The mixed emotions club is a club. You can be in the club. Anybody can be in the club. This is your pass for the club. We meet any time, any hour, any day... Basically whenever you feel like you need to clear your head. Choose which zine mirrors your mood, and let your emotions talk. The mixed emotions club are a collection of zines focussing on spreading positivity and helping us be present in the moment by clearing our heads of negative thoughts and making us more at peace with our emotions. The act of mindfulness makes us capable of dealing with daily demands, whilst making us feel calmer. Throughout the zines there will be sections to pour out your emotions on the page, letting your mind wander whilst doodling and helping you to empty your head whilst writing lists. Clearing your head helps us pay attention to the present moment and meditating the mind.
Being anxious can make you isolate yourself from your closet friends. It can make you build barriers, making it hard for you to reach your daily goals. It can stop you from being present in the moment, and really letting yourself go. You over think every minor detail. You over think every major detail. You over think everything. You replay scenarios in your head from today, yesterday or something that happened at Shannon’s 12th birthday. It was years ago, but you still critique it; what if you did this different? What if you did that different? You over work your body from the constant thinking. You become dizzy, give yourself a headache and begin to feel hot and sticky. Use this zine to release these worried thoughts. Entertain your mind and body by colouring in the flowers. Create your own bunting to improve your living space, surrounding yourself with positivity. Keep yourself busy. If you need to let your worries out, do so in the zine. Don’t over think. Over write. Write your deepest secret somewhere in the zine. Tell the zine how you’re feeling and what happened in your day. Draw yourself as the superhero you want to be. Just let your mind be at peace again. Meditate the mind. Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment again.
Diary, I had to pretend again today. Pretend I didn’t love my body. Pretend I wasn’t happy with my curves. Pretend I didn’t find it funny when my thighs wobbled. Because it is. It is funny when they make a noise, I’m not ashamed. I shouldn’t have to be ashamed, it’s normal. It’s just not accepted to be bigger than others, to be smaller than others, to be taller than others, to be shorter than others, or to be happy with yourself and the way you look. But I am.
Nearly everyone I know complains about their weight, or wishes they looked like someone else. But I don’t want to. Yes, sometimes I do think it would be nice to have longer and slimmer legs, but then would I be me? If this happened over night, like everyone wishes it did, I’d be screwed. None of my clothes would fit me, my skinny jeans wouldn’t fit just as well; they’d gape at the waist and sag at the knees. My ankles would probably get chilly also, considering I always have to get my Nanna to take them up at the bottoms to save me from falling over them. Surely, if I had longer and slimmer legs, my feet would have to be bigger, or else I’d just fall over the place. My balance is already shocking, but imagine if my feet were small and my legs long, I might as well just crawl everywhere, I’d be on the floor that much. My feet growing would add more problems to my morning; my shoes definitely wouldn’t fit, I doubt I’d even be able to get my toes into them. My size 3 feet have always been a problem, but I like it. I like being able to get my shoes from the kid’s section; saving every penny I can being a student! I like that I can borrow my little sister’s trainers to run outside and get the washing in, and I like watching the rest of my family trying to squeeze in my trainers when they have to get the washing in. I really like that. I sometimes leave my trainers at the back door just so this occurrence happens and laugh at them hobbling along, half their foot in the shoe, and half out. I think people need to remember that we were all made differently, we aren’t all going to look the same, and we should celebrate that. We all make a massive issue about people copying the clothes they wear and buy, (especially little sisters!) but for some reason we all want to look the same. Why is that? Why do we all try to fit ourselves in this little mould made up of fake beauty ideals? Why do we all think looking the same will make us stand out, because isn’t that all people want to do; stand out and be noticed?
Diary, I’m finally really happy with my body, I’ve cleared my mind of all the negative comments and thoughts I’ve ever made and it feels really good. I think more people should do this, they need to stop worrying about little things they can’t change. They’ve helped their body grow and nurtured it for years, (20 years in my case), and their body has always been there for them, so why do they hate it so much? Their body fights illnesses yearly, their body pumps blood around their body monthly, and their body keeps them breathing daily. But they still don’t praise it. They still don’t thank it. They still aren’t happy with it. I tried making a positive comment about my body today; I tried making the girls know it was ok to feel good, and to say when you look good. I looked in the mirror and told them that I thought my jeans looked really good on my bum, and my top made my stomach really flat. I’ve never had so many daggered eyes in my direction at once, it’s like I told them you could appreciate your own body just the way it is. Wait. I did. I wish my friends had the same mind set as myself, because they all have unbelievable bodies and could rock any outfit, but they’ve heard others saying comments and they start to believe them. Hurtful comments are often 90% of the time made from jealous people, who wish they could have what others have, but don’t want to seem weak, and don’t feel confident in themselves. Jealousy is an emotion that can ruin things for people, and I think should be contained by everyone. It’s almost like in this self-absorbed world you have to make a negative comment about yourself to not seem so self-absorbed. Celebrate being a narcissist, celebrate being self-obsessed, and celebrate you. Having love for yourself is one of the most gratifying and attractive qualities a woman can possess.
to judge how good a night was by how good you looked in club pictures or your friends pictures
everything will fall into place at some point, and all the tears will make sense. even if it was over someone eating your chocolate you especially put in the fridge. everything. happens. for. a. reason.
to wear a full face of makeup in the gym. yes, i’ve contoured, and no, i’m not ashamed, who wants to see me all red and puffy anyways?
to only look at yourself in group pictures, before letting it out onto the world wide web.
if you have to speak out words to spell them. wed-nes-day. feb-ru-ary.
to set your alarm earlier than you’re planning on getting up, just so you can snooze for longer.