Today we are going to talk H2O🥤. Even though we may not notice, it’s all around us, we are constantly using it, drinking it, washing ourselves with it. But why is it so important for our mental health?
Our bodies are made of 60% of water, and it always needs that extra bit of rehydrating. When we drink water, automatically the fluids travel to all parts of our body so that it can help digest food and do other such tasks so our bodies don’t need to work TOO hard. Water often calms our bodies down and maintains our body temperature, so if we drink enough water each day, we’ll be left feeling happy & healthy every day!
Water is great and all, but how do you know how much to drink? It’s simple and easy. Just click below and fill in the details, then the calculator will give you great advice on the next steps to take.
*this is not one of my posts, this is from a website called “Hydration for Health.” If you like their post that I have linked above, make sure to go check out the rest of their website!
Make sure you stay hydrated and download this check sheet to keep track!💧🥤
After a long day at school or at work, usually all you need is something to treat yourself and your mind of course, right? But, it needs to be enjoyable too. What about my…
How to make it! 1. Melt the butter and pour onto the cracker crumbs and mix well. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 325°F until the crust is set, about 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl beat the cream cheese with the flour, caster sugar, eggs, soured cream and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
4. Heat half the blueberries in a pan with icing sugar and stir gently until juicy. Squash the blueberries with a fork then continue to cook for a few minutes. Add the remaining blueberries, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
5. Pour the blueberries over the cheesecake just before serving.
6. And finally, eat to your heart’s desire of course! 😋😋
I hope this recipe helped you to calm your mind and encourage you to try cooking, if you did try this yummy dessert out, make sure to comment down below how it went! Good luck!
Hey ✨Sunshines!✨ Here’s my very first short story, just for you!
Like a poppy, wild and free
The wind whispered secrets into the trees, which danced when they heard them. The clouds sat like big pillows that filled the sky, a blue colour, as deep as the ocean. Olive sat at the cold, grimy windowpane, watching as tiny, unsettled rain drops fell onto it. Her skin shimmered like bright stars in the night-time, her eyes were the perfect shade of olive-green and lips looked like freshly picked roses. As her fingers brushed back her brunette hair, she looked around her bedroom, that she thought of as a jail cell that she was stuck in, all alone. Olive wanted to escape, but she could not do it since she was soon to be a queen. She didn’t want to guide a kingdom. She had dreams of her own… she wanted to explore the world, but her wicked mother wanted to hear nothing of it. It was time she had made her own decisions…
Olive leapt off the windowsill and ran to her closet. She had hidden some of her father’s clothes in there. Her father loved poppies. Her memories of him had almost slipped away when her mother burnt everything of his. She had managed to save some of his clothes and a picture. He had died fighting, and now Olive was going to fight too; fight for her freedom. But to do that, she would need to disguise herself as something…unimaginable, something…unexpected, something utterly wild. She gently slipped on a shirt and quickly pulled on a pair of shorts when she heard her mother calling. Picking up all her belongings, she jumped onto her tidy bed. This was it. She slid open her window and cleared her runway. One, two, three…
Olive jumped. Her suitcase full of clothes and pictures flowing behind her, she landed on a dusty, old mattress that had been lying outside. She was fearless. Her beautiful brown hair had untied, and she took a moment to fix it up. Just then, she heard her mother calling again, she ran as fast as she could, soon finding herself amid the woods. She called out, only to hear her own voice echoing at her. She started to shiver, and the weight of her suitcase caused her to fall into a deep slumber. She awoke to find herself tied up against a tree. In front of her sat a boy, about the same age as her, with brown eyes and chestnut hair, although he was not facing her. So, when he turned around, she was shocked to see how handsome he was. She immediately fell in love with her captor, Dylan. When he questioned her, all she could do was stare into his deep brown eyes. Dylan soon untied Olive, and she fell into his arms. Gently, lifting her eyes up to meet his, they stood there for a moment, embracing each other’s company, they decided to runaway together. She could finally make her own decisions and live like a poppy; wild and free.
Hope you liked it! If you did, make sure to comment down below. You can also comment any writing pieces or books you’ve read too, I’d love to read them or post about them right here!
If you wan’t to see more posts like this or anything to improve your mental health, check out my news feed and if you’re new here, then welcome! Go check out my ‘about’ page and other posts just like this one!
xoxo – The Sunshine Blogger 🤗🤗
Use this QR Code to access this post from any device ▼▼
Hello and welcome back my ✨Sunshines!✨ I know it’s been a while so… I wanted to bring you some more encouraging posts to brighten up your day! But I do wan’t to make some changes too…
I wan’t to let you know that all my posts are still going to be about YOUR mental health, but I wan’t to encourage more of us to read, write and cook more often. I’m sure most of you have seen my post, 7 Hobbies That Are Good For Your Mental Health, (if you haven’t, make sure to go check it out!) ▼▼ In this post I write about how writing, reading and cooking are amazing for YOUR mental health, so why not make my blog more writing, reading and even cooking based?
