Some positives
Some negatives
LESSONS I LEARNT FROM JUGGLING BLOGGING WITH UNIVERSITY
1) Nothing's impossible and you can do anything you put your heart to
2) It's about finding the right balance
3) Me time is a must even when there seems to be too much on my plate
4) Passion is so so important
About the author
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With the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, a lot of you might
have stopped going on dates or trying to meet new people. That’s fine, it’s
been a tough time for a lot of people but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have
to stop meeting new people or going on dates, especially as online dates are
becoming so prevalent now.
You may have been taking part in virtual or socially
distanced dates already, but I am going to be sharing some online date ideas
and in person date ideas around Dorset for you to get back into the swing of
things. I will also try and give you my best advice on dating, I don’t consider
myself an expert but I managed to get myself a boyfriend and we have been
together for nearly 3 years so I must be doing something right.
Online Date Ideas
If you’re on the dating scene and haven’t tried online
dating yet then you need to! As the pandemic has made most of us realise, we
really rely on technology so we may as well use it to meet new people. It is
quickly becoming the norm for people looking for dates and it can help you connect
with others in a safe way. You can find local single people on a Dorset Dating Site.
One of the main benefits of online dating is that you don’t
have to leave your house so if you feel the date went terribly, it’s not too
much lost as you won’t have gone anywhere. Also, they won’t notice if you’re in
pyjama bottoms on a call. Look up dating sites UK to find singles in your area.
Quiz
I feel like so many people have done quizzes over zoom so
why not do it on a date? It would be fun to make up some questions to ask each
other as a way to get to know each other. Obviously if you are only just
getting to know them you need to be careful with what you ask them, but it
could be a really cool way to find out what you have in common.
Drawing Games
You could pick any game to play on an online date, I am just
using a drawing one as an example of something that could be fun. You could
challenge each other to draw the same thing and see who’s is best, or draw
something and the other person has to guess what it is.
Date Ideas Around Dorset
Now that rules are being relaxed and you can meet someone
outside at a distance, it might be nice to start dating in person again, so I’m
going to give you a few ideas of what you could do with someone out and about
round Dorset.
Here are some socially distanced date ideas that are great for meeting new people
- Outdoor Minigolf
- Walk along the Beach
- Have a picnic in a park
- Get takeaway food or coffees
Before we finish, I’d just like to share with you my number
one piece of advice before dating. If you are nervous about whether they will like
you, just focus on whether or not you will like them. After all, the dating
experience is about you and what makes you happy.
Have you tried online dating?
I'm 22! I'm actually posting this on my birthday. I've seen a lot of people do this kind of post around their birthday so I thought I'd try it too. It was actually quite hard to think of 22 things but I got there in the end. So here we go.
22 Things I've Learned in 22 Years
1. It's better to have a few good friends than 100 bad ones
Honestly, having fake or bad friends can be so damaging to your mental health. It's great to have lots of great friends but what's the point having lots of fake friends? If you have a few good friends, you will really appreciate them more.
2. You have to be your own cheerleader
Don't wait for people to support you and gas you up for your achievements, you should celebrate yourself!
3. I should stop calling myself dumb
I always say I'm dumb as a joke and that often provokes people to join in and say it to, when in reality I'm really not - I've nearly finished a degree.
4. Confidence is key but fake it 'til you make it
I've recently learned that confidence really is key. When you think of the most confident people, you wouldn't really try messing with them or putting them down. Although, it's hard to be confident, the more you try and act confident, the more it will come across to others that you are.
5. It isn't an edgy personality trait to like Lana Del Rey
My favourite artist is Lana Del Rey, don't know if you've heard of her? Haha 14 year old me thought I was so cool and different but really, you like what you like and it doesn't matter. It's not cool to try and be different.
6. I can't keep everything bottled up
I am someone who finds it really difficult to talk about trauma or how I'm feeling, I'll often make jokes out of things as a coping mechanism. Keeping it bottled up is the wrong way to deal with it because I'll often get overlooked. How will people know to be there for you if you don't let them know? I've found it's much more healthy to be open about how I feel.
7. Everyone is working at their own pace
The worst thing you can do is compare yourself to others when it comes to your life goals. Especially in your 20s when some people are married with kids, and some people are just starting to figure out what they want to do. It's all FINE there's no rush on anything.
