mental health

Beauty

Self-Love

Google Definition – A combination of qualities, such as shape, colour, or form; that pleases the aesthetic sense, especially the sight. 

Okay now define beauty from social media and society perspective.  

Skin colour (Light skin is better than dark skin), good hair (have to be neat; you cannot afford to have bad hair day), sharp nose (Thanks to surgeons and filters) toned body (bring them diets in) perfect pink lips (thanks to fillers) and the list goes on. This definition of beauty has only brought pain and negativity in our lives. If you do not agree stop reading 😊. 

We are trying too hard to fill in the gaps that our society and social media want to see us as. This is only damaging our mental health, the early we understand the true meaning of beauty you will live a carefree, happy life. It is nice to dress up, put on makeup, and have toned body but it is also okay to not put on any makeup, wear what you comfortable in and eat whatever you wish by not worrying about the Instagram body/face/fashion (no fats, no stretch marks, no spots and scars on the face, perfectly dressed) Who are we kidding? 

Storytime 

I grew up confident, happy, and had a very self-high-esteem. In every room I walked in I always made sure the attention was on me. I started using social media to post pictures of me and my life, the likes boosted my confidence (very sad right *laughing*). In my mid 20’s everything went crashing down for me; I started suffering from adult acne which was unstoppable at that time. According to social media and society, I was not beautiful anymore. I tried every beauty product I could find on the internet and home remedies that would promise for the acne to vanish. I stopped going out, stopped posting pictures, and even avoided going to work. It carried on for over 6 months which affected my life negatively. I felt ugly, went from high to low self-esteem, and cried myself to bed.  I spent more time researching how to get rid of the acne and scars (In my head I was already a dermatologist without qualification lol).

One day I decided to put a stop to this and posted a picture on social media of me with no makeup. The number of negative comments I received which didn’t help. People I met asked what happened to my face! How could I forget the definition of beauty was a face with no spots. It affected my mental health, I started suffering from anxiety and could only think of negative scenarios. It started affecting my relationships with my family, and friends. This is when I realised I got to seek help. 

I had to accept that I am suffering from my mental health. I also had to understand the true meaning of beauty and the skin issue is just external, and it will fade away. I also had to remind myself social media is not my life. We do not need any validation from others about our beauty. My skin type, my body, my skin tone, my LIFE.

Please bring awareness to young women and men on the true definition of beauty. Beauty starts with self-love. Do not worry about what others think of your looks. Social media’s perfect picture/life is filled with filters also remember people will avoid positing negative content this does not mean their life is perfect and have no ups and downs. We all come in different shades of skin tone, different hair types, body shapes, etc. Embrace what you have and not let someone else define what beauty is. Everyone is beautiful at least in the eyes of your creator. Be kind to everyone, compliment others, help everyone grow higher. ‘You never know what someone is going through. Seek help if you feel low, talk about it, do not suffer alone. Your life matters. 

Our insecurities will only tear us apart and spread negative vibes. Let’s make this world a better place to live in because we all are capable of it ‘We are beautiful’. 

‘Beauty begins the moment to be yourself ‘

Your Life Purpose

“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.” — Buddha

Shedding some light on Life
-Croatia

Life with purpose…Maybe you have or have not figured out your purpose of life, and that’s okay. From families, friends to society play a big part in our lives with or without a choice. Everyone at some point or some on regular basis are battling in their life journey. Instead of taking care of ourselves we feel the need to answer to people who do so little for you control so much of your mind and afraid to lose them.

We as human being are not perfect, sometimes we are happy and sometimes we are sad, we feel messy, we feel great, we can be sensitive, we can do wrong and right the list goes on and you know what? That’s okay – ‘Breathe’.

Romans 3:10 – As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one.

On our journey through life, it is only you who are aware of your emotions, struggles, pain that you have to put up with and during this time we might be trying to fix someone else’s vibes, we might even be hurting people unintentionally.

