Too much social media?

There comes a point when everyone who uses technology asks themselves 'am I using (insert social media site) too much?'. Since joining twitter I have discovered how easy it is to record almost every thought you have each day above (and including) which type of coffee you fancy from Starbucks. But are our lives becoming over consumed by social media?

The argument against: social media is only popular because people want and need it. As a blogger it's almost vital, and makes a huge difference to have a presence on twitter or Facebook. It's a great way to let people know about your blog posts and interact with other bloggers. I've even been invited to a blogger's meet up in my local town thanks to twitter. 

Social media also has practical uses. Facebook keeps you in touch with old school friends and makes it much easier to reconnect or arrange meet-ups. It's even possible to win prizes through social media sites and find out about websites or products you couldn't have otherwise discovered. 

The case against: do we really need to record every second of every day. Social media has become advertising, both personal and for products too. Thanks to social   media, I know how far some guy who went to me school ten years ago runs and what route he takes. I am kept regularly updated with people's shopping habits. In fact, when I meet up with friends and they tell me the latest gossip I end up repeating the phrase 'yeah, I saw it on Facebook'. It is starting to become monotonous.

On top of the key players there seems to be an app for every kind of social media. Photo sharing, text sharing, exercise sharing, sharing your to-do list, sharing your latest meal, the list goes on. Is it really necessary to record all this information? If you use all these apps it's almost like having a full time job filling them in. It's too much. 

On balance, use want you want. However, I do strongly felt that social media has become a way to advertise yourself, brag about the smallest achievements, and is making us all constantly 'on show'. Take the night off. Sit in your comfiest pyjamas and watch crap tv without feeling the need to broadcast it. In fact, if you're taking the time to tweet about it, it probably means what you're doing isn't that fun. Instead, get lost in the moment and forget about having an audience.

How do you feel about social media? 

A letter to my 16 year old self

Dear 16 year old Me,

I am now 26 years old. I wanted to write to you, dear 16-year-old self, to offer you some guidance and words of wisdom that I wish that I'd known during the last ten years.

Being skinny doesn't mean you have to starve yourself, but enjoy it while it comes easily. I'm not saying you're going to be fat when you're older, but at your age, skinny comes naturally. Don't worry too much about what you're eating, your body is naturally burning it off. Keep on running but eat what you like. When you get older it's not so easy to stay slim and you don't have as much time to exercise, so enjoy eating crap while you still can little me!

You're not tortured and misunderstood. You might think that you're the only one who is really a tortured soul who struggles through every day life and is severely misunderstood, but believe me... all teenagers think that. I teach lots of teenagers, and they all think they're the only ones with problems. They all listen to sad music and cry. They all think that no one understands them. Your life is good. Don't waste time trying to be the most miserable teenager. Things will change and being sad won't seem as 'cool'.

Enjoy your family. They're not going to be around forever, and they will never be all under one roof again. Spend time with them. Don't hide yourself in your room. Spend time with your parents and let them know that you appreciate them. Value that special time. In fact, even be nice to your brother once in a while. He's not that bad.

You're actually right about a lot of things. Don't let people lead you to believe your views aren't correct. Stick to your intuition. You're right, and you're intelligent. Stand up for that. You're actually pretty funny too. However...

Question your beliefs. Are you really sure about religion? Do some reading, talk to others and question your ideas. What do intelligent people around you think? Why?

People will like you. You might not be the most popular kid in school, but it won't matter. Once you start in the outside world you will have friends of different ages and spend time with lots of different people. Even if it takes a bit of time, the vast majority of people will warm to you and think you're funny and nice. It's not about being the most attractive. It's about being confident, kind and approachable, which you are.

Things won't always be smooth and you will have a lot to deal with in the next ten years. However, you'll cope, and you'll be proud of yourself. Things definitely go wrong for us at times, but you'll have the right support at the right times. You'll be surprised how hard you can work and how many challenges you'll jump into! Enjoy being a teenager while it lasts. Oh, and don't worry. You will get a dog, (but he'll find you so stop looking)!

Lots of love,

Your 26 year old self.

Should we take on a dog?

Remember when I wrote this post?

Things to think about before getting a dog

Well, my boyfriend and I dog sat a gorgeous dog at the weekend. It's my boyfriend's sister's dog, and she lives with her Grandad who is 93 so she just can't care for him. She's one of those impulsive people who buys a pet without thinking and then gives it away not long after.

