Can you even call yourself a blogger if you don't love a good face mask? Life is all about enjoying the little things and there are few things more relaxing than a mini weekend pamper at home on a Saturday morning. 

Saving to buy a house has meant that I've been really watching my money for the last 18 months or so, which has meant I can't really afford to indulge my love of high end skin care. 

Luckily these three are actually my favourite face masks that I reach for over all of my others and they're all very affordable too!

1. Quick Fix Facials Purifying Charcoal Mask - £5.29

This is described as being for congested and lifeless skin and I think that is a very fair description. It is definitely the one I reach for when my skin is playing up as it does exactly what it says. This is a charcoal mask so comes out a very dark colour so I find it is best to remove it with a dark flannel or it can make your white ones look a little grey. It also has a pleasant tingling sensation when its on so you can actually feel it doing something. I can sometimes find charcoal masks to be too drying but this one leaves my skin feeling soft, without that uncomfortable tight feeling. 

This range is super affordable too and there is a mask for every skin concern. However, if you have combination skin like myself and sometimes have a break out you should definitely try this one!

2. Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Mask - £5.99

I bought this after seeing Jasmine Talks Beauty rave about it in a post and I am so glad I did. This is a super soft clay mask with ingredients that include honey (obviously), beeswax and various fruit extracts such as papaya. The result is skin that looks brand new after use. This is actually my favourite mask out of the three and although I haven't had it as long I've used quite a bit of it! It really does improve the radiance of your skin which can be something I struggle with. This product smells like honey as well which is another part of it that I love.

I now really want to try other things from this range so if you have any recommendations, let me know!

3. L'Oreal Pure Clay Glow Mask - £7.99

Everyone and their dog has been raving about these masks and I picked this one up in Tesco when they were on offer.This one is slightly different to the other masks in that it contains a physical exfoliant so it is a mask that is combined with a scrub.

The red algae and three clays it contains are meant to help with brightening and they definitely do. I apply this in a thin layer and leave it to sit for 5 minutes before massaging it into the skin to make use of the scrub action and then rinsing away. For the price, this product certainly feels and smells like a far more expensive product. It has a gentle, almost spa like scent to it which I really like. The packaging is fantastic, with a solid glass pot that means you can get every last bit of the product out. It also looks great on my bathroom shelf! The quality of the product itself is lovely and it has a really smooth, creamy texture. 

I think I'll be looking to try more from this range!

The best part is all of these masks are under £10 so they are an affordable way to treat yourself! Do you have any bargain skin care favourites? Let me know in the comments as I'm always looking for good quality skincare that won't break the bank!

Super Affordable Jo Malone Dupes from Waitrose Heritage Collection

Is there even a blogger in existence that isn't obsessed with Jo Malone?
Every time I walk past John Lewis I dive in there for a whiff and end up sampling absolutely everything. Every birthday and Christmas I debate over whether I should ask for anything from my (very long) wishlist.

But so far I never have because try as I might I *just* can't quite justify the price tag when I have loads of lovely perfumes and body products already. It just seems too extravagant. I mean I get that's the whole point of the brand but I need something a little more affordable.

And then low and behold I stumbled across some totally unexpected gems in the most unlikely of places. Waitrose.

Just to be clear, I don't normally shop in Waitrose (probably not a surprise as I can't afford anything from Jo Malone) but I do work opposite a very large branch and I tend to pop in there on my lunch break for random bits. Like emergency diet coke.

My absolute favorite Jo Malone Scent is English Freesia and Pear and the Waitrose Heritage Collection stocks a range of body products in this EXACT scent. It was not what I was expecting to find while I was looking for some Waitrose Essential shower gel. As soon as I opened the bottle and sniffed it I knew I had to buy it. I was even more excited when I realised there is a whole range of products in the same scent. There are also two other scents in the range which are White Jasmine & Peony and Orchid & Honeysuckle, which are lovely but cannot compete with my favorite fragrance of all time.

