Number one: fluent Russian. Just kidding! Don’t worry, this list of “lockdown lessons” won’t make you feel bad about yourself. Despite my occasional Oprah-inspired moments of insight, my lockdown achievements are less “valuable skills” and more the product of too much time in my own head. Nonetheless, I wanted to share what I got up to and things I realised during this time. Continue reading “6 things I learned during lockdown”
Zoom meetings in your pyjamas, boycotting bras, an extra lie-in because you don’t need to do the dreaded commute, no more awkward small talk with Simon in IT who seems to live in the office kitchen – these are some of the joys of working from home. But like all good things, working from home also has its dark side.
I’ve never met a writer who wasn’t riddled with self-doubt. Pouring your blood, sweat and tears (oh, the tears) into each word and wondering with every syllable if you’re good enough. Word to the wise: don’t become a writer if you can’t face mental gymnastics each time you face a blank page. Continue reading “How to cope with self-doubt when you’re freelance”
True story: I joined Greenpeace when I was 8. I still have an envelope full of literature and stickers about the Ozone layer, Save the Whale and the dangers of pollution. Let’s just say I was a precocious, super sensitive little Sally Draper who was very obsessed with saving the planet. Plus, I’d read The Baby-sitters Club ‘Dawn Saves the Planet’ that summer and well, just about everything in my life can be traced back to The Baby-sitters Club books. Continue reading “Living more sustainably in 5 small steps”
This week I wanted to don my Oprah hat and write about something I think we all experience: negative thoughts and self-doubt. I’m told that self-doubt is as much a part of a writer’s DNA as coffee dependency, narcissism and nosiness. To be honest, that doesn’t really give me much comfort when I’m hunched over my laptop, paralysed with fear and self-loathing, as though the assignment I’m working on is the first thing I’ve ever written and wondering why the editor gave it to me of all people. So how do you stop that niggling negativity from completely taking over? Continue reading “How to deal with negative self-talk”
One of the most common gripes I hear is that eating more healthily is expensive. If I received a bean for every time someone suggested to me that you need to be flush to go vegetarian or vegan, well, I’m sure I could make a very nice dip with it.
The truth is, convenience foods ARE cheaper than healthier items, but there’s plenty of ways you can adopt a plant-based diet without needing to take out a bank loan. Being smarter about key ingredients, prepping your meals in advance, and getting creative in the kitchen are just a few ways you can eat healthily on a budget. Continue reading “Money saving tips for vegetarians & vegans”
Charity shops are the business. Where else can you get vintage designer threads alongside cat ornaments from the 1960s and 99 copies of Fifty Shades of Grey? I mean, really. Continue reading “How to get the best charity shop finds”
I have a confession to make. Even though over 20 books were written about hygge in the last few years, I never got the Danish hygge buzz. While I’m as guilty as the next person of wanting to inject some of that effortlessly cool Scandinavian style into my life, hygge seemed a step too far into twee territory for my liking. Continue reading “Living the lagom lifestyle”
For the fourth time in my life, I’m trying to cut out caffeine and all I can say is hold me. Somebody. Anybody. The headaches, the tiredness, feeling so irritable you are this close to giving Michael Douglas in Falling Down a run for his money. The joys of caffeine withdrawal.
So, why am I doing this to myself? As well as being a sucker for self-punishment, it’s that time of year when we are all vowing to be a bit healthier, to drink more water and turn ourselves into Gisele, all within the space of January, and I’m as guilty of this as the next person. Also, as you may recall from my golden milk recipe post, coffee has been exacerbating my anxiety in the last year or so. Even though I used to drink up to 6 cups a day – insert beating heart emoji – these days all it takes is that second cup and my heart is aflutter…and not in a good way.
Continue reading “How to quit caffeine and not lose your mind”
