What I learned at Christmas

TAKING A BREAK IS NECESSARY

After the time we’ve all had after Covid, being away from family, shut away, on top of our own personal traumas. We need to take a moment or two daily to reflect & process these.

Working is hard enough, but running a small business alongside too, is tough.

There hasn’t been an easy time yet. I wouldn’t change it for the world, and am extremely grateful, but sometimes you have to put yourself first & I wouldn’t want anyone going into one without realising

Christmas, is one time to feel less guilty about selfcare (Not that you ever should)!

FAMILY COMES FIRST

I live by this daily anyway, but in the holiday season in my view, it’s even more important to surround yourself with those you love

Yes, family can be annoying, but at the end of the day, when the chips are down, they are who is there for you generally

I love spending time giving back to those I love

Whether that be human or not. I think it’s perfectly acceptable for Cats too! (For those who follow me, you know we have 3!)

REACHING OUT TO OLDER FOLK IS IMPORTANT

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a loving family or friends. Some people are isolated or alone.

I have written to older friends to give them a sense of closeness, when they live far away. We’ve become pen pals over time & I’ve enjoyed the past time of writing

I sadly lost my last pen pal earlier this year, and this is definitely something I will miss

I’ve thought about contacting a local care home or charity or refuge. Remember, it’s not just the old who can feel lonely

CHRISTMAS ISNT ABOUT WHAT YOU GET

Sure, when you’re a child, swept up in the magic of Christmas, it can be exciting & all about what has arrived the morning of Christmas from Santa. When you grow up however, and reflect on what matters, for me experiences, create memories. These matter to me more than a gift. Receiving something special is always appreciated of course, but in a world where most people have a lot of stuff, I would rather spend time with those I truly care about

USE THE TIME OFF TO PLAN AHEAD

With January & a New Year looming, it can be easy to fall into the trap of creating a New Years resolution. If this works for you & you keep them, all I can give you is my utmost respect. I don’t know many people who achieve these!

I tend to focus on year long achievements, giving myself longer to get them done & time to plan effectively to reach those goals

Whatever is your method of choice, choose wisely & get it down on paper.

It helps you stick to those mantras.

Have a wonderful New Year everyone!

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As we move into the New Year

I said last year that 2020 was the year for vision & it certainly gave us that. Chaos, destruction & grief all in 12 months. Helping us to see how fragile our world is & how delicate our lives depend on the rest of the world.

The appreciation of nature grew & we all enjoyed the outdoors more than we ever realised. Yearning for a freedom, that for some (including us) is still not in clear sight.

If I have one wish for 2021, its that we now all start taking action. We’ve moved on so much over the last few years, with more & more people becoming aware of their impact & changing their lifestyle for the future of our planet.

It is within us to change & we hold the power to do so, for our future, for our planet, for our children, for nature.

2020 The year everyone’s talking about

This week Sir David Attenborough signed up to Instagram for the first time to help spread his environmental message.

“I am making this move… because, as we all know, the world is in trouble,” he said in his first video message on the social media platform.

“Continents are on fire. Glaciers are melting. Coral reefs are dying… The list goes on and on,” he continued.