Childs Play (Your Inner Child)

I watched the above video on YouTube last week and it really struck a chord with me. It’s all about the games we’d play as children, the silly things we did to entertain ourselves. And I realised that it wasn’t something I did when I was younger but it’s still something I do from time to time!

The video opens with games the narrator and his sister used to play in the car. I did these too, both of them. I used to ‘chop’ all the hedges and trees to the same height. Or failing that I’d pretend someone was travelling beside the car, doing somersaults and flips on all the objects so they wouldn’t touch the ground. I still do this when I’m a passenger in a car.

And while I no longer try to stop a stopwatch on the exact ‘perfect’ time, I do try and get my petrol pump to stop at the exact number!

To entertain myself going down the street, I would try not step in cracks, limit myself to 2 steps per pavement stone and balance along the curb. I’ve been known to do the balance thing when walking back to a friends house after a night out! When I was around 7 I would also walk across the top of my closed gate, something I don’t think I’d try do now!

I would run and (unsuccessfully) try to touch leaves and other things at heights, try to successfully predict when the light will turn green, hold my breath will going through a tunnel (something my boyfriend and I still do to this day!).

I would get the sweeping brush, line it up against the couch so it was at an angle and try and walk up it! I would turn off the light at night and try to run into my bed as quick as I could so the monsters wouldn’t ‘get’ me. I used to tuck my teddies in with blankets so they wouldn’t get cold. I used to sleep my head under the covers as I was afraid that people such as my teachers had a secret view into my bedroom at night! (that one is quite weird I admit!). And I wouldn’t let my feet out of the bed covers in case they got eaten.

And then we come to the classic ‘Don’t Touch the Lava’. It’s funny as I was playing this game last month in the Burren with two friends of mine!

This has reminded me of how many of the ‘games’ I still play and it makes me happy, as I think it’s important to be in touch with your inner child from time to time. But it’s also reminded me of how fearless you can be as a child. I used to walk across my closed gate when I was 7-8 and I was never afraid to do so. Now I don’t time I’d have the courage to try that! I would hop up on skateboards and the likes without fear. Now I see my younger siblings zipping around on whip sticks and yet when I’ve tried to go on them, I get straight off as it’s terrifying! It makes me sad how much fearless we become as we grow older and release responsibilities and other things like that. It’s certainly necessary but I hope I can tap into my inner child when I need it, to help me relax and play when things become to serious or too stressful. I suppose that’s the good thing about having younger siblings (or for some people nieces and nephews, children, grandchildren), they are great to be silly around!

Do you play any of these games? And how do you stay in contact with your inner child?

30 Days of Pinterest: Day 10

Today was a day I needed cheering up. I have a tendency to be a bit melancholy at times. I’m not a happy-go-lucky person, I would never classify myself as an optimist. I try my best to keep my mood up but sometimes it’s just not as easy as that. Positive mental health is important to me, I think there can be such a stigma attached to mental health problems. Here are some pins I like that promote positive mental health and ways to improve.

This one doesn’t link back to a website, just to Tumblr. I tried looking but couldn’t find the source. So I just took it from my pin. I love all the suggestions made.

Pin links back to this website, but I’m not sure if it’s the original source. Quote is by Charlie Chaplin.

There’s lots of variation on this type of quote, I just hadn’t heard this particular one before. It really struck a bell with me. Again, couldn’t find where it was originally from but here’s the pin.

This isn’t always the case for feeling down and depression, I know it’s not just as simple as ‘Stop feeling down and you won’t be down’. However, I liked this picture as it’s cute and sometimes you can think good things and feel good. This came from Etsy user ParadaCreations.

I loved this one as it remembered me of one of the first posts I ever wrote on here. Another Etsy user, VinylLettering.

Good deeds can be small but the impact can be big. Something as simple as a smile can be a big help to people, a weight off their shoulders. Just something to bare in mind. The source for this can be found here.

Letting go and forgiving can be good for mental and physical health. It takes a lot of energy to hold onto a grudge, it can be so consuming (take it from someone who’s been there). Letting go can be like lifting a massive weight off. (Not sure of original source)

A problem shared is a problem halved. A good moment is doubled when shared with friends. Life is always easier when you have friends, be it 2 or 52. Make time to surround yourself with people who get you, will look out for you and make you feel comfortable. From Etsy user monkeymindesign.

It can be easy to dwell and obsess over mistakes. You can learn a lot from your mistakes. And sometimes they can lead you in the direction you want your life to be. Poster can from here.

If all else fails, try and remember that tomorrow is a new day, a new chance to succeed. Sometimes the road to good mental health is tough but you just need to remember to take it step by step, day by day. A new day is a new accomplishment, another day that you are alive and that you are strong. Another day to battle and while it may not always go to plan, you can start all over again tomorrow. (Source is from this website apparently but can not find the actual post).

