Tag: self care

I have no idea what I’m doing.

Leave a comment

Hey guys😊

Hope you’re all having a glorious Saturday.

Combined with the below image, the quote “not all those who wander are lost,” has been playing on my mind a lot recently. A cliche quote it’s become I know, but that is what makes a cliche – relevancy to many and overuse.

Manchester wall art

I took this image over a year ago, whilst wandering the streets of Manchester, and the simple message has really hit home recently. I have no clue what I’m doing in life😅, but does anyone? We all give the impression of having our lives together and maintaining control, but how much control do we actually have over the events in out lives? To a degree yes of course we do, but there is so much uncertainty and things out of our control that can influence the decisions we undertake. Saying “I have no idea what I’m doing” isn’t a bad thing, though the connotations people take from it are negative. It is okay to take a step back from, whatever and where ever you find yourself in life, and to just take a moment to breathe.

As Tolkein says, just because I’m wandering without a clear purpose with what I want from life right now does not mean that I am lost. If there is one thing I’ve realised, it’s that it’s okay to not know what you’re doing or where your life is taking you right now. Not every single aspect of life has to be though out or planned. Where would be the fun in that?

Literature has become a massive source of comfort and escapism for me over these past couple of weeks, really helping to ground and re-focus on what I know I want to achieve in the future and how I can attain it. So yes, I don’t know what I’m doing right now, or even how I’m going to get to where I want to be, but focussing on myself and taking the time to figure out is going to worth it in the long run.

Enjoy the unknown. It might take you somewhere you never would have gone.

xo

Book Review: The Night Brother

Leave a comment

Hiiiii 😊

So i just finished reading the ‘Night Brother’ by Rosie Garland and oh man, I loved it! It was such a sublime mix of poetic and descriptive language and all set in my beloved home town of Manchester❤ As a Manc I was super invested as soon as I read the ‘set in Manchester’ sentence of the blurb😅

the_night_brother.jpg

The Night Brother

It has a Jekyll and Hyde theme that runs throughout, and the book really plays with this in a number of ways – characters, journey’s, day and night. Through the protagonists, Edie and Gnome, the novel goes on winding and difficult journey’s of self discovery and is set in the early 1900’s which helps give, and keep, the air of mystery surrounding the plot. It also allows you to lose yourself in a period set piece of fiction and go back to a time free from the constraints of modernity. Touching upon today’s prevalent issues such as women’s rights, what it means to be a man and gender fluidity, they’re all mixed together with a touch of intrigue, flair and vital importance.

The theme of duality that runs through the entirety of the novel is such an interesting one because we all have different personas depending on who we’re with and the situation we’re in. A lot of people (myself included) probably feel like they are living separate lives sometimes. The novel deals with sexuality and gender fluidity in a way that shows you that you are more and can be more than what you are born into. Edie and Gnome differ in every way, they are complete opposites. But, they need each other. They’re constantly battling against each other for freedom and you do, like with Jekyll and Hyde, get the sense that this could easily be interpreted as someone battling with their inner demons. They desperately yearn for freedom from each other, fighting against their restraints and bonds, but if one of them does win in the end, can they really be whole? To survive one cannot be without the other no matter how hard they try – they are indeed 2 halves of a whole.

Some people might say the ending is anti-climactic, and while I can see where they might be coming from, I have to disagree. The ending, for me, wrapped up the story of the 2 siblings and their arduous journey and provided a sense of comfort. Not just for them, but for us the reader. You become invested in their stories and you really (or I did anyway) want to see them find stability and safety in a world where they would be chewed up and spit out.

I adored reading this and I don’t want to give too much away, but I highly recommend😊

xo

Making time for reading, and yourself

1 Comment

Hi 🙂

Well it’s been a while hasn’t it! To quote Rihanna ‘work, work, work, work, work, work’ has been the bane of my life for the past few weeks. And it’s only gonna get worse *cue tears*

I hate it when my days get filled up with so much work that it affects my own personal time, as I’m sure many of you do. So much less time to do the things I love – like reading or writing. Buuuuut *cue fanfare and megaphone* NO MORE I SAY! A work life/personal life balance is key to stop you from imploding, so that’s what I’m gonna make a conscious effort to do. And *fans self excitedly* I’ve even come up with a list of things to implant that will hopefully help me get that balance back:

1) Make time for reading on my route to work – instead of sleeping (😁) on the tram/bus whip out a book and utilise my time wisely.

2) Carry a notebook with me at all times so I can jot down any ideas wherever I am. 

3) Put aside at least an hour a night for reading/writing so that I’m not just sat in front of the laptop/tv/my phone until I’m in bed. Clear my mind 😌

4) If I have to stay late/bring work home with me plan my time more efficiently so I’m not procrastinating (this one’s easier said that done but I’m gonna try!) 

5) Talk about literature more. With anyone, family and friends. I really miss having discussions and just chit chat about books so much so that I’m setting up a book club at work.

This week was mental health awareness week and really made me think about my own mental health and wellbeing. It’s so important to make time for yourself and to give yourself and your mind the time it needs to rest and recuperate. Work should NEVER EVER take up so much of your life that it begins to affect your health physically or mentally. I think it’s so important to take even just something as small as an hour for yourself and do something you love – paint, draw, create, read – whatever it might be. 

Take care of yourself.

xo