Finding out the people that are really there for you is something that I think we all go through and often it is when you are going through a hard time that you find who is really there to stay and your real friend. There is a saying that goes that you can count 'real' friends on the fingers of your hand and I’ve come to realise that it really is true. Some people may not call people who aren't true friends, friends at all- I use the word friends because they are still people I enjoy spending time with and care about, they just aren't people I can count on when push comes to shove.

Having moved to university just over a month ago, I came to notice the importance of having a routine. It is no secret after all that as humans we are creatures of habit. But, out of moving out of home into university and university life, this has definitely been the most difficult part - getting myself into good habits and trying to make my life feel less hectic on the daily has been a challenge. So whilst I am trying to find a routine I like and can stick to, I am just going to talk about things I have done that have been helpful in somewhat finding the routine I kind of have now, which will probably change.

We all have friends, boyfriends, girlfriends etc.- people that we sometimes we want to hold on to. People we don’t let go because we think we should keep them or aren’t ready to let them go, but we’d be better off without them in our lives. This is something that isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s something that can make me feel guilty because I know that as people we aren’t perfect or I think about how things were before. But, it’s important to recognise when someone just isn’t healthy for you- this doesn’t mean that they are bad people or that you have to fall out with them. Just that maybe you need some distance. Below are some of the signs to when it could be time to let someone go.

How writing letters to myself has helped me

Yes, this sounds strange- sounds like something that could just make you feel awfully awkward and weird. But, writing letters to myself is something I started doing over the last 2 years and it's helped me in many ways. It has been a way I have motivated myself, got myself out of slumps and explored how I feel from more of an outside perspective. It has even helped with my self-esteem. I will admit it can feel a bit odd at the start, but there is a beauty to writing something just for you.

We are all always so busy - or feel the need to have things to do all that time that sometimes we neglect ourselves. We can get so caught up in helping others, giving ourselves to work, friends, family that we can forget to look after ourselves. Here are some of my fav things to do to reconnect with myself and sometimes just take that step back we very much need.

Having moved to a new city for university recently, identity and where I’m from is a subject I find myself talking about quite a lot. Meeting new people inherently involves presenting yourself and your identity (or parts of your identity). This has made it more obvious to me how identity is not something simple and there are many dimensions to it, which can sometimes be difficult to convey to people (especially someone you have just met or when you have a short period of time). This can sometimes leave you feeling a little lost or like you are not being true to yourself. 

I always find these posts really interesting to read and it is a nice opportunity to reflect on what I have learnt and the different ways I've grown. So here is what I would tell my younger self.