by Tanya Burr
MY TOP 10
WAYS OF DEALING WITH ANXIETY AND STRESS
1. USE CALMING TECHNIQUES
I use a calming technique my therapist taught me called ‘The five Stages Of The Sea’. You can do it anywhere, even on the bus. Close your eyes and imagine a really stormy, wild sea at night, with thunder and lightning in the sky. Unsurprisingly, this image is really easy to conjure up when you’re feeling really stressed. Then imagine the sea and sky starting to calm down, and at each stage, imagine it calming down more and more, until it’s dawn the next day and the sea is still, the sky is clear and bright and the only noise you hear is a seagull passing by. I always find that by this time, I feel much more calm and centred. This is just one example of lots of different techniques that you can use.
2. FIND SOMETHING THAT IS A COMFORT TO YOU
Personally, I sometimes get anxious when I am travelling, so I like to take something which connects me to home. When I went away recently, I packed one of my favourite mugs and my Disney blanket and it really made a difference having those things with me.
3. ASK YOURSELF ‘WHAT IF?’
When I’m stressed and feeling anxious, I ask myself ‘What if?’ about whatever I’m worrying about. I then think of the worst possible outcome, which is never normally all that bad, and if I’m still anxious I continue to ask myself the same question until it feels better in my head.
4. YOGA
Yoga is brilliant for making sure you take long, deep breaths and focus on the present moment. By observing your breath, it can make such a difference to how you feel. I think sometimes it is easy to not stop and actually focus of breathing properly. Yoga is great for practising slowly taking breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.
5. REMEMBER THAT IT WILL PASS
I think this is one of the most important things that I learned, that how I’m feeling will pass. I remind myself that when I’m feeling bad, it will pass because nobody has ever been stuck in the exact same emotional state for ever. No matter how anxious I’m feeling, I know I won’t feel the same in a few hours, or the next day.
6. DO SIMPLE THINGS
I do simple things like relax in a warm bubble bath and read a book. Never underestimate how valuable time on your own, caring for yourself, can be.
7. LISTEN TO MUSIC
Music can lift your mood and help you to think positively. The music you listen to doesn’t necessarily have to be about how great life is, just songs you enjoy. At the moment when I’m feeling stressed, I like to listen to Ed Sheeran.
8. MEDITATE
I use www.calm.com where you can do guided meditations for two, five, ten, fifteen or twenty minutes. Even if I just meditate for two minutes, I find this really helps to put things in perspective.
9. USE POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS
I use positive affirmations and quotes to help me feel stronger and remind me to think positively. I have lots written down, some I’ve found in books and online and some I’ve made up (a little tip is to only make up your positive affirmations when you are in a positive mind-set; don’t try and do it when you’re already feeling anxious or down as you’ll find it much harder). It’s incredible how much of a difference a few words can make if you really listen to them. Here are two things I say to myself a lot: ‘Be bright. Be happy. Be you’ and ‘You’re stronger than you think’.
10. TRY AND STAY IN THE MOMENT
Don’t fret too much about things that are happening in the future. Take each day as it comes and try to focus on this moment in time.
List the things to make yourself feel better when you’re feeling down …
MY FAVOURITE INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
‘You have to be odd to be number one.’
‘Don’t be afraid to be different.’
‘The greatest act of courage is to be and own all that you are. Without apology. Without excuses and without any masks to cover the truth of who you really are.’
‘You’re stronger than you think.’
‘Success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it.’
‘If you’re always trying to be normal, you’ll never know how amazing you can be.’
‘Life is better when you’re laughing.’
‘Today I choose happiness.’
‘Be a warrior not a worrier.’
‘Dream BIG.’
‘Don’t fill your head with worries – there won’t be room for anything else!’
‘Don’t worry about things that haven’t happened yet.’
‘Wake up and live.’
‘One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.’
‘Every day is an adventure.’
From when I was quite young, computers have been part of my life. I always had a desktop PC in my room at home and I used computers for school and for writing my homework. Outside of schoolwork, other than MSN Messenger, which I used to chat to all my friends after school, I used to look at celebrity style on magazine sites and check out MySpace too. When I was about twelve or thirteen, I was obsessed with Sienna Miller and I always used to tear pictures out of magazines of her walking her dog and wearing cool cowboy boots and boho dresses. Before I started uploading videos to YouTube, I never looked at YouTube or other people’s blogs.
When I started posting my videos to YouTube, it was just a creative outlet for me and it was almost by accident that they became really successful. I started by doing make-up tutorials and used it as a creative outlet; I had no idea it could be a career or a business. My first video was a make-up tutorial recreating the look of Serena van der Woodsen from Gossip Girl, who was played by Blake Lively. When I started uploading videos, they were almost always tutorials inspired by the looks of younger celebrities, such as Hilary Duff and Emma Watson. I usually looked for inspiration from TV shows I was watching back then, like Gossip Girl or The X Factor, or the style of pop stars in music videos.
