NOVEMBER 2019 PHOTOS | INSPIRED BY ZOE-MEGHAN BLOGS.

Hello, again my lovelies! It's been a while... Here comes my month in photos... I had lots of fun with the little ones at Mya's 10th birthday! . . . . . . . . Popped to a cafe for lunch at work and asked for a cheese scone... this was not what I was …

NOVEMBER 2019 MENTAL HEALTH REFLECTION.

Hi guys, Welcome back, and if you're new here - thanks for taking the time to read my lil page! As much as I love my little blog, I am struggling a bit with working, uni coursework, dissertation work etc, so I apologise for the lack of posts at the moment! Please try to bear …

A LETTER TO MY YOUNGER SELF.

Hello, my peeps! How are we all? Today was supposed to be the 20th post for #Blogtober19. Today's post is a very personal one for me... one which may not be everyone's cup of tea. But I have wanted to do this for a while now, so I have written a letter to my younger self. I …

OCTOBER 2019 MENTAL HEALTH REFLECTION.

Hi guys, As some of you may have realised, I didn't manage to post every single day of #Blogtober... but I thought I would still write a little post if I could about my October mental health reflection. Grab a cuppa, get cosy and let's get nosey into my reflection on this month and my …

OCTOBER 2019 PHOTOS | INSPIRED BY ZOE-MEGHAN BLOGS

Hello my lovelies, welcome back, it's been a while... I tried and failed to complete Blogtober, but I was proud of myself for making 19 posts! Not too bad aye! But, time to get back into the ol' swing of things! Here comes my month in photos... . . . . Brad found me an …

BLOGTOBER #19: HOW I SUCCESSFULLY QUIT SMOKING – STOPTOBER.

Afternoon peeps! How are we all? Welcome to post 19 for #Blogtober - can you believe it?! Today I want to talk about how I gave up smoking and my tips to help others through #Stoptober. In 2019, there are an estimated ONE BILLION smokers globally - smoking just under SIX TRILLION cigarettes per year. …

BLOGTOBER #18: OCTOBER’S FAVOURITE RECOVERY QUOTES.

Welcome back to another post from me! To mix things up, considering we are 18 days into #Blogtober, I have decided to show you my favourite recovery quotes for October. . . . .   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …

BLOGTOBER #17: TIPS FOR A STIGMA-FREE HALLOWEEN.

*Trigger warning, mentions to material regarding Halloween that some may find distressing. No images included. Hello, me again! Today marks the 17th post in honour of #Blogtober19, and today I wanted to talk about how to have a stigma-free Halloween. We have made wonderful progress in challenging the myths and negative associations which surround mental …

BLOGTOBER #16: WHAT IS MY EVENING ROUTINE?

Helloooooo! Welcome to my 16th blogpost for #Blogtober19 - anyone bored of me yet? As I mentioned yesterday in my 'what is my morning routine' post - I have often received compliments on my journey through recovery with my mental disorders, but it hasn't always been a breeze. It is easy to forget the amount …

BLOGTOBER #15: WHAT IS MY MORNING ROUTINE?

Hi guys! Welcome back to my little space on the internet... It's official, today we have surpassed the posting-everyday-for-two-weeks-mark! It is officially day 15 into #Blogtober19! Not bad aye. I often receive compliments on my journey through recovery with my mental disorders, but it hasn't always been a breeze. I think it is easy to …

BLOGTOBER #14: PUMPKIN-SPIRATION

In the spirit of all things October, my 14th post for #Blogtober is a whole load of Pumpkin-spiration! I have seen so many ideas for pumpkins this year, whether it's carving or decorating them, and I would just LOVE to do them all! Have you decided how you'll decorate your pumpkin this year? . . …

BLOGTOBER #13: WHAT IS EUPD?

Hey guys! Welcome to my 13th post for this #Blogtober - I'm not doing too bad so far aye! Today's post is surrounding 'emotionally unstable personality disorder' - one of the very first diagnoses I received under CAMHS but only found out about it during university. 'Emotionally unstable personality disorder' is the newer term for …

BLOGTOBER #12: NIGHTMARES.