8. You shouldn't sacrifice your feelings just to get on with people
I hate confrontation so a lot of the time when people have peed me off I haven't said anything, but if someone wrongs you, they aren't going to realise unless you tell them.
9. Age doesn't mean anything
Again, everyone is working at their own pace it doesn't really matter about your age. I am also saying this because I am a 22 year old with some greys coming through.
10. You don't owe anything to anyone
In the past I felt like I had to do things for people and felt bad for saying no to things, but now I'll pretty much only go out of my way for people who deserve it.
11. Like what you like
This relates to my Lana Del Rey point earlier. Unfortunately there are people that will make fun of you for what you like so you may as well openly enjoy whatever it is you enjoy, unapologetically.
12. Celebrate the small wins
13. You don't have to have a life plan
14. Putting yourself first isn't selfish
15. Appreciate little things
I feel like I don't always fully appreciate good times until they are a memory and the more things that turn into memories, the more I realise I need to appreciate those things while they happen and not just after.
16. If you can't love yourself, how in the hell can you love somebody else?
So true, thank you RuPaul.
17. Saying no to people is fine
Again, it's not selfish to set boundaries and to not do everything for people.
18. You won't always have awful taste in men
I used to always go for toxic males and now I have the nicest boyfriend ever and am winning at life, I just wish I didn't waste so much time.
19. There is a lot in the world that needs to change
As you get older, you realise that there are so many things that are wrong in the world and things you thought you knew seem to be untrue and that we need to make take active steps into spreading kindness and trying to make the world a better place.
20. You will probably feel 18 forever
Ever since turning 18, every year I feel like I haven't got any older and I think I will keep thinking I'm 18, at least for the near future anyway. I wonder if when I am 30, will I still feel like I'm 18?
21. Don't grow up too fast
When I was a teenager, all I wanted to do was be older but now, I am going to be an adult for the rest of my life. You are only young for a short amount of time so you may as well make the most out of it.
22. It will be harder to think of things for this post than what you thought
I struggled with finding 22 life lessons I've learnt, but I hope you enjoyed reading my list.
What's one thing you've learnt?
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I have really enjoyed sharing some of my favourite blogs with you each month, it's such a good way to interact with and discover new people.
Firstly, we have Life of Morag, a fabulous blog all about travel, politics, health and life in general. I recently discovered Morag on Twitter and I'm so glad that I did, she has such insightful posts that are written from the heart. Be sure to check out her blog!
Start by reading these posts
- That's Where my Demons Hide: Understanding Anxiety
- Reflecting on a Year of Lockdown and How Whatever You Feel is Valid
Check out these posts by Tash
Make sure you read these posts by Lynn
Check out these posts from Sophia
This is a guest post from Sophia Patel.
Blogging can be a
challenge, especially when you feel like you are always scraping for content.
After 6 years, at times I can find it a weekly struggle to come up with content
good enough. There are, however, several tools and habits to stop you from walking
down this path - one of them is establishing your niche. Here's how.
Get To Know
Your Audience
Just like your blog,
your audience will evolve. You will gain some, lose some, and others will stick
with you along the way. Base your key topics of interest on your analytics -
what are my most popular posts within a particular time frame? What is the
demographic of your audience? Both your topic and audience have to work
together, otherwise, you will have no one reading your posts. For example, a
parenting blog would not be 100% relevant if your audience were 10-15-year-old
boys, would it? Establish your demographic first.
What Are You
Interested In?
Over the last few years, I had had so much inner conflict with this. I started as a beauty blogger (reviewing the likes of Benefit's They're Real Mascara). Now, you will see 3 beauty posts per year. Why? Because over time your niche will naturally change. I have always considered it an evolution because the ideas you come up with at silly hours in the morning is usually a clue as to what you want to post. And let's be honest, content is always better when it comes from the heart. That's why over time I have ditched the beauty and moved into blogging tips for beginners and home & finance. When the content slowly evolves, some will stick around, and some will leave - that's just part of the process.
