by Fiona likes to blog | Aug 15, 2016 | LIFE
Writing about writing; maybe this is cheating slightly when it comes to creating a blog post but writing everyday is a habit that I genuinely have managed to incorporate into my daily life over the past few weeks so I feel qualified to chat about the damn thing. Full disclaimer though – I have been unemployed for the past few months so truthfully time has been on my side. I recently found part-time work and a regular writing gig but I’m confident I’ll still sit down at my laptop at least once a day and not just to check Facebook.
Create a topic list
When I set aside time to write I don’t want to waste the first 30 minutes deciding exactly what I want to talk about. Over the years I’ve created a lengthy list of topics that I refer to as soon as I’m ready to write, meaning there’s little time wasted. I add to this list at least once a day, normally in the form of an actual headline e.g. ‘Real women who inspire me’.
Even if I don’t know what I would discuss in the post, I take note of any catchy titles straight away – no matter what time of the day or night – because otherwise I WILL forget. For this reason I keep the notes on my phone, meaning I can add to this ever-growing treasure trove whenever creativity strikes. Some of the titles might not come to fruition for months or even years, but when I’m ready I have those ideas in the bank.
Use a mobile device
Once I’ve got a few ideas I know I want to work on, I set up a draft post from my laptop and pop in a few bullet points to get me started. Then I will write a brief introduction and to be honest that’s all I do at first. The next time I’m sitting on a bus, waiting for a prescription or on a coffee break at work I’ll open up the WordPress app on my phone and just start typing.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about blogging it’s that the ‘little and often’ approach works for me. A few hundred words over lunch, a few more whilst I’m waiting on the oven preheating and before you know it I have the raw materials of a blog post written just waiting to be edited. I wouldn’t recommend writing an entire post on your phone because it’s tricky to upload photos and check for grammatical errors, but it’s great for stream of consciousness style writing on the go.
Set a timer
I’m so easily distracted by social media that I can have a whole day at my disposal to type up a blog post and get absolutely nowhere with it. However it’s amazing how much I can get done when the clock is ticking. I like to set a timer – normally for around 20 minutes – put my phone waaaay on the other side of the room and close all tabs on my laptop. I promise myself that all I’m going to do during that time is write. Normally I end up totally engrossed, on a roll for another 10 or 20 minutes and finishing an entire piece of work very efficiently.
Identify your wasted time
My ‘little and often’ approach to writing means I look at my day and try and find the times where I’m sitting doing nothing, I’m bored or just have some time to kill. For me it’s normally the 15 minute break I get at work. I sit down with my coffee, grab my phone and before I know it I’ve rambled for a new hundred words on WordPress. Other key times for me are when I’m on exercise bike at the gym, when I’m waiting for my coffee to brew or in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. Once I identified theses times and started utilising them it just became a habit, and now I couldn’t rack up a decent word count without them.
Do you write everyday? What are your tips?
by Fiona likes to blog | Aug 10, 2016 | LIFE
As soon as I typed up this blog post title I realised it was terrible. I need to explain myself. Who are these ‘real’ women I’m planning to talk about? What makes one woman more real than the next? Am I a real woman? I really did just knock-up this title hoping that people would get what I mean but I’m not even sure I really get what I mean.
Let me just preface this post by saying that whoever inspires you personally is a valid role model by default. If she makes you want to be a better person, entrepreneur, artist or a chimney-sweep then she is a real woman who deserves some attention.
I suppose what I mean in this context is that I’m inspired by women who aren’t necessarily successful or well-known in the stereotypical kind of way. I’m often inspired by women who have really followed their passion or done something interesting with their lives. Here goes…
Writing
It’s probably not a very popular thing to say as a writer, but I don’t read much fiction. I love reading about people’s lives, real experiences, anecdotes and unbelievable adventures from the past. Recently both Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have inspired me to write about what I know. Both of their books (Bossy Pants and Yes Please) were equally heartfelt and hilarious but still entirely relatable as a woman in the 21st century.