When I look back, I think I appear so shy and awkward. The one thing I have always loved from the start was the interaction with the viewers and I have always been fascinated by what people say about my videos. Back then, the quality was really poor and I used Jim’s MacBook for a year before I bought my own. When I got back from travelling and started doing my tutorials in HD, it was really fun because I could actually see what I was doing!
A turning point for me came when I realised I needed to put more personality into my videos. On our return from mine and Jim’s travels, I wanted to do more make-up tutorials, but think I had a newfound confidence and was more chatty and personable. Viewers started commenting on how they liked to see my personality and the way I chatted more about general stuff, like my day or sharing anecdotes. I had grown quite a big audience by this point and I think they felt like they were really getting to know me, almost like you get to know a friend. Sometimes I would get stopped in the street; in fact the first time I ever got stopped on the street was when we were travelling in Sydney. I was walking down George Street and I heard someone shout my name. I was so confused because I knew that none of my friends were out there but it turned out that it was one of my Australian viewers. She looked quite embarrassed and like she hadn’t meant to shout at me, and it felt crazy to know that someone on the other side of the world had been watching my tutorials.
With the comments from my viewers saying they wanted to get to know more about other parts of my life, not just the make-up, I sometimes did the odd video where I started rambling on about different stuff and goofing around doing daily vlogs. Videos are different from vlogs because in traditional videos, the camera is fixed and you sit or stand in front of it, whereas with vlogs I took the camera out with me and took loads of footage of where I was going, what I was doing, and talked about whatever was going on that day. They are very personality driven but fun and easy to make and I found that I didn’t need to be doing anything particularly special to engage with my viewers. It was almost like having a friendly chat with one of my friends
about what I was going to make for lunch. The vlogs were really popular and made my number of subscribers shoot up. I love vlogging because it makes me feel like I am sharing my everyday life.
For someone who wants to start vlogging or uploading videos to YouTube, I think the real key is to do something you are interested in. So for me, I was passionate about beauty and decided to start with that. I think it’s so important to put your whole personality into videos. When I first started I used to say in a serious voice, ‘You need to put contour here and blush here’, and I never put my true self into the videos because I still felt quite shy. I have learned that this is one of the most important things to do because your personality is what people come back for. Let it shine through! I don’t think it matters at all if there are other vloggers doing the same thing or covering the same topics because everyone is unique.
Many of my YouTube friends like Zoe, Louise and Ruth cover beauty and fashion like me, but I think of their videos as completely different. There is room for everyone! For me, it reminds me of when you are young and like looking at the older girl at school to see how she does her hair or picks her clothes out. I always watch the channels of people I am interested in and inspired by.
When I first started, I only had my laptop and I did everything on there, so you don’t need to buy expensive equipment or products to start vlogging. Also, you don’t need to do anything special. Some of the best videos are of someone making their tea and breakfast in the morning. I think it’s important to not think too hard about it because if you do that you start to censor yourself too much.
At the beginning, I just saw YouTube as a little, fun project. I think if you are starting out, then don’t become too obsessed with worrying about how many people are watching because if people like you, your viewer base will naturally follow.
Social media is really important when you’re posting videos and I can’t express how important it is to share your videos through platforms like Twitter and Facebook. It’s also important to upload content that you think other people will want to share, because you need other people to share it too in order for your brand to grow. I started my YouTube channel first, and then I put up my blog because I thought it looked fun and would be a good chance for me to post some of my pictures. Around the same time, I started on Facebook and Twitter and then set up my Instagram account later. I like to keep some of my content exclusive to one platform to keep it interesting and so that people have a reason to visit each one.
I love the fact that my videos appeal to people in different countries, all over the world. Some of my strongest fan bases are in America, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Netherlands, France and New Zealand, and one of my favourite things is going to meet-and-greets in different countries. Also, even if I’m awake in the middle of the night, there will be someone in a different time zone to talk to. I love being part of such an amazing online community.
Here are my top tips for making videos and putting them online:
DO
Be yourself: people watch other people online mainly because they like their personalities and want to know more about them. Even if, like me, you start off with beauty tutorials, offer up anecdotes about your day or something that has happened or a memory, to help people get to know you. So when applying eyeliner, talk about the day you went to buy it and how you tried the new drink at Starbucks, for example.
Be an expert but vary your content: find your niche, your main interest – and your unique selling point! Mine is mostly beauty and fashion. I love that my fans see me as their go-to girl for tips, tricks and trends. However, at the same time, vary your content to show the different elements of your personality. I love filming my baking videos and doing ‘day in the life’ vlogs.
Listen to your audience and interact with your viewers: it’s really important to listen to what your audience wants but, at the same time, don’t lose your focus so that you find yourself moving away from topics you are passionate about because your viewers might be asking about something else.