He looks just like this gorgeous boy

 

At the moment the dog isn't being walked much. He gets taken out in the car a lot but she leaves him in the car while she completes her errands and then takes him back home.

My boyfriend and I just fell in love with him over the weekend. I went to work yesterday while he had a day at home, and when I got back the dog was so pleased to see me, it was adorable. The problem is he is a husky alsatian mix, and we both work full time. I can't help but feel it's cruel to take on a dog in that situation.

My boyfriend and I were thinking about it, and were thinking that perhaps we could hire a dog walker. His sister has offered to walk the dog while we're at work, but I would probably feel more confident if I was hiring someone to turn up at the same time every day. They cost around £10 a day, which ends up at around £200 a month, or £2400 a year! However, we wouldn't need to hire someone in holidays and as a teacher I get a fair few of them.

Another issue is we would like to travel, particularly living in Australia. It wouldn't just be a dog we'd have to consider in that situation though, we have family that needs a lot of our time and would struggle without us being around. We would have to think about a dog if going away on holiday. This would make a difference particulary for weekends away. Thankfully I think my Mum would be happy to dog-sit, but I don't think she was thinking of a big dog when she suggested that!

Cost is another issue. If he needs vets bills that would eat into our savings. We both work full-time in fairly well paid jobs though, so at least we are in a position where we would be able to cope. I'm sure a lot of other people own pets in less financially secure situations.

We also don't own our house. I don't think the landlord would particularly mind, but if she does, or if we want to rent elsewhere, it would be very difficult to rent with a large dog. I think we would have to buy a house which would add a massive headache to relocating.

Looking back at the post I wrote about dog owning before, I put 'you need to be sure about your life'. I am so much more sure than I was when I first wrote that post. I live with my boyfriend and it's great and we're very committed to each other. I'm looking for other teaching positions but I'm pretty sure teaching is the career I want to stay with (just perhaps not with teenagers). I'm happy to start thinking about owning my own home and finding a long-term job that I can blossom in.

The most I will commit to at this stage is a trial run with the dog. However, I can feel us falling for him and I don't know if it would be a good idea just to put my foot down, and walk away from the hassle. I'm sure we could find him a loving home with committed owners if we advertised him well. It's a tough one. In many ways he's ideal as I would like a dog that I can take running with me and he's good with children and other animals. What do you think? Do you own a dog?

How to insult 1000 people in one go.

I went to a wedding on Friday. It was my boyfriend's colleague's wedding so I wanted to make a good impression.. I wanted to look smart so I picked a knee-length floaty cream dress and my beige mango shoes that I totally love:

I thought, I'm looking sophisticated. It was an Indian wedding, but I assumed there would be other British people there in non-Indian clothing. We got a taxi there so we could both enjoy ourselves and have a bit to drink.

Anyway, I turned up and instantly knew I'd made a mistake. Everyone was in full length dresses, and those who weren't had leggings down to their ankles. We were the only non-Indian people there. It turns out is was a Muslim wedding and people were dressed much like this:

By then it was too late, and I knew I had to spend the rest of the night standing out like a sore thumb feeling like a hooker. I didn't have a low cut dress, and it wasn't especially short, but it was clear I had made a big mistake. There were no other British people there, even my boyfriend's work friends were of Indian heritage. 

The wedding was HUGE. They had hired out a huge hall and there were about 1000 guests. Thankfully we spent most of the time seated on a balcony above the main hall were there weren't too many guests. We went downstairs for a short time, and said hello to the bride. That was the worst bit because everyone knew I didn't fit in and I felt like they thought I had deliberately set out to insult their beliefs. To make things worse, the bride knew who I was when she met me and I just wanted to say "I'm sorry if I've inadvertently ruined your wedding." Anyway, it's over now, and I can laugh about it. It also has amused a few of my friends.

Anyway, if you get invited to an Indian wedding.... check if it is Muslim, and cover up. Please don't make the same mistake I did. Sigh.

Things you should think about before getting a dog

I am a dog lover. Not in a creepy 'pictures of dogs on my mousemat sense', but more in that I enjoy walking and playing with a dog and like having one around.

I am moving out of my rented room in a house of 4 and looking for a house for two with my significant other (God knows how he'll put up with me, but he knows what he's getting himself in to!). Obviously one of the thoughts I had was 'We could get a dog!'. Obviously with us both working full-time that may not be an option. Here is my checklist of things to think about before deciding to get a dog, both for your sake and the dog's. Until I am confident with each point, I wouldn't be getting a canine friend.

