I've noticed a shift this summer in the way that I've been spending my time. No doubt the eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that I haven't written anything for you in a while (it's now autumn), and that I've taken a few breaks here and there from social media. It's been a bit of a revelation, to say the least.
The more time I spend offline, with friends (old and new) and family, the more I feel like my real self and the more I've let go of wanting to fit into a certain 'blogger girl' mould. I've been far less critical of myself, less concerned with trends, and much better at "self care". Living with anxiety is hard enough without the internet adding to my worries.
Being More 'Present'
I've spent so much time eating, drinking, socialising, taking road trips, throwing a frisbee around, chilling in the garden, and working towards a new qualification for my job, that I just don't have the time to give to mindlessly scrolling anymore.I'm using apps like Instragram less, but with much more intent (more on this here). I spend time following the accounts that make me feel good, and the same goes for other social media too. I've made some great memories instead of aaaaalways having my eyes on my phone. I've just gotten back from a holiday where I only took TEN photos. Unheard of for me, but I was just enjoying the rare chance to relax and recharge.
Learning Resilience
Something I've also been working on is growing a thicker skin, and learning not to take everything to heart. It's definitely easier said than done. I'm happy to admit that I've always been a sensitive person, and that taking things personally is my default setting. I'm guessing I'm not alone here.BUT I'm continually telling myself that the way someone speaks to me or the words they choose to use are always more of a reflection on themselves than an indication I've done something wrong. I think it's working?
Personal Development
I've also embarked on a new marketing qualification, which involves a lot of work outside of my usual working hours. My evenings and weekends have suddenly been consumed by it for the last few weeks, and it's really testing my knowledge and helping me to improve my skillset.
With any luck we'll also finally be buying our first house soon, so there will be plenty to do when it comes to moving. The timing of the move and my assignment dates are about as clashy as it could get, but I'm also aware of how lucky I am and how hard I've worked to be able to do either of these things at 26.
I'm telling myself that all will be fine and go smoothly (fingers crossed!), and looking forward to making some serious interiors plans for when I've got a set of keys in my hands and an assignment submission receipt in my inbox.
So really, life for me at the moment has been about prioritising the things that truly serve me and setting myself up for the future. Sadly that means that blog posts may continue to be sparse into the autumn months, but I still enjoy sitting down to post every now and again so just know that I won't forget about it completely! I could never give up this space that I spent so long creating.