'Ello 'Ello 'Ello! Today's post marks the 12th day straight of me rambling at you all, haha! Are you all keeping up? Anyone still awake? Speaking of sleep - today I wanted to talk about my experiences with nightmares. Although it is the month of 'all things spooky', this is something which is a part …

BLOGTOBER #11: MY FAVOURITE BLOGGERS.

Hi guys! Welcome to my 11th post for Blogtober - today I have created a list of bloggers which I have been loving recently... #1 CHARLOTTE: twitter  blog instagram Charlotte has to be one of the kindest bloggers I have had the pleasure of meeting in this blogging journey! She is dedicated to raising awareness …

BLOGTOBER #10: WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2019

** TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains informational references to suicide and self-harm rather than explicit description. Some readers may be reminded of their own experiences. If you need to talk to someone, I have produced a list of resources here. ** As I'm sure almost all of you are aware, mental health problems can happy …

BLOGTOBER #9: MY REASONS TO STAY ALIVE.

Hello, lovelies! Here is post number nine for #blogtober19 - my reasons for staying alive. Blogtober has been my first opportunity to talk about something other than mental health, but I still want to make sure the main focus is around it. Always. I still want to spread as much awareness as I can surrounding …

BLOGTOBER #8: USEFUL BLOGGING HABITS TO FORM.

Hey guys! I present to you all, the 8th post I have created for #Blogtober19 - a list of (hopefully) useful blogging habits to form. Now, I don't claim to be the most successful blogger by any stretch of the imagination. But, these are some of the things which allow bloggers, like me, to get …

BLOGTOBER #7: HOW TO BE PRODUCTIVE ON A ‘DOWN DAY’.

Hi! How're things? It's time for number 7 in my #Blogtober19 series! This time, I have created a simple list of ideas we can all try on those days when everything just seems impossible. So, in no particular order... #1 Throw yourself a full-on pity party, but there are two conditions. 1, it has to be short. …

BLOGTOBER #6: THINGS I LOVE ABOUT OCTOBER.

Hey guys! How're things? Here is my 6th blog post for #Blogtober19 - a list of things I love about October... #1... The colder weather. #2... The changing colour in nature. #3... Big, chunky, cosy jumpers. #4... The darker evenings. #5... Tasty, themed hot drinks. #6... Cosy nights in whilst it rains outside. #7... Halloween. …

BLOGTOBER #5: MY AUTUMNAL BUCKET LIST 2019.

Hello, lovelies! Here is my 5th blog post for #Blogtober19 - a bucket list of all the things I'd love to do this autumn! I've tried to make this list as realistic as possible, so I have more of a chance to actually achieve them, so you might think they're pretty boring! 1. I want to... …

BLOGTOBER #4: 10 FACTS ABOUT ME

Hey guys! Here is my fourth post for #Blogtober19 - if you are new here, welcome to my little blog! I thought I would do a simple introduction to me and my blog. #1. I was 11 the first time I dyed my hair - the colour? Cosmic blue. Up there with one of the …

BLOGTOBER #3: SEPTEMBER 2019 MENTAL HEALTH REFLECTION.

Hello, me again! Today's blog post is the 3rd of my #Blogtober19 challenge - and classic addition to my blog - my mental health reflection of September. Grab a cuppa, get cosy and let's get nosey into my reflection on this month and my mental health... As I mentioned in my August MH reflection, things …

BLOGTOBER #2: SEPTEMBER 2019 PHOTOS | INSPIRED BY ZOE-MEGHAN BLOGS

Hello, lovelies! Today's blog post is the second to be inspired by the wonderful Zoe Meghan and her 'favourite photos from...' series as well as my second for #Blogtober! I really enjoyed this idea last month, so I've done another! Check out her wonderful original series here. Here comes my month in photos... . . . …

BLOGTOBER #1: AN INTRODUCTION.