So from now on, everyday I’ll try to post at least one piece of writing that I produce or find, maybe even a book or food that I love! I encourage you to do the same, if you do, comment down below, I would love to read what you have shared, written, read or love to cook too! 🙂
When I post about a new book or piece of writing, it will pop up where all my new posts do, so don’t forget to check them out!!!
Till next time my Sunshines!
xoxo – The Sunshine Blogger 💖
Use this QR Code to access this post from any device ▼▼
Art is like a key to unlocking one’s mind. Even though you may be highly skilled or even just starting the basics, everyone’s art shows their emotions, whether they are angry or happy or even in mixed emotions, but what matters when you do art is that you try, and never give up. Here are some “artistic secrets” I will let you in on, so you too can start your art journey!
ARTISTIC SECRET #1: EVERYONE CAN DRAW
Doing art may not be for everyone, but everyone CAN do it. “Art” is not as tightly defined as the majority of people seems to think it is. Most people say, “I can’t draw.” The secret is, they can. Of course, not all of us can draw like Da Vinci, but lots of people can draw a lot better than they think they can, especially if you draw from the heart.
ARTISTIC SECRET #2: DRAWING CAN BE CALMING
When you are non-judgmental and open up your definition of what a “good drawing” is, drawing can be a very calming activity especially if you are anxious sometimes and don’t like to talk to others. So how about it? Would you be willing to try some very simple art exercises and see whether or not they have a positive impact on your mood? As long as you can hold a pen, you can do it right.
ARTISTIC SECRET #3: YOU CAN DO IT! JUST TRY!
Everyone is an artist in their own way, even you! Sometimes all we need is some help getting our fears to step aside before we bravely try something new, maybe keeping an art journal would be something you’d like. Now let’s do some art exercises for relaxation!
SIMPLE DRAWING TECHNIQUES
Drawing Supplies: You can draw with whatever you’ve got at home- a pen or pencil and plain white paper work just fine. If you already have a journal with you, go ahead and practice in that.
Drawing Exercise #1: Drawing Lines
This exercise is really helpful and simple when you are feeling uninspired or unfocused, give yourself permission to go as fast or as slow as you need, you are in control of your movement.
Drawing Exercise #2: Drawing Circles
This exercise is not to be controlled, draw circles wherever your hand takes you. Once you master small circles, try drawing bigger circles and over lap them. Then try to draw an image with them, for example a simple flower.
Drawing Exercise #3: Drawing Scribbles
This exercise is carefree, allow
your emotions to flow onto the page, and slowly breathe as you do so. Work from left to right, and once you are finished look at the difference from the left side to the right, amazing right?
I hope these exercises and tips helped you a lot if so make sure to comment down below how you went, and make sure come back here for more tips and tricks to manage your mental health!
xoxo- The Sunshine Blogger:)
Use this QR Code to access this post from different devices ▼▼
Happy New Year Friends! Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and celebrated the start of 2022 in style. Finally! A new year, new start, new chapter, more challenges and of course more ways to take care of your mental health in 2022! Here are some challenges for every day of the week to help kickstart 2022!
𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪
Write in a gratitude journal □
Compliment your body □
Perform a random act of kindness □
Build in a minute of stillness □
Relax. Bath, Nap or Walk. □
Breath. In and out, 20 times, slowly. □
Do yoga for 15 minutes □
𝕋𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕕𝕒𝕪
Go to your happy place □
Take your negativity write it down, rip it up and chuck it in the bin! □
Visit a friends house □
Listen to music while you work □
Tackle a big project: Redecorate room or Reorganise garage □
Eat your favourite meal □
Paint or Draw something □
Learn a new skill □
𝕎𝕖𝕕𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕕𝕒𝕪
Go outside and get some Vitamin D! □
Stay a few hours off your phone or device □
Read a book □
Talk to an old friend □
Learn something you never knew before □
Go to the nearest gym to your house □
Go for a walk in the neighbourhood □
𝕋𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕕𝕒𝕪
Have a chat with the neighbours □
Create a cleaning schedule you know you’ll stick with □
Cook something new □
Stay hydrated □
Join a club or take up a hobby □
Try a brain exercise □
Become a plant owner □
𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕒𝕪
Volunteer regularly □
Try a cardio workout □
Redo an old artwork □
Recreate an old photo □
Chat with friends over dinner □
Upcycle your wardrobe □
Give yourself a new look □
Take some time to try some new outfits □
𝕊𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕪
Write to yourself □
Make your bed □
Read the news □
Eat more citrusy fruit □
Take more trips □
Get artsy! □
Make your home more fragrant □
𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪
Look at some old family photos □
Watch a funny video □
Spend time with your pet □
Try learning a new language □
Cut the grass □
Start a blog □
Make a video to yourself in the future □
Try writing a story □
Write a “Next week I will…” and keep it somewhere you will always look □
Take it slow and steady, you don’t need to try all these things, but if you do try them make sure to comment down below! Come back here for more posts like these!