We as individuals handle our life differently from others; some might do it fairly, some might be miserable in handling their life, some might even stay strong and handle their life like a BOSS. We all are different, and this could be because of our maturity, environment, upbringing, etc.

Before you read further, I want you to first forgive yourself for being hard on yourself. You cannot change your pasts wrongdoing also there is no guarantee we won’t make any more mistakes in future. It is very important to acknowledge your emotions and have self-talk every now and then. No matter what our purpose of life is we should have one purpose and that is to become a better person. Be kind to yourself and others. Family, friends, partner that love you will always be there and support you regardless. They will respect your space; they will understand you and be there for you with no expectations.

It is so important to speak and express your emotions but at your own comfort and that is whenever you wish to do it. Respect people around you, listen to what they have to say only if you are Not willing to pass on the information to someone else (gossiping). To stay positive, we must change our attitude, practice gratitude, love selfless also respect people’s privacy.

Assumptions mostly lead to negativity this is where our ego gets involved, let the ego go before it brings the worst out of you. We should be around people that are trying/are positive, happy and kind in short trying to better themselves. It is equally important to give respect and have self-respect. You do not owe any answers to people neither people owe you an answer. The day we realise our life purpose we will notice that 24hrs is not enough.

‘In a blink of an eye, everything can change and if you are going to live, leave a legacy.’

Before you comment on someone or give your opinion please be mindful, learn to differentiate between being straight forward and being insensitive. People are suffering physically, mentally and emotionally it could be them today and it could be you the next day. We all wish to be treated kindly, simple things like listening, understanding and willing to help can be part of your life purpose. ‘the great act of kindness.’

Thank you for reading
– Spain

https://www.instagram.com/missmendes28/?hl=en

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

“I get lost inside my mind.”

Are you someone continuously worrying about a lot of things, also thoughts that you have are imagining all possible negative things that you think might take place? Oh and you already worked out in your mind how to prevent them? Trust me you are not the only one experiencing this.

Everyone experiences worry, fear and anxiety differently and it is important that you reflect on and understand what they mean to you. I am here just to pass on the information on anxiety which I have gathered reading books on anxiety that could help you with your daily life.

Before I write about Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) lets list below the focused 6 disorders

  • Specific Phobia
  • Panic Disorder
  • Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

The help and information are out there, Go see your doctor, get yourself books on anxiety, Self guide books,programmes online etc that will help you. Once you recognise and aware of the anxiety type you suffer do your research. Avoid taking anxiety/depression medication (anti-depressant ) If possible. There is no over night fix but there are many techniques to help you.

What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

GAD is the label used to describe persistent, pervasive feelings of anxiety which give rise to what seems like constant bodily and mental discomfort.

People that suffer from GAD can explain “They never seem to stop worrying, or they can never seem relaxed, something is always troubling them! They constantly feel they are on the edge. Who else can relate to this? it can be physically and emotionally draining. Mind is always focused on worries but the good news is that anxiety disorder is fixable.

GAD is often accompanied by psychological symptoms such as

  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • A sense of dread

Also few examples on physical symptoms of GAD

  • Dizziness
  • Tiredness
  • Fast heart beat
  • Excessive sweating
  • Insomnia
  • Dry mouth
  • Muscle aches and tension
  • Headache

It is generally thought that GAD is underpinned by many women or the misinterpretation of wide range of situation as threatening. If you experienced more energy at times, struggled to focus at work place, at times even felt hopeless that you stopped going out?

You will not need any medication if you learn how to deal with stress by yourself. Options that I can recommend from my research by reading (THANK YOU LIBRARY). Look out for stress awareness training online or ask your GP. Educate and practice mindfulness; enroll yourself in yoga classes, practice breathing techniques also simple relaxation techniques will change your life. When you do have negative thoughts challenge them

Guys worry, fear and anxieties are NORMAL believe me and healthy responses to stress. They are very necessary for survival however they become a problem when they are exaggerated and cycles of distress develop.

Check my post on ‘Anxiety and worry Free’ for detailed information and techniques to help you to get your life on track