Shawnee_Leighc

learning & living follow my insta @shawnee_leighc

[peacefulandcozy]

ig credit: laurasreadingtime

[wuntrum]

pioneering something called "gritted teeth optimism" where everything is gonna turn out okay even if i have to bite and claw and gnash my way through it

[anditslove]

Andrea Gibson, Birthday

[shawneeleighc]

Sailor song is just scratching my brains itch in every way today

[daily-spooky]

[shawneeleighc]

Phrases we need to cancel because they're unhealthy, toxic, unhelpful and triggering.

It's a cheat meal - it's a meal, not a test.

I'm being good today, I'm so bad for having xyz - stop assigning morality to food, it's damaging your relationship with food and your body.

I haven't eaten anything today - it's not achievement. It's deprivation. It increases your chances of binging later and impact your body's hunger cues.

The diet starts tomorrow - just. no.

I can't, I'm on a diet - excessive restrictions just aren't worth the consequences

I could never eat that much - okay? We're completely different people with completely different needs, comments like these are unnecessary and shameful

I can eat this because I exercised - you never ever need to earn food.

Wow you're hungry today - and? Not sure how that impacts you at all.

That has so many calories - food is so much more than calories. It's the nutrients our bodies need to function, to have energy, to create memories, to celebrate our cultures, it's our expression. Stop limiting it.

I know how difficult it is to break not only the cycle of thinking these things but also saying them. But the undertone of a lot of these phrases is shame and judgement.

I hear these phrases on a daily basis and I'm extremely grateful to be far enough in my recovery that it doesn't affect me so much anymore but what about people who are still struggling and end up relapsing, changing their habits, their food intake or view of themselves because of a comment.

Let's practice mindfulness when talking about food, health and appearance. You truly never know what someone is going through.

Eating disorders and disordered eating are so much more common than you think and just because someone hasn't been diagnosed doesn't mean they aren't struggling.

Lastly, that goes for you too, change your thoughts and words for you too.

Because you deserve to exist peacefully in your body and mind.

And it's a lot easier to be kind to others when you're being kind to yourself.

Keep going x

Follow my insta for daily content @shawnee_leighc

[shawneeleighc]

To my fellow anxious girls..

While I can tell you all day that you don't need to worry,

That everything will work out,

That it's not that bad,

The feelings

The overwhelm

The fear

The anxiety will still be there.

But,

A big, amazing but,

We can power through it.

We can be scared and still enforce our boundaries.

We can be scared and still give that speech.

We can be scared and still go out in public.

Because a feeling is just that.

A feeling.

It's not fact.

It's not fate or destiny.

And we can do a lot even when we feel so small.

So don't let you limit you.

Move forward even when your hands are shaking,

Your voice is quivering,

And your heart is pounding.

Because you can.

Because you are and have been brave.

Because you deserve to.

Keep going going x

Follow my insta for daily content @shawnee_leighc

[shawneeleighc]

I just want to look forward to my tomorrow's.

[shawneeleighc]

[shawneeleighc]

Some days, I wish I knew how to give up. I wish I knew how to stop and just... not do this anymore. But I don't know how. All that pain instilled such a drive in me, a sense that quitting is not an option. It's been a blessing and a burden. But I'll persist, because honestly I don't know how to stop.

[shawneeleighc]

A sad mind and a hopeful heart. What a combo.

[shawneeleighc]

I think I blame a lot of things for the way I feel. The traffic, the weather, my work, my studies, my responsibilities.

I blame them to give meaning to my sadness but the reality is that there is no real cause in that moment, but that I use these understandable circumstances that I know others will understand and resonate with to explain the unexplainable. So maybe they might understand, even if it's just a small amount of understanding.

The truth is that I feel a lot, usually, a lot of sadness. It's like one day I woke up with a deep aching pain, an emptiness thats never gone away.

Sometimes it's just easier to mask this pain with anger, because I can fight with anger, whereas sadness makes me feel weak and tired.

But even with all of this, imagine choosing to be here everyday. Choosing to continue to fight. Choosing to continue to hope, trust, love and believe even when it means more pain.

Imagine how brave you must be to do that.

