Photo from my Instagram

Well what a strange time we’re having in the world at the moment? I haven’t been blogging this week, purely for the fact like I’ve felt like I’ve had nothing valuable to say. I’m just muddling along with this like you are. But I know reading how others feel, makes me feel better, like I’m not alone, so I wanted to come on today and do a little mid-week check in, and how I’m currently feeling. Of course this goes to say, I’m following all the government guidelines to stay safe and help the rest of the world stay that way too. Please do the same, as I’m sure you lovely lot already are!

What’s working this week:

• Making the most of those once a day walks. The weather we’ve had recently has been amazing, gorgeous blue skies with sunshine, and I know for sure it’s been really helping me feel better. Yesterday I went out for a run, and I’ve been walking Harvey on the other days. Thankfully we live in a quiet town so we haven’t seen many people, and when we do we of course keep our distance.
• Having small rituals to rely on. Such as sitting outside for a cup of tea, doing a face mask and evening pamper, making sure I’m having a few hours completely off my phone. Those little things that keep me feeling uplifted are even more important now.
• Staying positive. I feel really lucky that I can still spend time with my mum, stepdad and Dan, and that we have Harvey too. Gratitude lists are really key at this moment in time, I feel so fortunate that none of us currently have any symptoms.
• Staying connected. I’ve definitely been relying on social media this week, and it definitely does help. Staying connected to my family on Facetime is also a great pick-me-up and something I’ve been doing a lot of. (Although don’t go on Twitter, it’s far too much for me on there!)
• Keeping busy. Luckily I can still go into work because there’s only my mum and stepdad in the office (who I’m with at home) on some days of the week, which I feel fortunate about. I don’t really have any ‘work’ that I can do at home, so when I am home, I’ve been keeping myself very busy around the house doing bits and bobs.

What to improve for next week:

• Less news. Ideally, I’d only like to watch the daily updates from our prime minister, but of course some days go astray and you end up on all sorts of websites in a spiral of doom. Definitely want to do less of this, next week.
• Worry less. This probably won’t happen, but I’m adding it on here anyway. In such a strange time, it’s bound to make us worry, but I know that it affects my sleep, so I’d like to try and switch it off a little bit, especially before bed.
• Lists. I’ve started doing to-do lists for each day (which is something I’ve always done to be honest) but I want to stick to them a bit more next week and also, try and find new things to add so it doesn’t get boring and I don’t get demotivated.

How are you feeling this week?

Photo from my Instagram

I know that it’s currently a bit of a weird time for us all. A lot of people are working from home, and most of us in general will be spending more time at home than usual too. With that in mind, I really wanted to share some ideas of what we can all do to stay positive during this season. I think staying positive is so so important, even in the midst of chaos. It makes such a difference, I promise!

Focus on the little daily joys
Your morning cup of tea. Snuggles with your pet. A hot bath. The blue skies outside. Eating an Easter egg (yep, that’s one I did last night). Counting these small joys and even better, writing a list of them every day will help your mindset feel lighter, and you’ll realise how much you still have to be grateful for.

Create an escape
Whether that’s starting a new exercise program, finding a funny podcast, going on a long walk or escaping into a good book, find an escape. Sometimes we all need to put our phones away and log offline (now more than ever, I think) and have a distraction. Don’t feel guilty about it, a few hours looking after your mental health and not reading the news, will keep you feeling more positive.

Work on projects you usually don’t have time for
With more time at home, that means we have more time to priortise the things that we’ve let go of recently. For me, I want to work on my cross stitch project, and also do some more mindful colouring. I picked up a copy of one of my favourite magazines the other day too so I’m looking forward to digging into that with a cup of tea.

Connect with others
Whether that’s facetiming your siblings, uploading onto Instagram or writing more blog posts than you usually do, using this time to connect with other people who will be feeling the same as you is a great way to distract yourself, and also not feel alone either. I’ve really been enjoying using Instagram as an escape, and checking in with other people there who provide light hearted relief.

Take it a day at a time
Schedule your current day, and try not to think too far in advance. Having a plan for the day will be so important in making you feel organised and that somethings are still somewhat normal, but try not to look too far ahead because that’s when it might feel overwhelming. Taking it one day at a time can be harder than it sounds, but when you do it it really does minimise panic and worry that is so prevelant in these current times.

Will you be doing any of these things this week?

Photo from my Instagram

I don’t know about you, but I know for sure that I always put my ‘best self’ online. Well, most of the time anyway. I do like to always share the behind the scenes and the reality over on my Instagram stories, and on this blog too, but more often than not I try to show up being my usual, positive, happy self. That’s just how I like to live my life on the whole.

But sometimes, it’s in sharing those more real moments that make you connect more to other people. You realise you’re not as alone as you thought you was, people do have and experience the same things you do, and that there is always support out there if you need it.

The idea of this post came to me while I was walking, and once it did I knew I couldn’t let it go. 3 mistakes I’ve made in 2020 so far.

Not listening to my gut instinct

This is really something that I try to work on all the time, letting my gut instincts guide me. But in certain instances, I’ve tried to ignore it and it didn’t do me any good. I really do think your body knows best, and it will always try to lead you on the right path. It’s probably just a normal part of life and the ups and downs we go through that sometimes, plans don’t work out exactly like you envisaged. But guess what, that’s okay. You can always try again tomorrow, I promise.

