The inspiration journal

 2021...where do I even start! The last 2 years of my life felt like a shapeless lump of time. I've grown, matured, moved forward in various aspects of life, yet it still feels like I've put a lot of my dreams and plans on the backburner, for obvious reasons. It wasn't all so bad though. This past year I... Picked up new hobbies Got promoted Bought my first car Saw one of my closest friends get married Discovered my inner child Had my 1st anniversary of being vegetarian Travelled for the first time since the pandemic broke out Learned to love my own company and bring myself on solo dates Made new connections Met my cousin's new baby Learned how to control my negative emotions better (mindset is everything.) Discovered new things about myself, who I am, and what I really want from life and personal relationships I'm sure I've had many other happy moments and realizations this past year, but these are the ones that come to mind first. With all that's going on ...

Our level of responsibility increases as we grow older. We change, inside and out, develop new relationships and focus on the future.  Future education, jobs, relationships, maybe buying a house. That's all well and good, we have to keep growing, learning, progressing....that's human nature.  But while we try to find our feet in this new stage of life, let's not forget about the inner child. It's that priceless part of you that is absolutely unique, raw, and selfless.  As per the Oxford Dictionary, the term 'inner child' refers to  ''a person's supposed original or true self, especially when regarded as concealed in adulthood.'' Why connecting with your inner child is important - 2 key benefits: 1. Becoming more curious, motivated, and energized... The inner child and its curiosity, creativity, and zest for life are uncanny. The sad part? We tend to lose a lot of these traits as we grow older.  Reconnecting with the inner child allows for the...

I can't believe it's been over 2 years since I last posted on this blog. I've always struggled with consistency, but the 2-year break is a bit much, even in my book.  Like many people, I've spent the last 2 years adjusting to the new way of life. I've noticed some pretty groundbreaking changes in my behaviour - sounds very serious, I know, but what I mean is that, quite frankly, I just...care less about stuff. Pre-pandemic, I would worry about not travelling enough, not socialising enough, not DOING enough...That's now gone. The fact I *couldn't* do any of these things due to factors outside of my control, made me feel at ease.  It allowed me to slow down and focus on myself. Something I would've probably never thought to have done otherwise. It's kind of mad to think that it took a whole pandemic to get me to change my mindset. I read a bunch of books, picked up new hobbies and minimized my use of make-up. I mean, what's the point of putting all...

Have you ever listened to ASMR to relax? I had no idea what it was, until very recently. I'm glad I discovered it though, because it kind of changed my life.. What is ASMR? ASMR (or autonomous sensory meridian response) is a relaxing, often sedative sensation that begins on the scalp and moves down the body. Also known as 'brain massage', it's triggered by placid sights and sounds such as whispers, accents, and crackles. To my initial surprise, it's quite a well-known method of relaxation, with some ASMR YouTubers attracting millions of subscribers and views on their videos. From whispers, nail-tapping or scratching sounds to chewing noises, roleplay, and ??kidnapping or murder?? ASMR, the choice is definitely there, and some of these are pretty wild (but relaxing at the same time?). I can honestly say that ASMR is the ONE method of relaxation that always delivers. No matter how stressful of a day I'm having, it makes my brain shut-down.  Keen to try it yourself...

It's been over a month since I last posted on my blog and oh how time flies when your life does a 180!  The big <c word> that we've all been hearing about non-stop since March has changed the way we work & function nowadays, and I thought now would be the perfect time to catch up on some blogging and a life-update. In my last post , I chose to focus on the positives behind this current situation and spoke about personal growth and doing things that I wouldn't have time for before. Now, over a month later, I want to continue with this optimistic outlook and tell you about some great things that came out of these last few weeks. If you're like me and haven't managed to write a novel or learn 3 new languages since the lockdown started, these small changes might be just the right source of inspiration or motivation for you! I guess it's also a great reminder that every small step counts & that we shouldn't feel pressured to achieve 10 years' wo...

The last couple of weeks have been tough on everyone, there's no doubt about it.  With thousands dying around the world, businesses forced to close and people being let go from work, there's been a lot of fear and worry in the air, and understandably so.  Even if you're one of the lucky ones, I'm sure you still had to go through some major changes in order to adjust to this current situation.  This is why I thought I would jump on here quickly to spread some positivity around self-isolation as well as tell you about my experience of it - because I definitely found the whole thing tough at the start! How it began... I have a weak immune system and deal with older family members regularly so it was a no-brainer for me to start self-isolating quite early on. Thankfully, my workplace decided to let us work from home over a week ago and, over the last 11 days, I barely left the house, with the exception of a few walks around my area or the weekly shop....