The Land of Laura

Hello loves,

If you read my post last Thursday, you'll know I've been in somewhat of a rut the last couple of weeks. If you've not read my post from last week, you can do so here. So, it's Monday now and I feel much more on top of things, so I thought I'd share my little tips on how to get yourself out of a rut and find your fire again.

1) CLEAN YOUR SPACE
If you're anything like me, you find it incredibly hard to stay on top of the cleaning! If your space (e.g your room, office or whole house) is a mess, it really helps to give it a good clean! I know it may seem like an overwhelming task but just take it one room at a time and you'll be done before you know it. A clear space really helps to achieve a clear mind! This is something I'm really trying to improve on, and now I've finally got a clean room, I'm aiming to keep it that way! It also helps to make your bed every morning. You'll be surprised how much cleaner your room looks!

2) LIST EVERYTHING
It really helped me to break everything I had to do down into as many small tasks as possible. I briefly touched on this last week but I'll explain some more now. Writing every small task down may make your list longer, but you'll constantly be crossing things off, making you more motivated to keep going, and consequently increasing your productivity. It also helps if you're particulary struggling with a task, such as an essay, to break it down so you can overcome it one baby step at a time and it doesn't seem like an unachievable task!

3) BREAK THE ROUTINE
Routine can be such a comforting thing that most of us fall victim too, but sticking in a routine for too long can really make you feel trapped. Do something a bit different such as a weekend away or a night out with the girls - get yourself out that house and have some fun, (most) work can wait till Monday! You'll come back on Monday feeling much more refreshed - especially if you're coming back to a clean space!

4) FORGET THE SMALL THINGS FOR NOW
If one of things you've got on your to do list is 'hoover under the bed', FORGET IT. Do the visible things, and the big tasks first. You can shorten your to do list down no end by scrapping all the silly tasks. Don't forget them forever, you can return to them when you're feeling more on top of things.

5) DON'T PRESSURE YOURSELF
There is one thing that all us humans need to realise, no-one has their shit together! Everyone at some point feels like they're in a rut and thats okay! Theres no need to feel bad for it, we've all been there. It's also okay to not come out of your rut straight away, sometimes we need time to take a breath and recuperate. Stay in bed, eat some ice cream, binge on Netflix, work out whatever it is you're going through, but set a day that will be the turning point. It can start with something as easy as getting out of bed earlier, making your bed and having your breakfast. It's all about baby steps!

6) REWARD YOURSELF
If you've been feeling really down, reward yourself everyday! Okay so you didn't get all the laundry done today like you planned, but you got up, made the bed, did the dishes and cooked dinner, good job! Now go make yourself a Gin & Tonic! Criticising yourself because you didn't achieve a million things in one day is only going to put you back in a slump. Reward yourself for the little things, and every day you'll feel better and get a little bit more productive, promise!

You've got this!

Laura xoxo

Hello lovelies,

Apologies for not putting a post up in the week, hopefully this post will explain why. If you've read one of these "Lets Talk About" posts before you'll know that me and my best friend Jess collaborate on blog posts to talk about a variety a topics. This week we've gone a bit more rogue, and although our posts are similar in nature, we both really wanted a post that we could just ramble about our feelings - my brain couldn't possibly compose a coherent thought, so this one might be a bit all over the place, sorry !

If you're new here you might no know that i'm in my third year of university, which basically means i'm functioning with my stress levels at 100%. Although some of the pressure has been taken off by managing to get a job lined up for when I graduate, there is still a million and 1 things I need to do before that actually happens. With trying to complete my assignments and my dissertation, while keeping a night shift job a feel like i'm swamped with work! On top of that i'm trying to orchestrate moving in with Ross when i graduate, which is stressful in itself!

I had a moment this week where I honestly just wanted to book a weekend away, throw my phone away and get anyway from (almost) everyone for a bit. I lie awake at night just glaring at my phone screen, and it's addictive. It's not even like I post many things myself, i just lie there scrolling and scrolling. I'm hoping to go away with Ross this weekend to hopefully allow us both to completely switch off. The next few weeks are going to be crazy with house viewings and appointments at estate agents and banks etc, so we both want to take advantage of the last free weekend we have before moving in together.