I snapped up the bubble bath, the body butter, the hand wash and hand cream. All for £12. Yes that's right. I worked out the purchases of the same products from Jo Malone would have cost around £150.

The packaging is actually really lovely and although its not as classy as the real thing from Jo Malone it is stunning in its own right with delicate floral patterns. To top it all the products are also superb and do exactly what they are meant to.

Overall I will continue to purchase this as a fantastic everyday alternative to the luxury brand. It might not have the indulgence and opulence of Jo Malone but it does mean that you can enjoy a little bit of that lifestyle every day. And without the hefty price tag.

When is the right time to do something?

Now I'm in my third year at uni this question surrounds me constantly. I'm no longer a carefree freshers who's major concern is working out how much I can drink and still make it to my 9am lecture. And its not just me, its my friends too. We're no longer stressing about how we're going to do all the things we want but rather WHEN is the right time to do them.

I know one day I want to explore the world a bit more. But when should I do it? Do I get it all out the way in a year long trip after I graduate? Sounds amazing but I have no money to do that, so I guess I need to get a job. But once I have a job heading off on such an adventure would probably ruin my career. So just how am I going to make this dream work?

Another major goal of mine is to one day own a house. I've lived in rented housing for three years now and I don't see that situation changing anytime soon. Its ok, but I would like to have something that is actually mine. I want to be able to do things as simple as change the wall colour or hang a picture without having to ask first. But most of all I want to feel settled somewhere, to create my own home and to feel it is my own personal sanctuary. I'm desperate to unleash that nesting urge women seem to have and put my own personal stamp onto something. So I guess I am going to have to get a job and save damn hard if I want to make this one work. But when is the right time to actually say you want to put some roots down and start building your life?

Most difficult of all when is the right time to have children? If I'm being honest this is my only major life goal I have. But ask anyone and they all have different opinions on whens the right time in your life to embrace this enormous change and responsibility. I've got friends who already have children and those that are shocked at the thought of having kids before they are 30. I think I'm probably somewhere in the middle of those two but even so I have no idea if or when there will ever be a time when I'm ready. I don't think its fair to have children if you are not able to support them. But will I ever get to that stage before the biological clock has stopped altogether? With a family history of early onset menopause it is definitely something I need to be thinking about.

These worries keep me up at night sometimes. This is the big stuff that I actually really want. And it scares me that I have no idea if its even possible to achieve all of it. And because its what I want I think its worth giving it some thought. I'm starting to see that stressing about it endlessly won't help either. I have no idea what the future holds and my current situation might change dramatically. I might win the lottery or get some amazing job that will allow me to afford these things easily. I guess I just need to wait and see what happens and try to ignore the pressure society puts on us to 'have it all figured out'.

Also, in all honesty though I am not sure there is ever a 'right' time to do anything and if you are determined to wait for it then you might never achieve anything. Sometimes you just have to go with it and take the risk. That I guess is the tricky part and the point I am trying to make with this post. You just need to decide if you want it enough to try.

For now, I am going to focus on finishing my 3rd year at uni and going on holiday to Crete. These are all baby steps towards what I want in the long term. The rest of it will just have to work itself out.

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Holding down a job and a degree at the same time

Having a job is tough. Going to uni is tough. Doing both at the same time? Pretty damn difficult even for an organised person with their shit together. Somehow I seem to fool people into thinking I am such a person but in reality I'm really not. I am just muddling through trying desperately not to forget any of the things I am meant to be doing.

Right now my life is just revision. And it sucks. Everyone knows this but it doesn't make it any easier. The next two weeks are my final exams of third year and they're also my final exams at uni. Not because I am graduating but because I refused to take any modules next year with an end of semester exam. Got my priorities right for once.

I'm going to be honest, there's been a fair bit of procrastinating but every activity is tainted by guilt because I should be working. But what happens when like me you also have a job to stress about? You go totally insane that what. In fact you decide to write a blog post about it because you have so much stuff to do that anything seems more appealing. Life is hard. But ignoring your problems makes it easier right?

