Wednesday, 9 July 2014

Anxiety Interview with Kriss from Realm Of Makeup!

anxiety


  1. Hi Kriss! Can you tell me a bit about yourself? 

My name is Kriss, or Christine! I'm an Irish makeup artist, beauty vlogger and beauty blogger!

  1. Awesome! What do you blog about? 

I blog about all things makeup! I started my blog to go along with my makeup YouTube channel. So I'm still getting the hang of blogging but I'm loving the journey! I'm also going to be incorporating more 'other beauty' stuff (like fashion, nails, hair, skincare etc) than I would on YouTube. It's exciting times!

  1. That's great, I guess to keep up with blogging, vlogging and even your job, you'll need to be constantly inspired! What inspires you in life?

So much! In everyday life, I'm inspired by creativity (like art, makeup and style), individuality (like someone rocking an outfit I wouldn't have the confidence to wear), organisation (I love organisation blogs and Pinterest posts), and hard work (e.g. seeing someone's dedication and success). On a bigger scale, I'm inspired and moved by positivity (optimistic or helpful people), confidence (staying true to yourself or standing up for yourself), nature (a breathtaking scenery always makes me feel calm), music (e.g. beautiful lyrics or a powerful beat) and love (the most beautiful thing in the world!).

  1. What keeps you motivated?

 I am motivated in my makeup artistry and online work by 1) my passion for makeup and 2) other artists/vloggers/bloggers. I am motivated in life by 'doing me' - by this I mean doing what makes me happy, doing what makes me proud of myself and doing what is good for me. On a real note, not that money is everything, but if I'm going to be honest, it is a big motivation. Now that I am at a stage of my life where I have to make sure I can pay my bills and make rent, it does give me a kick to get up off my ass and earn it! And, not gonna lie I get motivation from little quotes or sayings I see on Instagram or Pinterest! I use greatday.com as my internet homepage to give me a positive message each day when I open up my browser :-) 

  1. That's awesome, I love quotes and I'm Pinterest obsessed! What is your proudest achievement either in life or the blogging world?

I'm proud of myself for finally doing YouTube and blogging, as I have wanted to for years and years! I'm also super proud that I went and got my makeup qualifications for myself and started my own freelancing business.

  1. That's an incredible achievement! Now I understand you suffer from anxiety, which must be difficult to control with everything you've got going on! Can you tell me what your experience is with anxiety?

Well my 'main' experience is my social anxiety. I have always been shy and an introvert, but at times it is extremely difficult for me to put myself into certain situations and to interact with others. I also get anxious about things like elevators and alarms but not to the same degree.

  1. How has it changed your life?

 Massively. Simply speaking can be a huge deal for me. Whether I find myself having to make small talk, or having a question to ask, or wanting to join in on a conversation, I tend to overthink, to the point that my heart is pounding and I just can't go through with it. It is also extremely difficult for me to put myself into situations where I have to do these things or where I won't know anyone. Having this anxiety throughout everyday life is difficult, especially when others don't understand what's going on inside for you. It is also extremely frustrating to have the desire to do something, yet you are holding yourself back.

  1. How are you coping with it?

 Because I know that it stems from irrational thoughts I try to challenge it at times. Making little steps here, and big leaps there show me that I can actually do these things. In fact, I will be attending a bloggers meetup very soon and I'm sooo nervous about it! When I first heard about it I was really excited because I don't know anyone else personally in the blogging world, and it would be so amazing to meet people who are! Now as it is nearing, I did have the thought of pulling out, but I know I would regret it. I just have to hold on to that excitement and remind myself that I will enjoy it and I will be proud of myself for going.

  1. Do you feel like the media are doing enough to help people who suffer from anxiety?

No I don't actually, and I hadn't really thought about that until now. I have to say Chloe, I really admire and appreciate what you are doing here! Anxiety is a very common issue. We all experience some level of it, yet most people don't want to admit to it. Before now, the only people I had really heard speaking about it on a public platform have been YouTubers that I watch. Zoe of Zoella, Sam of Pixiwoo and Sinead of TheMakeupChair (among others) have all made videos on the subject.

  1. Thank you, Kriss, I really appreciate that! What are your top tips for anyone living with anxiety?

The quote/idea that helps me challenge mey anxiety is "Make the leap and build your wings as you fall." In other words, do it now and think later! Without thinking, ask that question, sign up for that class, go to that party! The first time I found myself using this idea was when I signed up for a group. I knew this group would be beneficial for my future career but I would be signing up alone. I was going through a really rough time in my life, and I came to the point where I just held my hands up and said "Ok life, let's do this - whats the worst that can happen!" It was so unlike me and I was so proud of myself for finally taking a stand against my own anxiety. I signed up and reminded myself that no matter what happened next, I would survive. I was still nervous and self conscious, but as I got through it, I relaxed and found that it was easier than I thought, and well worth it.

Now in everyday life I try to go for little things without thinking. I had to work myself up recently to walk into a room to ask someone something. I was getting very stressed out, and had to calm myself and remind myself that there was nothing to be afraid of. I eventually stood outside the door and said to myself "1,2,3!" and gave all the power of the decision to my body - my arm reached up and my hand opened the door, without giving my brain a chance to butt in and ruin it with overthinking! Before I knew it, it was all over and I could see how silly I was being before. I use this "1,2,3!" in my head all the time and let me mouth speak whatever I want to say, or my feet take me wherever I want to go without letting that silly voice in my head take over. Sometimes this in itself is a little difficult so I just take things one step at a time. That might be just focussing on walking myself to the door, then just on opening the door, then on walking inside etc etc.

 Besides these practical tips, having someone you can talk about it to definitely helps. Sometimes just being able to say things out loud is a huge relief.

 I think that it is also important to remember that you are not strange for feeling the way you do. You are not alone, you are not awkward, you are not weird. You are human...and as a human you have the power to persevere through this anxiety you feel, and to conquer it. So accept that this is ok, but do not accept this as what you are stuck with.

Thank you so much, Kriss for your inspiring and honest answers! I really enjoyed interviewing you and I'm sure every reader will appreciate your words of wisdom and experiences you've been through and realise anxiety isn't just a "one off" but a constant battle, but together I'm sure we'll all be able to change and improve the way we deal with anxiety in the future!

If you'd like to visit any of Kriss' social media platforms, her links are below:


how to get over anxiety


As always, if you ever wish to get in touch for any reason at all, whether it's just for a chat, you need advice or you want to share your best tips to cope with anxiety, you can get in touch with me here:



Twitter: @ChloesConcept
Email: ChloesConcept@gmail.com
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)