Oh Look Im Still Alive

ERS2017 lockscreens | set 71/?

Stop comparing your life to the lives of others. Absolutely everything you “know” about others is based on assumptions of a partial picture. We can never really know what goes on inside the mind and heart of another person, because what we show to the world is an edited version of ourselves. You know how it is: we put on happy faces and rarely talk about our pain even with those who are closest to us; therefore, what we see of others is really an incomplete picture. Comparing the complete picture of your life (which, of course, only you see and experience every day) to the incomplete picture of another person’s life is futile and stupid. Remember, just because you see a group of people laughing while hanging out together at a bar doesn’t mean they are all having a good time. Just because you see a couple locked in a loving embrace doesn’t mean they don’t fight beyond closed doors. You cannot and should not judge the quality of your life based on what you see of the lives of your friends or stories you hear in the media.

Speaking of media, be conscious of what media you consume and how it affects your beliefs and feelings about your life. All media stories are witnessed, sifted, filtered, crafted and edited. Media stories are also partial pictures created to evoke a certain feeling or prove a specific point. By media stories, I’m not just talking about traditional television programs or movies, but I am also talking about “reality” television, blog posts and even Facebook pages. Things that appear in these formats are always edited to show a desired slant, even casual snapshots or off-the-cuff status updates.

Allow yourself to feel your feelings of loneliness. It is OK to feel lonely. Loneliness is not unique to you, nor is it proof that you are weird or a social outcast. Loneliness is a natural part of the human condition. When you feel loneliness, know that you are not alone. Hopefully, this will help you feel less lonely.

Find something you love to do and find a group of people who also love that thing and do it together on a regular basis. It really is that simple.

Be patient. Friendships and strong, fulfilling bonds take time to develop.

Volunteer to help people who have less than you do. Not only does helping people increase your opportunities to have meaningful social interactions, it also helps you to put your suffering into perspective.

Transform negative thoughts with gratitude. If you keep telling yourself things like, “I am weird. I have no friends. I am alone. Everybody rejects me,” then your life will form to these thoughts, and you will create a socially isolated reality for yourself. You will look around and see only the things that reinforce your negative worldview. You will dwell on the person who ignores you, while completely missing the three other people who smiled at you. Instead of allowing your negative thoughts to become you, be grateful for all that you do have and put your focus there.

Remember, emotions are like weather patterns passing through your mind. Just because you are lonely today, does not mean that you will be lonely tomorrow. Your future only resembles your past if you allow it to do so.

Work through feelings of jealousy, hate and rage productively with a counselor, meditation, yoga or genuine prayer. If you find that you are unsuccessful in reducing your feelings of social isolation on your own, seeking help from a mental health professional, a spiritual teacher or life coach can help you make the life changes you crave. Do not let continued anger fester and get out of control.

Get out and start interacting with people. Surfing the web, reading blogs or sending email is not interacting with a person; is not face to face interaction. They can be great building block for social relationship, however humans are social beings and need face to face interaction with people. If you feel socially isolated, more face-to-face interactions with other human beings can help. 

1. You are loved.

2. The best day ever hasn’t come yet.

3. There are puppies you haven’t pet.

4. Everything changes so eventually it will get better.

5. People adore you and admire you for everything you’ve gone through.

6. Your mistakes don’t define you.

7. The past was hard, but that’s not all there is.

8. Just like you, wild flowers grow all on their own and still manage to look beautiful.

9. People can say whatever they want, but you can react however you want.

10. If your world is small now, remember that the universe is constantly expanding, as is yours, and will never stop.

11. When someone hates you, there’s someone who loves you thrice more.

12. It doesn’t matter if they don’t forgive you. All that matters is if you forgive yourself.

13. Animals are cute throughout any stage of life.

14. Miracles happen daily.

15. Everyone would miss you because however big, you are a part of their world.

16. Someday, you will be someone’s entire world.

17. Your favorite food tastes like heaven.

18. Every sunrise and every sunset is gorgeous and unique.

19. Even if you have bad days, you have good days too.

20. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

21. You can cherish the little things. All of them add up to a big thing.

22. Different kinds of kisses.

23. This world has no limit on possibilities.

24. Time doesn’t end. There will always be more if you need it to think, to plan, to recover, or to savor.

25. Hugs.

26. Warm cozy blanket-cocoons in the middle of the winter.

27. If you don’t think you have a purpose, that’s no reason to cut everything off. You will always have one, you just may not know what it is yet. Live looking for a purpose.

