HOW I BEAT NEGATIVITY.
This post is sponsored by Proactiv+
Behind every ‘perfect’ picture, a list of insecurities. They come in all shapes and sizes and each are as isolating as the next. We exist in a society where it’s more popular to speak about how you can ‘own it’ rather than actually doing it. Like being comfortable in our own skin is something completely unattainable.
We all battle our demons, whilst self depreciation drags us further down the rabbit hole of comparison and doubt.
I think it’s key to remember that every person you meet feels just like you do. We’re very, very good at feeling like we’re the only ones: if only my life looked like theirs etc. When actually, we’re all fighting an internal battle that the next person knows nothing about.
Today, I wanted to share my top tips - I say top tips, what I mean is, the things I’ve focused on in my life to breed a little more positivity within myself.
S K I N C A R E
Acne, you nasty little thing you. It crept up on me in my mid twenties and although I’m through the worst of it *touches wood*, I’m still that girl. The one who has constant, painful spots sitting pretty on her face everyday of the year.
Investing in my skincare journey is my light at the end of the tunnel. It can be so easy to become defeated when you’re trying product after product without any joy. I came to the realisation that the skin I’m in is all I have - and that nurturing it to be the best it can be could be exciting and therapeutic rather than a chore.
Proactiv+ have unleashed a new side to my love for skincare. Their products aren’t made up of a gazillion ingredients your skin doesn't need and their extensive range offer a refreshingly simple way to navigate exactly what you’re after. Skincare made simple, but effective...aka perfect.
Our skincare should be like our wardrobe - it’s not all one size fits all. To put it simply, using one product for your entire face is never going to appease your pimpled skin woes. I have a collection of Proactiv+ products that make bad skin days less hellish:
Three Step System - and it ticks all the boxes: exfoliation, tightening and hydration. Together they’re a sure fire way to target all your skin demons in a gentle but effective way. Reveal a brighter complexion, shrink your pores and inject much needed hydration in to the skin.
Mark Fading Pads - containing the key ingredient to skin happiness: Glycolic Acid. These little pads of goodness work to buff away dead skin cells, that help fade the appearance of post spot scarring. They’re an absolute dream.
Cleansing Body Bar - This is my little hero. I keep him in the shower and use him on my neck and shoulders. He’s delicate enough to not irritate my skin, but the little exfoliating beads allow for those areas that are a little harder to treat to get the attention they need.
F R I E N D S H I PS
With age comes responsibility (or something like that) - and the realisation that you can’t please everyone. Friendships have always been so important to me and I’ve learned just how happy a healthy relationship makes me.
Investing in people that have your best interests at heart will breed so much more positivity than you could ever imagine. It can be easy to look at other friendships and wish you had something similar - but chances are that kind of loyalty is right under your nose. A friendship needs nurturing, it takes dedication, boundaries and honesty.
Letting go of toxic relationships can feel so difficult - but there’s nothing more freeing than not feeling the weight of negativity when you’re surrounded by good, caring people.
I get such gratification from letting my friends know they’re loved and appreciated - I practice making sure I reach out and say how thankful I am to someone I love at least once a month. The more love you share, the more likely it is to come back around when you need it most.
W O R K
This is the one that can hit me where it hurts time and time again. Comparing your success to others is so much easier than focusing on yourself, isn’t it?
That’s a sentence I want erased from my brain forever.
Focusing on you is far more satisfying than worrying about what anyone else is doing. I'm a true believer that our paths are paved entirely differently - not one journey looks the same because we’re all so individual. We breed a mentality that seems to thrive of others being the competition - but it’s just not the case.
There is room for everyone.
I find the best way to dig myself out a work rut is to list all that I’ve achieved - it doesn’t have to be ‘Casually Climbed Everest’, that’s a sure fired way to make yourself feel like poop.
I’m talking moments like passing your probation or helping someone achieve their deadline. They are more than enough. We’re so busy looking at other people’s victories, when actually we have so many of our own that we so easily overlook.
So granted, they’re pretty simple things - but for me, they make all the difference.
Tiny adjustments to my everyday life that make putting one foot in front of the other that little bit easier.
And you know what they say, practice makes perfect.
