WHAT NOW? A LIFE AFTER GRADUATION - GUEST POST

Saturday

This is a guest post from Alisha at Inside the Voyage.

Hi everyone! I’m Alisha a travel and lifestyle blogger over at Inside The Voyage. I graduated with a BA Hons degree in English and Media in 2019, and have since been discovering myself and my passions.


Travel flatlay

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.


What Now?


I am positive that every University student fears unemployment after graduation. Who wouldn’t? I most certainly did, and to an extent, nearly two years later I still do.  I graduated in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Media. Though I celebrated the end of my degree with overflowing prosecco glasses and listening to the constant ‘Well done, you did it!’ felicitations from family, and friends. I could not help but hear that deep-rooted fear within my gut that consistently questioned ‘What now?’.

 

I did not know what I wanted in a career, never mind actually apply for a job. So, rather than rack my head around career topics, I decided to take time away from educational studies and future career prospects. I needed to gain clarity for my future. I believed I was only causing myself anxiety, forcing myself to follow fellow graduates into new exciting careers. I hadn’t found my calling yet, and though it sickeningly worried me, I comfortably settled into the unknown.


Travelling


I then decided to travel, I love the world and want to see as much of it as possible. I booked onto a two-month tour around South East Asia, though my mum was worried out of her mind due to my travelling solo, I was ecstatic. I finally had one goal set to reach that I needed money. Soon after moving back home, I landed a part-time job in a local bar and began working as many shifts as possible to save for my next adventure. A career was not even a thought in my mind, because in the present I had much more exciting plans. I finally believed that I had structured my life into forming a pathway that I should be on.

 

April 2020: Travel around South East Asia

September 2020: Start an MA Course (at this point, I was still undecided on what I wanted to do)


Being a Graduate in the pandemic


Unfortunately, this devastating pandemic hit and my plans, like many others, were indefinitely put on hold. I was now back at square one. Not sure where my life was going, or even what I wanted to do. Luckily, I managed to run from the graduate blues, hiding behind my excitement to travel. However, forced into a lockdown that feared question soon arose, ‘What now?’.

 

I now had all the time in the world to figure out what I wanted out of life. And my gosh, I experimented with plenty of things during 2020. I first started a “marketing” job, and what a mistake that was. It was not what was advertised, but I earned next to nothing, and quit on the first day.

 

Next, I started an MLM scheme, purely out of boredom at this point. That lasted a week or so before I put time into researching what an MLM scheme actually was and realised, again, I was barely making any money. Don’t get me wrong, some people do earn a lot working for an MLM scheme, but I found it a pretty exhausting way to make money.


Starting my own business


My next adventure and my most favoured was starting my small wax melt business Inside The Fragrance. Starting this venture has kept occupied and busy when I felt lost and demotivated. This is one hundred per cent a small side business for me, and in no means is it my future career, but it is absolutely perfect for the time being.

 

Now, like many others, I’m currently on furlough from my bar job. Thus, this free time has allowed me to focus on my side business and my future career. I have spent months looking at various job prospects and MA courses. Ultimately, this slightly freaked me out as I wondered virtually from one course to another, desperately seeking somewhere I could call home.

 

Finally, after nearly two years since my graduation, I gained some clarity on the path I am about to embark on. From one graduate to another, please don’t stress if you graduate University without a job. It is, and I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH; it is not the end of the world. If you’re like me, it will merely take you slightly longer to reach realisation, but once you get there, you will feel like you’re on the path you’re meant to be on.

 

My advice to you:

 

1.     Don’t panic apply for jobs. When we’re panicking, we often make rash decisions and uninformed decisions.

2.     Figure out what you enjoy, identify your skills, and discover the right career path for you.

3.      Don’t be discouraged if your job application is rejected. That one job was not meant for you, and there are always more opportunities.

4.   Use your free time to build on your CV. Attend online classes to enhance or learn to skills.

5.      Find your passion! It might be easier said than done, but once you realise your passions, you will feel much more confident in applying to that MA course OR job.

 

Follow me on social media:


Instagram: Instagram.com/alishabrisco

Twitter: Twitter.com/alishabrisco

Blog: www.insidethevoyage.co.uk


Related read: Top Tips for Starting University 


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3 TIPS FOR STAYING CREATIVE

Tuesday

AD - This is a sponsored post.

As a blogger, I am always trying to find new ways to be creative. Although, sometimes it can be quite difficult to stay creative or to get the motivation to be creative, especially with the ongoing pandemic. Most of the time when I am not feeling creative but know I have to get something done, I need to find inspiration.


You may want to create graphics for blogging and social media or you could just want to start a new creative hobby while there’s less to go and do at the moment. You may have a small business want to create logos and business cards to promote what you do. If any of these sounds like you then I have some tips for you.


person using macbook pro and ipad

Image from Anthony Shkraba on Pexels.


Tips on getting creative when you are in a creative slump


Take regular breaks when you need to


Unfortunately, a lot of the time you can’t force creativity. The best thing for me is leaving something and coming back to it. If I need to create something and get a bit stuck on it, it will usually help me to leave it for a bit and give myself rest. Then when I come back to it, I can come back to it refreshed with a different mindset. I do this with blog posts a lot of the time too, sometimes I can write them so easily and other times it takes a while for me to construct them.


