25 things I've learnt in my 25 years

Normally I find myself wanting to set targets for my year ahead, like last years 25 things to do before I'm 25 post (FYI I have done all bar 3 which I am bloody proud of) but this year instead of setting what I want to do, I've found myself reflecting on what I've learnt about life, friendships, myself and the world around us. So instead of me setting goals, here are 25 things that I've learnt in the past 25 years of my life. I hope you may agree with some or even have a aha moment, but most of all, that they makes you remember that we are all different for a reason. So lets begin...

1. Sometimes friendships aren't meant to last forever. You can get on really well with people but unless they are also going to put in effort to stay in touch, pursuing those friendships will just leave you feeling down.

2. And on the same note, it is ok to drift apart from people, it doesn't mean they won't ever come back into your life, even now I find myself speaking to people who I haven't spoken to in years and it is incredible!

3. Living in a different country is the scariest but also best experience of the world you can have. If you ever get the opportunity even if it's just for a month, grab it. It will teach you more about yourself than you can ever imagine.

4. Love really does happen when you are not looking for it and that is what makes it so incredible.

5. Being embarrassed just stops you doing things, the people you think are watching really do not care. The older I get the less I care what other people think and its allowed me to embrace the true wacky me.

6. Never compromise on your favourite parts of yourself. They are what make you unique and without them, you are not you! I spent most of my high school years, dulling down a lot of my personality because I didn't think people would like me.

7. Experience is never a bad thing, even if you didn't enjoy gaining it. I mean, I shoveled rhino poo in freezing conditions for 3 months with a boss who would make me cry. it was amazing now I look back at it. At the time, I hated it.

8. You don't have to be busy constantly. sometimes doing nothing is exactly what you need and you shouldn't feel guilty about that. Slow living is the way forward and I have embraced it fullheartedly.

9. Turning off your phone is good for your mental health. Science proves it.

10. Making time for quality time is so important. Whether this be phones away evenings in or phone piles on the table at diner. Making sure you live in the moment with those you care about not only improves your interactions but means you'll have far more memories for the future!

11. Not having a gym routine does not make you a bad person. I wish I was that person who goes to the gym daily, my body wishes it to but since moving to London I haven't sorted out my membership because of the cost. Exercise ebbs and flows in life depending on priorities and needs and we all need to realise that unless we are full time influencers who get offered classes for free (I live in London and refuse to pay £20 per class) then sometimes a run or a game of tag rugby once a week is ok.

12. Nature has an amazing ability to calm you, ground you, and make you feel better. Taking the time to get outside, whether that's to a park, a wood, a beach or a mountain, will leave you feeling so much better about many areas of life.

13. Blister plasters should be carried with you at all times.

14. Karma really is real. Ok not in the whole eye for the eye thing but if you are kind to people, they are more likely to be kind back. If you work hard you will be rewarded and if you love people will love you in return.

15. You can tell a lot about a person by their 'energy'. Sounds fluffy, but I feel that knowing and reading the people around you really does impact your mood. Thats why surrounding yourself with uplifting people is so important!

16. No one ever had a good time in a office board room unless it was at a party. Work life balance is key! Yes you may need to get a project done, but if you are stressed out, over worked and under appreciated find somewhere else who will help you flourish!

17. Throw yourself in, even if it scares you a little. We only live one life, as corny as that is, there are not many things you will live to regret, but not doing stuff is certainly one of them.

18. Always give time to be creative. I find myself filled with constant ideas, from photographs I want to take, trips I want to make, brands I want to launch and stories that I want to write. Although I don't follow through on most of them, I try to allow myself time to enjoy the ideas as it makes me happy.

19. Eating healthy food really does make you feel better. This maybe obvious, buy I always find eating well when I'm a little under the weather has an amazing positive effect on me.

20. Charity Shop finds can often become your most loved items. This may sound like a strange lesson but I find in a normal shop I used to buy it if I liked it. In a charity shop though, I only buy things when I really love them. That means I wear them to death (my favourite pair of vintage levis which are falling apart on both knees and now the crotch can testify to this) and it also can mean no one else has anything like it.

21. Make time for those you love. After my nan was diagnosed with cancer it really put it into perspective that she could die. It made me want to reach out to those who have played an important part in my life and make sure that they know I appreciate them and it's something I'm determined to continue doing this.

22. Create memories, don't by things. You wouldn't think Russell Howard stand up show could impact a life but he does a sketch about his grandparents who died and what his dad said to him. The worlds put life into a whole new perspective for me and its changed the way I think ever since. He said, "Life is just moments. What you gotta do, go along, grab as many of them as possible, and hopefully they flash before your eyes before you die.”

23. You don't know what you don't know. I look back on who I was 2 years ago, just about to start my masters and it amazes me how little I knew but how much I thought I did. There is so much to learn about the world but we have to constantly remember that just because we understand something, doesn't mean someone else does.

24. We have the power to make a real difference. Whether that be saying no to the straw, questioning #whomademyclothes, or choosing to purchase cruelty free beauty products. Saying that you wont make a difference is no longer an excuse, we all need to stand up a little more.

25. There are so many ways for us all to care for the planet a little more. Of course sustainability was bound to be one of the points (I tried hard to only have 1). With so many fantastic options available for coffee cups, water bottles and lunchboxes making little changes are so easy. Especially for reducing our plastic use.