Bullying

Hello! Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, I'm really busy with university and university is now my top priority!

 

Bullying, it’s a word nearly all of us are familiar with us. Some of us might have been bullied or been a witness to bullying. October is National Bullying Prevention Month and I wanted to do a post about bullying.

I was bullied throughout my time at secondary school, however rather than focus on my personal story and I want to talk more generically about bullying. Hopefully this post will educate you about bullying.

*photo from Google Images*

Bullying can start off fairly minor such as name calling and humiliating someone. However if it’s not dealt with quickly enough then it can soon escalate as more people join in and it can suddenly become very serious.

No one EVER deserves to be bullied. Bullying very often can have long lasting and harmful effects on the victim; in extreme cases bullying has led to someone taking their own life. Whilst bullying is a topic most people are aware of it still isn’t taken seriously as it should be.

Bullies typically go after people they think are weaker than them or who are more vulnerable. However people can be bullied for all sorts of reasons: race, personality, sexuality, ethnicity ect. Likewise people can bully others for all sorts of reasons: insecurities, been bullied themselves, family problems ect.

The 3 main types of bullying are:

Verbal: This is upsetting someone by repeatedly using verbal actions such as hurtful words/ phrases, discriminatory language. It can also include signs

Indirect: This is a more subtle form of bullying as you can’t directly see or hear it. It can include: isolating someone, spreading rumours, sharing secrets, physical intimidation

Physical: This involves the victim being hit, punched, slapped, kicked ect

Bullying statistics:

· 50% of young people have experienced bullying, of which 45% was experienced before the age of 18

· 38% of young people believe their school, college, university doesn’t take bullying seriously

· 83% of those bullied has problems with their self esteem

The fact that 50% of young people experience bullying is shocking, some people say its “natural” and it’s part of school/ life growing up, yet people don’t realise how upsetting bullying can be. Too often I hear the phrases “it’s only a joke” or “we didn’t mean it” and it really frustrates me! A joke is only funny if everyone finds it funny and that includes the person on the receiving end of the joke. Deliberately targeting someone repeated and then having a laugh at their expense is bullying.

School’s always educate people about bullying, the anti-bullying policies they have in place and what to do if you’re being bullying, yet too often people feel as though bullying isn’t taken as seriously as it should. Too often victims are the ones that are blamed and “it’s their fault anyway” for being bullied (another phrase that angers me) and are left too frightened to tell anyone. Victims should NEVER EVER be blamed for bullying, they need help and so does the bully.

If you see someone being bullied, NEVER just stand back! You should always try and help the person who is being bullied, as not only does this show them that people care for them but it can also make a huge difference!

*photo from Google Images*

If you’re being bullied or know someone who is being bullied then here’s the advice I would give you:

· Tell someone: You need to do this ASAP to stop bullying from escalating. You might feel frightened or that no one will listen, but trust me someone out there will listen and will care about what you’re going through. Sometimes by simply talking about what you’re going through and someone offering their support can make a big difference

· Stay positive: This one’s really hard, I know! It’s important to remember that bullying won’t last forever, it will eventually stop and it will get better. Also remember that, people still love you and care about you.

· Words don’t define: It can be incredibly difficult to ignore what the bullies are saying about you! It’s never true what they are saying about you and you are worth so much more than what they say about you. Whatever the bullies say about you, DEFINETLY doesn’t define who you are!

Even though bullied destroyed my self esteem and confidence, I've slowly built it back up. I've now fully accepted I am the person that I am and I love myself for that. 3 years on and I'm a far stronger than I was before!

I hope this post has given you an insight into bullying.

World Mental Health Day 2016

Hi lovelies!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you’ll know that mental health is an important topic to me and one I’m very passionate about. I’ve written several posts linked to mental health and I’m currently running the “Lets talk about mental health” series on my blog.

It’s SO important to talk about mental health and to be aware of the different types of mental health problems people can face. This helps to reduce misconceptions and social stigma.

Mental health doesn’t discriminate. We all have mental health and mental health problems can affect anyone at any given time. Yet despite this there is still so many misconceptions and stigma surrounding mental health. Sadly 9/10 people who suffer from mental health face discrimination. Mental health problems are too often just brushed to the side as people believe its “all in your head” or just “think positively”. People don’t often realise how complex mental health issues are and that there isn’t a simple or easy solution to mental health problems.

Another reason people don’t always understand mental illnesses is because they are invisible. People are more likely to receive sympathy if they have a broken limb compared to someone who is suffering from depression. What people often forget is that just because you can’t physically see a mental illness, it doesn’t make it any less valid than a physical illness.

*photo from Google Images*

Fortunately we now live in a society where people are far more aware of mental health and people are generally a lot more understanding. People are becoming aware of the different mental health problems people can face. I know lots of bloggers who speak openly about mental health and they write some of the most inspirational posts I’ve ever seen.

There’s lots of things you can do to help end the stigma surrounding mental health and to help people who may be suffering from a mental illness:

· Be there for the person- They might not want to talk about what they are going through, but by offering your support and being there for them will mean a lot to them. By being there for the person you’re showing them they don’t have to go through it alone

· Advise them to get help- This one you have to be careful with, as mental illnesses are a very sensitive and personal issue. If you are really worried about someone try very gently suggesting they should receive some support. People who are suffering need help to overcome their problems

· Educate yourself- By educating yourself on the different mental illnesses you’ll have a far better understanding. It will also help git rid of any misconceptions you have about mental health

*photo from Google Images*

Finally, to anyone who is currently suffering from a mental illness, you are STRONG and BRAVE. You can get through this and you’re NOT alone.

Eat Well for Less Recipe #2: Lazy girls pasta

Hi!

Firstly, sorry for the lack of posts, university is taking priority now so I won’t be posting as much (however I will still be posting so don’t worry!)

I’m now 3 weeks into university and I’m really enjoying myself. With living away from family I’ve now been forced to learn how to cook (plus I’ve run out of ready meals!).

I found another Eat Well for Less recipe to follow, which I’ve adapted slightly. This recipe is the most basic pasta recipe you’ll ever come across, so you can change it around if you need to.

Ingredients

· 300g Pasta (you can use any sort you want, I used Fuseli as it’s my favourite!)

· 1 packet of chopped tomatoes

· Pinch of onion powder

· Pinch of garlic granules

· Pinch of salt

· 250g of Mediterranean vegetables

· Parmesan Cheese

Method

1. Place pasta in a pan of water, add some salt and leave to boil. You know when pasta is ready as it goes soft. This usually takes 10 minutes, but keep checking the pasta!


2. Add the tomatoes, onion powder, garlic granules and Mediterranean vegetables into another pan. Wait until the pasta sauce starts to boil, then place a lid over and leave to simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Serve onto plate, add some grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Yummy pasta!

You can also serve with a side of garlic bread or whatever you want to. I had Pizza Express dough balls with my pasta as they were on offer for £1 at Tesco, YES!

This is such an easy recipe and the pasta is so easy to make. I hope you enjoy having a go at making your own pasta.

Do you know any simple recipes?