Working while studying deserves more respect then it gets, I'm trying hard to do two different things at once without compromising on performance for either. Its not easy. Today I'm shattered from a late shift last night and trying to revise. I would really love to have a bath and crawl into bed but I can't because I have an exam on Monday.

It's been a gorgeous sunny day and I've been stuck indoors with my computer trying to focus. Its not going well. People tell me if its too much then I should quit my job. But unfortunately for me I cannot have one without the other. I need the job in order to afford to stay at uni and I need the degree in order to one day move on from my current job to another one.

I hope that one day an employer will look at my CV and be impressed I managed to do both at once. Its not easy and means I often have to compromise on my social life. But I like to think I am just working on my life skills. Once we leave the cosy student life we all have to start making these sacrifices and managing our time even more carefully. Hopefully this will stand me in good stead for when I am become a 'proper adult'.

Also everytime I set foot inside the office I am gaining real work experience. Not just a week spent filing and making tea but actually doing the work instead of watching. I've had training, gained skills and been given responsibility. And I'm being paid for it.

I've spent a fair bit of time watching my friends all scramble for internships. Having done over 3 months of unpaid work experience all I can think is they are essentially all competing to be unpaid labour. Compare that to my year of true work experience and consider that I get rewarded for my time and effort. Now I've experienced both I know which one I prefer. Working for nothing gets old very quickly.

Even if it just means I am not dirt poor while I am at uni that surely must be a good thing. Its hard to focus when you are constantly worrying about where you are going to find the money for next months rent or lying awake at night thinking about how close you are to your overdraft limit. Not to brag but I don't even have an overdraft. I've actually got a savings account (although its to pay for uni next year). Check me out, fully fledged adult over here.

There are days like this one when I think I must be properly mad to contemplate being able to do both. But I've managed it for over a year and I like having the security of a regular income. I no longer get that fear when its the end of the term and my student loan has nearly ran out. I also actually like my job and there is satisfaction to be gained from a successful shift. So I just gotta knuckle down and work my way through the next few weeks. Got to hustle if you want results.

And as an added bonus my exams finish pretty close to pay day...Guess I'll be winning then.

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Why I've decided to not drink anymore

I realise this title makes me look like an alcoholic but I'm not. That's also exactly what an alcoholic would say right? I am however a student and we are all aware of the drinking culture associated with going to uni.

In truth I've never really been one for drinking. As a teenager I didn't feel the same desire to get wasted and vomit everywhere like everyone else. Partly because I was shy and unconfident, partly because I was scared of losing control like that and partly because my parents are very relaxed about drinking. If I wanted to drink I could, they wouldn't mind and they've always treated me like an adult when it comes to alcohol. As a result I've never really felt the urge to rebel and go crazy.

Unlike a lot of people I didn't start drinking until 6th form and even then it wasn't the be all and end all like it appeared to be to so many of my peers. It was fun, but I had more fun from hanging out with my friends than from the alcohol. The getting ready and the anticipation have always been the best part of a night out, followed by a take away and sitting up til the small hours discussing the most pointless things.

After two years at an all girls grammar school, by the time I was a fresher I was capable of drinking a fair bit. I went out every night for 2 weeks when I first started uni and was barely tired. I would skip off to my 9am the following morning without a care in the world. But for me going out was always about the amazing time I had dancing and meeting people, the drinking just goes along with it.

I've also always been a total lightweight and its never taken much to get me tipsy. As a student this has definite advantages as it means you can afford to go out whenever you want. But I've also always been equally happy to go out sober. Sometimes this is just a necessity because I have often been the designated driver for the night, but occasionally I just didn't really want to drink but still wanted to have a good time.