Use design prompts


When you are in a creative slump but have a deadline coming up, you may need to seek inspiration and look for design prompts. Design Bundles have so many prompts available to purchase for low prices. They offer products such as graphics, templates and illustrations to help you with your designs.


These bundles could be helpful if you are starting a new creative hobby too and are not sure where to start. They even have SVG files such as a baseball SVG and skull SVG which could be great for kids. Using bundles like these can not only give you inspiration, but can save so much time when creating too.


woman using tablet and computer

Image from Anthony Shkraba on Pexels.


Get inspiration from similar outlets


You should never copy anyone else, but there’s no harm done in looking to other outlets that have produced something similar to what you’d like to do and using them for inspiration. For example, when I am stuck for blog posts, I know a lot of bloggers have posts about ideas for blogging so I will look to them for some guidance.


Similarly, if you’d like to start a candle making business, it would be helpful to see what other candle making businesses are doing and what works well. If all else fails, just use Google to look for what you’d like to create and see what’s already out there.


What are your favourite ways to get creative? Let me know if you use any of these tips. I love being creative and always feel better once I have done a creative hobby or made something. You can get so caught up in work life or university life if you’re like me so it’s great to have a creative outlet too!


Related: 100 Blog Post Ideas for Every Niche


Wool of the King

100 BLOG POST IDEAS FOR EVERY NICHE

Saturday

This blog post contains affiliate links, meaning if you purchase a product through my these links I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please see my disclaimer.

I feel like every blogger has written a blog post ideas post but I haven't yet, so I thought I may as well share some ideas from me. I always love reading these posts when I'm stuck for ideas so I hope this can help you out. Hopefully, this post will help me too when I'm stuck for ideas. I can just look back on this post and hopefully, it will spark some inspiration for me too!


In this post, I have tried to include quite a few niches so I can help as many of you as possible. Some of these niches I don't write a lot about myself, for example, I never really write about fashion - but I love reading blog posts about it anyway and have just gone off the sort of things I think would be interesting to read about.


Woman writing on blog

Image from Pixabay.


Blog post ideas for every niche


Fashion

1. Winter essentials

2. My top coat picks

3. Paris in outfits (or any travel destination you may visit)

4. Must-have accessories this season

5. How to style your favourite fashion item

6. Top pics from SS2021 (or any other season)

7. Recreating iconic celebrity outfits (I have seen a lot of TikToks where people recreate outfits of people like Kendall Jenner and Princess Diana and they always look so good)

8. Go-to hairstyles 

9. My favourite items from Zara (or a shop you like to buy a lot of items from)

10. Staple items everyone needs


Travel


Beach huts on Hastings pier

11. Travelling on a budget

12. Top things to do in London (or a city of your choosing)

13. Travel bucket list - here's my travel bucket list.

14. Top luxury travel destinations

15. Top staycation destinations

16. What's in my travel bag

17. How to keep entertained on long-haul flights

18. Most Instagrammable spots in Copenhagen (or a destination of your choosing)

19. Best places to visit in your city

20. How to keep the travel bug alive when you can't travel

21. Top historic destinations you need to visit


Beauty


Juvia's Place eyeshadow palette

22. My favourite beauty products of all time

23. Recreating iconic celebrity looks

24. Reviews of new products

25. Top 10 eyeshadow palettes

26. How to get the summer glow

27. Trying out beauty trends

28. My day-time skincare routine

29. My night time skin care routine

30. Products that aren't worth the hype


Lifestyle

31. Night in ideas

32. My favourite ways to practice self-care

33. Law of attraction and manifestation posts

34. Inspirational quotes you should live by

35. Date night ideas

36. How you can support small businesses 

37. 21 things I have learnt in 21 years (replace this with your age)

38. Goals and hopes for the future

39 Sharing my favourite playlists for every occasion

40. Smalls steps you can make for more sustainable living

41. A day in the life of Lauren

42. Advice I'd give to my younger self

43. Gift guides

44. Q&A with your followers


Food & Drink


Pizza in Sorrento

45. Cocktail recipes - here are 5 cocktail recipes from me

46. Recipes for your favourite meals

47. Fakeaway recipes

48. Favourite restaurants in your city

49. My go-to brownie recipe (this can be replaced with any sweet treats that you like to bake)

50. Your favourite pasta in under 500 calories (be careful with this, it can be triggering to those with or recovering from eating disorders to count calories. However, it is great to find healthy versions of your favourite versions of not so healthy meals)

51. Vegan breakfast recipes you need to try

52. The best vegetarian/vegan meat substitutes


Mental Health

53. Mindfulness activities

54. Stress-reducing activities

55. How you have dealt with trauma

56. Toxic positivity - what is it and how it can affect people?

57. How you deal with anxiety or depression

58. Overcoming obstacles that have affected your mental health

59. Things I'm grateful for

60. Reducing the stigma surrounding mental health


Blogging

61. 100 blog post ideas for every niche (just like this one)

62. What I wish I knew before starting a blog

63. Top bloggers to follow in 2021

64. How I've grown my social media channels

65. 100 hashtags to use on Instagram

66. Best ways to plan your time as a blogger (Check out The ULTIMATE Yearly Blogging Planner to help you plan your time).

