Where do we start?

Mental health is something that we have began to talk about more openly but we have yet to tackle the problem. We are having more conversations and it has become more accepted in society. It is crazy that it has taken us so long to even discuss the topic but at least we are now, right?

The sudden death of ex Love Island contestant Sophie Gradon has caused a great wave of concern across the country about the high suicide rate. Although her cause of death is yet to be formally announced, the words of friends and family, as well as her long history of depression has led to assumption that suicide may have been the cause. Whether this is true or not, it goes without saying that mental health disorders need to be tackled.

According to UK national statistics, there were almost 6000 suicides in 2016 alone. Although 2017 statistics are yet to be released it is very evident that it will have been very high. This number is the UK alone, leaving us with the question, how do we change this? Suicide is a worldwide problem caused by our lack of ability to treat mental health problems correctly and something needs to change.

Mental health is just as important as physical health and should be treated with the same urgency. It is not something that should be taken lightly and it needs to be treated well. Way too many families and friends have lost loved ones all because they couldn't get sufficient help or suffered in silence.

Where do we start? How do we change this? Rather than spending tremendous amounts of funds on defence, we should be funding the treatment of those suffering with mental health disorders such as Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar, ADHD and PTSD. ALL types and degrees of mental health conditions should be treated and ALL people should be given the right to help.

Where do we start? We should start from young. I remember being taught about the eat well plate and exercise from a very young age back in primary school but mental health was not a topic of conversation until I went to High School. I don't know whether that has changed now, however it is important that we teach children about its importance as soon as we can. We need to stop the stigma that mental health carries and ensure that it is understood. We need to demonstrate to young boys that it is not a "girl thing" and that they should never suffer in silence. We need to educate the future generation and cut this problem from the root.

With the rise of social media, mental health has become more of a problem daily. Hate comments. Heavily edited photos and videos. Distorted stories portrayed by the media. All causes of deteriorating mental health. Where do we start? We start by regulation. All social media platforms provide a list of terms and conditions, including the forbidden actions of users yet they are breached every single day.  I've seen violent language towards others, harassment, death threats, cyber bullying everyday this week on several pages across Instagram and Twitter. Why are they not being monitored? Social media platforms MUST regulate and monitor comments, images and videos posted to their sites that fuel or trigger mental health problems.

There needs to be somewhere that people can get help without needing to ask. Gyms, sports activities and classes are always being promoted, so why is it not the same for mental health? There should be regular drop in centres for conversations, social groups and check ups for mental health. Not only should we have check ups for our bodies but our minds.

There are many things that we could do to fix this problem, but where do we start? We start with us. Call a friend to make sure they're OK, donate to charities helping those in need, pray for one another and have each other's back. It can be hard to help others when we need our own help, but you never know what someone is going through.

If anybody needs professional help with anything mental health related, here are some resources:

Anxiety UK:

- Phone: 03444 775 774 (Mon-Fri, 9:30am-5:30pm)

- Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk  

Calm:

Campaign Against Living Miserably (For Men age 15-35)

- Website: www.thecalmzone.net

Depression Alliance:

- Website: www.depressionalliance.org

Samaritans: 

- Phone: 116 123 (Free 24-hour helpline)

- Website: www.samaritans.org.uk

Young Minds: 

Service for parents and professionals on child/adolescent mental health 

- Phone: 0808 802 5544 (Mon-Fri, 9:30am-4pm) 

- Website: www.youngminds.org.uk

OCD UK:

- Phone: 0845 120 3778 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

- Website: www.ocduk.org

I tried my best to find a range to cover different things, however if there isn't one applicable to you, there are lots more helplines and websites on the NHS website here.

Thanks for reading, 

Have a great day x 

Summer Bucket List 2018

Every year I create a summer bucket list and this year is no exception. Now that Summer is here, it is time to share with you the things I want to do! I've never had a summer where I have ticked every single thing off, so maybe this will be the year. In fact some of these things I have already completed and it has only been a week! I made this bucket list half way through exam season and I'm only sharing it now, which is why some of them are already completed.

1. Bus Challenge
- This was on my bucket list last year and I didn't get a chance to do it. I have put it around the top of my list this year so that I definitely get to do it. The idea is that you get on buses you haven't been on before and find new places to explore in your own city.

2. Go Bowling ✔
- I really enjoy bowling and I'm actually pretty good at it.
- Well...I went on Friday and I lost my crown! Totally blaming my shoes for that one. 

3. Bake Cookies with my friends
- There are some cookies that I used to make all the time for my friends and family. I haven't made them in about 2 years and I really want to make them again. It's always more fun to bake with other people too.

4. Go to a party ✔
- I rarely go to parties and I definitely want to go to a few this summer. This year I have been to 2 and maybe I can increase that number by the end of the summer.
- Went to my first one of the summer and its only a week in! I'm on a roll this year I think. 

5. Make New Friends 
- I'm always down to meet new people and I feel like summer time is always a good time to do that. Whether it be at a music festival, on holiday or just out and about, I would love to get to know more people. I also joined Campus Society which is an app that lets you connect with other people who are going to University. It would be great to make some friends before move-in day.

6. Go to IKEA 
-Believe it or not, I have never been to IKEA..yup I know, its disgraceful. With Uni being the perfect excuse to go, I had to put it on the list.

7. Play Mini-Golf ✔
- I have only played mini-golf once in my life and I remember it being so much fun. I would love to go and just have a laugh.
- I am not the best at mini golf but I had so much fun. I laughed so much, you wouldn't believe. My confident self even managed to get the ball off the course and onto another. Definitely want to go again real soon. 

