Comparison

Comparison

Thursday, 21 June 2018

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It's really fucking hard to find the time to write stuff when you work full time. Like, seriously. How do people do it?! To be fair, the only time that I actually sit down and write is when I feel like I have something to say. Today I have something to say, but I think it's more for myself than anything else...

Recently I've been feeling pretty shit about living at home. When I finished uni I moved back home and I've been there ever since. That was nearly 2 years ago. It seems like everyone I know has moved out, is renting somewhere with their boyfriend or has bought a house/flat. It feels like living at home = failure, and it's pretty shit.
It got me thinking about comparison and how often we compare ourselves to others. I'm constantly comparing myself to other people my age, whether its with regards to jobs, qualifications, money or some other should-be-insignificant thing. Women are always comparing themselves to each other. We'd be lying if we said that we didn't go on Instagram pretty much daily and compare ourselves to people that look like they're leading the perfect life. I've seen an OBSCENE amount of tweets in the past week from girls comparing themselves to the ladies on Love Island. But the thing is, if we continue to compare ourselves to others, we'll never be happy. It will never be enough. It'll always be, "if I buy this I'll feel better"or "if I lose this many pounds I'll be happier". But it never works because it's never enough. There will always be someone with more and there will always be someone with less. I need to be happy with what I have and what I have achieved, and have confidence in myself that I will reach my goals whether it's tomorrow or a year from now. We all do.

I'm not really sure where I'm going or what I'm trying to say - I think I just needed to get my feelings out. I wish there was a way to be like "fuck comparisons" but I honestly don't think it's possible in today's society where adverts invade every aspect of life. Anyway, here's a nice quote I seen earlier today that I've put as my lock screen to remind me that things will happen at MY pace and that's OK.

WOMEN MAKING HISTORY: A day at Amnesty International

WOMEN MAKING HISTORY: A day at Amnesty International

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

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One of my New Years Resolutions this year was to be more active in my activism (lol). 
The very meaning of the word ACTIVISM is "the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change" (thank you Google) and obviously this is something that I am VERY passionate about, but up until this year my activism has actually been pretty passive. Yeah, I talk the talk on social media and I sign online petitions until the cows come home but I never get out and actually DO anything. This year my passion for activism has reached an all time high and it's like a fire has been lit inside me so I've been doing all that I can to attend events/protests, engage people and have discussions about issues that are important to me. 
The most recent of said events mentioned previously was the Women Making History festival at Amnesty International this past Sunday (20th May). It was full of fierce, formidable women sharing stories, advice and love - and it was my favourite day of 2018 so far. 

I went along to the Amnesty headquarters in Shoreditch with two of my favourite women - my older cousin Iona and my younger sister Isla. These are two women that inspire my immensely, slaying every single thing they do. We grabbed a quick coffee and made it in time for the first panel at 11:30 am. Honestly, the whole day was an absolute emotional rollercoaster for me. I'm not afraid to admit, I'm a cryer. I cry all the time at the smallest thing. I once cried because I saw the advert for the 2011 family film 'Dolphin Tale'. It was literally just the trailer, the 1 minute 30 second long trailer. On this day though, I cried because I was hopeful and happy that there are fiery, bold and powerful women who are passionate about making a serious change in the world. My ultimate goal is to be one of these women. One of the women from that day that made a considerable impact on me was Julie Begum, an activist based in Tower Hamlets in London that set up a group called "Women Unite Against Racism", consisting of local women who wanted to take a stand united against the BNP and racism in general. She recognised that getting involved in activism was considerably difficult for women due to childcare issues etc so she essentially made local activism accessible for women, ensuring that meetings were run at an appropriate time, creche facilities were available AND those attending had transport home to ensure they got there safely. Can we just take a minute to appreciate that dedication. What a fierce woman. It's women like that, that will (and already have) change the world. 

We listened to panels discuss important issues like the suffragette movement, activism online, how to deal with trolls, self care and mental health. I had an idea for a project that I'm going to undertake with my sister later this year (hopefully). I just felt fully inspired. I've never felt anything like it in my life. In that room of women (and men tbf) it felt like a sisterhood - there was no worry of judgement or trying to impress - we were united by our passion for feminism and for social change and I was HERE FOR IT. In one of the panels about selfcare, one panelist said that to take care of ourselves we have to figure out what we truly enjoy doing and simply do more of it and I did every single one of those things at that event. I spent time with some of my favourite people, I surrounded myself with fabulous women, I learnt, I laughed, I drank a fair few glasses of my favourite cocktail (an Aperol spritz if ya wondering) and I listened to thought-provoking stories. What more could a gal want? I feel ready to take on the world.

My ideal Sunday

My ideal Sunday

Sunday, 13 May 2018

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Sunday is my absolute favourite day. For some reason I just feel so calm on Sundays. If your life is a little bit hectic, I would definitely recommend using Sunday to take some time for yourself, chill and prepare for the week ahead. 
Here's a little list of my favourite things to do on a typical Sunday...

1. Have a lie in
Sunday is the only day of the week that I get to turn my alarm off and have a lie in. Being able to wake up when your body naturally wakes up is SO refreshing. I usually get up at between 10 and 10:30 am on a Sunday and it's sheer BLISS.


2. Brunch
Whether it's going out for brunch or making brunch at home, I just love brunch. I don't even care how cliche it is- breakfast food is my favourite food in the world.

3. Put on a good playlist
Chill music is PERFECT for setting the Sunday mood. I am obsessed with all of the 'easy' playlists on Spotify but especially 'easy 70s' and 'easy 90s' - hearing the songs in these playlists send me right back to my childhood and make me feel so nostalgic and warm.


4. A good old face mask
My skin is so temperamental especially in the heat. I have bad pores and generally greasy skin which I exfoliate every day but daily exfoliating also dries out certain areas. Weekly face masks are not only relaxing, they also make my skin perfectly smooth and refreshed.

5. Sunday roast
What is a Sunday without a Sunday roast?! Last weekend I had a little afternoon nap and was woken up by my mum telling me that dinner was ready - what an absolute dream!

6. Trash TV/Disney Films
Perfect Sunday watching. An old school Disney film or some episodes of The Bachelorette are perfect.

7. Writing a blog post
There is something therapeutic about writing (especially writing lists which is why a lot of my blog posts are lists), unfortunately Sunday is the only day that I have enough time - and headspace - to sit and write. I love building up ideas through the week and finally getting to type them out on Sundays.

8. A shower and an early night
My favourite part of self-care - SLEEP. There's something special about having a shower right before getting in to bed. A nice wash, fresh pyjamas and a good sleep - the perfect end to my favourite day.


Comment your Sunday routine below!