10 Best Empowering Break-Up Songs

Had a bad break-up? Maybe you have unrequited feelings for a guy who quite frankly isn't worth your attention, or maybe you just really really need to get over someone (we've all been there). Instead of pouring your heart out to woeful Adele tracks that just make you feel even worse, here are some of my favourite songs to pick yourself up, put down the Ben & Jerry's, wipe those tears away and get over him once for and for all.

1. Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson

2. Smile - Lily Allen

3. Bulletproof - La Roux

4. Take A Bow - Rhianna

5. Stronger - Kelly Clarkson

6. Bad Blood - Taylor Swift

7. Impossible - James Arthur

8. Best Thing I Never Had - Beyonce

9. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift

10. Miss Movin' On - Fifth Harmony

What are your favourite 'moving on' songs?

Things I Wish I'd Done Differently...

Choices are one of life's guarantee's, they're made on a daily basis by every single person on this planet, and have the power to change everything. One little choice, one simple decision, can send you down a path you never envisioned. Make the right choice; you'll be laughing... Make the wrong choice, well, that's very different... Scary, isn't it? You won't always know what the right choice is, and where that decision will lead you, and that's pretty terrifying. 

What if I screw up? What if I make a bad decision? What if... I don't even realise I'm making a decision right now that can potentially change my life as I know it? 

In retrospect, there are many many things I wish I'd done differently; decisions I wish I'd never made, and others I wish I had - some much bigger than others... Hindsight is quite possibly one of the cruelest yet most beautiful things life has to offer. 

I wish I'd worked harder for my A-Levels, I wish I'd made myself join a gym sooner, I wish I never spoke my mind when I was drunk (that never works well...), I wish I'd tried harder to make relationships work, I wish, I wish, I wish...

There are a lot of things that we all wish we could have done differently, but focussing on them isn't going to change anything. If you spend too much time thinking about how you'd change the past, your biggest regret will be how you neglected the choices of your unwritten future. 

"Free yourself from the burden of a past you cannot change" - Steve Maraboli

At the end of the day, all of the choices I've made in my life have made me the person I am today, and yes, there are things I don't like about myself, but I can make choices to change that too. 

What do you wish you'd done differently?

Single Girl on Valentine's Day...

With Valentine's Day being right around the corner, being single can seem depressing... After all, who wants to be subjected to 24 hours of OTT statuses, cute couples and the lack of receiving chocolate? (That one especially sucks). It's a yet another reminder, as if I wasn't already aware, that I don't have a 'special someone', but I'm single 365 days of the year and perfectly fine, why should V-Day be any different?

Sure, Valentine's Day is predominantly about romance and showing your affection for someone, but at the end of the day it's to celebrate love - love for friends, family, and yourself. Shouldn't we get to enjoy a day of love just like everyone else without feeling like crap? - Yes! 
Besides, who needs the extra calories from a box of chocolates anyway?

Here are a few ideas on how to have the best Valentine's Day, despite your relationship status!

1. Treat yo' self 
Valentine's Day is about love, so spend it loving yourself. Do whatever it is that makes you happy and leaves you feeling good, whether it be shopping, going for a manicure, or even binge-watching your favourite TV show all day. Take some time to relax, use up that face mask you've been saving for a special occasion and enjoy the freedom that comes with being single! 

2. Avoid tear-jerkers
I admit, I'm one of those people who watches a romantic film or listens to a song about love and immediately bursts into tears because 'why can't anyone love me the same way as Jack loves Rose in Titanic!?' but eating all the Ben & Jerry's and crying over love stories you wish you had isn't going to make you feel any better. Put down that Adele album and whip out something that'll make you cry tears of laughter instead! 

3. Call or visit your family and friends
Valentine's Day is about spreading the love, so share it with the people you hold most dear in your life and let them know you love them. Chances are, not everyone in your life is in a relationship and you never know how much something such as a simple call can mean to someone, especially on a day such as this. Arrange to meet up with other single friends, grab a coffee and have a good old laugh - mates before dates anyway, right? 

4. Spend the day with your girls
Friends are some of the most important people in your life, so if spending V-Day alone isn't your thing then round up some of your favourite single people and have a day to remember! Last year, myself and my friends went bowling and it was one of the best nights; who needs dinner dates when you can make memories with your best friends instead? Get dressed up, go for cocktails and cheers to being fabulously single! 

5. Hit the gym
Exercise is one of the best ways to de-stress and clear your mind of anything getting you down, so what better way to forget about your single status than going for a run or getting yourself down to the gym? Plus, exercise makes you happy with the endorphins your body releases, so working out will make you feel great and look good as well! Who knows, you might even spy some eye-candy in the gym too... 