xoxo- The Sunshine Blogger:)
Use this QR Code to access this post from different devices ▼▼
I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us hate saying the word “no” despite how necessary it can be in certain situations and when we REALLY need it.
Taking everything on and agreeing to everything because you’re afraid to tell people no can put a huge strain on your mental health. Especially at Christmas when your schedule might already be rather full, and the task you have taken on maybe almost impossible given the situation you are already in.
It’s perfectly fine to turn some invitations or plans down or to want some downtime for yourself over the holiday season’s period.
Try practising a different approach to saying no. Instead of “No”, say “I’d really love to come or do that, but I already have plans this evening, sorry.”, or “Thank you for thinking of me to do that, I love that I’m the first person you think of but unfortunately I’m so busy over Christmas I wouldn’t be able to do that in time.”, or even “Thank you for your offer, but I can’t attend due to…” There is always room to put yourself first, so do it!
2 – TAKE A QUICK BREAK
Take a quick bathroom break from the social madness at Christmas, and just relax and breathe a little.
It’s not technically avoiding the situation, it’s just taking a quick break so that you can stay in the situation longer without getting overwhelmed by all the chaos.
I like to take a break, breathe slowly and deeply for a few minutes. Then I pull my shoulders back, take another deep breath and walk back into the situation confident and as calmly as I can. There. All better:)
3 – MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Think of some possible scenarios that might make your mental health worse over the Christmas period and write down several solutions or outcomes.
If you’re worried, then call a friend, talk to them about it, it’ll surely help.
I find it’s always easier to face a problem once it’s written down and you’ve had time to think about it, rather than just go head first at it.
4 – DON’T TAKE ON TOO MUCH FOR YOURSELF
This goes back to the point of learning how to say “no” to things. You really don’t have to do absolutely everything.
It’s okay to have a quiet one if that’s what you want, or maybe one with less chaos and more “you time.” Just take some time to relax and think, therefore maybe you can do some of the things you didn’t do this year, next year.
Just remember that it’s okay if you don’t do it all.
5 – HAVE SUPPORT IN YOUR POCKET
Christmas isn’t the best for everyone, it can be a lonely time and stir up bad memories.
If that’s the case, or if you just find it especially hard maintaining and managing mental health at Christmas, then please make sure you have some support.
If you don’t have real-life support from friends and family, download this booklet and keep it with you, in your bag, or on your phone, for support at the touch of a button.
Meditation, deep breaths and other calming exercises are all well and good when you have lots of time but sometimes you need to reduce stress right there on the spot, in the supermarket, at work or even in the car. You can hardly get out a yoga mat and start meditating in the middle of the office, you’d look a bit crazy and get a few stares doing your muscle stretches in the checkout at Woolies, which definitely wouldn’t help your stress and anxiety much!
So here are some quick ways to reduce your stress when you have no time!
Remember something funny/positive that happened to you!
Even if I’m in an absolute mood, I can’t stay in it for long especially if something hilarious happens. Sometimes, to get out of feeling down or stressed, I’ll watch something funny or positive, or if I don’t have those at hand, I replay them in my head.
Try and think of something that made you smile or laugh and focus on it until you feel better.
Rethink and Write it down!
Ask yourself in your head if there’s actually any evidence to support your anxiety or stress at the moment, and if there is, what’s the worst that can actually happen? Try and rethink your actions and tell yourself it is going to be ok. Make sure you also write down what you did and how it helped so if you have a problem like it again, then you will know how to deal with it and feel much calmer!
Take a Break!
If you’re able to and the situation allows for it like if you’re at work or at a party, take a quick toilet break, drink some water and breathe a few deep breaths. Sometimes if I’m in a situation and my head is all of the place, I like to take a breather, count in my head, do all the things mentioned above and return with a fresh head. It can help just to get a bit of clarity and return a little less overwhelmed.
Count
In your head try counting and taking deep breaths at the same time. Mix it up so you’re having to concentrate on the counting, so count to 5 the first time you take a deep breath, then count to 10 etc.
