Holiday Reading Part 2: Bee

Hello, I'm Bee! I'm an 18 year old ditz that lives, quite happily, in a  little seaside town in the South West of England. I suffer from a relatively severe case of wanderlust that accompanies my fruitful imagination and tendency to day dream. My little blog, Vivatramp, is home to appreciating the simple things in life and my adventures with a camera in tow. When Chloe asked me to guest post I knew I wanted to showcase my tips with regards to keeping a happy heart and a healthy mind. I know that Chloe has been rushed off her feet lately so I hope that these little snippets of advice help her to fully relax again and enjoy the best things in life! I am in no way claiming to be any sort of expert with regards to this sort of thing! I just thought I'd share a few bits of advice that always help me to get on with my day smoothly!

For years, I found myself battling with my anxiety and often let it get the better of me. It stopped me from going outside, seeing friends and taking part in great opportunities. I often seem to jump to the worst conclusion without even thinking and its this self-doubt that I'm working on at the moment. Self-doubt is a killer for inspiration, productivity and settled minds so it's important to take a step back and tackle the root of the problem. I think a lot of us need to just hold a little more belief in our own ability. We spend so long worrying about instilling belief in others/ideas that we forget to believe in ourselves! Start holding your head high and I'm sure your pride will have a positive affect upon your state of mind. As the lovely Skye said, 'You need to figure out what makes you happy in yourself and base your life around it'. There's no point in basing your life around your fears and regrets - even though so many of us do!

A lot of us choose to live on auto-pilot allowing ourselves to live vicariously through other people's lives and experiences. I've been guilty of it myself, flicking through magazines I often commented on people's experiences and I can't count the amount of times I've picked up a book and wished I could jump right into it! Whether it's opportunities, places or people, I believe you should explore it all. Open your mind to new ideas and experiences and in turn you'll enrich your life and your thinking. I was discussing this topic with Lyzi the other day and she perfectly summed it up by saying that, 'an active body leads to an active mind'. You've got nothing to lose! I can't help but feel that this is going to be a big part of my life!

Create a happy heart through pride! You can achieve things in a number of ways and in doing so you're impressing yourself. Whether it's gaining high grades at school or achieving your own personal goals - focusing on a passion always helps for a healthier head. Cross off something from your to-do list, do that assignment that you've been casually hiding behind billions of internet tabs and start that exercise class you've been telling your hips for weeks that you'd attend. The mind likes it when it's occupied so do things now rather than later.

Perhaps the thing that's been the best help to me is documenting my own happiness and creativity. This can be done through whatever medium you wish - lists, in a journal, through a blog post or photographs. I've found that if you make the effort to document your happiness you'll feel it a whole lot more and open your mind to all the smaller things in life that had previously been overlooked. My 'H is for Happy' feature showcases all the things in life that make me happy and it's certainly helped me get through some of the tougher days. These documentations are a great resource to have if you need reminding as to why you need to put a big grin on your face!

For some reason, us humans seem to be programmed to fear extremes. We approach extremes with both fear and regret. How many times have you found yourself joking about your non-existent life or complaining about how busy you've been? Don't fear having a day of nothingness. You are only human after all. Don't be afraid to achieve lots of things either; I know I'm guilty of thinking, 'well, I've crossed one thing off so that's my good deed of the day'. Hearts and minds like a balance so indulge that fact!

This snippet of advice can be extremely poignant in certain situations so I'm extremely glad that Zoe suggested it to me. Been dumped by that complete slimeball? Hey, you've got more room in bed! Lived with a compulsive liar? You'll be able to pinpoint tell-tale signs of lies in the future and you'll always sniff out the rat. It's a whole lot easier to look back in hindsight and put a positive spin on the negatives but just keep this tip in mind! It could drag you out of some mega self-doubt and troublesome situations.

It sounds simple enough but if things aren't looking too chipper in the present look ahead to the future. I did this a lot whilst I was in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend. I would focus my energy towards holidays, him coming home and seeing each other again. I also used to journal about all the things I wanted to do in the future and how I wanted to feel. By doing this, you're focusing your energy on future emotions/situations and not clogging up your mind with present issues. It can also make you feel like you've achieved something just by discussing achievements.

That old 'honesty is the best policy' chestnut really is true! A clearer conscience creates a focused and, therefore, happier mind. Don't clog your brain with what if's/should have's. If you have something you wish to say to people; say it! If you don't agree with something, make your opinion known! Obviously, I'm not advocating aggressive behaviour/stern words. It's all about honesty but in a non-brutal way. This tip is all about creating a healthy mind and I'm sure if you clear it of all the doubt/oh-I-wish-I-said-this-to-so-and-so you'll be closer to a happier head in no time!

So, there you have it. There's my fool-proof tips to a happy heart and a healthy mind without burning a hole in your bank balance! I'd love to know what you thought of these tips so don't be a stranger! I'd also like to just say a big thanks to Chloe for this opportunity. Anyway, best be off - Little Viva won't run herself!