October 2019 is here, which means so is my, hopefully successful, first attempt at Blogtober! As my first post of the challenge, I thought I'd use it to explain what Blogtober is - in case you want to join in on the fun! WHAT IS BLOGTOBER? Blogtober is essentially a month where bloggers attempt to …

THINGS I AM DONE WITH…

Hi all, How are you all? I've been doing a lot of reflection recently and I've come up with a list of things I absolutely need to purge from my life. So, here goes... 1. I am done... with people who just want to compete with me about mental illness. There is no competition. There is no winner. …

WHAT MOTIVATES ME IN MY RECOVERY?

Hi all, I've made it no secret in my recent posts that life has hit me pretty hard recently. I have struggled to stay motivated in my mental health recovery. Things are beginning to improve oh-so-slowly, so I've decided to create a list to remind myself of all the wonderful things I am grateful for and my …

MENTAL HEALTH AND UNIVERSITY SERIES: PART TWO.

Hi all, Only just... shy of a year later than I originally planned to post this BUT ta-da, here it is! The second post in my Mental Health and University series! Grab a cuppa, get comfy, it's gonna be a long one... This post is dedicated to depicting my own personal journey throughout my undergraduate studies. …

100 CELEBRITIES AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.

Hi all, It can be really hard to talk about what's happening to you and how you feel about it, but someone else breaking the ice can help. It is a topic many still feel uncomfortable addressing. However, more and more celebrities are coming forward publicly to speak about their mental health, how they sought …

50 BIPOLAR MEMES THAT ARE TOO RELATABLE.

Hi all, Just to make it obvious - bipolar isn't a laughing matter... but memes can be a way to acknowledge there are others out there who know exactly how it feels to live with it. That being said, here are a few of my favourites that are too relatable... 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. …

30 GOOD THINGS WHICH COME FROM HAVING ANXIETY

Hi all, After all the positive comments I received on my "30 good things about bipolar" post, I've decided to do another -  this time to break the stigma surrounding anxiety. Living with anxiety can be one of the hardest things, it is constant and feels like it never goes away - but I want …

WHAT NOT TO SAY TO SOMEONE WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER.

Hi all, If you've been (un)lucky enough like me to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I can pretty much guarantee at some point, one (or more) of these phrases has been said to you... most probably by some a r s e h o l e who has no clue what they're talking about... "You shouldn't …

‘JUST BECAUSE I LOOK FINE, DOESN’T MEAN I AM FINE.’ SOCIAL MEDIA AND MENTAL HEALTH.

Hi all, Using social media has drastically changed the way I perceive my life - my accomplishments, my appearance, my personality traits, my past-times - and I don't mean through receiving hate online. I'm talking about... ...seeing 'someone' in the club or at a festival while you're stuck at home. The 'someone' on a holiday …

TIPS FOR TRAVELLING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.

Hi all, Seeing the world is up there with one of the greatest pleasures in life. Planning a trip away should be fun: finding a place to stay, exploring, trying new things, relaxation... but having a mental illness can add unwanted complications, which can make it very stressful. Attitudes to mental illness vary between countries, …

SUBTLE SIGNS YOU’RE SLIPPING INTO BIPOLAR DEPRESSION.

Hi all, Living with bipolar is like being on a rollercoaster - all the ups and downs, and twists and turns thrown in. Unfortunately, it's a ride that never stops and you can't get off. It's important to mention, feelings of sadness are something which everyone will experience from time to time. It can be …

MY TRIP TO HMP GRENDON

Hi all, This week [25.06.2019] I was extremely lucky to have the opportunity to visit HMP Grendon and HMP Springhill. HMP Grendon is a category B/C prison surrounded by the open prison Springhill. These prisons are situated in Buckinghamshire, near Aylesbury, in the UK. As my mum frequently likes to point out, this was not …

JUNE 2019 MENTAL HEALTH REFLECTION

Hi all, It's that time where I 'think out loud' again. If May 2019 was the month I filled with friendships, June was the opposite. I just isolated myself. I've found it really hard to be around anyone, even myself most days. To be completely honest, I've really struggled this month. I haven't really told …