8. Go to a Cocktail Bar✔
- I love a good cocktail. I'm not a big drinker at all (which will definitely stay that way- don't worry mum) but I do love a good cocktail. I'd love to go to a proper cocktail bar and just have a nice chat with the girls.
- My close friends and I went to a cocktail bar after our graduation meal. It was really nice to just chill and try something new. The music was great and we just enjoyed each other's company.

9. Get Flexible Again
- It's safe to say I am no longer very flexible. When you go from training every week to not training at all, it isn't a surprise. I haven't danced in so long and I do miss it. I want to join a society or something at uni but I want to get my flexibility back first. I can't even split without feeling like I've been split in half and God knows what happened to my middle split! Looks like I may need to start from square one.

10. Berry Picking✔
- This one wasn't my suggestion LOL. My best friend seems to be really into it and I've been dragged into it too. Sometimes you just have to nod and smile, so on the list it goes.
- It was oddly therapeutic and great for stimulating chats. It ended up being far more expensive than we thought but we split the cost between the three of us.  

11. Re-create Vines
- I saw this idea on someone else's bucket list and thought it was the best idea. I'd love to just re-create some of the classic vines that have me rolling on the floor everyday and record them. I can imagine having the best bloopers.

12. Cook a full meal for someone 
- I did this a few years ago and it was so much fun. I banned my family from the kitchen and cooked for my whole family. I would love to do this again.

13. Say YES to everything for a day
- I want to challenge myself to take more opportunities and be more adventurous. Obviously I'm not going to say yes to anything dangerous and immoral but other than that, I'm down for it.

14. Keep up with Politics
- Bit of a random one but I really want to keep up to date with politics. Now that I have finished it as an A-level, I feel more eager and keen to stay up to date with it. I want to know what is going on with Brexit, what other talks are happening etc.

15. Get a piercing 
- I had my ears pierced when I was like 12 but they closed up and I have never re-pierced them. I want to get them re-done this summer. I'm such a baby when it comes to needles, so it will be interesting to see how this goes.

16. Go Geocaching✔
- It just seems so much fun. If you don't know what it is, you pretty much just download the Geocaching app and follow the directions. Loads of random things are hidden around the city (all over the country) and you go find them. It's essentially a gigantic scavenger hunt.
-It was so exciting but unfortunately we didn't find any on our first go. We went to our local nature reserve where 2 were located but it was impossible to find any, due to lack of maintenance. The monstrous nettles and overgrown grass caused more injuries than victories. 

17. Make a Summer Scrapbook
- I did this in 2016 and still look back at it sometimes. It's such a relaxing and therapeutic thing to make and you have all your memories documented in one place. I have already bought the book, I am just yet to start.

18. GLOW UP
- I want to constantly improve myself everyday. I don't necessarily mean looks either. I want to grow in confidence, change traits I don't like about myself, look after my body more and develop spiritually. It is never a bad idea to improve yourself and its never a bad idea to do it before the beginning of a new era.

After this summer, real adulthood will slowly begin, so I hope I can make the most of every moment this summer.

Come back throughout the summer to see when I have completed anything! What's on your summer bucket list?

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

Life Update: I'M FREE!

I cannot believe I can finally say this, but I'M FREE! No more A-levels, no more exams and no more Sixth Form. It has been a long awaited moment but I'm finally done. When I finished my final exam, one of my first thoughts was that I could finally go back to writing for this blog. You guys have been deprived of content for way too long and I'm so sorry for that. It was the worst time to come up with so many content ideas that I couldn't produce. Lucky for us both, I can bang out all those ideas over the next 3 months!

This post is not going to be too long because I don't want to bore you, however I thought I would share a little life update, showing where my head is at right now.

Blogging

I have a whole spreadsheet of ideas for posts already and I'm totally open to your suggestions too! Let me know of things you may want to read. Over the next few weeks, I am hoping to revamp my page a little. For example, changing my profile picture, updating my about me page etc. Hopefully this will reflect this new and improved vibe I am going for.
I think we have established from previous summers and Christmases that I am incapable of sticking to a regular schedule, so I am not going to have a particular time table for when I publish. You'll have to follow me on my social media platforms to know when I have published. Speaking of social media...

Social Platforms

Recently I was locked out of my Twitter account totally at random. I had logged in after signing out when it was distracting me from studying and I couldn't get back in. I had a message telling me I had breached their terms and conditions. Obviously very confused, I followed all their instructions and sent an image of my ID proving my age. After about a week, I got an email informing me that I still hadn't met the requirements and my account was going to be permanently deleted. Of course I was still very much confused and did a bit of research to see if anyone else had this problem. Turns out that Twitter was locking all accounts created before people turned 13. Moral of the story is not to make a Twitter account 3 months before you turn 13, otherwise you may be punished 6 years later.

With that being said, my new Twitter is @chelle_babesxo and I would greatly appreciate if you went and followed me over there.

Exams

For the most part, exams went pretty well. I'm trying not to dwell on the papers that didn't go so well. At this point nothing can be done about it and results day is way too far down the line to stress about. Just know that AQA really tried it this year.

Uni

My accommodation is all booked and I have paid my deposit. I also have a couple items on my checklist ticked already, in terms of what I need for moving in.

General Life

Generally, I have been super happy since exams have finished. I have had a fun day out with one of my best friends, went to my first party of the summer and celebrated Father's Day with the best man in my life. Of course like everyone I have had my little problems but the good have definitely outweighed the bad.

I hope this brief life update has given you an insight into what is going on with me. I'm so excited to be posting again and I hope you are too! Stay tuned for the first post real soon.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x