Don't Try and
Blog About Everything
This is a mistake I
learned pretty late on. Over time, it is so easy to add a little bit of
everything. Been on holiday? Blog about that. Done some clothes shopping? Blog
about that. Cooked yourself a nice meal? Blog about that. Just in this example,
your blogging niche has expanded to travel, fashion and food. But it begs the
question of which one is your direct niche. I have been calling myself a
lifestyle blogger for years, yet what does it mean? If new audiences want to
gain a snippet from your blog and see a dozen blog posts in different niches
they may be slightly confused. Nail down your focus to a few interlinking
topics (I have linked blogging tips and home niches by talking about creating a home office to blog), and perfect
them. Chances are, there will always be someone else blogging about the niche
you ditched so no need to worry.
If You Cannot
Write About It, It's Not The One
If you have a niche
that you love, but cannot ultimately write content about, then it is not the
one. Increased competition means that posts need to be near 1000 words to meet
the requirements of Google. If your niche cannot meet that easily, you will
still struggle for content. When thinking of a niche, without any resources -
make a list of as many blog posts as you can. When I moved to home and interior
blogging, I came up with 50 ideas, meaning I could effectively have enough
titles for the next 6 months (excluding guest posts and exclusive content).
Bounce blogging ideas off one another and aim to interlink many of your posts
(a series / two part post). Not only will this help to create content, but
strengthen your niche.
What Blogs Do
You Read?
Chances are, your
niche and the topics you are interested in are going to be linked. If you are
still struggling to pinpoint your niche, look at it from a different angle and
self-reflect. Think about yourself - your hobbies, career path, the books you
read and the blogs you follow. Create a Venn diagram if need be and see where
it all overlaps.
Then look at the
competition. If the market is oversaturated, it is going to be difficult to
stand odd / offer content that Google doesn't have the answer to. E.g. Blogging
tips is a very large field with lots of high DA Bloggers competing. As this is
something I want to pursue, my niche has shifted to beginner level. We strip
back all the technical terms and start from scratch. The key is to find a
balance where you are offering content that has not been done a million times
before, and something that you have enough experience to talk about. After all,
list posts and how-to's are the most popular.
Give It Time
This is the number one piece of advice. Blogging takes time, finding your niche takes time. If you find it straight away then you are the lucky one - but more than likely a new blogging niche is caused by a love for something else and a critique of current work. If you ever have that dilemma, then it is time to change, because otherwise it'll be shown in your content.
About the Author:
I am Sophia - a recent marketing graduate who is blogging full time in lockdown. I talk about all things blogging; as well as the progress on renovation of an 18th century home on a budget, to boost valuation for sale.
What is Toxic Positivity?
Related: Friendships: The Low Down
What can we do about Toxic Positivity?
Related: Being a Fussy Eater: The Low Down
Change your approach
This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you purchase a product through these links I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Over the last couple of months, I have been trying to up my Instagram game and it's been paying off so far so I thought I'd share my tips with you. If you have Instagram already, you might know how frustrating it can be but don't give up! Most of my brand collabs are actually on Instagram and my blog is secondary to that so it can be a really good way to score collabs if that's what you're after.
First of all, you will need to think of why you want to grow your Instagram. It could be because you want to attract more people to your website or business, or you might want to collaborate with brands.
Before anything else, I just want to emphasise that follower count is not the be all and end all, engagement is what's most important!
You can follow me on Instagram here.
1. Take care in the images you upload
The main reason people will want to follow you or engage with you is because of the content you put out. You will be wanting to put out content that your followers will enjoy and content that says a lot about you. For example, if you love travelling then post some of your favourite travel snaps!
2. Engage with people
If you are wanting people to engage with your content, you should engage with theirs too. Don't be scared to comment, reply to stories and even DM people sometimes. The more you connect with an account, the more likely Instagram is to show your post to those accounts.
Remember to support your favourite creators by engaging with them and seek out accounts you think would like your content and engage with them too. You should be engaging with people before and after you post too!
3. Follow relevant people
Similarly to my point about engaging, if you are expecting new followers, you are going to have to follow some people to. If I see an account with over 2000 followers but they are only following 200, that says to me they don't really want to engage with other accounts.
If you keep following relevant people (by relevant I mean people that post similar content to you) then you are getting your name out there and hopefully you will gain some engaging followers too.
4. Utilise story features
Now, posting on your Instagram story won't gain you any new followers, but it will keep the audience you do have engaged. I would recommend using the features on your story such as polls and questions regularly. Let your audience get to know you and post stories regularly!
