How to Not Wake Up Feeling Stuck In A Rut!

Some mornings I wake up and, quite simply, feel like ass. It's true! I open a bleary eye, peer at my iPhone to check the time, and know instantly to the core of my being that I'm in a bad, bad mood. I do not know why. I do not know how. But this grumble-bum phenomenon blocks my creativity, stems my flow of positivity and makes me snappy with innocent family members.

Life can be stressful. There are money worries, boy troubles, Horrible Bosses, family feuds and other worrisome whales to contend with. Some days, it seems that nothing short of a miracle will get you out of bed, let alone out of bed, smiling and being pleasant to telemarketers. While I'm not going to break down all the individual stresses of day-to-day life and perform an in depth analysis of the intricacies of  stress management, there are some simple ways to bring a little bit of joy back to the forefront of your Beautiful day!

Set your alarm to a song that gets your blood pumping

Music is a powerful motivational tool! Music assists with focus, drive, it can affect emotions and moods. Why do you think sports teams have anthems? Or why they play Enya at meditation classes? Music can help to get you back into a positive mindset. And if that's the first thing that happens to you in the morning, imagine what you could achieve armed with a few good beats throughout the rest of the day?!

Here's a few of my favourite 'happy day' tracks to get you started!

Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl

 

The La's - There She Goes

 

DJ Fresh - Gold Dust

 

Jennifer Lopez - Let's Get Loud

 

 

Start the day with a herbal tea

I know it sounds a bit naff, and don't get me wrong, I am a coffee addict. But there is something very natural, earthen and soothing about drinking herbal tea- particularly if you drink it out of an incredible teacup! Try T2, Teawana and T-Bar for energising blends, or anything with berries. And beacuse teacups make me happy, here is Tumblr's best selection!

Do your makeup differently


Well, obviously, this only applies to female readers! Try altering your morning routine. If you're feeling stuck in a rut, change your lip colour! Add a swipe of sparkle to your lids before applying your eyeliner! I'll be doing a few makeup tutorials in the coming months, so stay tuned. But in the mean time- if you usually wear lip balm, invest in a new coloured lip gloss. If you typically stick to bronzer, try a pink or peachy shade for your cheeks. Experiment with shimmer. Even revisit the nineties and give body glitter another whirl! Makeup is about self-expression, experimenting with who you are, and having FUN. What are you afraid of?! Afterall- it washes off!

 

Make an effort to be sincere

How many times have you stopped to buy your morning coffee and barely even looked at the barista? Do you say "thanks" or "cheers" without even thinking about it? Without even meaning it? The people who help to create your day- baristas, bus drivers, office cleaners, cashiers- are people, just like you. Make an effort to give them a proper smile. Ask them how they are, and be genuinely interested. And don't forget to give them a proper smile when you say goodbye. Smiles are contagious! Spread the love!


I'm not saying that whacking on a shade of fuschia lipstick will help you get out of a controlling or abusive relationship, or that sticking up a poster of a kitten hanging from a branch will grant your boss the wave of understanding that will finally get you a payrise and an invitation to hit the gym with him after work. But these tiny details are all under our control. We can alter small things in the course of our daily routines that can help to make life brighter, make your day better. They are accessible and easy and, well, who knows...? If you try them, maybe you'll find that you go to bed on one of these shitty days with the faintest trace of a smile!

Flowered teacups and Gold Dust sprinkles,

MJ x

Conflict: A Beginners Guide

Cripes! I’ve let my Mess run away with me again. It’s been far too long since my last post- my millions of readers must be devastated! I have to say, in my defence, there’s been a fair amount going on lately. A whirlwind of money crap, jobs applications, interview arrangements, house inspections, crazy relatives and the like. All the hullaballoo had resulted in limited sleep, pretty scary dreams and, most importantly- I started to think about the concept of conflict.

Conflict (con . flict) verb1. To come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition
2. To fight or contend; do battle. To clash.
Ah, conflict. Where would we be without it? Probably locked inside our own heads, terrified to make decisions for ourselves, putting up with things that make us sad or angry just because we don’t want to come to terms with the idea of making proactive change. As much as nobody likes to fight or argue, facing up to your own problems is an incredibly empowering thing to do. It generates positive energy. It fills you with courage and resonates with an air of infinite possibility. But- where to start?
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
I worry a lot. Not anywhere near as much as I used to, and this is something that I intend to keep working on. (One of my best friends considers a moment not telling me to ‘Chill, Winston,’ as a moment wasted.) I know that I worry about little things, I do. And you know what? I’m starting to realise more and more, it sucks precious energy out of my soul. If you can’t learn to accept the little things, like missing a bus, running five minutes late, losing your keys- how on earth d’you expect to be able to cope with the big stuff? The huge stuff? Try to let the little things go. They are not worth worrying about. Chill, Winston!
Be Brave
Facing problems head on is a petrifying thing to do. I can talk and talk and talk and talk for hours about a
problem, why it’s a problem, when the problem started, how that problem is affecting my Mess, why I feel I need to do something about the problem, when I’m going to do something about the problem... but actually facing the problem is something I am just not good at. It demands courage, and confidence, and conviction in your beliefs- all things that I need to work on. But you know what? I’m no doormat either. I don’t believe in lying down and taking crap from someone, for any reason. Why should you have to put up with things that make you sad, or angry, or frustrated? Change, change, change! Let’s make a pact- we are all going to pick a problem, big or small, to face properly in the next week. We’ll report back.
There Are Some Things That You Just Can’t Change
As sad as it is, and no matter how much you try, sometimes we need to learn to accept problems which are beyond immediate repair. Relationships which are broken beyond anybody’s capability to fix. Don’t forget, every single problem in the world is created by human instinct, human error, human judgement. Key word being human. There comes a point sometimes when we all need space and time to grow alone. Don’t see it as a failure. Don’t think that you’re weak. It’s okay to recognise that you need to remove yourself from shitty situations in order to foster positive change. After all... how can anybody love you if you don’t love yourself first?
Embrace your Mess. Live it happily. Live it courageously. If you’re going to fight for anything, fight for your Mess- and keep it beautiful.
M x