28. Humans have intelligence, reasoning, and natural talent. It’s impossible to not be awesome at something.

29. A mirror is a piece of glass. A camera is a machine. Neither can tell you if you’re pretty or not.

30. You can mix two dull colors to make a vibrant hue no one’s ever seen before.

31. People will constantly surprise you with how much they care in the simplest of ways.

32. No one will ever forget you.

33. What you aren’t given, but you need, you will eventually find yourself.

34. No one ever stops growing. If you don’t know who you are right now, that’s okay; you’ll eventually blossom into a brand-new you.

35. Smile because the world would be so very dark without it.

36. Laughing makes everything better.

37. You can love yourself and not be conceited.

38. Strength comes from endurance and experience.

39. You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. You can be born into this world, but this world doesn’t owe you anything. It only gives you the opportunity to be happy. It’s completely up to you whether or not to take it.

40. There will always be places you’ve never been to.

41. At the beach, there is garbage, and then there are sea shells. Don’t look for just the trash. Focus on the sea shells.

42. You can make anyone happy.

43. There’s so much to look forward to.

44. Sand in between your toes.

45. Rain on your skin and in your hair.

46. Many are jealous of you.

47. Even if you lose something, you’ve always had your heart that’s been through everything with you.

48. Boyfriends and girlfriends and friends come and go, but true best friends are forever.

49. Everything happens for a reason, but none so great that you are expendable.

50. Blue skies.

51. Warm and cool breezes.

52. Cuddling with kittens.

53. You haven’t met that someone special yet.

54. Someone needs you.

55. There are goals you haven’t accomplished yet.

56. Hair is soft after you brush it.

57. Relaxing bubble baths.

58. Walks in the park.

59. Drives through the countryside.

60. Butterflies with luminous wings.

61. Jewelry worth more than gold.

62. Songs that soothe your soul.

63. Dancing that gets your heart pumping.

64. Inside jokes with your friends and family.

65. You’re not alone.

66. There are billions of humans living on earth. Of those billions, there’s hundreds, if not thousands, that are like you and will like you.

67. Daydreaming.

68. Magic is real in every pair of eyes.

69. Your hands were made to hold others’.

70. Your feet were made to take you places.

71. So many recipes haven’t been discovered yet.

72. Genetic engineering is advancing by the day. Pretty soon, we will have dragons.

73. When sunshine meets rain, a rainbow is formed.

74. The color from sunsets come from light pollution, meaning even damaged things can be beautiful.

75. Books give you worlds to go to if you want to escape this one.

76. You can be spontaneous whenever you want.

77. There’s always something new to learn.

78. People love your laugh and your smile.

79. It’s impossible to be ugly.

80. Scales don’t define you.

81. Stars are stunning with their tiny light.

82. You can ride wheelie chairs down hills.

83. Exercise boosts endorphins—chemicals that make you happy—so it’s worth it to get out of bed.

84. Your favorite piece of clothing.

85. Confidence.

86. Snowflakes on your tongue.

87. Nostalgic Disney movies.

88. Flying a kite.

89. Sleeping with your pets snuggled up close.

90. Vacations to exotic places.

91. You have to hang out with your online friends.

92. Sadness doesn’t last forever.

93. Someone is waiting for you.

94. You have untapped strength and prowess.

95. There is no such thing as a worthless human being.

96. Swimming in the ocean heals.

97. Wolf kisses are antibiotic.

98. The road never ends; only new ways to travel the road appear.

99. It’s more likely than you think that you’ll meet your favorite actor.

100. I love you.

HEY! Darling

Thank you! this is soooooooo amazing !