Related: 3 Tips for Staying Creative
5. Post reels
As reels are a relatively new thing, Instagram seem to be pushing them and they have potential to get a really high reach. Sometimes when I have been scrolling Instagram, I have seen just reels and nothing else on my homepage so it's definitely worth getting onto them if you haven't yet.
6. Hashtag research
Using the right hashtags is the best way for your images to reach new people. Generally speaking you should be using hashtags relevant to your image. For example, if it's an outfit image you will want to be using fashion hashtags. You will also want to be using different size hashtags. Smaller ones have 10k or less images in it whereas larger ones will have over 100k. A lot of hashtags such as #fashion will have millions of images so it's unlikely your image will be seen with those ones.
There are a lot of blog posts out there with hashtags you should be using for your niche so just do some searching. Also, remember to use 30 hashtags on each post!
7. Set goals
I find when I set realistic goals, it helps me to achieve them and set new ones. If I set myself a certain follower goal in a week, it helps me to work towards it. Now, Instagram can be tricky at the best of times so don't feel disheartened if it takes a while for things to change.
Check out this Instagram Branding Pack.
8. Be consistent with posting
The more consistent you are with posting on your story and on your feed, the more engagement you will get. Also, you will look active to new people discovering your account and they will be more likely to follow you than if you haven't posted in weeks.
It can be hard to find the time sometimes, which is why it's best to plan your content ahead. I use an app called Feed Preview on my iPhone to plan all my feed content. I do try to plan out story content too but a lot of the time life gets in the way - which is OK too.
I try to post on my feed every other day and a few times a day on my story.
9. Use your analytics
Set your account to a business account, then you will be able to see your analytics. You will be able to see which posts have done well in terms of hashtags and you will be able to see when your audience is most active. Mine is most active around 6pm each evening so I will try to post around then where possible.
Also, once you have been posting for a while, pay attention to the posts that have had the most engagement and see if you can post something similar.
Check out this social media template bundle for Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
10. Have fun with it
This is the most important step! Remember, you are posting your content for YOU so make sure you are posting what you enjoy. There's no point posting things that you hate just to impress people or brands. If you're authentically you, it will pay off!
Do you have any Instagram tips?
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As a blogger, not only do I write and share blog posts, but
I also have to make sure I keep my digital branding up to date. This is in
order to show my personal brand and my blogging brand off across my social media
platforms.
The digital branded content you may create as a blogger are as follows:
- Media kit
- Blog logo
- Social media templates
- Instagram story templates
- Pinterest pins
- Products in your branding such as Gumroad e-books
- Newsletters and emails
- Email signatures
In this post, I will be giving you some advice on how to
keep your branded content fresh and up to date. So without further ado, let’s get
into the tips.
5 tips for updating your digital branding as a blogger
1. Create a clear logo
The first thing you will want to do as a blogger is to
create an eye catching logo with your blog name on. Think about the colours you
use because you can use them in a colour scheme for your other content.
Once you have created a logo you are happy with, you can
then use this on other content you may wish to produce such as a media kit or
social media templates.
Related: 3 ways to stay creative
2. Pick a colour scheme
Choosing a colour scheme is what all brands do when creating
their content and products and bloggers should too. At the moment I tend to use
light pink as that is in my logo, and other light colours such as a muted blue
and peach. Admittedly, I need to work more on my colour scheme.
3. Choose fonts to use for different content
When creating different digital branded content, you will
need to pick some fonts to use. For example, I have one font for my logo but I
have a few other, more readable fonts for when I am writing more text like in
my monthly newsletters or for the paragraphs in my media kit. Once you have
decided what branded content you are going to create, I would suggest picking
different fonts that you will use for different things and try and keep them as
standard across your content.
Start your search for fonts by checking out this fancy fonts collection by font bundles. They offer a range of fonts for each occasion.
4. Standardise your content
Similar to what I was saying about picking standard fonts to
go across your content, you should try to standardise all of your branded
content using colour and any other signature effects you might use. This will
help people recognise you. For example, if you have a branded Twitter header
and one of your Twitter followers finds your Facebook page that has the same
branding, they may remember your branding from Twitter and be more likely to
connect with you on another platform too.