Their voices are both different. Amy is very much a ‘silver lining’ type of gal, seeing the hope and beauty in everything. This is a point of view I really admire, especially having made her name in an industry where rejection and self-hatred is commonplace. Tina on the other hand comes across as more sceptical, but seeing the funny side in every tale and I am in awe of her ability to tell great stories that make you laugh out loud.
Body confidence
I’m so angry that I’ve wasted the best part of the 30 years feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. I’ve been convinced that if I eat less and exercise more I can somehow alter my body into the idealistic shape we’ve all been sold as ‘perfect’. I’m also so thankful that women across the world have now been confident enough to proclaim the love they have for their bodies – no matter what shape or size. I am so grateful that these women have used their platforms to spread the message of acceptance for all bodies everywhere.
The first time I sat up and took notice was when I saw Ashley Graham. I mean the word beautiful doesn’t even come close to describing this lady. She is so cool, classy and down-to-earth. When she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated I felt like it was OK to be the size that I am, and that if I look at her and see beauty then maybe others do the same with me. My other body positivity idols are Grace Victory, Felicity Hayward and Katie Willcox to name a few.
Creative
Growing up I was always listening to male dominated music, but when I left home I was introduced to Rilo Kiley. I was into their music but when Jenny Lewis released her solo material I was really into it. Her first album Rabbit Fur Coat featuring The Watson Twins was a real celebration of powerful women. Three ladies singing the blues in harmony? Count me in.
Since then I’ve watched her explore different styles of writing – always genuine and moving – whilst never compromising her own integrity. Her style is laid-back, eclectic and completely her own. I can’t think of anyone who is like her and it makes me realise that it’s OK to be yourself, in fact people might even like you for it.
Who are you inspired by?
by Fiona likes to blog | Aug 8, 2016 | ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, LIFE
Suffering from anxiety and depression is a full-time gig. I’ve come to realise it’s the little things that add up everyday to either make or break my mood, and when I can feel my mood start to take a dip I have a few ‘go to’ habits that will often stop me from slipping into a low state of being that lasts a few days.
I have gone through various forms of medication and treatment over the past few years, and this is by no means a cure for this horrible illness. It’s simply a few pointers for when I feel that dark cloud start to appear overhead – a few things that help me day to day and you might find useful.
What are your top tips to boost your mood?
by Fiona likes to blog | Aug 5, 2016 | ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, LIFE
Success is a strange thing. It’s one of those terms that we tend to use to describe other people, but never ourselves. We can say we are unhappy, hard-worked, stressed and dedicated all day long in the hope that we somehow appear successful – or at the least extremely busy – to others, but to stand up and proudly say “I am successful” seems too much. Too cocky.
How dare we have the audacity to praise our own accomplishments?
Yet, isn’t it the one thing most universally desired amongst most humans? Don’t we all want to be successful at whatever is that we do? Well after years of self-doubt I’ve taken a good hard look at my humble little existence and I’ve realised that am successful. Fuck it. I am my own success story and you can be too.
No one knows what I’ve been through
I don’t mean that in a dramatic “I’ve survived a zombie apocalypse” type of scenario, or even “I’ve survived a traumatic event”, something that many people really have gone through and emerged beautifully from the wreckage. I just mean that no one has the right to judge my success without personally knowing my circumstances. I mean really knowing me.
Even if you saw my life history down on paper, you still don’t know what’s gone on inside my head all of these years; the low self-esteem, the body image issues, the problematic eating habits and social anxiety problems that have reared their ugly heads in the past few years alone. No one can possibly tell me how successful I am because they don’t know the breakthroughs I’ve had to make on my own, in my head, repeatedly every day before I could even consider tackling practical barriers like getting a god job or buying a house.
I’m not saying Poor me, quite the opposite in fact. I’m saying Yes! Go me! because I’ve began to conquer my internal struggles and that’s a success story in the making right there.
I set my own standard of success
The universally recognised checklist for success is generally made up of a respected career, good income, marriage, home ownership, flashy car and maybe a couple of kids thrown in for a laugh. I have one of these things and the rest are unattainable for me at the moment so I’m just writing a new checklist. And guess what – its constantly changing.