1. You won't be able to spend weekends away, or you will have to find someone to have your dog

This was a big factor in my thought process. I have only been dating my boyfriend a year. We love going away for weekends and it helps us both cope with stressful jobs. Giving that up right now would be a major downside. We could find people to look after a dog, but this is no easy feat. We don't have friends in a position to do so nearby, and if my Mum had the dog it would mean driving an hour away to drop it off. 

2. You need to own your own home.

This may not be everyone's opinion, but I think owning dogs in rental accommodation is a bad idea. Either you are not allowed a dog and are hiding the fact you have one, or you have it agreed but still risk losing a deposit due to scratched doors and chewed bannisters. Personally I think it is much more appropriate to own your own home before you get a dog.

3. You need to be in most evenings.

Dogs are sociable and they also need walking every day. You need to make sure you are around most of the time for your dog. This also means...

4. You can't work full time or need to come home at lunchtimes

Dogs need the toilet too and leave your dog for hours on end every day is hard on the poor thing. I do know people who leave their dog alone while they are at work and don't pop home for lunch, but in my opinion this isn't fair on the dog. Perhaps it might be slightly fairer if you have two, but it still means they are spending the whole day without a toilet break. I work 40 minutes away so couldn't come home at lunch times and I work full-time. It just wouldn't be fair.

5. You need places for your dog to exercise

 

A big garden helps, but parks and woods to walk in are important too. A dog doesn't want to just run around the same yard every day. The house we have looked at is right near great walks in fields so this would be great. 


6. You need a lot of spare income

Dogs are expensive. Injections are expensive. Operations are expensive. Even a check up at the vets is expensive. Unless you have a stash of cash reserved, you may have to end up leaving your pet without essential animal care. This is how dogs end up in rescue homes. Make sure you have money stashed away. I have some savings, but they need to be used on other things at this point in my life.

7. You need to be sure about your life

This seems a bit general, but I'm thinking of the long-term. If you get a dog, you need to know you don't want to jet off for a year travelling the world at some point in the near future. I would like to spend some time living in Spain, and having a dog would make that either impossible or much more difficult. You even have to know your partner won't get a job suddenly in London where you need to move into a flat because the house prices are too expensive there. My life isn't that settled right now.


I do know people who have ignored these factors and bought a dog in a similar situation to me because they wanted one. Yet, unless you are sure about all these things I think the responsible thing to do is to wait. Dogs are not to be taken lightly, they live for up to 20 years and require a lot of attention and space. I wouldn't even be prepared to get a cat at this point, as I may not be able to give it the care it deserves.

Do you have a pet? Do you agree with my checklist?

What should you expect from your University?

It is the time of year when people are accepted into, or choosing their University. But what should you expect when you get there? Your degree might be the most expensive thing you pay for in your life. Don't let yourself get ripped off.

Support for disabilities

If you have a support need, a disability, dyslexia, autism or another learning need, you should make this clear to the University. Many universities have halls designed for those with disabilities, but you should also ask about your ability to access lectures and seminars, and any help available for your situation. The university should help you to access education. You may have had support at school or University, and therefore should discuss what is available at University. Many young people who have had support in place at college or school find it very difficult to make the transition to Higher Education, so do your best to make sure you succeed.

Support for gaps in your knowledge

I was stuck between the marks between a 2:1 and a 2:2 on most of my assignments at University. I would often get just under the border for written assignments, and just over for practical assignments. I sought help to improve my marks, but was met by brick walls, either tutors who weren't interested enough or unhelpful members of admin staff. You are paying for a degree. If you are willing to put the work in to improve, they should be willing to help you to do that. Keep fighting! I wish I had. I ended up with one mark below a 2:1 overall, so received a 2:2. It hasn't help me back, but it is frustrating when I asked for feedback and guidance.

A pleasant atmosphere

A number of my tutors were downright rude to their students. We accepted it because we were younger than them, and felt intimidated. I am now a teacher, and if I could relive those University years, I would not stand for the way in which myself and other students were spoken to by some members of staff. Most were ok, if a little lazy because they were studying a PHD and didn't really care about their seminar hours. I don't like the mentality of complaining about every little thing, but make sure you stand up for yourself or do report times when you feel unfairly treated. Just because they apparently have the knowledge, doesn't mean they can do a bad job or speak down to people.