You have a great day

Love always

shower. not a bath, a shower. use water as hot or cold as u like. u dont even need to wash. just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while. sit on the floor if you gotta.

moisturize everything. use whatever lotion u like. unscented? dollar store lotion? fancy ass 48 hour lotion that makes u smell like a field of wildflowers? use whatever you want, and use it all over. 

put on clean, comfortable clothes. 

put on ur favorite underwear. cute black lacy panties? those ridiculous boxers u bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt? put em on.

drink cold water. use ice. if u want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.

clean something. doesn’t have to be anything big. organize one drawer of ur desk. wash five dirty dishes. do a load of laundry. scrub the bathroom sink. 

blast music. listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy. sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.

make food. don’t just grab a granola bar to munch. take the time and make food. even if it’s ramen. add something special to it, like a hard boiled egg or some veggies. prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something. 

make something. write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic. even if you don’t think you’re good at it.

go outside. take a walk. sit in the grass. look at the clouds. smell flowers. put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.

call someone. call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call. talk to a stranger on the street. have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice. if you can’t, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person. even if you don’t say much, listen to them.

Eating and Drinking: Make sure you eat food, and drink water regularly. Carry a water bottle everywhere you go if it helps. I always have a water bottle, and something I can snack on in my bag, because I tend to forget otherwise. Eat healthy foods where you can, but honestly, something is better than nothing. Take the time to eat, and drink. Nutrition and hydration is important for fueling your body and will help you focus, and stay focused. 

Taking breaks: These are necessary. It doesn’t have to be long, but you should aim to take at least five minutes every hour, and some longer ones here and there. It can be hard to stay focused, and you can burn yourself out easily if you try and study for hours on end, day after day. Listen to your needs. Getting a headache? Take a short break. 

Mental Health Days:  We’ve all had those days where we’ve had good intentions to write notes on some chapters, maybe work on an assignment, read a chapter in the text book, or whatever, only to wake up, and feel like our mental illness is getting the better of us, and study just isn’t on your radar. It’s okay to take a day off to do something mindless, or enjoyable, or relaxing. It’s important to take these days when we need too. Don’t feel ashamed to take a day off for your mental health. 

Socialising: Go to that party, catch up with that friend for coffee, Skype with that friend, catch up with your dash board, or Facebook news feed, whatever it is, it’s okay to do those things. Just as long as you don’t always do those things. Not letting yourself do those things, especially when you’ve been struggling with mental illness and motivation to study, and you take your socialising away from yourself entirely as punishment, can contribute to the cycle of not studying. Find a balance that works for you.

Talk to someone: A therapist, a friend, a significant other, sibling, parent, teacher, whoever. If you trust them, and ask if it’s okay to talk to them about things that are bothering you/going on for you, then you should talk to them. Talking about things can really help you to start working through things one by one when it all seems overwhelming, and upsetting. Also, don’t be afraid to let your teachers/professors know that you are going through difficult times. Utilise the programs and resources your school/college/university has to offer. Ask for that extension if you need it.

Exercise/Stretching: It’s good to not only have a regular routine for your overall physical health, and fitness, but during your study sessions, it’s also good to get up, and move around, and do some stretches every once in a while. Just like with taking breaks, you can use those break times to incorporate some movement. Get up, walk around the house, stretch, do some star jumps (I think some people call them jumping jacks???). I am terrible with exercise regimes. I am working on trying to include walking around the block, weights and resistance, and other things into my week, because I know that exercise is supposed to help with focus, and my overall physical health. And it’s supposed to help with mental health too.

Sleep: Get some sleep, and get some good sleep! 7-9 hours of good quality sleep per night, is ideal for most people. Know yourself, and how much sleep you need. I personally need about 8 hours, anything less and I struggle. Sleep can be hard if you’re struggling with insomnia (I do) but giving yourself as much opportunity to sleep as possible (within reason), will really help. Also, taking naps during the day can really be helpful. I often take short naps when I get home from classes, because I find it helps me to consolidate the knowledge better, and revitalises my body, and my mind for me to continue with my day, as classes take a lot out of me mentally, and physically. Don’t stay up all night, you’re better off getting some sleep earlier, and getting up earlier. And take naps if you need too!