Dear Lacey, if you’re reading this then you’ve already made it through your worst days, well done. I’m proud of you, you’re doing great. I’m currently struggling to get through mine and that’s fine because I know that, eventually, I’ll be alright… But I’m not right now and a lot of that is to do with the fact that I’ve neglected myself for so long and now I must learn how to look after myself again. And right now, I hate it and I’m miserable, but I know that one day, hopefully soon, all this negative energy will pass.

 I’m currently staring at a brownie that I paid for but don’t want whilst burning my tongue on bad coffee. Happiness feels so far away and unattainable and honestly, I just flat out want to give up.
Obviously, I’m not going to do anything dramatic but sometimes, life just piles up all at once and you have to sift through all the bullshit just to find yourself again. When this happens to you, which it will because everyone will more than likely experience this feeling at least once in their life, I want you to know that it’s not selfish to put your own wellbeing first, it’s just necessary.

Self-care isn’t about buying a new outfit and going out to get drunk so that you don’t have to feel anything. It isn’t surrounding yourself with toxic people just so you’re not on your own. It’s about doing whatever is best for your mental, physical and emotional health. Not taking notice of what you want but what you need. This may be spending an entire day in bed, crying, just to release your emotions and reset. It could be working out to fill your brain with endorphins. You could just tidy your room so that your space is clear, and it feels free. Whatever makes you feel like there’s a bit less of a weight on your shoulders, even just for a while. It gets a little easier every day, but you must do it every day. Even if initially, it pushes you deeper into sadness, just remember that once you hit the bottom, the only way is up. I’m not saying wake up at 6am every morning and go for a jog or be immediately productive, you don’t have to wake up at 6, 7, 8 or even 9 but you have to wake up, drag yourself out of bed and force one foot in front of the other.

Take a selfie, do your make up, treat yourself to a lie in, find something to enjoy daily, even if it’s just watching the sunset, drink water and stay hydrated. Look after number one because if everyone else leaves, you need to remember how to love yourself. Try a new coffee, eat an extra cookie and don’t feel bad about it, like your own pictures, drink water, look yourself in the mirror and build yourself up instead of tearing yourself down. Stop humouring people that aren’t any good for you, paint your nails, listen to happy music, drink water, change your bedsheets, put pictures up on your wall, take a nap, wear some cosy fluffy socks. Cook your favourite meal, go for a nice long walk, watch motivational videos. Drink water. I swear, I never listened to a school nurse when they said, “drink some water, you’ll be fine.” But damn if that wasn’t some of the realest shit anyone has told me. Making sure you reach your daily water intake everyday will speed up your metabolism, clear your skin, keep you from going dizzy and will also give you a small goal to reach towards and focus on.

Lacey, look after yourself baby girl because you are so important, and you constantly need to be aware of your self-worth.

As always, I love you, love yourself Moosh.