Because of all this for a student I have never really drunk much and certainly never enough to make an impressive story. I am not one of those girls that can impress guys by downing pints of beer without so much as blinking or do endless shots throughout the night. Although I making myself out to be quite boring here I don't really care. I think my friends will all agree that being on a dance floor with me is an experience regardless of how much I have had to drink.

Over the three years I've been at uni I have gone out less with time. I guess this is normal as being a fresher is a crazy period of your life and you just want to get out there and see what the world has to offer. But after you've been at uni a while you're more settled with stable routines and friendships so you don't feel the need to party as much. Plus you have actually got work you're meant to be doing.

Recently however I have started to really suffer after a night out and not just with a normal hangover. I've decided that even my occasional drinking is not doing my body any favours. Last night I went out and had a few cocktails, despite not feeling drunk my body is not happy today. So I am going to drink a lot less as there seems to be little point when I can have just as much fun without it.

I'm a big girl now and I can make my own decisions without being influenced by others. My friends might think I'm crazy or boring or whatever but its my body so I get to decide what I do with it.

I'm not going to be so rigid as to say I am never drinking again, I'm only human. But I think I'm going to start being a lot more selective about when and what I do drink.
I guess on the plus side less hangovers, more money and in truth cake would be a better use of the calories.

Hey its ok to cut yourself some slack

The whole reason I write this blog is because I feel its a place I can be honest about how I feel, even if its a small drama getting me down. Like most people I can struggle with my self confidence on occasion. Ive written about it on this blog before and if I'm honest its an ongoing problem.
It feels like it strikes out of nowhere, one moment I'm this cool, sassy, fierce girl whos got her shit together and the next I'm curled up in bed bawling my eyes out about how the world and their mother hate me.

With hindsight I can usually see a negative cycle of behavior that warns of an impending meltdown but this time was different. If you take a look at the previous posts on this that I've linked above you can see its been a while since this has bothered me and I was starting to think I was making real progress with how I see myself.

One tiny little thing bothered and suddenly I was upset beyond any reason. I know we all get days like this, where you feel on the verge of tears about nothing. And if I'm honest it probably was one of 'those days' combined with hormones. But even so I don't normally let it get this out of hand.

This happened last week and its taken me a while to decide what I wanted to write about with it. I think what I learnt from this particular time was that actually its ok to get upset about things. Normally everything looks better after you sleep on it, but this time when I woke up I found I was still beating myself up about it. I got up early and sat by myself with a cup of tea for a bit. I allowed myself to cry and feel all the emotions that go with one of these low moments. I decided to cut myself some slack for not being perfect and I immediately felt better. After an hour or so I had pulled myself back together.

We're only human and we our emotions are not always rational but that's ok. The world would be pretty boring if we all acted in a perfectly predictable way. Everyone has moments of self doubt so we are not alone in how we feel. I'm writing this post to say that I am ok with having the odd moment where I act like a crazy person because I know that everytime I overcome one of these moments I am making more and more progress. All we can ever aim for is to improve.

Doing Life the 'right' way

So last week I finally finished the book I was reading called I want it that way by Ann Aguirre (free to download on iTunes just FYI) and I have to admit its not often a book stays with me for this long.

Although this is not a post reviewing this book I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good raunchy romance story. Its a seriously relateable book and I would would be a good read for anyone in their twenties who is stressing about their overall life plan.

The reason I wanted to write this post is the overriding theme of the book is there is no right way to live life. The book focuses around the idea that we have a predetermined path expected of us by society and it can be tricky to deviate from it. As young adults we feel a huge pressure to get our lives together and to start being a responsible mature adult. Slack on this front and you will feel the full force of everyone's disapproval but this can also happen the other way round. Grow up too quick and people will question if you have made a rash decision or bitten off more than you can chew as you are 'too young to know what you want'.

What I loved about this book was the way it encouraged me to pursue what I want and my own happiness. Life is complicated and the right way for most people may or may not be the right way for YOU. And that is absolutely fine. Only you can know what is right for you and by making that choice you also accept the consequences should it not work out. Having said this people mature at different rates and we should allow for this. You might be 30 and nowhere near ready to settle down but you might be 20 and totally in the right place mentally. We are all different and I think you are mature enough to do what you want if you are capable of dealing with any potential fall out.