I hope you liked this post and these tips help you to calm yourself down, make sure to come back here for more posts just like this one!!
xoxo-The Sunshine Blogger
Use this QR Code to access this post from different devices ▼▼
We’ve all heard people say “fake it ’till you make it” and while it is a bit cringy, it does and can work, especially if you are struggling to find your self-confidence.
But, how do you appear more confident? Try these self confident tips…
POSTURE
Your posture says a lot about your confidence. If you’re slumped and your head is down, it shows that you’re not confident, but instead sit or stand up straight with your chin slightly raised and your shoulders back, and you’ll instantly look and feel more powerful and confident in yourself.
IMMITATION
This is something I find helps a lot of people, and I have heard it really works for some.
Look at people you feel are really confident and take notes in your mind! What is their body language doing? Do they smile? Do they give and receive eye contact?
Learn from their behaviour and try to incorporate what makes these people appear confident into your own approach, you’ll instantly feel more confident.
LANGUAGE
Try your best to let go of words like “just”, “I don’t think/I think” and “erm or umm” from your conversations. Be more decisive with your words. Replace “I think we should…” with “We should…” or “Sorry for being late…” with “Thank you for being patient…”. Don’t forget to speak slowly and clearly, so everyone can understand.
Practice it in the mirror and see how much more confident you seem when you are more sure of yourself… even if you’re really not yet!
SKILLS
Remember how confident you feel when you’re doing something you know that you are good at and love, even if it’s a hobby. Take that feeling and put it into every situation. Imagine you really know what you’re doing.
I do this with everything, if I don’t know something, I imagine that I’m doing something I love and I instantly love what I am doing. Talking to people will become much better!
OTHER TIPS TO BOOST YOUR SELF CONFIDENCE:
You can also boost your confidence by starting with achieving small goals first, then start to achieve harder goals over time. Make a list of small, easy to manage goals that you know you will be able to do and cross them off as you complete them. It will make you feel useful and good about yourself!
If you find yourself thinking negatively a lot, replace those negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Replace “I’m not going to have a good time.” with “I can have a good time if I try to.” or “I look bad” with “I have a great smile/I like my style/I look really great today”. Make it your mission to find something good in every situation.
Congratulate yourself on your small achievements, just as much as you would your bigger achievements.
Remind yourself of times when you conquered a fear.
Say nice things to yourself in the mirror every day. I like to smile at myself in the mornings, it makes me feel more positive even if I’m so tired and not looking forward to whatever the day has in store for me. A quick smile in the mirror and thinking of one nice thing about myself is a quick fix to feeling a bit more positive about the day and myself.
I really hope you enjoyed this post and learnt something that you can do to improve your confidence!
Stay Bright and Happy!
xoxo- The Sunshine Blogger
Use this QR Code to access this post from different devices ▼▼
You’ve probably seen people talking about their bucket list ideas on social media or even on blogs like mine, but what is a bucket list? Put it this way~ a bucket list is a set of experiencesor challenges that someone wants to have/do before they “kick the bucket.”
This might seem a little crazy, but it’s actually really great to have a bucket list! They motivate you to learn about how you can make those dreams possible. Bucket lists also help you think about what you actually want out of your life, but in saying that, things on your bucket list don’t have to be boring, make them out of this world and totally bizarre! Sometimes these things can be life-long dreams or even things you can do in a day or week.
If you need a little help getting started on your own bucket list, take a look at some of the amazing goals I’ve outlined below. Just give it a go and kick your bucket!!!
Bucket List ideas!
• Become fluent in a new language
• Find a job you love
• Take an archery class
• Try to learn a martial art
• Wake up to see the sunrise every day for a week, then make yourself hot cocoa!
• Adopt a rescue animal
• Dive at the Great Barrier Reef
• Go on a week-long cruise
• Swim under a waterfall
• Learn how to code
• Go to three places you have always dreamed of visiting
• Learn how to play an instrument
• Try a sport you have never done before
• Visit at least three out of the seven new Wonders of the World
• Dive at the Great Barrier Reef
• Cook a big meal for your family
• Take a 2 week-long vacation (for work)
• Start a business or side gig for something you are passionate about
• Support a cause that’s important to you through donations or volunteering
Personal Development Bucket List Ideas!
• Identify your weaknesses
• Compliment a coworker every day on the good work they are doing
• Have pride in yourself and value your contributions
• Set a good example for those you mentor/teach
• Learn how to negotiate workplace conflicts/arguments
• Learn something new about your industry/job every day
• Take more risks and try out-of-the-box ideas
• Figure out your personal brand or style
I hope you have great fun creating an entirely new and unique bucket list, feel free to use some of mine!
The Sunshine Blogger 
