Are you here?

Are you here, right now, in this moment?

Or are you worrying about something you said earlier, or what you need to do tonight?

Most of us spend our whole lives dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. We feel regret, anger, guilt and hurt about the things that have happened, and anxiety, fear, concern and anticipation about tomorrow. 

I had been living like this, unknowingly, for my whole life. Then, one gloriously sunny afternoon in 2020, I sat in my garden and read a book I’d been recommended by a friend, called ‘The Power of Now’. It talks about living totally presently, exactly as you are now, in this moment. It’s an incredibly hard thing to do. But when you manage to achieve it – to pause the constant stream of thoughts in your head – magic happens.

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From ‘I’m not a runner’ to my first 10k

I’m not a runner.

I’ve said this more times in my life than I’d like to admit. Running has never been my thing, even though I’ve attempted to make it my thing various times. I used to run occasionally in sixth-form, then in uni, then again a few years ago, and once more during the first lockdown when the gym first closed.

Staying motivated while the world stands still

Recently, I’ve been really struggling to find the drive to workout, walk, write… the list could go on, actually, because I’ve been pretty unmotivated in many aspects of my life.

Happiness in the everyday

Work, commuting, money, housework, eating well, keeping fit, getting enough sleep, staying in touch with friends. Daily responsibilities can be a lot to keep up with. Sometimes my mind can get swamped with all the thoughts and reminders I need to store in it. Sometimes I get anxious.

‘Mind your own’ – social media and our heads

My head has been aching recently. Physically and metaphorically. The weight of being a millennial with an iPhone has been growing heavier, powered by stress and being generally unwell over the last few months. First world problems, right?

Let’s talk about sex… ism

People complaining about the use of the words feminism/feminist, without taking the time to understand what they actually mean, is truly frustrating. A simple Google search will tell you that the definition is the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. Is it wrong of anyone to want that? No. Is it wrong of anyone to deny women equality? Yes. Do we still need it in today’s society? Absolutely.

A hung parliament and #DogsAtPollingStations

It’s the 9th of June and the snap election result has been announced. It’s a little peculiar, because as the Tories mourn the loss of their majority in parliament, they still came out on top. Meanwhile, Labour celebrate having finished 85 seats behind a majority win.

News curation – Storify

Screenshot from my Storify page

This blog post was written as part of a university project.

Storify was a completely new concept to me when I was instructed to use it for my assignment. When I first logged into the website, I was confused by the layout: the way users have the option to comment on each separate paragraph of text and being able to import items from Twitter, Facebook and the internet is something I wasn’t aware I could do online.

Autumn inspiration

Dust down your coats and woollies – Autumn is upon us, and this year has seen the season revert back to the good old days of traditional earthy shades, with some bold colours to break things up. Whether you team jackets with scarves, jeans with jumpers or jerseys with hats, you can stay warm, dry and still look fantastic in the months leading up to Christmas festivities.

Travelling… on a budget!

Recently, my fantasy of packing a bag, getting on a plane and disappearing for a while has been getting the better of me. I’ve been looking at cheap European flights, internships in New Zealand and inter-railing, but as a student, I can’t imagine ever being able to fund the dream!