Happy 2016!

I'm going to be honest: writing, right now, is hard. I've had a laptop-less two weeks while I did nothing but lounge around, cook, eat and just hang. It was glorious and, in my opinion, well deserved. But it's back to the grind today and the grind is not easy. I've been MIA on the blogosphere for the past few weeks and it's not easy getting back. I feel like I've forgotten how to write and I know it's going to be a bit tricky to get back into balancing work, school, blogging, tutoring and life in general. But here goes.

A happy 2016 to each and every one of you. I hope you enjoyed your holidays and I sincerely hope you're having an easier time getting back to reality.

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions mainly because I feel like any and everyday is a good day to become who you want to be. But here's one for me: be better. Be better as a person and try harder for everything. I want to be one of those people that give everything my 100% and so I want to genuinely and honestly try. I want to be focused on the moment and the task at hand - my wandering mind is not always a good thing. I want to be present, be happy and be better.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? What are your goals for the year? Comment below or tweet me @SundayWardrobe. And thanks for sticking with me during these lazy times - the sense of family is why I love being a blogger and I know it's what's going to get me back up on the blogging horse!

6 Easy Tips for a Better Sleep

I am one of those people that wakes up several times in the middle of the night. I don't get a proper, deep sleep and I'm always tired. Or at least I was. Lately, I've been fortunate to get much better sleep. I still wake up at night, sometimes, but not nearly as frequently as I used to. I've spent a long, long time monitoring what I do and I've narrowed down my better sleep to six things:

1. Exercise: I'm sure there's a chemical reason as to why exercising helps you sleep better. I also know there's a scientific reason as to why it gives you more energy during the day. But I find that days I work out in the evening, it just exhausts my body and gives me a deeper, more intense sleep.

2. Warm Shower/Bath: Cold baths are great in the morning because it jolts you and wakes you up. Likewise, I find a warm shower or bath a couple hours before bed does me wonders. I feel warm and clean, and I do it so frequently that my automatic response is to go to bed!

3. Warm Tea: Nothing makes me feel warmer, cosier or sleepier than a warm mug of tea (decaf, of course). My favourites include vanilla, camomile and apple cider.

4. No Screens: This means my laptop goes away at least a half hour before bed. The backlight on screens like your computer and phone tell your brain it's time to wake up rather than wind down. I'm still working on putting my phone away before bed but my night owl friends have me responding to texts later than I'd like!

5. Reading: The easiest way to follow the "no screen" rule: I try to read a book in bed. Not only does reading help me sleep, it gets me through my reading list faster!

6. Night Mask: This is probably my favourite sleeping tip as the night mask blocks out any and all lights making sure nothing disturbs me at night. You can get expensive ones on sites like WildFox but I got mine from Michael's for less than $5.

Not getting a proper night's sleep is probably one of the most frustrating things (sleep deprivation is actually a form of torture). I really hope these tips help you - let me know if they do! And leave your tips for a better sleep in the comments below or tweet me @SundayWardrobe!

Image Source: weheartit

5 Things I've Learned About Life

 In 4 days, I'll be turning 22. 22! I realize it's still very young but I feel as though 22 means I'm an adult and no longer under the forgiving umbrella of age. That's deep.

I decided for this week I'd throw out my scheduled beauty related posts for something about me and related to what I've learnt in my 22 years. So without further ado:

1. There will always be someone better than you. While this is a depressing thought, it's certainly humbling. There will always be someone smarter, prettier, taller, richer, etc than you. But that's okay - do the best you can do given your means and circumstances. While life makes others prettier or taller or smarter than you, you can work harder than anyone else, you can be nicer than anyone else. Just do what you can to be who you want to be and the rest will fall into place. Which brings me to my next lesson...

2. Don't worry about the things you can't control. There really isn't any point in wishing you could change the things you can't. What has to happen will happen and while you can (and should) try your best, there will always be things you can't do anything about. No amount of guilt will change the past and no amount of worrying will change the future.

3. It's okay to be sad. This has been a common theme lately but I can't stress it enough. I've had hours and days and months of being sad - it comes randomly, in waves and it can't always be explained. A close friend of mine died in a tragic accident over a year ago and I was sad every night for months. But sometimes I'll get sad just because it's dark outside! Sometimes I'm just in a funk and that's okay. As long as you realize how blessed and loved you, it's okay to not always be happy all the time.

4. Life goes on. Whatever you're going through may seem like the end of the world at the time but it never is. Breakups, failed tests, lost friendships - they're all a part of life. Look around you, life goes on. The drama I cried over in high school seems so trivial now. Had I realized when I was younger that everything will always be okay in the end (it really and truly will), I would have been a much happier teen!

5. Be humble, be grateful, be kind. Be humble to know that everything you have is a result of someone's (or your) hard work and isn't something you deserve just because. Be grateful for everyday you spend in good health and with loved ones. Be kind to everyone around you and strive to be the bigger person at all times. Being kind (and still strong) will always be the right decision.

If you have any tips or life lessons, please let me know below! Let's all help each other out for a happier, kinder world.