On social media, you should create pin covers for Pinterest
and Instagram story highlight covers in your branding. It is also a good idea
to create headers for Twitter and Facebook in your branding that contain your
logo. These are just small ways to make your social media channels look more professional.
If you are a blogger, your audience or brands will be more visually pleased
when seeing branding on your social media than if you don’t have any. It also
shows that you are serious about marketing yourself and blogging too.
Related: 100 Blog post ideas for every niche
5. Try and show you in your branded digital content
Try and bring yourself into your branding as much as you
can. It is promoting you and your blog so make it personal, and obviously
relevant to your niche. If you are a travel blogger, don’t be using makeup
brushes in your logo, for example.
Creating personal branding should be fun because you can
choose what you want everything to look like in a way that best promotes you,
your blog and your services.
When it comes to branding and creating content, play around.
It doesn’t have to be perfect straight away! I have had a range of logos
before, it’s all trial and error until you have found what you’re happy with
and it will feel really good when you do. I usually just play around with
things until I get it looking perfect, just try not to stress out too much
about it and have fun!
How are you getting on with your branded content? Do you
have any tips?
This is a guest post from Rachael Hawksworth.
Hi. My name is Rachael, I have a full and fun social life, a fantastic job and crippling high functioning anxiety.
Since I was a little girl I have been very talkative. I've been described as HAPPY, talkative, bubbly and enthusiastic my whole life. I attended drama school, studied dance and put myself out there to help anyone out, with anything. Anyone meeting me would describe me as confident, outgoing and friendly.
However I viewed myself as annoying. Loud, rude, in your face too much. Convinced that I talk too much, to much about myself or don't talk enough! I have a terrible habit of trying to please everyone and keep everyone happy from fear of them disliking me or not wanting to be my friend. Because I have believed for so long that no one would actually want to be friends with me, it must be because of things I do for them. Or, even worse, that if I do anything wrong then they’ll realise they don’t actually like me!
Underneath all this self doubt, I was desperately sad. But everyone always told me I was happy? Super positive!? I found myself convincing myself I was ok because everyone saw me that way.
I only realised when I was 28 that torturing myself this way wasn’t just how I was, it was anxiety. It took YEARS for me to accept and ask for help. Mainly because I didn’t realise what anxiety really looked like, the emotional and the physical symptoms are what caught me off guard. I always thought of anxiety as a strong anxious feeling! But its so much more.
I knew I had a problem for a while. I’d find myself rocking back and forth with my head in my hands, trying to soothe myself. Working in a busy, customer facing management role in hospitality, managing 3 teams of 120 people total and yet I couldn’t bring myself to leave the house sometimes, crippled with social anxiety and a feeling of severe dread for no apparent reason. I’d be going to parties with friends one weekend, then the next I’d barely be able to get my words out, stuttering and uncontrollable overthinking.
I did nothing about it. I didn’t seek help, I ignored it. Made all the typical excuses...
‘I talk to hundreds of staff and customers every week, I host parties at work and am always putting myself out there... how could I be ‘Anxious’’
I'm so confident... I can’t have anxiety? I felt GUILTY for even thinking that I could have anxiety... like I was belittling others who REALLY suffered with anxiety by comparing myself with them.
The reason I am sharing this with you and the rest of the internet is because there are bound to be hundreds, even thousands of people out there who are suffering in silence. Battling with themselves and unable to admit there is anything wrong. Could be you, could be someone you care about...
Everyone’s experience of anxiety disorders is different. Not everyone who has an anxiety disorder will experience the same symptoms.
Mental symptoms of anxiety can include:
- racing thoughts,
- uncontrollable over-thinking,
- difficulties concentrating,
- feelings of dread, panic or ‘impending doom’,
- feeling irritable,
- heightened alertness,
- problems with sleep,
- changes in appetite,
- wanting to escape from the situation you are in, and
- dissociation.
If you dissociate you might feel like you are not connected to your own body. Or like you are watching things happen around you, without feeling it.
Physical symptoms of anxiety can include:
- sweating,
- heavy and fast breathing,
- hot flushes or blushing,
- dry mouth,
- shaking,
- hair loss,
- fast heartbeat,
- extreme tiredness or lack of energy
- dizziness and fainting, and
- stomach aches and sickness.
What is High Functioning Anxiety?