67. Resources all bloggers need to try

68. Best apps to have as a blogger

69. SEO help posts (we all need these)

70. The best Wordpress or Blogger themes

71. How to grow your blog followers

72. How to grow your mailing list

73. How to monetise your blog in 2021


Entertainment (book film, netflix, music etc)


Catfish and the Bottlemen concert

74. Top films to watch on Netflix

75. Top series to watch on Netflix

76. Book reviews

77. TV series reviews

78. Film reviews

79. What to watch on Disney+

80. Your favourite musical and why

81. Review of a musical

82. Review of your latest concert 

83. Album reviews from your favourite artists


Student


Quote from Amanthis Diary

84. Productivity tips

85. Things you should know before starting university

86. Things you should know before moving away from home 

87. My study playlist

88. Revision tips

89. Managing studying with part-time work

90. Easy ways to enhance your CV

91. Reasons why you should do a placement year or study abroad (you can replace this with anything you think would be beneficial - it could be joining a club or society at university)

92. Saving money as a student

93. Benefits of learning a new language

94. Balancing university with a part-time job

95. Easiest ways to make money while studying


Opinion Pieces

96. Opinion on current issues such as fast fashion

97. Why I prefer having a small circle of friends

98. My opinion on blogging in 2021

99. Why I don't like the ... trend (any trends you don't like or do and why)

100. Challenging the stigma on a certain topic


I hope this post has helped spark some ideas for you if you were stuck, or even just to add to your already large list of ideas. Please tag me or let me know if you use any of these ideas, I'd love to read your posts.


Do you have any blog post ideas that I've missed? 


Related Read: 5 Steps to Taking Successful Instagram Pictures


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Wool of the King

DEALING WITH ANXIETY DURING A PANDEMIC

This is a guest post from Sophie over at Girl Vs. World.

Hi, guys! It's Soph from girlvsworld here. The lovely Lauren has given me the opportunity to write a guest post for her blog regarding dealing with anxiety during a pandemic, which I'm super thankful for and really looking forward to. Today, we're going to be talking about dealing with anxiety during a pandemic.


Recently, my anxiety has been getting much worse, as being stuck inside leaves little to do other than overthink and become your own worst enemy. I have a full post about How to Protect your Mental Wellbeing Whilst in Quarantine, which may be helpful for you if you suffer from depression or any mental illness other than anxiety. 


Anyway, without further ado, let's get into my top tips for dealing with anxiety:


Woman using macbook pro
Image by Polina Zimmerman on Pexels

Don't constantly watch the news or check stats


This is the biggest tip I could give you if you're dealing with anxiety during the pandemic. Obviously be mindful and stay educated on the situation, but don't work yourself up by constantly checking the news and making yourself miserable. Yes, keeping informed on the virus is important, but so is your mental health and your days shouldn't be filled with panic and stress that is making you miserable.


Take some time out each day to watch Netflix (I have a post talking through My Top 5 Netflix Series I Watched in 2020), do something creative (write a blog post if you have a blog, or do something artistic if you like that kinda stuff!) or read a book. Taking time to do something you personally enjoy can make the world of a different when it comes to dealing with anxiety during a pandemic.


Go for a walk


This one may seem simple but it is SO important. Going for a walk is a simple yet effective, way of clearing your head and getting yourself out of the house during lockdown. Seeing other people out and about walking their dogs etc reminds you that you're not on your own and everyone else is in the same position you are.


Norfolk broads

It's also great to get out of the house so you're not staring at the same four walls all day, every day - that's not good for anybody! You are likely to feel way more refreshed after a good, long walk and more prepared to continue with your day (whether that be lounging round watching Netflix, or being productive on the laptop - either is completely fine... No judgement round here!)


Facetime your friends or family


For me, I have found this to be an absolute essential during lockdown so I don't start to feel lonely. I facetime my friends multiple times every day, especially at night when the loneliness and boredom hits a little more. Personally, my anxiety always hits more at night , so facetiming my friend is a fantastic distraction that reminds me there are always people on the other end of the phone ready to listen.


Everyone is going through the same situation, remember that. Whether you talk about silly stuff, every-day casual conversations, or have deep chats, it's great to have someone to be there. Never underestimate the power of a phone call - especially face time / video call as you get to see your loved ones face and really feel like they're right there with you.


So, there we have it! My top 3 tips on dealing with anxiety during a pandemic. If you ever need someone to speak to, you can DM me on Instagram or Twitter and I will always be there to listen to you. Stay safe, lovelies, I promise things will get better and there I always a light at the end of the tunnel. Make sure you're there to see it! 


Thank you so much, again, to Lauren for giving me the opportunity to guest post on her wonderful blog! I hope you guys enjoyed the post. 


Read next: 5 Books I wish I'd Read Sooner


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