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AWARENESS MONTH 2019

Hi all, Today's post is a bit of a long one. As we are in the midst of June, it's time to talk about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) awareness month. A lot of people right now will be living with PTSD and from the sounds of it, a lot of people do not know …

MAY 2019 MENTAL HEALTH REFLECTION

Hi all, I feel like I've really gotten back into the swing of things with this little blog! I've had an idea to post a sort of summary about each month in terms of what happened and how my mental health has been - one, to make sure I'm posting more regularly and two, as …

30 GOOD THINGS ABOUT BIPOLAR

Hi all, Now, this post may seem a little bit peculiar. I've been doing a lot of soul-searching recently and in an attempt to break the stigma of bipolar, I thought I would list 30 'good things' which have come from living with it. I think it is important to reflect - it might not …

MY LIFE ON LITHIUM.

Hi all, For those who know me, or have been kind enough to read some of my other ramblings, you'll know that I manage my bipolar disorder through medication as well as self-care techniques. But one, in particular, has had a huge impact upon my life... Lithium Carbonate.  As it so happens, today is my Lithium monitoring …

BIPOLAR RECOVERY IS MORE THAN JUST TAKING YOUR MEDS.

I'm baaaack! As my first post since taking a break, I feel this topic is pretty relevant. Recovery from mental illness is more than just taking your meds. This resurfaces every time I overcome a difficult situation whilst taking MH medication. There seems to be an idea that the meds 'did all the hard work'. I agree, …

MENTAL HEALTH AND UNIVERSITY SERIES: PART ONE.

Hi all, I have to be honest, I didn't always find my three years at University a breeze like some seem to. In fact, they were some of the hardest years of my life. Hence why I thought I would create a post (or three), about some of the things I wish I had known …

GET TO KNOW ME

Hi all, It has been suggested to me a couple of times that a "get to know me" post would be a good addition to my blog. So, come and be nosey... 1. What is your full name? Jasmine Chaley Saunders - used to be Buday. A weird middle name I know, my dad chose it. …

WHAT DOES RECOVERY MEAN TO ME?

Hi all, Recovery can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. One thing I wish people were more aware of, is that recovery never really goes the way that you'd expect. I know that when I was struggling, I expected it to be the most empowering, life-changing, personality and thought-altering …

CONFESSIONS OF AN AGORAPHOBIC.

Hi all, I'm sure we all know what it feels like to be afraid. Fear is one of the most unpleasant human emotions - caused by the threat of danger or harm. For most, it occurs within situations when it is deemed a sensible response. We enter into our fight or flight response. However, for those who …

TRUTHS ABOUT BIPOLAR I WISH OTHERS UNDERSTOOD.

Hi all, *TW self-harm* Right now, 2.4 million people in the United Kingdom are diagnosed with having bipolar disorder. I am one of them. But, not only does it affect all of us, but it also has a huge impact on our friends and family too. It takes roughly about ten and a half years …

AN OPEN LETTER TO MY DAD.

*TW substance misuse, grief* Hi all, welcome back to my little blog. June is always an odd month for me; with Father's Day and my Dad's birthday. So, in the spirit of dealing with my emotions in a healthy way, I think it's time to write him a letter. This one. It's gonna be long, …

THE UNEXPECTED BENEFITS OF BEING SOBER.

*TW: alcohol, self-harm* Hi all, For those of you who know me in 'real life', you'll know that I decided to stop drinking alcohol several years ago. For some, this is incomprehensible, I am often told that I must be crazy or that I'm boring. But I can honestly say it has been one of the best …

I USED TO HIDE BEING BIPOLAR, BUT NOW IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT.

Hi all, Welcome to my very awkward first post on my blog... try to bear with me... *TW: self-harm* I've been under the care of the mental health system for some time now. It all began with concerns about my self-harm, which had begun years before anyone noticed, but people were starting to worry as I was …