In so many places, I have come across the importance of 'balance' - having a 'balanced' diet, a 'balance' between social life and work life and more generally the balance of sleep, social life and work. Whilst of course it is important that we are being careful not to overdo one and therefore burn out, I have come to realise that using this word can be a little misleading. When you think of balance, you think of equal. Yet when it comes to life, it's very difficult that you are going to get everything exactly equal.

Be you - such an overused phrase which can often sometimes lead us to think but how?  I've heard this phrase more times than I can count and I get why people use it. Being authentic is something so important not only for your own happiness, but to ensure you are making the right choices for you. However, I've personally found that people just telling you to be yourself doesn't always help or give you any indication as to how you are supposed to do that or even what it means.

This year, as one of the most academically demanding years I have experienced so far, with that bringing stressful situations, I have had to come up with ways to manage that stress (so as not to completely go insane). That isn't to say that I will not have more stressful years (inevitably as I go through the education system it gets harder, more workload and more stressful, but these are a few things that I used and helped this year). I am not a psychiatrist, therapist, psychologist or specialist of any kind- these are methods that helped me and hopefully they can help you too. If stress becomes unmanageable, remember there is always help available and there is absolutely no shame in seeking it.

Something that perhaps took me longer to realise than it should have is the fact that at the end of the day you are the one person you can trust to make sure what you want to get done gets done. People are not always reliable and there will come a point when someone will let you down. You may let yourself down at some point too - and that is normal and is okay. We are all learning. However, the difference is that you can control your actions, but you cannot control the actions of others. 

In a world driven by results, it is easy to get lost in whether you have reached a certain milestone or a particular figure. It can feel like it does not matter what effort or work we put in, if we missed the mark, we missed the mark. It can be all too easy to forget that our best is always good enough regardless of the result. 

Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy and the things you tell yourself can hold you back. Changing a little how you view things can have a huge impact on how you feel and your motivation. Sometimes it can even impact the result. Here are a few tips to help you think and feel a little more positive. 

The first thing to acknowledge with this is that it does not happen overnight and it is impossible to be positive all the time. It is normal to have more down days and not always feel positive. Achieving a more positive mindset happens gradually and it does not mean being positive all of the time. It is about having a more positive outlook on things most of the time.

I can't quite believe that I have had this blog for just over year. I did a post last year similar to this which is linked here. This is what I learnt from 2018 (well some of what I learnt - I learnt more than just 5 things, I promise 😉😂).

We all have insecurities, including the people we don't think do. Even people who appear arrogant are probably concealing their insecurity behind the lack of acceptance of any type of criticism. Everyone has areas that they feel less confident about. Don't stress and feel alone when you doubt yourself at times or sometimes feel more insecure - I actually think that a little bit of self-doubt is helpful. It keeps you growing and learning. But, if not kept in check, it can stop us from living our life to the fullest and enjoying activities we would without lots of insecurities running our minds. I hope that if you happen to stumble upon this post when you are having one of those days, this helps and makes you feel better.