Self-care and keeping busy.

In November I started an internship that I got through the University of Essex and it finished last week. Now, when I accepted the role, I knew it was only for 10 weeks and when it finished I would potentially be out of a job. It was a risk to take as it meant finishing in January – the leanest time of year for most employers. But, it also meant that I would be gaining experience in something new and with enormous potential to progress in an ever-growing market. My role was a PR and Marketing intern with a small game company. I learned so many new things there and I am so grateful for the opportunity.After Christmas I knew I only had a few weeks left and needed to decide what I was going to do in the future. Would it be better to play it safe and just get another job. or whether to take a risk and do what I actually want to do? It’s a hard one making that sort of decision, because we need money to survive. Tom and I have a good life and we don’t have to compromise to have something, so did I want to risk any of that?Yes I did. I thought it was now or never. Marketing and social media management is huge now, particularly for small businesses. It’s cheaper to employ someone on a part time basis and get them to post content rather than pay for advertising. So I have decided to try out freelancing. It’s absolutely terrifying. I was offered a couple of interviews in offices that I turned down because I just knew they weren’t right for me. Who knows if I will live to regret it. We had a weekend in Paris so I didn’t really think about it then but now I’m into the second day, I have to admit, I feel super anxious and tired from worrying about it. Sometimes, a bit of self-care is the best thing you can for your mind and body, other times, you need to force yourself to do stuff. Even if it’s just a load of washing, or cooking dinner. So I thought I would list a few things you can do to keep busy until the right opportunity comes along.

1. Get up at the time you would have done for work. It sounds basic but it’s super important. Yesterday I got up at a ‘normal’ time, even though it was cold and I was tired. Today I made a poor choice and got up super late with the intention of doing work on my laptop. I didn’t and I feel worse for it. Yesterday I was so productive, I cleaned all of downstairs, chucked away crap so we can get ready for the arrival of Hendricks, went to the gym, cooked and did some washing. Today, I feel like I have wasted the morning and now I feel overwhelmed at all the stuff I want to do/ have to do.
2. Focus on the positive things in your life. I have a beautiful cottage by the water, a boyfriend who is a constant form of support and love. He is one in a million and makes me feel safe and secure. He’s also SUPER supportive and encourages me to go for it and he helps in anyway he can. We have just had an amazing weekend in Paris (blog post to come) and made new memories. And finally, in three weeks time we will be bringing home our puppy, Hendricks. I’m so excited to get him and he’s also one of the reasons why I wanted to work from home. I want him to feel loved and not be on his own that much while we’re at work.
3. Exercise. I’m not going to lie, I bloody hate exercise of any form. It’s just something I will never love or enjoy doing. BUT, I know how good it is for you mentally. And obviously physically. I started going to the gym because I want to lose weight. I’m going to make myself go everyday other than the weekend as that’s mine and Tom’s time together. I am actually dreading leaving the house today, but I know that just an hour at the gym will make me feel so much better and will help me lose weight too. Even if I lose 1 pound a week I will be happy. So even if you don’t go to a gym, go for a walk or a run. Just getting out makes you feel good about yourself and more productive.
4. Read. We all need to escape from reality sometimes and the best way to do that is by reading. I love binge watching TV series but with reading you keep your mind active. I have a few books that I have to read and also a couple I plan on doing a blog post about. Reading is so enjoyable and getting lost in someone else’s world is a fantastic thing. They don’t need to cost a lot either. Just go to your nearest charity shop and pick some up there. 
5. Hobbies. It’s so, so important to have hobbies, if not, you just end up existing. And there’s nothing to stop you starting a new one, or investing yourself in an existing one and taking it further. For me, cooking is my favourite thing to do when I have free time. I love creating new dishes and then blogging about them. Plus, you get to eat food at the end – win win. I have quite a few hobbies and try to have a good balance between chilling out and doing the things I love.