 If there is one thing we have to accept is we cannot control life and the timing we have in our heads does not always match up to the reality. Sometimes opportunities do not come along at the right time but we should take them anyway as we all have to learn from our mistakes.

The other thing we have to remember is you are not a failure if you deviate from the predetermined path. For instance I originally applied to study Veterinary Science at uni and had dreamed of becoming a vet for a long time. I was a good candidate, my grades were good enough, I had done loads of work experience plus I grew up on a farm with a lifetime experience with animals. However after one interview I received no offers and it was probably one of the lowest points of my life. All around me my friends had their pick of 5 unis and I didn't even have one. I vividly remember the day I got my final rejection and when I told my friends I didn't get a single offer one of them replied "Yeah Amber, you think YOUR news is bad? I got rejected from Exeter today". I wanted to punch her as I knew she had 4 other offers from really good universities which included both of her top choices and had never had any intention of going to that uni in the first place. As I went to a highly competitive grammar school I was one of the few girls not to receive any offers and I had no clue what to do with my life.

But I had to pull myself back together and make some tough decisions. I've never been one for quitting and I desperately wanted to reapply. However there are only a handful of veterinary schools in the UK. Two of these are in Scotland and one is Cambridge and I didn't want to go to any of these. This only left with me with my 4 original choices (RVC, Nottingham, Liverpool and Bristol) and several of these were planning on raising their entry requirements or did not allow repeat applications. I decided that maybe this wasn't the career path for me and decided to change direction instead of giving up. The point is that this does not make me a failure just because I did not follow the expected path for me. Its made me who I am today and I do not regret the decision.

In conclusion: respect the opinions of those older and wiser than you. They probably do know better. But that isn't always the point. You have to learn your own way and we must be prepared to be flexible with our overall life plan as you never know whats going to happen. The right path for some is not always the right one for you. Know and trust yourself.

Also the book is a seriously good read. Check it out if you get bored ;)

Picture: Pinterest.

Making decisions is hard

First off, apologies for not being so good with making posts. I've had a busy week with working and stuff and y'know life just got in the way.

I wanted to write this post because I've been feeling really on edge and stressed all day. I've been on the verge of tears a fair bit too and that's not my normal happy state. Its taken me most of the day to work out why I'm upset and I think thats because I'm feeling very conflicted lately.

I've written about this quite a bit on this blog before but its clearly still bothering me so I am going to to write about it again.

Without boasting, in general I think my life is great. For me personally I feel like I have pretty much everything I want. Now this might not measure up to other peoples standards but I'm not going to get into that in this post. The important thing is its my life and I am happy with it.

Oddly though I think that might be the cause of why I was feeling upset. Before you judge me and think WHY ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT BEING HAPPY let me explain.

In general I would say its the people in my life who bring me the most happiness and the experiences I have shared with them are memories that I treasure. I am incredibly lucky to have so many wonderful people around me. But choosing who to spend time with and trying to justify my priorities to everyone can leave me feeling exhausted.

I know I should just do what I want. But life is not that simple. I have responsibilities such as work and uni that restrict what free time I have and a large amount of people to divide that limited time between.

Put simply I am fed up with having to choose. I am tired of having to sacrifice time spent with everyone and trying to calculate in my head who I should be prioritizing at the moment. Sometimes I have to make difficult decisions and I then spent a huge amount of time worrying I made the wrong one. Whatever I decide I inevitably end up upsetting somebody. But most of all I upset myself because I simply cannot please everyone.

Sometimes it feels like I am so busy trying to do what everyone else wants there isn't much time left for things I want to do. Perhaps I need to be firmer but I find it hard saying no to people I care about.

