Anxiety Is A Trend

trend

a general direction in which something is changing or developing.

So many discussions I have had, and heard, about anxiety recently all accuse people of 'jumping on the bandwagon' and to be perfectly frank, it's pissing me off. Perhaps the reason why anxiety has become a 'trend' in newspapers, magazines and on social media is because it is a trend. Something has changed and developed in our society that means more young people cannot keep up momentum with the expectation that has been set for us.

Thoughts That Occur On A Sunday

Sunday. The day of rest traditionally, but now a day filled with impending doom as we wait for The Big M. It always starts well but as the hours tick on you start to write lists in your head, watch the clock and contemplate quitting the job you actually find alright. Reality bites.

Moving To London: The Pros and The Cons

It's early on a Saturday morning, and I've been researching whether to make the move to the Big Smoke. Why all the research I hear you ask, when all twenty somethings out to find the job/lifestyle all gravitate towards LDN. It's a vacuum that sucks everyone in, but its bypassed my corner of the room. 

London has always been on my radar, but for the sake of saving money I decided to stay at home after graduating from uni. Food in the fridge and central heating are the main perks. However, the more times I ride the daily grind, I'm starting to question whether the land of West End shows and tube strikes could get rid of the monotony...

All too often I find myself justifying why I'm not in London, and to be honest, the list isn't very long. If I was asked the question 'why do you want to be in London?', the list could quite possibly last as long as a morning commute. The food, the social life, the parks, the buzz that so many talk about is probably the start. So why do I find myself contemplating this option so much?

Friends are getting engaged, getting married, buying houses, saving to buy houses - and whilst I know this is definitely not what I want to be doing, I feel as though the expectation is that these are the things I should be doing.

The pros and the cons are pretty obvious to me.

Pros: crazy amount of options both personally and professionally, food, bigger wage, all the weekend activities, food markets, flower markets, airports, food, all the weeknight activities, the tube, coffee, tea, nobody knows your business, a Whistles on every corner, food. 

Cons: the tube, expensive living, tourists, too much coffee, too much food, the commute, too much food.

So, yes. Food is a big factor in the decision making process. As is coffee and people keeping their noses out of where they don't belong. 

So, to London or not to London? Londoners, help a girl out. In the meantime, I'll let those humorous BuzzFeed articles about London talk me out of it.

18 Things That Happen When A Twenty Something Girl Starts Saving

Picture it. You get your first ever real life pay slip as a twenty something, and you feel like you're living that jet set life. You buy everything in sight, and then realise four hours later you forgot to keep the promise of saving. The promise of saving is something you automatically sign yourself up to as soon as you leave uni, and you imagine that within the year you'll have enough to move out of the parents and make it on your own. Alas,the journey is not so simple, so here is what I've learnt from my saving journey so far.


1. Eventhough you're saving for your future, you feel like you're giving your  money away.

2. It can be quite exciting. Watching your savings grow is almost like working on the stock      exchange. At a much slower pace, with much less money.

3. You'll suffer extreme buyers guilt. Yep, even over the necessities of lip balm and gin.


4. But you'll try and lessen the buying blow by using Contactless because it really doesn't feel like money at all. Much like student loans didn't feel like money, and we all know how well we made those suckers last.


5. You look back on your uni days and cringe at the amount of money you could've saved, rather than spending it on Vodka and skater skirts.


6. You seriously start to question why on earth skater skirts were a good investment in the first place.


7. When you hit a saving milestone and feel like you've hit the jackpot, then realise to buy a house you need approximately seven times the amount. 


8. So you think fuck it, I'm off on holiday. But you don't actually, because you'll live with your parents for another ten years to hit that jackpot if you have to.


9. Pasta and pesto becomes your staple dish again. Are you back at uni? No, you've just turned into an absolute tight arse.


10. Bragging about your Capsule Wardrobe to try and justify your lack of wardrobe. 


11. You decide holidays really aren't that great, so you don't need one. Really. Who needs Vitamin D when you live in the sunny British Isles?

12. You cancel Netflix. And Apple Music. And decide there's nothing left to live for.


13. Until your parents step in, the ones who encourage saving, to let you know you've gone a bit too far.


14. You sit down with the parents and realise they know an awful lot about money, and you make a realistic savings plan.


15. You reinstate Netflix and happiness has been restored. 


16. You book that holiday to Stockholm, and perhaps even buy that leather jacket you've had your eye on.


17. You cancel Contactless because that is actually a very sensible thing to do. Honestly, look at your bank account and you just might scream on the tube at the amount you pay Contactless. Scary invention alert.


18. You'll return to your stock market with a fresh outlook, and even with the little indulgences your savings are still in check.

Congratulations, you're now older and wiser, even if you did have to slap yourself around the face when you started thinking about those Russell and Bromley shoes.

2016: My New Year's Resolutions

There's something so refreshing about New Year's Day. Being able to have a clean slate and think about what you truly want to do. Some people loathe New Year's Resolutions whereas I love them. I love the tradition of it all. Making the list, and keeping it framed by my bedside means I'm constantly reminded by the positive changes I want to make. Surprisingly, my resolutions for 2016 came to me very quickly.

How To Fail At New Years' Eve

January is one of my favourite months; I'm a right old cliché for starting afresh.

The Anti Bucket List

A lot of the time I find myself looking back on what could have been. It's a joke in my family that my motto should be 'shoulda, woulda, coulda'.