Crazy housemates

Everyone ends up living with someone crazy at University. I ended up living with idiots every year I was there. It's part of the process, and unless they are abusive, just take it as part of the experience. People will be messy, or grumpy, or a little nuts, but don't resort to passive-aggressive notes. It isn't pleasant and it's the cowards way out. If it bothers you that much, talk to them about it.

Opportunities

It is soooo easy to become lazy at University. You have few lectures, everyone else is lounging around and you go out during the week. Remember though, this is your time to explore. Join societies and take opportunities to meet new people and try new things. I didn't join a lot of groups because they were full of annoying people, particularly anything related to drama. I do wish I'd joined the student newspaper though or some even done a photography course in my free time. I did go running, but I wasted a lot of time too. I have precious little free time now I'm working, and I could have been learning guitar, Spanish, photography or visiting new places when I was at University. Make learning a priority. You will regret it if you don't!

Good luck on your University journey!

Is smacking wrong?

There has been a lot of debate recently about whether smacking children is child abuse, or a way of teaching your children right from wrong. Is smacking necessary, and should it be used as a final warning?

 The arguments

The arguments against smacking are that it inflicts unnecessary pain on young children, and can be abusive. I remember my father smacking me, once, when I was little. I don't remember why he smacked me, but he was very angry when he did it. I remember being scared and very upset. I think if people are going to argue that smacking is ok, it can only be done when people aren't angry. I was more scared by the fact that he was really mad at me, and then smacking me, than if he had done it calmly. To a child the person smacking is an aggressive person much bigger than themselves. It brings on feelings of helplessness and is fairly traumatic. 

I read this quote on pro-smacking website. It was trying to refute the myth that children are the only members of society not protected from smacking by law. It stated 

"If my wife was to smack me for some gross misdemeanor there is no policeman or court in the land that would do anything about it." (here)

This is completely different to smacking a child. In most cases the male in a relationship is bigger than the female. If a man smacked a woman, people would make a fuss. Children are smaller than women and find it more difficult to rationalise.

Do we need to smack?

I have friends with children, and I remember one friend telling me about her daughter touching the radiator. She had told her not to do it because it's hot. The little girl still insisted on crawling (or scooting) over to the radiator and trying to touch it. In the end, my friend decided just to let her do it. The child touched the radiator, realised the radiator burned her fingers, and didn't do it again.

My friend could have smacked her child instead of letting her touch the radiator, but she didn't, and the child learned her lesson without having to see her mother as a scary bringer of punishment. It still resulted in the child feeling pain and learning a lesson though, so is smacking any different?

In the above situation the pain was the reason not to touch the radiator, and was part of the lesson. Not all situations result in physical pain if the rules aren't obeyed: perhaps you are trying to teach your child not to snatch from other children, or they have broken an expensive item of furniture. I still think punishing them by smacking comes from anger and that it should be avoided.

Effects of smacking

Is there long term damage from smacking? I was smacked, once, and I don't think it's affected me, but I do remember those feelings of upset, and the place where it happened. The one time probably didn't have a big impact, but if I had been smacked regularly, I probably would have associated this with the parent who did the smacking. The fact I remember the incident so clearly does show it felt significant to me at the time, despite being around 7.

Should we be smacking them?

I don't think we should be smacking our children. I don't think we should be treating it as child abuse either, as people do have different views from myself. The only time I can logically see smacking as an answer is if a child is repeatedly disobeying the parent and the parent is calm and explains the reasons they are being smacked. Even then, it still feels wrong. I wouldn't slap my child round the face, so why is slapping it somewhere else ok? It just doesn't sit well with me.

What do you think?

Teenage angst is still alive!

Remember when you were a moody teenager who thought your entire life was pain and you were the most significant and sad person ever? Yeah, so do I. We all do. 

When you grow up, you start to forget about this process, but it's still going on all over the place. I see it at work fairly often, although obviously I can't share and specifics. But the place it is most apparent is on Tumblr.com

I conducted an experiment recently. I have added a picture from this post of an alarm clock that donates your money to a charity against your will while you snooze. It got re-tumbled a couple of times by different people.

I then added this picture to my Tumblr... 

It was the most teenage angsty thing I could think of doing without having any idea of how to create gifs or do anything remotely artistic (otehr than drawing a crude stickman). The picture was retumbled numerous times within a short space of time by people I had never met. Proof alone that Tumblr is being used for teenage angst "I feel so sad" outlets.