If you feel like this is you, then I hope you might feel a sense of relief. Like you finally have permission to accept that you are struggling! Your feelings are validated and your not just ‘broken’ or ‘crazy’ - BOTH things I told myself for YEARS.
Human beings are not perfect, no one of us is! You don’t have to try to be. You can seem like a social butterfly and still suffer from a inability to even leave the house some days.
What to do if you recognise the symptoms of High Functioning Anxiety in yourself...
- Reach out for help!
It is not weak to ask for help, its the strongest thing you can do. Family, friends, loved ones who you can trust are great ones to reach out too but there are also lots of websites and organisations that you can speak too for advice.
Anxiety UK
Charity providing support if you have been diagnosed with an anxiety condition.
Phone: 03444 775 774 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm)
Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk
CALM
CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably. A charity providing a mental health helpline and webchat.
Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight)
Website: www.thecalmzone.net
Men's Health Forum
24/7 stress support for men by text, chat and email.
Website: www.menshealthforum.org.uk
Mental Health Foundation
Provides information and support for anyone with mental health problems or learning disabilities.
Website: www.mentalhealth.org.uk
Mind
Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems.
Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)
Website: www.mind.org.uk
Rethink Mental Illness
Support and advice for people living with mental illness.
Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 4pm)
Website: www.rethink.org
- Recognise and address symptoms as they come up. There are plenty of grounding techniques and mindfulness & breathing exercises to do.
- Start journaling!
There is a journal for everything nowadays - productivity journals, daily, weekly or monthly journals, mindfulness journals... anything that you could want or need to track and plan - THERES A JOURNAL OR PLANNER FOR IT! Feeling organised and physically writing down your thoughts and ideas helps ease anxiety symptoms SO much.
Often times your heads a mess with over thinking and your not able to focus... writing everything down, getting it out of your head and into physical form means you can make sense of it all.
- Speak to your doctor and consider counselling
Anti-depressants and anti anxiety medication has had this stigma around it for so long, its very annoying!! If you had a illness in your body and you need help, you go to your doctor no they prescribe medicine. This includes your mental health! Your doctor will go over all your options, they are highly trained in dealing with mental health and can advise you in any way you need. Plus they can refer you to local mental health organisations and even for counselling.
If you know someone who has High Functioning Anxiety or you think might have then speak to them about it. Be gentle and kind, understand that they may not be ready to talk about it but showing them that you are there to listen when they are ready to talk will make the biggest difference!
Most of the time someone with a anxiety disorder really needs to just talk, they need someone who will listen to them and let them vent and feel what they are feeling! It’s easy to try to say things which you THINK are helpful but that’s really not...
Things NOT to say to someone who is suffering from a anxiety disorder...
‘’It could be worse, other people have it way worse than you’’
‘’Cheer up’’
‘’You’ll be fine, you’ll get over it’’
‘’But your so happy, are you sure its anxiety and your not just being dramatic?’’
What may not seem like much on the outside, could be significantly effecting someone on the inside. No doubt the person who is opening up to you about their anxiety disorder, already has been telling themselves all of the above! The fact they feel comfortable speaking to you about it and opening up is a HUGE step.
SANE Provides emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers.
Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: www.sane.org.uk/textcare
Peer support forum: www.sane.org.uk/supportforum
Website: www.sane.org.uk/support
YoungMinds provide information on child and adolescent mental health. Services for parents and professionals.
Parents' helpline 0808 802 5544
AD - This post features my monthly advertisers. If you are interested in advertising with me then please contact me or find out more information on my advertise with me page.
Welcome to my March Advertisers post. In this post, I will be sharing with you all of the blogs that you need to check out this month.
Posts you need to check out from Sarah
Start by checking out these posts
Amy's posts you need to see
Here are some posts you should check out:
Start by checking out these posts:
Here are some posts from Our Favourite Jar to check out
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I am graduating university this year, probably at the worst time for jobs with the pandemic so I may be freaking out a little bit. However, I am determined to get a job after I finish so I have been trying to find ways to enhance my CV and LinkedIn profiles to try to make me stand out a little more. I thought I'd share ways I try to enhance my CV with you as I know a lot of other students and graduates will probably be in the same boat as me. It's more competitive now for graduate jobs than ever before so we are going to need to find ways to boost our employability and experience (I say we because we are in this together).