So yeah. This was a bit of a rambly post but I feel better for having written it down. I'm sure I can't be the only person who this affects so I would love to hear if anyone has any advice on how they cope with it.

Picture from Pinterest

My Self Confidence Lapse

If in doubt, wear red

Back at the beginning of the month I wrote about the self confidence crisis I have been in the grip of for the past year or so without realising. It had been slowly getting worse and over the past 6 weeks or so I've been making an effort to put myself back together.

I've been making more effort with my appearance and this helps me feel braver as I know I look good on the outside even when I feel small on the inside.

This time last week I had a bit of a lapse. I spent the day in bed crying and starting the same negative cycle of being horrible to myself.
I felt I was disgusting, ugly, worthless and why the hell would anyone want to be friends with me? I wasted a whole precious day lying in bed, listening to Taylor Swift and crying. All because I didn't have enough faith in myself to accept that the people around me love me and want to be with me.

Looking back now I feel stupid and I can see that the person with the problem is me. I need to work on the way I perceive myself and to give less of a shit about what other people think about me.

I need to follow my own advice. I am always the first to encourage other people to do what they want and not let fear of others judging hold them back. When it comes to myself however I worry endlessly. It is such a pointless waste of my energy. My Mum said to me the other day I will end up with 'Worried too much about what others thought' on my gravestone. It scared me because its true. I am allowing it to take over my life and its starting to define who I as a person.

But I see that this small hiccup is an essential part of my recovery. There are going to be good and bad days and they have to be embraced equally. Without the darker days I would not appreciate the amazing ones and recognize that even in this short time period I have made some progress.

I've also come up with a plan to put into action for when particular scenarios get me down and this has helped me to relax and stop stressing.

All in all I think I am doing well. I am proud of myself. That was hard to write, but the fact I was able to shows I have made progress.

Things that have made me Happy this week.

Since I've started this blog I have found writing these posts on happiness to be particularly helpful. It gives me time to take stock of the week that has just passed and encourages me to be grateful for my life. It can be easy to get caught up in todays pressures from social media to be 'better than everyone else'. But really I am becoming happier to go my own path and to enjoy things just because I like them. Not because I've been told to by the media.
This self reflection is good for my overall happiness. Funny how writing about happiness is somehow making me happier, but there you go.

1. This week I decided to try out something called the Pink Parcel which is where they send you everything you need to make your period less of a torture each month. They have a great introductory offer as well, which was what persuaded me to give it a go. The website is easy to use and you get to choose your normal tampons/towels. The whole process took a few minutes and before I knew it I had an email to say my parcel was dispatched. The packaging is discreet and the box inside is a gorgeous muted grey with pink.
Inside you will find your tampons in little matching boxes and a small drawstring bag to put in your handbag. There is also some delightful goodies and this months box contained a face mask, nail file, lip balm, eyeshadow palette and brush.
There is also some chocolate and a herbal tea bag for you to relax with and pamper yourself. I am so impressed and I had a long bath with my facemask on. You should definitely give it a go!

2. Its Clinique Bonus time at John Lewis at the moment and I popped in to get some more Instant Foaming Cleanser. At the same time I picked up a new Chubby Stick Intense in Mightiest Maraschino which is a brilliant red colour. I've found this to be a great alternative to wearing lipstick as it has the same colour intensity but a lovely light feel.
With this came a little bag of bonus time goodies that you got to choose from a selection. I absolutely love this idea as sometimes the bonus time products aren't really suitable for me but this means you get real value out of your freebies.
As well as the Smart Serum (which I've wanted to try for ages!) and the new Aromatics in White fragrance (which is lovely) I also picked up the new Repairwear Sculpting face and eye creams. The face cream is a gel which is perfect for my oily skin and the eye cream glides on so smoothly. I also got a bright pink nail varnish and a chubby stick in whopping watermelon. Felt very smug and satisfied with my haul. Go me!

