER FIVE

ENJOY IT!

Yes, getting a tattoo can be scary and not everyone will have a great experience but just remember that once it's done you will have something beautiful on you for the rest of your life that represents you and your journey. You will never know how you will react to it until you try it yourself so try not to listen to other people! Getting tattoo's has become one of my favourite things and I love every single one of them for all kinds of different reasons and I hope the same goes for you!

Thank you for reading,

Katie xxxx