At the moment I’m on a roll with regularly putting out blog content and getting more visitors to my site. I don’t get a lot if traffic so a successful day for me means increasing my traffic by 10% or getting my post retweeted on Twitter.
On a day when my depression has set in real deep, a home run for me is getting dressed and managing to pop to the shop for some milk. That’s reality for me, and I’ve come to terms with that. I will have days like that on a regular basis and that’s just what I have to work with to be happy.
Once it clicked that the bar was set by me – not my family, friends, employers or society – it seemed obvious that I could easily be a success in my own world. I set my own private goals and work towards smashing them.
I found out that salary means nothing
I’m well aware that it’s been said a million times, but money doesn’t necessarily make you happy. Money is a clear motivator to work hard at something, and having extra cash makes life easier and means you can support your family. So does this mean we should continue to pursue money as the root of all happiness? I’m not convinced.
Once you’ve worked hard to achieve a salary that makes life comfortable and enjoyable, the need to continually better the number on your wage slip year on year is a trap that many people fall into because they see it as the holy grail of success. The only way to prove their worth to the world.
I’ve been on a really nice income in the past and I was incredibly unhappy for a lot of that time. For some people it brings them genuine joy and that’s fantastic, I’m glad that they know what makes them happy. I’ve realised that job satisfaction, or even just having a job that allows time for the hobbies I enjoy is where it’s at for me right now.
If I can earn enough to get by and have the time and energy to do my favourite workouts, blog every couple of days and maintain strong relationships with my husband , friends and family then that’ll do. That’ll do just nicely, thanks.
How do you define success?
by Fiona likes to blog | Aug 3, 2016 | LIFE
Unemployment sucks.
That’s how it seemed to me at first anyway; a hideous mind-fuck of the tallest order where you question your purpose in society, your ability to function on little money (or benefits) and wonder if you can survive eating cardboard for a few weeks until you pluck up the courage to ask your parents for money.
I hate to say it, but things will get worse before they get better. Take me for example, I began writing this post from bed, at 1am in the morning. Not because I have a creative mind that seems to spark to life in the peaceful hours of darkness, but because my sleep pattern is messed up because I have no routine.
My wonderful husband is working his new dream job for at least eight hours a day and the best I can hope for some days is a shower before lunchtime. In between that and making various snacks, meals and keeping Instagram updated with quality snaps of said meals it’s a wonder I found time to look for a job at all. But it did get better. Here are five surprisingly positive things I’ve found about being unemployed.
The chance to explore new career paths
This is a great opportunity to think about your next career move. Maybe it’s time to consider something brand new? For example, maybe you’ve always wanted to get into teaching.
You might not be able to afford the training just now, but you could find out more about the job and whether you would like it or not. Look through your contacts and find someone who is a teacher – or knows one – and set up a meeting to pick their brain about conditions, pay, benefits and how to go about getting into the profession.
You could also look for some work experience in your chosen field. Even if it comes to nothing or you find out it’s not your bag, you’ll have something new to add to your CV for that next job interview. I’ve been working on my graphic design, blogging and SEO skills whilst I’m out of work and I’ve managed to get some freelance work out of it.
Your tea never gets cold
This might seem like a small matter, but really there is no greater pleasure than a fresh cup of hot tea. Today’s world is so distracting that most of us only ever get to enjoy half a cup at best before a child needs our attention or the doorbell rings.
Yes unemployment is difficult and scary, but try and appreciate this newfound time you have to completely unwind and have some much-needed quality time to yourself. Grab that book that’s been sitting waiting to be read for months, make a cuppa and relax.
Time to try out old and hobbies
We’ve all got pastimes that we wish we had more time for. It might be something you used to be an expert at like painting or writing and can easily be revived. Once you get back into your groove you might even feel confident enough to offer your services as a tutor to others for a small fee.