As for my work, I've been managing better, I've broken everything I've got to do down into as many small tasks as possible, so even though my list of things to do appears longer, i'm getting more of it done because I'm not feeling overwhelmed by large tasks. For example 'clean room' can be broken down into tasks such as 'make bed', 'tidy desk','do laundry', 'vacuum', just little tasks that can be accomplished easily and fairly quickly. I've found breaking things down in this way really help me, so if you're also feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things you've got to do, maybe give it a try!


Thanks for reading,

A much less stressed,

Laura

The beautiful Jess tagged me to do this, and I thought it was a nice idea, so here it is, all the things i would tell my 15 year old self.

Dear 15 year old Laura,

Things seem bleak right now, but really you're just being dramatic, which you will come to realise soon. You're not far off from meeting the meet the guy that will turn your life around, he'll come into your life, change you for the better, and stick around. Love him with all you've got because Lord knows he loves you more you than you deserve, and he deserves everything you've got. He'll encourage you to do things you never thought you could do (like go to uni) and support you with all your failings (you'll fail your driving test at least twice - it'll suck).

When you get to college shit will hit the fan and you'll wish you'd have stayed at your old school with all your old friends. You'll think this for like 3 days and then you'll meet a girl who likes your jacket, and you'll think she has cool eyeliner. Looking back now she wore far too much, but so did you, so you rocked the panda look together. When you meet her you'll realise that life at your new college isn't all bad and that you have someone you can talk to about everything you've got going on your life (which will fix itself, by the way!). Speaking of talking, talk less in your philosophy lessons, your teacher will hate you for it and you'll need her on your side when it comes to applying to university! (Thanks for the laughs Jess)

You'll also meet a girl with crazy cool hair who'll you'll want to be friends with just so people think you're cool by association. When you get to know her you'll realise there is more benefits to being her friend and she'll be one of only 2 people you'll keep in touch with when you leave. Go to more Fever Thursdays with her, your body will hate you and you'll feel like your dying the next day but you'll regret not having more when you're older. Although, don't drink 10 jaegerbombs in one go EVER, you'll never be able to drink them again and Russel Howard will be pissed at you (inside joke).

When it comes to university, get yourself in a routine early, third year will kick your ass an you'll need to be prepared. Choose where you live wisely, paying rent over the summer is a bad idea! Work as much as possible and save money, you'll move in with Ross when you graduate!

Try not to stress too much kid, you'll end up exactly where you want to be, moving in with the person you love and ultimately you'll be happy, really happy!

Lots of love,

A much happier and wiser version of you

xoxox


Dedicated to the people who help me through and make me laugh on days I need it most. Ross, Jess and Neesey, you the real MVP's xoxo

As I sit here staring at my laptop screen, for the 12th hour today, I have to wonder if it is all worth it.

With my exams and assignments due this week, I have spent so much time engrossed in my laptop, to the point where I now have a constant headache. What makes it worse though is that, I feel as though I have complete forgotten how to switch off. As I lay in bed thinking about it, I began to wonder if its not just me and that maybe as a society we have forgotten how to 'switch off'.

I made a new years resolution to put down my phone and read before bed. Shutting down my laptop, putting my PJ's on, getting under my duvet and going straight on my phone does not count as going to bed, i'd close my laptop at 11pm and my eyes a 4am, it was ridiculous. Of course, I don't know why I am talking in past tense, because its only the 11th day of the new year and already I have failed (hence, why I am writing this at 5am). I've been wondering why I have been feeling so rubbish about myself recently and then it clicked, my brain has been completely lacking in any sort of meaningful stimulation. Of course of been revising and essay writing, but this isn't something interesting to me (those who say it does, is lying). I need creativity, escapism, and something that doesn't make my brain want to explode, and currently, I don't get any of those things from a laptop. 2 days, that's how long it normally takes me to read an average size book. Yet, I got The Girl on the Train for Christmas and i'm not even half way through it - even though i'm thoroughly enjoying it! How did I get like this?

I'm sitting here writing this, watching the clock tick closer and closer to the time my alarm is set to go off - 8:30am. I've promised myself tomorrow will be productive, and i'll take it easy and have a chill day before my exam on Thursday so that my brain is at its prime for the big day. But will that happen? Of course not, i'll be surprised if I sleep at all tomorrow night to be honest. My biggest problem around exam time is that I need to learn that what will be, will be. Whatever I don't know at midnight before the exam i'm never going to, so I should probably shut the laptop down, read for a bit to wind my brain down and get a good nights sleep - yeah, right!

Switch the screen off, enjoy the real world!

Laura xoxo