Spending too much time on my phone

We all do it don’t we? I’m trying to really put a cap on it this month and it’s going well. Some days I end up at the end of the day feeling so headachey, and just kind of urgh. That’s how I know I’ve spent too long on my phone. Sometimes I reach for it almost like a habit, for no reason whatsoever. Instead I want to read more magazines, be more productive with my time, and enjoy the company of who I’m with. I know that I’m a happier person and can create better things when I have a balanced life.

Not being mindful

I’ve rushed around the house, I’ve made clumsy mistakes, I’ve spoken out of tune and probably hurt a few feelings. Yep, I’m not perfect in any shape or form. But none of us are really. I’ve been really trying to listen more and talk less recently, which I can tell you is a lot harder than it sounds. Not making a quick judgement and try to see situations from a neutral stance. All of these things are not easy and most definitely don’t come natural to me, but I’m trying and that’s the most important thing.

What mistake have you made so far this year?

Photo from my Instagram, link here

Shall we ignore the fact that I’m over a week late with this post? I’m not quite sure how that happened, but at least I’m here anyway hey. I wasn’t sure if I was going to actually have any goals for this month, but I love the focus they give me throughout the weeks so I had a good ol’ think of some things I want to achieve in March, and here we are.

FEBRUARY RECAP

Walk. I really wanted to walk everyday in February and get a lot more outdoor time, and I think I did do that. Sometimes I let it slip and need to focus back on making sure I’m getting enough time in the fresh air, and that’s exactly what this goal did. A month later and I’m still going strong with this.

Meditate. Meditation is something that even though I know it works so well for me, I can put it off and procrastinate instead. I did so much more meditation in February than probably ever before, and my mental clarity feels so much better now that I prioritise it.

Ease. I wanted to have a more chilled out month, and I did do that. I feel much more creative now that I’ve set boundaries online, and so much less pressure too. I’m really happy about this and it was a great decision for me I think.

MARCH GOALS

Cut down screen time. This is something I’ve been trying to work on for the last few weeks, but I haven’t yet mentioned it on here yet. I’ve been tracking it just using the function that my iPhone already has, it’s pretty shocking how much time I’m on there to be completely honest, but I want to get it down to about 3 hours a day (I KNOW! That still seems a LOT of time). Also, I’ve got to take note of the fact that I do my edits on my phone which take so long, so that’s why some days it can be very high. I’m trying to notice when I’m scrolling just out of habit and do something else instead.

Treat myself. I’m doing a lot longer runs now, so I really want to treat myself to a full body massage. It’s been ages since I’ve had one and I think they can be so important for your body.

Be more present. Another thing I’ve been trying to work on recently is being more present. I’m a massive over-thinker sometimes which is so contradictory to being in the present and noticing the moment you are at right now. Whenever I find myself down a worry path, I want to remember to come back to my breath. Also, when I’m having family time and quality time with Dan, I want to be more present and enjoy it instead of being on my phone.

Do you have any goals?

To celebrate our four year anniversary, we decided to book a little something to look forward to (I always love having plans in the diary to keep me feeling positive, anyone else? Also, If I didn’t book it, I swear we would never do anything!) We wanted to go somewhere not too far away from home, probably about an hour or so at most.

After some internet research, we decided on the Kingfisher Cottage at Olicana Park, Ilkey.  It was really reasonably priced for Monday-Wednesday (staying two nights) and the cottage looked beautiful!

It definitely didn’t disappoint and as soon as we got there we felt immediately at home! IT WAS SO COSY, which of course I immediately loved. A super big bed so you don’t end up fighting over the duvet, free wifi and catch up tv, and of course, the hot tub! I spent an hour in there finishing my book and walked back in feeling the most relaxed I have in ages. Plus you also get free hotel robes and slippers to wear for your stay and I love it when that happens. The bathtub was also massive, probably the biggest bath I’ve ever been in!

The owners also left some lovely little touches such as cake, processo and bread and milk for us to enjoy. Plus also the cutest view outside of the cottage were the little sheep! We really did feel tucked away at the countryside. We went into the town of Ilkey which is only a 7 minute drive away and explored the town. I found some great reads in the local charity shops, and we enjoyed dinner at a nearby Italian, and a few drinks in the local pubs which all seemed lovely too. I haven’t been to Ilkey before and a lot of people described it to me as a smaller Harrogate, which I can definitely agree with.

We spent the next day driving (another 7 minute drive) to Bolton Abbey, and had a nice walk around there for a few hours. Thankfully it wasn’t raining by then and we could walk in the sunshine, before stopping at a local tea room for some tea and cake, much needed! We ended the last evening by ordering a takeaway and watching Love Is Blind on Netflix- oh my gosh I’m so obsessed with that show right now I can’t even tell you. You must watch it! It’s so good and probably the only show ever I could binge-watch. (I’m not a binge watcher, I just have a really short attention span I think!)

I know travel style posts aren’t the norm on this blog, but hopefully the more places we visit that I haven’t been to, I can feature them on here! They might be helpful if some of you live locally to me, and I want them to look back on in the future too. We haven’t got anything else booked in the diary but in April it is both of our birthdays and I’d love to have an overnight stay somewhere, so we’ll see!

Have you ever been on a countryside break? Did you enjoy it or are you more of a city person?