If you’re feeling adventurous why not go out on a limb and try something you’ve always wanted to do like learn a new language or take up knitting? Search You Tube for tutorials or check your local library for books or find free classes in your area. I’ve rekindled my love for yoga after years of trying to commit to doing it regularly and I’m so glad I did it.
Your washing is always up to date
Is there a more satisfying feeling than seeing the bottom of your laundry basket? Maybe I’ve been unemployed for too long, but to me that’s pure happiness right there.
Not working can leave you feeling unfulfilled, but putting that extra time into keeping your home clean and organised can be a good way to fill the days and feel productive. I like to put at least one laundry wash on everyday, clean all of my dishes as soon as we’re done eating, clean the bathroom twice a day and I have been filing all my paperwork on a regular basis too. I’m basically excelling at being a fully-fledged adult in every other area of my life to make up for the lack of income.
I’ve been seriously job-hunting for over a week now and although I’ve not found any permanent work, I still feel like I have a place in the world. I’m creating content everyday, improving my blog layout, developing my own style and connecting with people all over the world. I wouldn’t be able to do all this without the time I have to spare everyday. So until opportunity comes a knockin’ I’m doing just fine.
Have you found a positive side to unemployment?
by Fiona likes to blog | Aug 1, 2016 | FITNESS, LIFE
If you follow me on Twitter you’ll have noticed my “in your face” updates about my recent foray into yoga. I’ve done it on and off for years and like bleaching your upper-lip hair or a visit to the dentist it’s one of those things you just wish you’d done earlier in life. Yoga is life-changing, invigorating and something I urge everyone to try at least once. Read on to hear my case for yoga!
Strength & flexibility
Let’s talk about the physical benefits of yoga before I start to explain how much it has improved my mental state. My favourite thing to do in the gym is lift weights. I love the process, the sense of achievement and the feeling of power that comes with picking up heavy shit.
The problem for me is that I do it for a hobby, and as a result have obtained a few niggling injuries that could be helped if I had better core strength and general flexibility. I know what you’re thinking – yoga is easy, it’s just stretching! But trust me, when you wake up 24 hours after your first yoga class you’ll know for sure that it does effectively work your muscles!
Yes, you’re only using your own bodyweight for resistance but the positions and the time held in those positions is a real test for even the most confident weight-lifter. Flexibility is something I have never had, but I’m assured it’s an ability I can refine with practice and a little time. Combined with some weight-training I’m still maintaining muscle but with a focus on functional strength.
Self-improvement
I have been a fitness freak for several years now, starting off with a cheeky Zumba class and quickly progressing to what others would deem unpleasant adventures like spinning, HIIT, weight-lifting and half-marathon training.
The thing I quickly realised was that I loved the idea of trying something new and getting better at it over time. Unfortunately in my preferred area of expertise this often led to burn out, injuries and mental torture (e.g. running. I’m talking about the repetitive, lonely, painful torture of running).
With yoga however, the scope for self-improvement seems wide and pretty welcoming. It’s not a case of doing more burpees than the person next to you, but more a case of pushing yourself a little further mentally and physically than you thought you could previously. The journey is ongoing and for me 100% internal which is a refreshing change of pace.
Motivation
There seems to be a common misconception that yoga is some sort of sleep-educing witchcraft designed to send you dosing off into the best forty-winks of your life. Don’t get me wrong, there have been times in the final moments of an hour long session where I’ve been lying flat on my mat, stretched out and could’ve quite happily lay there until the gym manager peeled me off the floor at closing time.
But the general feeling at the end of a class is that of satisfaction, and for me a newfound motivation that filters through to other areas of my life. Whether I held every pose correctly or long enough is irrelevant, because for that short period of time I concentrated on only one thing and that was my attempt at doing yoga.
The ability to declutter the mind and work only on the physical task at hand is so beneficial, that I guarantee over time your stress levels will decrease, your daily focus will sharpen and your general motivation will improve. I find my motivation is at its peak just after I have practised, so I try to do classes early in the morning to get the most out of my day.
Do you practise yoga regularly, or are you tempted now?