I don't have any problem with this, it's a phase we all go through, but it does make me upset that it's so rife. It's almost a competition for who can be the most tortured or upset. The most disturbing picture I saw being retumbled by users was this one...

It's practically advertising cutting yourself as normal. It just makes me sad that this teenage sadness is so apparent. It also makes it difficult to work out which individuals are genuinely suffering from depression, and which ones are forcing it upon themselves in an effort to appear to have depth. The phrase depressed is being batted around by young people for anything from feeling a little gloomy to practically suicidal.

As someone who works with teenagers, these issues worry me. It is not healthy for depression to be something to envy in others. It's not something to aspire to. Clearly teenagers are entitled to express and feel however they want to feel, but perhaps this should be addressed more openly in schools and colleges. Also, perhaps there is something wrong with our education system if so many young people are feeling this way.

Any thoughts?

Online dating: the do's and don'ts

As someone who found their partner on online dating, I thought I would impart my knowledge in the hopes of helping any singletons out there to bag the best man (or woman) on the site. Online dating is very unlike dating in real life, so you have to follow your own rules. Here are the do's and don'ts to get you started.

Do's

• Do upload a picture you like. Remember, this is what most men will use to choose whether to even read your profile, or reply to your message. I used one of myself smiling. I'm not particularly photogenic, plus I pull ridiculous faces in most photographs, so I chose one where I look pretty normal, and approachable. It's the internet equivalent of smiling across a bar at a guy, so pick that kind of smile. Make sure it's one you're comfortable with and feel confident about.

• Do send the first message. If you've read a guy's profile, and think he looks great, it's totally fine to send the first message. By the time you're dating you'll probably have forgotten who messaged who first anyway. He might not have spotted you amongst the crowd, so give him a nudge to get yourself noticed. I think this works better than 'winking' or whatever the equivalent on the website you're on. Make sure to ask questions so he has a reason to reply!

• Do be yourself. Don't try to write formally, but let your personality out. Make the odd little joke, or respond to something they've said as you would in real life. It's better for them to get an idea of your personality before you meet.

• Do let him ask you on the date. This isn't very feminist, and it depends what kind of guy you are after, but I think if he isn't confident enough to ask me on a date and decide where we go, then he probably isn't confident enough to meet my friends, or put up with my tantrums. This should say 'Do ask her on the first date' for any men reading.

• Do check your messages before you send them. I know I'm a bit of a grammar nazi, being an English teacher and all, but I refused to reply to a man who couldn't write correctly. Obviously in real life, I'd have found this out later, but in online dating it's all too obvious. Some blokes even admitted they copy-and-pasted their messages into Word before sending them to me to check they hadn't made any mistakes. I guess they saw "English teacher" and knew I'd be marking it as I read it. Not everyone will be as picky as me about this, but do check through and correct any silly or glaring mistakes.

• Do have fun.  Online dating can become a chore, particularly if you are messaging a lot of people. Try not to let it become something you 'have' to do. Perhaps limit the people you talk to, and don't be afraid to stop messaging someone if they're not your cup of tea. A short message explaining why is polite though if you have been messaging for a few.

Don'ts

• Don't give out your number/ ask for a number too soon. This is the internet equivalent of coming on too strong, or giving in too easily. The other person should work for your number, and you should feel some sort of chemistry before you give it out. Some men send it on the first message, and that just isn't on. Giving your number should be a pre-date thing, and of course, then it's more exciting when you do swap numbers.

• Don't add them on facebook before you've even met up. Facebook contains a huge amount of information, about both you and them. I have been put off guys by seeing their facebook, either because there are too many messages on their wall from girls, or they update their status too often. It's better just to keep it between the two of you before you've actually made contact.

• Don't talk to anyone who lives a million miles away. They may be hot, but you're setting yourself up to fail. The great thing about online dating is you can meet people locally. I would probably meet someone who lives an hour away, maximum. I was messaged by a give who lived in Liverpool, who was cute, but I said to him... what's the point? How often are we really going to meet up, and how could we have a relationship with this distance. I would ignore messages from too far away.

• Don't have other people in your photo. You'd be amazed to see how many people have a photo of themselves with a member of the opposite sex. I mean, really? Do I want to see your exes before I've even seen you? Of course not. Even if it isn't your ex, people will assume that it is. Just don't do it.

• Don't take the photo yourself. You should be in the photo alone, but actually taking the photo yourself in a mirror makes you look like you have no mates. If you can't find anyone to even take a photo of you, how isolated are you? Personally, I would ignore this kind of person.