3. Made some progress on sorting out where I am going to live next year and the girls I am potentially going to live with seem really nice. Spent a nice afternoon with them chatting and eating cookies. Finding somewhere to live as a student is really stressful and it would be great if I could get this sorted.

4. My Mum has decided to pass down some of her rings to me and my sisters this week and my one is absolutely beautiful. Its an opal with sapphires and it has to be one of the nicest things anyone has ever given me. Big thanks to my Mummy! Maybe one day if I have a little girl I might give it to her as it is such a special gift. I will always treasure it.

5. Spent several evenings this week cuddled up on the sofa under the duvet with a cup of tea watching Harry Potter. I bloody love HP and its such a great way to unwind. It literally never fails to cheer me up. Yep I realise this made the list last week too. That's how much I love it.

6. I did something a bit different this week and went to watch my Unis 'Strictly Come Dancing' competition. I admit I only went because two of my friends were competing and I am so proud to say they won! I've never been to watch anything like this before and surprised myself by really enjoying it. Its encouraged to me to maybe check out some of the other events the uni puts on.

How to cope when you are just annoyed for no reason

We all the know the feeling, its like PMS but you're not close enough to your next period to cash in this excuse. Everyone is annoying you. If one more person says something you fear you might actually punch someone in the face. The truth is nobody is doing anything wrong and you are on a short fuse because you are in a bad mood. Its that simple.

I'm not the only person who gets like this right? You know thats its all in your head but you just keep getting more and more frustrated. You know that there is no reason you are annoyed, its just you having a bad day.

Yesterday was one of those days for me. I was so annoyed with everything I couldn't even bring myself to write this post on the actual day. The things that conspired to annoy me yesterday included:

- The olive oil on top of the fridge falling off and spilling everywhere when I slammed the fridge door 2 minutes before I had to leave.
- Dropping my pill just before I took it and having to scramble around looking for it at the bus stop.
- Being unable to find my keys as they were hiding in the depths of my bag so I had to practically upend it to locate them.
- My tights having a ladder in them and they are my last semi decent pair.
- It was raining.

Woe is me right? Getting irritated about things is fine once in a while, hey I'm only human. But if I'm being mean to the people I care about just because I got up on the wrong side of the bed then I need to get myself back in a sunny mood. As a fairly temperamental person (who has recently had to change pills because of the horrific mood swings it gave me) I have developed some tried and tested techniques.

1. Alone time. Just spent a little bit of time on your own and compose yourself. Yesterday I went and laid on my bed in a T-shirt and pants and did nothing for 10 minutes. I felt instantly calmer. Just being by yourself allows you to calm down, breathe and remember you are getting annoyed about nothing.

2. Get your comfiest PJs on and a cup of tea. Just sit in bed and play some calming music. Do it properly and put on some fluffy socks with a big jumper. If you happen to have some Hagen Daz then it is time to break it out.

3. Put down your phone. Stop looking at facebook or instagram because social media involves people and that is a sure fire way to get yourself all pissed off again. You do not need to see that annoying girl from school got engaged or that your relation is off on some amazing holiday. Save that for when you are human again or you might end up smashing your precious phone.

4. If you feel like the irritation is about to explode out of you then write it down. I keep a diary and it really helps. I worry that one day my Great-Grandchildren might find it and think I'm a really angry cow as I only tend to reach for it when I'm feeling upset about something. On good days I am too busy living life to write it down. But if it helps then do it. Then hide it somewhere good. Nobody needs to know the horrid thoughts that go through your mind during one of these days.

5. Watch Harry Potter. We are the HP generation and there is something so soothing about losing yourself in Harry's troubles. Once you remember that you aren't tasked with killing Voldemort your minor dramas don't really matter anymore.

6. Once you are feeling better, arrange to see your friends. I always feel low after I've calmed down and spending time with other people really helps shift that uneasy feeling that I've wasted my day. I spent the evening with my mapping buddies and we made lasagne. Totally cheered me up even though I didn't feel like going at first, but I'm glad I did.