Wellbeing Basics: My Guest Series for The Olive Fox

Just a little post announcing some exciting news - I'm writing a Wellbeing Basics series for online magazine The Olive Fox.

I was sent an email by the lovely duo Suzy and Beth, that are The Olive Fox, asking if I wanted to write monthly for their online magazine and I (of course) said yes!

I came up with the idea of writing a Basics series for their Wellbeing section. In it I will address all the 'basics' - sleeping, eating, breathing, exercising, laughing, relaxing, crying, loving (and that's just for starters)! Article by article, month by month, I will write a piece covering each 'basic' to help you create a stable, balanced and holistic lifestyle.

The first in the series is all about sleep and can be found here.

Do you have any ideas for other posts that cover the basics of life? Write a comment below or use the links and let me know - I'd love to hear what you consider a life essential...

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

UK Blog Awards 2016 - VOTING HAS OPENED! #UKBA16

For the first post of the year it's an exciting one! Voting has opened for the 2016 UK Blog Awards...

Life In Recovery has been nominated in two categories this year - Health & Social Care and Best Storyteller.

When the blog was nominated I was asked to answer the question 'Why Vote For Me/The Blog?' the answer was pretty simple in the end: Illness (in it's many shapes and forms) can touch us all - no matter who we are. Health should be looked after, valued and nurtured; issues should be discussed; knowledge and experience shared. No-one should ever feel alone, lost, unheard or ashamed. If you believe this too - vote for Life In Recovery - a blog that tries to make a difference.

Voting opens today 4th January and closes on 25th January, so you don't have long to cast your votes!

So...if you'd like to vote for me - how can you?

• All votes are cast via the blog's profile page here (or click on the picture above).

• Once you're on the blog's profile page you will see a big 'Vote Now' button - press it!

• Because Life In Recovery is up for two categories you will have the choice to vote for both of the categories from a drop-down list on the page. 

• Please note, you can vote for each category, but this has to be done separately.

• Once you have entered your name and email address you will receive a confirmation email to say your vote has been registered. Hurrah!

• You can vote on mobile devices and desktop computers once a day...so you aren't limited to one vote! So that's one vote per person per day. Meaning (if you want) you can vote every day until the deadline!

It's a massive honour to be 'in the mix' with some incredibly talented people and companies - all who bring something special and individual to their corners of the internet. 

I urge you to have a browse through some of the other nominees!

I really appreciate and value all of your feedback, support and readership. This blog wouldn't be what it is without each and every one of you - so thank you!

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Reflections - things I learned from 2015

For the second of my 'Goodbye 2015; Hello 2016' blog posts I am writing a list of some of the things I learned in 2015.
Again, I feel like it's a good way to reflect on the past year and maybe one or two of these things might chime a bell with you.

• Sometimes I can't see what's right in front of me

• Sometimes I don't want to see what's right in front of me

• I can procrastinate like a boss

• I can't use phrases like "like a boss"

• First impressions can be very right

• First impressions can be very wrong

• How to use a semi-colon properly; life-changing

• Being kind to yourself is hard

• I always pack too much stuff

• I'd rather regret something I did than regret something I didn't do

• If it feels wrong it probably is 

• Decent haircuts in London don't have to cost the earth 

• Those little blue ticks on WhatsApp are the best thing

• Those little blue ticks on WhatsApp are the worst thing

• Trust your gut

• Forgiving others is easier than forgiving yourself 

• If you really want to spend time with someone you will - and if someone really wants to spend time with you they will

• If you're unsure about something just wait 

• Waterproof eyeliner/mascara ain't always so waterproof

• Just because you feel negatively about yourself doesn't mean it's true - or that other people feel the same about you 

• Wait until lasagne is cold before portioning it up for the freezer or things get very messy

• Even when you feel like your whole world is imploding you can still keep going (and it's probably not your "whole" world)

• Things do get better 

• Pacing is not overrated 

• I'm still recovering 

• Work and studies can get you through tough times

• Friends and family can get you through tough times

• YOU can get yourself through tough times 

• If you can't trust yourself you can't expect others to

• Don't say one thing and do another 

• Be consistent and congruent 

• Honesty is the best policy - especially with yourself 

• Listen to your body

• It's okay to ask for help 

• Don't see everything as a battle

• It's okay to feel like you don't know what you're doing

• However much you plan you will never be able to outwit fate/The Gods/time/death/accidents/illness/anything and everything else

• Happiness feels amazing

• I can surprise myself just as much as others can surprise me

• Life is an incredible, surprising, wonderful thing 

What did 2015 teach you?

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Reflections - Some of my favourites of 2015

I was wondering what might be a fitting way to mark the close of 2015 and the start of 2016 here on the blog...
I decided that the best and most positive way was to create two posts; one listing some of my (slightly random and more blog-friendly) favourite things/events of the year and another post talking about the things I've learned from this year. It's a nice way to reflect on the past year and take stock of what has been a mammoth of a year.
So, without further ado, and in the immortal words of Julie Andrews - these are a few of my favourite things (from 2015).

• Family and friends - they have to go top of this list! 

• Freckles

• The plethora of Agatha Christie whodunnits on Radio Four Extra to mark 125 years since the great authoress was born

• Dark 'n' Stormy cocktails

• This tiny snippet of TV gold 

• Sharing recipes with friends - always love to try new and exciting foods, although there's no pre-requisite for the food to be either new or exciting

• Spelling

• The London Legal Walk - and everything that happened as a result 

• The countryside

• Netflix - oh so many hours indulging my love of trash TV and rewatching classics like The Thick Of It

• The word "Yes"

• The word "No"

• Reaching the two-years-since-I-was-discharged milestone

• Talking all night

• Sleeping all night

• Getting a job that I love 

• Walking

• Holidays (especially if they come with a surprise room upgrade and are a decade overdue)

• Singing in the Royal Albert Hall again

• Writing essays and taking exams - not always my favourite thing to do, but worth an honourable mention as I spent so much of the first part of 2015 doing them!

• The Self-Love Series

• Realising I have more than one shoulder to cry on

• Discovering the band Chvrches: going to see them live and getting tickets for their special gig next year at the RAH

• London

• A Summer of watching cricket and drinking beer

• Finding pilpel and their amazing falafel 

• Robing rooms and court rooms

• Dancing (with or without shoes)

• Being surprised by my new love of watching the Tour de France

• Puns

• Theatre-going 

• Tea - all day erryday

• Celebrating whenever and wherever you can

...and so much more! 

What are some of your favourite things of 2015? 

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

UK Blog Awards 2016 - #UKBA16

Sooooo...it's that time of year again when the amazing UK Blog Awards open up and this year Life In Recovery has been entered into two of the categories; ODEON Cinema Headline Award: Best Storyteller and Health & Social Care!

I'm incredibly excited and pleased that the blog is taking part again this year. Last year was a great experience; connecting with lots of fabulous bloggers/vloggers/creatives who fill the internet with some incredible, powerful and inspiring content.

Voting won't open until January 4th 2016 and I'll be sure to keep you all informed - so stay tuned! You can follow all the chat and discover other blogs entered into the UK Blog Awards 2016 by checking out the #UKBA16 feed on Twitter.

As ever, I massively appreciate all of you reading, watching and reacting to the (far too infrequent) bits and bobs I create on this blog.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life