Valentine's Day is only one day of the year, and just because you're single it doesn't mean you're not entitled to love like everyone else. It's natural to feel a little down on a day where the world is seemingly full of loved-up couples, but V-Day is honestly no big deal and not worth getting upset over. Being a single, independent woman is one of life's great privileges, so embrace it while you still can!

Choose Happiness

It very recently dawned on me that I'm exactly where I want to be in my life right now, after all I am at the University I aspired to go to, studying a course I'm passionate about, and all the hard work seems to be finally paying off... So, why is it I don't feel happy?

This is something I never, ever talk about. To me, talking about my feelings to friends and family is a burden, and most of the time, scrap that, all of the time I bury them as deep as I can and try and ignore them... Let me tell you it doesn't work well. Deciding to write about it here for the first time is a bold move for me, especially as someone who tries to spread positivity and fit as many smiles into a day as possible. 

Everyone finds themselves in situations and times in their lives when they just don't feel like themselves, and this is mine. What should be the best time of my life is turning into something I want to escape, and I can't remember the last day I felt truly happy. Nobody is 100% satisfied with their life, but there's a difference between not having everything you want, and feeling like there's nothing going for you anymore. This is by no means a sympathy plea, but rather admitting that although I put on a brave face and act like I don't gave a care in the world, I really do, more than anyone could ever know. 

The last few months have been the best and worst in my life. Moving away from home was a decision I thought long and hard about, and although it didn't quite work out as well as I'd hoped, it taught me to make the best of bad situations. Sitting in my room alone every night reinforces just how lonely I feel, despite living in a student village with near 2000 people, I've never felt more isolated. 
I have some great friends, amazing in fact, but I can't help but feel second best to everyone. Maybe it's me being paranoid, who knows. There's always going to be someone who comes in front of me every time, and it sucks to feel like maybe some of your friends are more 'friends of convenience' than anything else. This isn't always the case though, and there definitely are a select few who I would call genuine best friends. 
During my transition from Sixth Form to Uni, I grew apart from two of my three best friends. I know that friends come and go, but it's never a nice feeling to know the people who were always there for you aren't anymore, especially when you never thought they'd leave...
Classic Chloe also did that same stupid thing she always does by falling for a guy who didn't feel the same, and as much as I hate to admit it, it's been hard... It still is. 

But, and this is a big but, there are so so many aspects of my life I would never change, I have an overall great life, and I have a good feeling about what's coming next...

I've finally realised that I really don't help myself, I dwell on things and overthink far too much for my own good. Happiness is a choice, and one that I haven't been making for quite some time. If there's something I'm unhappy with in my life, I have every power to change it, and I'm going to start doing exactly that. 
As I said before, I try my very hardest to act as though there's nothing wrong, but it's not healthy and is something I've been doing for the majority of my life. I need to start being honest with myself.

Happiness is a choice, and I'm choosing it. 

February Goals

Can we just pretend January was a trial month? That's what I'm doing anyway... January was a bit of a strange month for me; I was in the midst of revising for my first University exams, I sat said exams and basically lacked a routine for the entire month. I'm one of those people who likes to be organised and have a routine, so January made me feel like I was neither coming nor going. 
February, however, will be much different. Second semester has officially started and my new timetable is pretty decent! With having a routine, I find it easier to accomplish goals, which is why I decided to swap 'new years resolutions' in favour of February resolutions instead!

1. Start running. It's no secret that I'm not a fan of my figure and I could definitely do with shedding a few pounds and toning up, plus exercise is important. Rather than telling myself to lose a certain weight in a certain time, I thought that setting myself a goal of jogging and eventually running three times a week would be better, and I'm definitely determined to stick with it! 

2. Eat healthier. This partly coincides with goal one, and is something I started doing in late January. Making small changes is the best way to go about it, such as slowly cutting down on sugary and fatty foods and replacing them with healthier options. So far it's been working pretty well so I plan to carry that on in the new month! 

3. Don't let things get to me as much. I can be a rather emotional person, and although I don't always let it show, I definitely bottle things up and let them get me down. The past few months have been particularly difficult for a few reasons, and I found myself feeling like I wasn't good enough and my self esteem got knocked right down. I decided that enough is enough, and I'm making an active point of letting things go and not overthinking, because God knows how much I do that! 

4. Do more with my friends. Since being home for the best part of six weeks, I haven't seen much of my friends recently. Now that we're all back at Uni, I'm definitely making sure we do more as a group! 

5. Say yes. I can't even begin to think of how many opportunities I've missed out on by simply saying no to them, even if it's an amazing night out that I didn't go to. One goal I've set myself is to say yes to more things, obviously to an extent - I can't say yes to everything, but I can definitely do more! 

Five, rather simple, goals for February which (depending how well I stick with them) I plan on carrying on for the rest of the year!
What are your goals for the month?