DIY Pick Me Up Box Tutorial

Sometimes making decisions can seem hard. Especially when things feel bleak. Sometimes we just need a pick me up. And that's what this DIY tutorial is all about.

When I was at the lowest point of burnout I was seriously struggling with depression and anxiety and my zest for life had vanished. I was finding it hard, sometimes even impossible to leave the house, and life felt really shit. And I figured I needed to do something about that.

I'd decoupaged this box a while ago, and figured out a neat use for it. I'd write down all the things that brightened my day and quotes that inspired me, and would create my pick me up box.

Hence the pick me up box was born!

By creating a box of things you know bring you joy/inspire you, it takes the decision making out of the process, something that can really zap your energy/something you can't face when you lose all your enthusiasm or life feels shit.

Tutorial

You need:

• A box (don't stress about it being the nicest box you've ever seen as this is a great delaying tactic. You can get a better box later.)

• 2 piece of paper (they should be visibly different from each other, eg. one lined/one paper or different colours

• Pen

Step 1

Cut both pieces of paper into strips and separate the different pages into piles.

Step 2

1. Pile 1: On each strip, write the name of an activity that inspires you, relaxes you, gives you energy or makes you happy. (My list includes: If you don't have any deadlines - Netflix binge day! Arrange to meet a friend for coffee. Go make a cup of tea and take a book. Go for a walk. Put on Macklemore/Taylor Swift and dance. Have a one person dance party.

2. Pile 2: On each strip, write a quote that inspires you.

strips of paper

Step 3

Mix them all about and put the box somewhere near to your bed, or your desk - somewhere in easy reach!

box in place

Step 4

Use it. Remember it exists. Go to it when you're feeling low. And let it do its job. Let it pick you up when you're feeling low.

pick me up 3

It's simple, but it's effective. Find a box and give it a go today. It won't take you longer than half an hour, and you'll have a great tool on hand when you feel tired, feel like giving up, or find life hard.

Enjoy!

What cutting my hair taught me about motivation

I had a dream. No, not the Martin Luther King type.

The type where something happens in your dream and you wake up thinking, hey, I’m gonna try that right now.

Hold your horses, it’s not that exciting (and it’s definitely not raunchy), but it’s worth a blog post at least.

I don’t know where I was in my dream, I don’t have any idea who was in it (not Ryan Gosling, I can tell you that much), but I do remember taking matters into my own hands and cutting my own hair.

For all of you hair experts, I know this isn’t a huge. But for someone who’s pretty picky about who cuts their hair, and can’t even draw a line with a ruler, it was a bit of a big deal.

Acting on my dream

So, I wake up, reinvigorated, ready for a hair cut. I am motivated. Nope, I’m not going to go to my usual salon - as lovely as it is - I’ve got a stubborn determination to do it myself.

(An aside: I dyed my hair blue four weeks prior and really embraced ‘I don’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks’ ,so I wasn’t that worried about screwing up my hair. My main concern was giving myself a bowl cut and looking like this guy).

I quickly googled and youtubed how to cut your hair, put in a fringe and add layers and take what my partner lovingly tells me are hairdressing scissors (I’m still dubious), and then I went for it.

Remember I talked about hacking my garden bush before? This time wasn’t much better. But I roughly got the hang of it, and just figured I’d keep going.

Fast forward and I’ve finished my new hairstyle.

CUTTING MY HAIR WEB

The outcome

And it looks pretty good! Okay, maybe you can tell that the scissors were a little blunt but apart from that, I have layers, I don’t have a bowl cut and my hair has a bit more shape to it.

The lesson here?

Sometimes it’s about just going for it. Admitting you’re not an expert and trying it anyway.

What’s the worse that can happen, really?

[Tweet "We can spend our lives sitting on the sidelines, waiting for perfection, or we can just go for it and accept any mishaps."]

I know which I’d prefer.

What about you? I’d love to hear about any experiences you’ve had, or haircuts gone wrong!