Keep your tweets interesting: don’t make all your tweets about promoting your YouTube video or asking people to subscribe to your channel. People are interested in your opinions and love to ask questions.
Keep up with the latest social media trends: right now, the latest social media craze is SnapChat and to be successful online it’s important to know what people are excited about and talking about. For me, another big thing at the moment is daily vlogging, where I post a video every day. It’s hard work but when I did it in September 2014, over the course of the month my videos had more views than I’ve ever had in a single month.
Network with other bloggers: I think it’s really nice to build relationships with other people, bloggers or Youtubers because you can share tips and experiences.
Be proud of your YouTube channel: never be embarrassed about any videos you have uploaded or blogs you have written. If your friends at school or work find out about it, be proud!
DON’T
Pay attention to negative comments: unless ninety-five per cent of your comments are asking you to do something like stop saying ‘um’ all the time, in which case maybe you do need to think about it, don’t pay attention to horrible comments. There are always people online who aren’t going to like everything about what you do.
Stress over statistics and views: I said it before, but try not to worry about how many people are watching your videos at the beginning; it takes a long, long time to build a solid viewer base. However, while I don’t believe you should obsess over stats too much, it’s a good idea to keep on top of them because this can help you stay focused and you can make adjustments based on these numbers so that your videos and blogs are the best they can be.
Be a copycat: by all means be inspired by other people’s blogs and videos and borrow their ideas, but don’t try and analyse too closely or copy what other people are doing.
Be afraid to hit ‘publish’: there have been some vlogs that I have felt nervous about uploading, like one last September where I felt really anxious, but actually it got some great responses and made me feel much better. If you’re honest and open, I think the response will always be positive.
Feel like you have to vlog or blog every day: sometimes I am just so busy with work, which means I can’t post videos or blogs as much as I would like. However, when you start out it is really important to be consistent, so whether you post a daily blog or a weekly video, try to keep it regular for a while so that your viewers know what to expect.
Compare yourself to others: don’t compare your life with someone else’s highlights. When you’re looking online a lot it can feel like everyone’s Instagram is amazing, but the truth is you never really know what is going on in someone else’s life – people don’t share the less glamorous stuff!
List your top ten favourite websites …
MY TOP 10
VLOGGING AND BLOGGING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
1. USE NATURAL LIGHT
Always try to shoot your videos in natural light because they will look best, unless you have a lighting system.
2. HAVE A PLAN
Although I am known for never getting to the point (!), have a plan beforehand so you know what you are going to say and do, otherwise you could end up filming a ramble that is pretty hard to follow.
3. MIX IT UP
Mix up your content so you have some videos that will make people laugh and others that are more serious and informative.
4. TEACH YOURSELF HOW TO EDIT
I taught myself how to edit videos on iMovie and how to take good pictures and have just got better as time’s gone on. Google is your best friend!
5. TAKE YOUR TIME
Don’t expect your first video or blog post to be perfect. Give yourself a bit of time to improve and never rush what you are doing. Even if it means getting up an hour earlier to do some filming or writing, this is better than rushing the process.
6. EDIT LATER
With b
log posts, it is really reassuring to remember that you can edit them later. With one of my recipes for cookies, I made them at a later date and added the new pictures because the second batch looked much better!
7. MAKE IMAGES INTERESTING
When taking photos for your blog, think of it in terms of lighting, colours and setting. If you are taking pictures of a candle for example, don’t feel like you just have to have the candle in the shot but fill the background of the picture with pretty things, like fresh flowers or a stack of cute notepads, for extra interest.
8. DON’T FOCUS ON STATS
Remember that building a viewer base takes time. It’s important to be patient; so many people give up too quickly because they don’t see instant results. Have fun, let your personality shine through and the viewers will follow!
9. KEEP IT NORMAL
Don’t think that you always need to have something fun to do. Walking to the shop to buy some milk can make a really fun vlog. Not everyone has exciting activities planned every day.
10. REMEMBER THE PICTURES
If you are writing a blog, don’t publish large chunks of text without breaking it up with pictures. I love photos so much – they really do speak a thousand words.
MY TOP 10
MOMENTS OF MY YOUTUBE CAREER SO FAR
I’ve had so many incredible experiences since starting my YouTube channel and it is so hard to pick the best ones, but here goes:
1. MY FIRST-EVER MEET-AND-GREET
I did my first ever meet-and-greet at the Starbucks on Vigo Street in London in March 2011. I was really nervous in case no one turned up and thought I might be drinking my coffee on my own, so I made Kate come with me. It was a really last-minute thing because I was going to be in London for a fashion event and when I realised I had an hour free beforehand, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity; I just picked a venue nearby and made a video. About twenty people came along and I just loved meeting some of my viewers and getting some feedback. I have loved every meet-and-greet event since – they are always one of my big highlights.