Those were just some of the quotes I liked, there are many more too found in my Slogans and Prints board. What things help you have positive mental health? Are they any words or quotes that keep you going? Let me know in the link below!

In times of stress: Taking a Bath

I was going to add this into one of the others posts on destressing but decided it needed it's own post. Taking a bath to me is almost a religion and something I need to do more often.

I'm going to start off with a quote from Sylvia Plath, who describes why taking a bath is so good at relieving stress, much better than I could ever attempt at describing it

" I thought of crawling in between the bed-sheets and trying to sleep but that appealed to me about as much as stuffing a dirty scrawled-over letter into a fresh, clean envelope. I decided to take a bath.

There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure but I don't know many of them. Whenever I'm sad I'm going to die or so nervous I can't sleep or in love with somebody I won't be seeing for a week, I slump down just so far and then I say 'I'll go have a hot bath'.

I meditate in the bath. The water needs to be very hot, so hot you can barely stand putting your foot in it. Then you lower yourself, inch by inch, till the water's up to your neck......I never feel so much myself as when I'm in a hot bath.....I don't believe in baptism or the waters of Jordan or anything like that, but I guess I feel about a hot bath the way those religious people feel about holy water" (Adapted from The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath)

There's something so soothing about having a bath, I feel that as I sink in,the stress, anxiety and other bad things beginnings to melt away, dissolving into the surrounding water. The hot water soothes any physical stresses, often a bath or shower will help improve a headache. I usually read when I take a bath but sometimes I just lie down and listen to my breathing and heart rate, almost like a trance. Afterwards I feel new and pure again. It's incredible how something so simple can have such an amazing effect.

The perfect bath for me involves hot water, lots and lots of bubbles, a hair masque and some magazines, maybe even some candles. Recently I've been using Bubble Bars from Lush for my bubbles, though when I was younger The Body Shop was what I loved. If I'm feel particularly indulgent, I'll also use other bath products, using from Lush, like Bath Melts (chunks of oils and body butters that dissolve and that make your skin feel so soft after) and Bath Bombs/Ballistics (fizzing!). I'm always on the look out for new products to use so please feel free to recommend your favourite bath products!

In times of stress (part 2)

Different people find different things stress busting, it's a well known fact. And I know I'm not alone when I say I find cleaning stress relieving. To some, this sounds alien and something that would possibly stress them out more. For others, it's therapeutic. Of course for me, cleaning for stress relief does not include my room, oh no that's always a chore. For me, it has to be good ol' fashioned housework. To really work that stress away, there has to be lots of scrubbing, polishing, dusting, hoovering and mopping, getting right down to the nitty gritty. However, I also find organizing things can have a calming effect, I used to sort all my books and cds when I was younger and still do to a certain extend now.

And while on the subject of organization, another thing that seems to soothe my anxieties is making lists. Be it food shopping, what I have to do around the house, what I want to read next (or even things that relieve stress!), whatever it is, it does help. I suppose it's like airing out your mind and getting it all into order. Doesn't even matter if I don't stick to them, cos then I can write some more!

And lastly for now, music is a great mood buster. Sometimes when I'm down I like to listen to some sad songs, just for a bit to get it out of my system and then move on to something happier to cheer myself up (most likely some 80s music and/or something I can sing/screech along to). And if I'm angry, well there's so many songs out there that are perfect for venting frustration but the one that comes to mind straight away for me is Caught Out There by Kelis. 'I Hate You So Much Right Now!', don't think I could have put it better myself!

In times of stress (part 1)

A friend of mine recently asked what do I do to help 'soothe my soul', things that make myself feel better and didn't involve the potentially damaging comfort eating or shopping. Things that were 'good' to do to help unwind, destress and make you feel good about yourself. Well for me, I love to bake or cook. When the going get tough, the tough makes cookies. Or cupcakes or whatever tickles my fancy. I just find the following of recipes, weighing, dicing and other processes help to calm me down, keep me occupied and relax me. Only downside really is being left with loads of food, which leads you back to comfort eating but in a large household like mine, you're usually lucky to sample the treats you just made before the vultures swoop in to gulp them down!

Another thing I find soul soothing (I'm finding myself repeating that now as it just sounds so nice and relaxing, like whale sounds or something) is to knit. Not something I do often but during the college year I took up helping to create a charity blanket and so when I found myself getting anxious, usually over my final year project, I started knitting and the stress flowed from my body, through my fingertips and into the knitting cables I was creating. I advise if you are a beginner to knit something very simple, like a scarf or some squares, trying to follow a complicated pattern might be counter-productive and create more stress! Again, it helps by keeping your hands and mind occupied but it's not too taxing, thus allowing you to think some things over. Any crafting really that isn't too difficult will allow you to do this.

More to follow on this shortly!