So yes, I feel a lot all of the time but contrary to belief that doesn't make me weak. It doesn't make you weak.

And today, I'm really proud of that. I'm really proud of us.

Keep going x

Don't forget to go follow my insta @shawnee_leighc, I post more regularly on there x

[shawneeleighc]

Lately I've been feeling guilty. Guilty for anything and everything.

Guilty for not getting to the gym.

Guilty for using the last banana for my smoothie.

Guilty for not having time to get through all the chores.

Guilty for not feeling passionate about my current life.

Guilty for struggling with my mental health.

Guilty for my partner having to be around my mental health issues.

Guilty for not being able to articulate my feelings.

Guilty for being a bit absent from my friends and family.

Guilty for not being where I want to be and who I want to be.

Just so much guilt. And it weighs me down. Like a rock thrown into the sea, I feel like I'm constantly sinking and as much as I fight to swim, this guilt is dragging me down.

I can't just snap out of it. It's not how I work and I don't think it's how most people work.

So instead, I'm acknowledging it. I say, hi guilt. I see you, I hear you, I feel you. But I need to breathe so let me get past you.

I'm going to take those few seconds and then I'm going to continue with my day because there's no place for guilt in self care. And beating myself up won't get me any further.

We need to remember that. We need to know that negativity breeds negativity. That it's easy to get stuck in that loop. And you can't beat yourself up about it cause it's kinda contaproductive.

Instead, focus on what you did achieve. Focus on the small steps. Focus on what you did get done because if you got a little bit better, that's still progress and that is perfect.

Keep going xx

Follow my insta for more content @shawnee_leighc

#mentalhealthawarenessmonth #mentalhealthadvice #moodyaesthetic #guilt #relationships

[shawneeleighc]

In light of the recent interview with GP who shared a typical day in her life meals edition, or lack thereof, I wanted to let you know its OK. Its ok if you had a moment where you questioned whether you should try it. It's ok if you felt triggered by it. It's ok if you thought about going back to your eating disorder or disordered eating (eg, constant dieting).

We can feel all of this, we can even miss our eds at times. But we're not going to go back to them because we know that they're not good for us and we need to do what's best for ourselves.

The way you look is going to change. Your skin, your hair, your face, your body. It's all going to change with the normal fluctuations of life and aging. So surely, the goal of health and wellness shouldn't be a look.

We shouldn't be aiming to be as small as possible, to only eat 'clean' and as little as possible, or to exercise only to burn off calories or meals.

The focus should be on how you feel mentally and physically.

It's genuinely concerning when someone who has such an influence and following is promoting disordered eating and extremes in the name of health & wellness.

So, I want to let you know that you do not need to follow in her footsteps. You do not need to go to extremes. You do not need to take part in an industry that takes advantage of our insecurities and profits off of it.

If you want to pursue health, do it. By all means, invest in yourself and your health. But make sure you're using the right methods.

I want to remind you:

- Your worth does not lie in your appearance, weight or shape.

- You will not suddenly love yourself if you loose weight.

- Your main purpose in life isn't to be as small as possible.

- You deserve to be happy & healthy, whatever that looks like for you.

- There is no one size fits all when it comes to health.

- Quick fixes/diets do not work in the long run and contribute to unhealthy relationships with food and our bodies.

- It's not a dream body if it's a nightmare to maintain.

Hold onto these reminders and know that you're too good and life's too short to waste on being miserable and missing out on memories and relationships you deserve to have.

Follow my insta for daily content @shawnee_leighc ❤️

[dailykafka]

— March 13, 1915 / Franz Kafka diaries

[shawneeleighc]

Let's take a moment to celebrate ourselves.

Who we are, who we were and who we're becoming.

Because life's too short to miss out on watching ourselves grow, evolve and achieve.

So clap, and keep clapping for yourself, even on the days when you don't think you deserve it. The days when everything feels heavy. The days where words feel pointless and your chest feels empty. Those are the days you need to clap the hardest for yourself, till your hands sting a little.

Keep acknowledging you.

Cause you're still here. You're still learning. You're still trying. You're still living.

Give my insta a follow for daily content @shawnee_leighc

[mentalquotes]

[mentalquotes]