It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2016, which has been an interesting although difficult year for me. I know that as bloggers we are often criticised for only showing the good parts of our life, the events, the freebies etc. But I want my readers to be able to relate to me and realise that what you see on Instagram is only highlights and often only the good parts.

The Lows 

At the start of the year I was 4 months into a new job which I was passionate about. Working in the health and nutrition sector and determined to succeed. However obstacles were thrown in my way. A manager who disliked me and who went out of her way to turn other staff against me, daily bullying and treating me like I was worthless. I suffered a complete lack of confidence and my panic attacks started coming back. 3 months later I had an informal chat with my GP who said my health was at serious risk due to my stress levels and high blood pressure. She was also concerned about the impact my state of mind was having on Amber and urged me to quit.  It was the best decision I have ever made.

However the whole situation affected my confidence so much that I would avoid social events and blogging events, attending only a few. I didn’t feel worthy or like I was good enough. my weight went up and down too and I stopped going to the gym, again due to having no confidence.

The Highs

On a more positive note, one of my highlights was seeing the fabulous Jason Derulo in concert with my best friend, Sheree. This was in February and was a lovely distraction from work. We started off with cocktails at Hard Rock Cafe and finished it off dancing to our favourite singer.

Blogging wise I’ve had a great year. I’ve made some new contacts including Gino D’Acampo’s restaurant team who are an absolute delight and I can’t wait for that relationship to progress in 2017.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach this year who is a massive inspiration.

In November I started a flexible new job and also started attending meditation classes (I’ll go into this more in another post).

I’ve also collaborated with brands such as McVities, UFIT, Bidvine and MyProtein for the first time.

I’m happy to ending 2016 on a high and can’t wait to share my 2017 goals with you.

What have been your highs and lows of 2016?

Latoya x