2015 has been the best year yet – we said goodbye to our first home & moved into our dream home in March, welcomed a healthy happy baby boy into our family in April making Elsa (who also turned 2 & started nursery!) a big sister. We made some incredible friends & celebrated weddings, christenings & engagements along with our 1 year wedding anniversary. Finally my husband started his new job last week to end a fabulous year.
So, what are my wishes for the year ahead?
People must look at my life & think how absolutely perfect it is. IT IS. I have everything i’ve ever wanted plus more. But, i’ve got a constant battle with myself & that’s something I plan on working on during 2016.
Somewhere along the way I seemed to have lost myself. Maybe it’s part of being a mother but my goal is to reconnect & better myself through focusing more on ME. I think it’s all too common to think that as soon as we have children that they always have to come first & we are a bad mother if we even consider ourselves, I suppose like we no longer matter. Call me selfish but sometimes, it’s important to deal with yourself to be able to provide the best for those around you.
My hopes are that 2016 is going to be the year that I sort out my anxiety (something I struggle with on a daily basis but have never sought help for as i’ve always been under the impression it’s just ‘part of me’), in turn hopefully i’ll become happier & most importantly healthier as we sort out our eating habits & start exercising.
My other goals are to curb my spending habits SO I am going to do ‘No Spend January’ just as I did (& failed miserably) in September – see my blog post here for rules then my results. Hopefully this time I will be a bit more successful…
All that’s left is to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your love & support during the past year – it is appreciated more than you can possibly imagine & hopefully continue through the new year as I have big plans for this little blog of mine for 2016.
I’m wishing you all a fantastic year ahead!!
What are your goals for 2016?
Love, Charlotte x
Charlotte,
Love following your blog… Wishing you and all the family a wonderful New Year 🙂
All things nice…
Lovely Charlotte. I'm hopeful for a new year after starting intensive treatment for my anxiety and OCD xx
Hi Charlotte
Love following your beautiful little family on Instagram and love your blogs too, wishing you and your family a wonderful, happy and healthy 2016 you deserve it your amazing ?
Love Kirsty xx
Hi Charlotte,
I'm a big fan of your blog and while reading this post it really hit home for me. I know how you're feeling regarding your anxiety – I used to just assume it was part of who I was too and let it rule my life.
I used to work in an NHS mental health trust, so was lucky to have all the right information at my fingertips. In October last year, I started seeing Talking Therapies – a free and confidential NHS service for low to moderate mental health issues.
The service was brilliant as I had gotten to point where I was so anxious that I wouldn't drive anywhere outside of our county (or drive my car at all..) and wouldn't go to large unfamiliar places without having a panic attack.
While I was seeing my therapist, I ended up suffering with depression too, so my treatment was longer than originally planned but without a doubt, they changed my life.
I'm now confident in driving and went to London for my birthday without any panic attacks or anxiety.
I'm not sure if there is a Talking Therapies service in your area, as I live in Berkshire, but i would 100% recommend speaking with your GP or searching into any free mental health services in your area!
Feel free to message me if you want any more info, as I'd be happy to help out in anyway I can!
Nicole (ntsxo on Instagram) xxx
I also suffer from anxiety. Its so common once you get talking to people. I completely agree!! I also thought it was just a part of my personality until I got depression and my anti-depressant tablets gave me the perspective to see myself. You'll do great! Thank you for your wonderful, uplifting blog and IG account this year ? xxx
Hi Charlotte. I love your blog and look forward to what you will bring us in 2016!
I suffer from anxiety and have tried lots of things to help, from medication to meditation – it's all about finding what works for you – I wish you well on your journey! (An app called SAM has really helped me recently when it comes to grounding myself and focussing on me – in case you wanna check that out.)
All the best, Christie xx
Moany Mouse | Scottish Lifestyle Blog
Thank you so much – happy 2016! x
Good luck Laura – fingers crossed treatment helps 🙂 x
Hi Kirsty, thanks so much for following! Hope you have a fantastic year x
I'm definitely finding out it's wayyyyy more common than I originally thought. I've let it rule my life for far too long & although it doesn't really impact day-to-day life, it's an exhausting feeling being constantly worked up/on edge.
I've been referred to a similar service & expecting a phone call soon to hopefully start therapy so fingers crossed it helps me as much as it's helped you.
Sending loads of love your way x
I'm on the same journey 🙂 it's a long one but definitely better than suffering in silence x
I've just downloaded it – thanks so much for the recommendation! x
Good luck with your goals this year, they are similar to mine. Definitely not selfish to want to work on yourself, as parents we need to be able to function at full capacity in order to be the best parent/partner/friend/sibling/child etc, etc.
I am using 2016 to achieve some personal goals I have put off since having babies. Both of mine are school bound, with youngest going full-time in September so I hope to be somewhere with my goals that I can go on to pursue some career goals around their school hours.
http://www.foreverymom.com/jada-pinkett-smith-answers-a-question-about-being-a-wife-and-mom-with-stunning-honesty/
Charlotte – have you seen this? Definitely worth a watch, especially considering your comments in this blog post about needing to focus more on yourself. Your posts are always inspirational, I wish you all the very best in 2016! xx