So here are some tips on what I have done, plan to do or what I think would help you enhance your CV and make you more employable.
Top tips on enhancing your CV
1. Gain as much experience as you can
2. Volunteer
3. Start a blog
4. Attend Webinars
5. Complete online courses
Related: 3 tips for staying creative
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7. Use LinkedIn
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This is a guest post from Merry at Monodreame.
Sundays are usually a day of rest and relaxation, right? I usually go somewhere with my friend but now, during the pandemic, I just stay at home and spend the day with family, my adorable dogs, and be productive to welcome the new week. So now I will share with you what things to do on Sunday for the best week.
Photo credit: Jelena Mirkovic.
I know some people suffer from Sunday night blues (yeah me too). The feeling that we have to go work or for now, working from home on Monday and get the whole routine of getting the children ready for school, etc. It is essential to start your week well and it is important to create a Sunday routine to start your week off on the right foot.
I don’t want to overwhelm you! In fact, you don't have to do all of this, you can pick and choose which one works for you. I find that planning my week makes me feel my best, especially come Monday. Since I started working at home, I don't even hate Mondays anymore.
Everything is a lot easier to deal with when you spend your weekend being productive. Trust me, with all these things to do on Sunday, you are setting yourself up for a very productive and successful week.
Plan Your Week
Starting in the beginning of 2020, I am always planning my monthly, weekly, and daily tasks. This has been life-changing for me. I’ve been struggling to keep on track with everything I accomplished.
This usually takes me about an hour. It’s kinda fun to plan your week. I psychically write in a planner and make it pretty.
Some people might find it stressful, but knowing what I have to do for the week let’s me enjoy the rest of my Sunday without that anxiety of what Monday brings. This is where I list my priorities first, then fill in the rest next.
Schedule Workouts
This goes back to planning your week, but don’t forget this part!
Some people that I know like to go to the gym - so if you’re one of gym lover, book any classes!
I’m not a fan of heavy workout, instead I like to run at the nearby park, do light exercise at home, make some walk dates with friends, and put them in your calendar or planner.
Plan Your Meals
When planning your weekly task, you can also plan out your meals so it’s one less thing to think about. It’s ABSOLUTELY AMAZING living out a week of this, too. Check if you have any events out of the house and then plan on cooking around that. Then, make that grocery list and go to the store.
Go to the Grocery
I find that weekends, especially Sundays are a great time to go to the store.
Honestly, it’s because on Sunday I will have a lot of time to spend outside rather than weekdays.
Declutter
Spend 30 minutes or an hour decluttering your space - your home, office, car, life.
Will you be able to clean your workspace? Organize your stationery or makeup tools? Put laundry away? Do a wipe down of your house or at least your bedroom? Do it!
Clean Out Your Fridge
If you go through your fridge once a week, it saves it from becoming a hot mess. I toss anything I didn’t eat or use and do a little wipe down if I’m feeling really productive. If you need to do a full clean out, by the way, start here.
Do Laundry
After decluttering and cleaning your fridge, you can also do your laundry.
There’s nothing worse than waking up on Monday then realizing you have nothing clean to wear! Or waiting until like Friday night to do it all and then staring at a huge pile of clean laundry waiting for you after work. Right? So just do it Sunday.
Self-care
Sundays are a great day for a little self-care at home, and what I mean by that is a bath + face mask combo which is the BEST.
You could also get a mani/pedi, read your favorite books, or whatever feels like taking care of yourself. Here are some self-care products that I know you’ll LOVE!
Relax + Rest + Restore
Spend some time relaxing. You can take a nap, stretch, or hang with your family/friends. Do something that RESTORES your mind, body or soul. I usually go to church and watch a movie or go for a long walk and kinda incorporate it throughout my day, but especially in the evening.
Additionally, it’s rainy days and there are a lot of fun things you can do on rainy or even snow days at home!
Go to bed early
The best piece of advice I can give – set yourself up for a good week with a good night’s sleep! This article can help if you aren’t the best sleeper.
Anything else y’all do on Sundays to plan for your week? I’d love to hear!
Author Bio
Merry Sari is a blogger and content writer who shares tips, tricks, and advice about blogging, self-care, and lifestyle on her blog, “Monodreame.” You will find her informative contents to help bloggers build and grow their blogs. Find more about her on Twitter and Instagram.
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