• Don't take it personally. It's good to be messaging two or three people at once, because often a person will stop messaging halfway through a conversation without giving a reason why. Usually this will be because they met up with somoene they quite like (I did it when I met my fella... after one more date I'd lined up. Luckily for him, it went really badly). It could be because you're just not their type. Don't take it personally, they haven't even met you. It's also very easy to read things in the wrong way, but shit happens. Don't send apologetic emails or try to message them back. Keep your head held high and message someone else instead.

Good luck in the weird world of online dating, and let me know how you get on. It really is hilarious seeing the things some people say! If you've had any weird messages, leave them as a comment.

The key to happiness...

I think I may have discovered the secret of happiness...

It's this song...

Followed by this one....

And repeat....

Ways to improve your life

I am always aspiring to improve. Of course, sometimes I take the week off, and laze around in my own filth, but generally, I want my life to be better. I do find this easier at some points, and harder at others. I'd like to be tidier, but I find it hard at the moment because all my things are in one little room because I share a house with housemates. If I had somewhere bigger, I could keep my books in the lounge, and my printer in the spare bedroom, rather than having everything on top of me. However, I thought I would blog about some practical ways you can improve your life that have a great feel-good factor. I would recommend gradually incorporating them into your life one at a time. It's hard to do too many things at once.

I am a big fan of lists, so be prepared for yet another list-style entry....

Stay in touch with friends/ visit people you haven't seen for a while

I worked at a camp with a group of people 5 years ago. We had a good time and I felt like I made some good friends. Inevitably, we lost contact, and didn't meet up. 6 months ago, one of those friends sent me a facebook message (facebook is a great way of reconnecting with people) and said, let's meet up. Part of me thought that would be a little weird, and we should probably just move on now, but instead of listening to that, I thought 'what the heck', and invited her and another guy we worked with to stay at mine. It was strange at first, but we went back to our old ways pretty quickly. Since then I've seen her a couple of times and went to a gig with her in London. We text quite frequently too. I'm really glad we got back in touch and I'd count her as a fairly close friend now. Sometimes it's worth putting in a bit of effort, even though it's tempting just to carry on with your life as it is.

Fix things

This is one I'd like to work on a bit more. When something breaks, I wish I would just fix it straight away and then it's done. I, and I'm sure a lot of other people, tend to leave things that are non-essential. This also accounts for checking air pressure in my tyres, washing the car, all those jobs that are easy to leave. I think it's liberating to sort these out quickly, or check them regularly. I try to make a mental list of things I need to do, put them in an order, and then do them. I do this for little jobs around the house, but I think I'll extend it to the bigger jobs too.

Get educated

This is an area I'm pretty good at. I haven't gone a year without studying something since I left school. I'm starting an MSc in September. I think it's a worthwhile way to spend your time, gives you better career options, and makes me feel like I'm doing something positive. It's much more interesting when you've picked the subject, the last two years I've been doing my PGCE which isn't exactly exciting learning, only necessary. I think this is a good thing to spend money on, and I liked to do something productive with my evenings, rather than sitting doing nothing (hence the blog, I guess).

Change your diet

Every now and then, I go on a healthy eating kick, only buy healthy food, and make things from scratch. I used to make a lot of soups at Uni. It's easier when you have a lot of free time, but I think it's something that you should sometimes make a priority. I'm due another healthy eating kick soon, so I'm sure I'll clear out my cupboards and buy lean meat, vegetables, nuts and malt loaf.  Mentally it makes you feel proud of yourself, cleaner, and probably does your body a lot of good too!

Clean, clean, clean

Everyone loves the feeling of a spring clean. This can be extended to organising your wardrobe, washing the insides of the bathroom draws (don't pretend yours aren't at least a little minging!) and rearranging your ipod library so you aren't listening to the same old stuff. Even changing around your kitchen cupboards to use space more economically can have a positive effective on your mind.

Plan the small things to help yourself

 Spend a bit of time organising your life to help future-you find it easier to do things when they're running late for work. I often find myself thanking past-me for putting things in a bag ready for myself to run out the door.

Remember, it's not just the big things that are important. Sometimes making minor adjustments can have major impact.  My new plans are to organise pretty little odds and ends in glass jars to make them tidy, and a pretty little ornament. I'm also going to sort out my clothes and store them more neatly. What are you going to do? Let me know how you get on.