If you're repping that single life like myself (or have just had enough of your other half) chances are you will be spending this Valentine's day with your girls, cue 'Galentines day' - I'll let Leslie take this one...

In celebration of the occasion, I've decided to put together a short but sweet gift guide for those girls out there looking to spend their hard earned dollar on their closest, dearest gal pals.

Give the gift of a great drink

Hendricks Gin 

Give the gift of clear skin

Drink-up Intensive Overnight Mask 

Give the gift of a pretty mug

Anthropologie gold monogram mug 

Give the gift of relaxation

Organdle candle 

Give the gift of scent

Chanel Chance perfume 

 Give the gift of beauty

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look Palette 

Give the gift of a good nights sleep

Sleepy body lotion, Lush 

Give the gift of great wall art

Woman Illustration, Etsy 

Give the gift of a beautiful bracelet 

Rose Gold bracelet, Suffolk Parade 

Give the gift of a flawless base 

Real Technique brush sets 

Have a good one xxx

How mindfulness can change your life

Mindfulness is a word that has been floating around for quite some time, coming under the umbrella of health and wellness- it is a term that is used to describe our mental state and being aware of what we are doing in life. Mindfulness can be used in many contexts, but notably it is known as a very simple yet effective form of medication, where you focus your full attention on your breath, your mind and your body. Many health experts and public figures swear by this form of meditation, and there have also been many apps and books released on how to find your peace of mind and become more calm.

It’s no secret that meditation has long been a therapy used in many different cultures to help a person find themselves and become more at one with their mind and body. Some of the earliest written records of meditation come from the Hindu traditions of Vedantism around 1500 BCE. Around the 6^th to 5^th centuries, other forms developed in Taoist China and Buddhist India.

What can mindfulness do for you?

Over time mindfulness can help bring long-term changes to your mood and happiness levels as well as wellbeing. Scientific studies have shown that mindfulness not only prevents depression, but that it also has a positive effect on the brain, targeting anxiety, stress and irritability. It has also been found that your memory and reaction times become much faster with your mental stamina increasing. Mindfulness also reduces addictive and self-destructive behavior including drug taking, alcoholism and self-harming. Doing meditation can also improve the heart and circulatory system by reducing blood pressure and hypertension.

How do you do it?

With the practice of mindfulness being tried and tested much more in this digitally engaged world, it’s much easier to find places and groups who offer the practice. Seek meditation classes nearby and attend with a friend if you’re nervous, or download one of the many apps available on app world. There are also countless books available on mindfulness, meditation and how exactly to do it that you can easily practice from the comfort of your own home.

When will I see results?

The effects of mindfulness meditation depends how much you practice. Most people find that it takes at least 20 minutes for the mind to begin to settle. But in terms of long term, you must invest your time and yourself into the art of meditation, many people have found it to improve their lives but most after weeks maybe months of meditation – it is not an instant gratification exercise and each person is different, your outlook and willingness to learn will determine how much it changes your attitude towards life.

No matter what job you have, whether it’s your dream job or just a run of the mill 9-5 to keep you afloat, we all lose a bit of ambition and passion for our role at some point in our careers. However, if you want to succeed and go far, it’s important to stay positive and try to overcome this work slump and regain the passion you once had. Here, I have listed 5 ways to help you fall back in love with your work.

1.       Take on a new challenge

Sometimes if you find yourself doing the same old thing at work, or perhaps your doing well and don’t feel the need to work as hard, it can be easy to sink in a bit of a hole a lose motivation. I find that if things are going well on the job I get a bit complacent, but this isn’t good, especially if work is suddenly sprung on you. There is always room for improvement, why not set yourself some work challenges, or perhaps ask a colleague if there is anything you can help them with – they will be happy you asked as well as impressed with your enthusiasm.

2.       Go to a networking event 

If you’re losing a bit of love for your career, sometimes it takes a few words of wisdom from someone else in the field to reignite your passion. Maybe go to a work event in your sector, or a networking evening – you will most likely meet a lot of other people in similar roles and may find it interesting hearing another perspective, plus sometimes a good knees up and a chat can bring back the motivation to succeed.

3.       Go on a social with work

At many work places, a lack of enthusiasm can stem from a bit of a dip in social activity in the office. If your finding the work place a little stale, or feel the need to reconnect why not organise an evening out at the pub after work, a few drinks always brings work colleagues closer together and may help office moral.

4.       Set some goals

Setting goals for yourself is sometimes the best thing you can do to further yourself and your motivation. Don’t go too OTT just set some realistic and achievable goals that will give you the motivation to work harder and strive for bigger better results; remember you can always do better and go further no matter what stage you are at in your career. 

5.       Intensify your workload

Ok – this one may sound a little scary, but trust me it will definitely give you the kick up the bum you need to get s**t done. Explain to your boss that you’re losing a bit of motivation, or if your finding it all a bit easy, which usually means motivation is lost, tell him/her that you would like more work to challenge yourself. It may sounds mad but trust me it will definitely make you work harder.

In this increasingly fast paced and digitally influenced world, it’s difficult to find the time to switch off and get away from it all. With so many of us busy with work and checking our phones on a daily basis, it can sometimes seem a little daunting when someone mentions having a ‘digital detox’.

Many of us would jump at the chance to leave our phones at home and go on a long weekend away or head out with friends without the temptation to check our feeds, but for others it can be incredibly difficult. It isn’t surprising that giving yourself a break from the perils of Instagram comparison, or twitter feeds is incredibly beneficial for your mental health, yet it’s learning to switch off that people have trouble with. Here are 5 tips I find help me switch off and revitalize ready for a new week ahead.

1.       Log off

The problem with social media, emails and news feeds is that they are so easily accessible, and with the touch of a button we are immediately submerged into this digital world, which is almost suffocating with its sheer amount of content. The best thing to do to kick start a detox is by logging out of all of your apps such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, this way when it comes to you going back onto your phone, it will be much more difficult as you will have to sign back in, and with us millennials having a much shorter attention span you will find you won’t want to spend the time logging back in.

2.       Make real life plans

One of the best ways to really switch off is by making real plans with friends and family. Forget a quick phone call or skype session, this is about human contact and the fantastic feeling you get after meeting with good friends and not looking at your phone once. It is best to keep your schedule outside of work busy so you’re not tempted to lounge around on your phone, perhaps visit the cinema with a friend, this way you will have no choice but to detatch yourself from the outside world.

3.       Don’t set unachievable goals

The worst way to do a long digital detox is by banning yourself altogether from any contact with your phone, this won’t work and will only increase your chances of boiling over and heading back to your phone. Its best to allow yourself to check your apps, but to give yourself timed sessions, so perhaps you can give yourself a 15 minute block at the end of the working day where you check everything once- but don’t linger. This will mean you will feel more relaxed as you will have seen what’s going on online, but that you don’t have to continue scrolling needlessly for hours.

4.       Leave the gadgets at home

If you really are serious about the detox then it may be best to leave your digital items at home altogether, be it your phone, laptop or iPad, if you leave them behind then you will have no choice but to exempt yourself from the online world, it may be slightly frustrating at first, but soon you won’t notice and will learn to live without.

5. Don’t be tempted

It will be ever so tempting to say that you’re going to have a quick scroll through your feeds, but more often than not you will suddenly be there for hours checking each app and attaching yourself once again to the digital world you wanted to take a break from. Try and make yourself aware of your actions, many of us don’t even realise when we’re picking up our phones, but when you feel you want to check your feed, remind yourself that there won’t be anything new or worthwhile to view, and that your only hindering your chances of having a real detox by going on the apps.