Four Podcasts Which Could Boost Your Mental Wellbeing
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I admit, I was late to the whole ‘listening to podcasts’ thing and struggled to find ones I liked for a long time. However, I have found some awesome wellbeing podcasts, and I’m sharing in the hope that someone reading this finds a gem too.
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1. The Therapy Edit – my favourite of what I’ve found in recent months, not least because it’s only 10-20 mins long. My stamina for podcast listening is quite short, but this one ran through Lockdown (1) and is still available. So helpful and I always feel better after listening to Anna Mathur, who is ‘taking therapy out of the therapy room.’

 

1. The Happiness Lab – a relatively long listen on Spotify, but I find breaking it up using the advert breaks useful. The most recent episode I’ve tuned into was ‘For whom the alarm clock tolls’ – appealed to both my sleep loving and Metallica loving self! – and was really insightful about ‘time confetti’. I really have this concept featuring daily in my life and had no idea! #workinprogress
   
   
2. Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place – another Spotify gem, even if you don’t know exactly who the celebrity guests are. A really wide, honest spectrum of experiences, and often an eye-opener. From Tom Daley to Joe Wicks, Dawn French to Tom Kerridge, learn what makes these celebs happy and maybe pick up some tips yourself.
   
   
3. Finally, the Mindful Mix on BBC Sounds. This is a classical, calming mix tape, and it really takes the pressure off trying to think of relaxing classical music to chill out to.
   
   

Enjoy!

Lou x

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Born to be a Tourist

Our dining room isn't even that cluttered really, but I hadn't seen this draft, this precious gem for months. I remember writing a few words in the last couple of days before I had a baby, but it was so uncomfortable to sit down for long I didn't manage much. And that was over 18 months ago. I think I've been hiding from my manuscript. 

Unfinished. Ignored. You can hardly call that a 'work in progress'! 

Sure, I'm busy, who isn't. Even in lockdown. I have a baby, a dog, hobbies like cycling, reading and travelling, a part time job, my baking business 280 Bakes, and a (Covid limited) social life. But I am a firm believer in if you want to get it done, you'll find the time. 

I am getting better at finding a few minutes for myself, as my baby has got a bit older. Around 7pm is prime 'me time' as El Husbandio often calls his parents and plays on video call with Rox. I mostly use this time to have a shower and potter about upstairs for around half an hour, maybe paint my toenails or unwind to a podcast... but I think I will try to make that time a time to write. A shower can wait until Rox is in bed.

What do you reckon, 500 words in 20-30 mins, that's do-able right?! The main bones are there on the page; I have a structure, a great into, a satisfying end, the bulk of the story... It's just the dreaded 'middle part' I need to flesh out. The book is called 'Scrabble Pieces' at the moment, but I am sure I can come up with a better title than that, even sat here today. One small step at a time. 

​Instead of blogging I should write my book!!!

Maybe this should be my new year's resolution for 2021. I'm not big into them normally, but sometimes you have to have something to drive you along! Who knows, this time next year I may have another book under my belt...

Lou x

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Born to be a Tourist

​Quick facts about Roald Dahl, my favourite childrens' writer...

     - He was born in Cardiff to Norweign parents. 

     - Dahl wasn't just a story writer - he was also a fighter pilot in World War 2. 

     - He would have been 104 years old if he was alive today. 

     - And my favourite book? The BFG!

I believe in magic, but there was certainly none of the Dahl magic here on Mermaid Quay.

​The quick trip to Roald Dahl Plass may have been a let-down, but I did however enjoy a tasty cookies and cream cereal bar from Lidl that happily I found in my handbag, and I did find (an appropriate memorial of) Ivor Novello. All was not lost. And then the heavens opened and I got soaked! What a random, curious, disappointing and wet 20 mins! Back to the car I went!

Lou x

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Born To Be A Tourist

Really, returning to work post Maternity leave felt like a release from Lockdown. Of course, I am still socially distancing and respecting the 'number rules' for meeting people, but having a new focus of going back to work after 13 months of Mat Leave felt like a big change. It wasn't unwelcome, just because of the freedom it felt like, however much I wanted to stay being a full-time mum. I also enjoyed using my brain in a new way!

Also, Lockdown had moved on a bit since then. Gone was the three month total Lockdown where we were not supposed to leave the house apart form a daily walk and medical/food supply runs. Things definitely felt more normal. I only really have missed the cinema, and only a little. When I was pregnant I basically slept for nine months (!!) so we didn't go out at all really, and when baby arrived we had other things on our plate, obviously. I'd like to say I'm missing gigs and theatres, but experiencing that part of city culture was rare for me, however enjoyable they were before Lockdown.

I think how I'm feeling now, like many other people, is we are firmly in a 'new normal'. And this 'new normal' isn't temporary, like the 'normal' we were subjected to in the early summer. Thank goodness that didn't last an enormously long time (and that the weather was so great!), and let's hope national Lockdown doesn't happen again.

I appreciate many people are fearing job losses, suffering health issues, and worried for their children mixing at school, but for us, we're feeling lucky. This form of Lockdown isn't so bad. It's all relative, isn't it; comparing these days to days back in April, it's a totally different situation down here in Bristol. London and the north is struggling in particular, and comparing my situation to people who have family members with Covid or who need to shield isn't really fair, but we're doing ok. What has really helped is all the socially distanced dog walking with a friend or two, and having one of my closest mates support bubbling with us. She lives on her own, so it's totally legit, but honestly, I feel like the support is more for me!!!

What has been quite different in the last three months is my day job. I work part-time as a PA in a government department, and every day, in normal times, I'd take the Park & Ride into the city centre, working in an open plan office with over 1000 desks. Now I'm working from home indefinitely, which is totally different. There's a whole blog on that subject alone, but it's mainly a good thing, and I feel much safer than having to use public transport and mix with people I have no idea how well they are following the government safety guidelines. I am blessed to have a job I can work from home with, keeping a routine is so helpful. 

Two weeks ago I started a new role (same department). This was a strange process with a video interview and starting work on day one in my spare room. El Husbandio and I both work in the same room Tuesdays and Thursdays - I think that'll be the biggest challenge!! We're already kind of on top of each other day and night.

Of course, I'm saying "roll on that vaccine!" and I miss my friends and family - and the warm weather!!! - but honestly, I'd love to keep working from home. It's so easy to fit in walking the dog, receiving deliveries, managing nursery drop offs/collections, it's (mostly) quiet, I have my home comforts... I even managed a haircut on my lunchbreak back in August! I do miss the company of my team some days, but it's fast becoming the new normal that we catch up on video and have social check ins. And if my work situation stays this way for a while, I shan't be complaining. 

My lockdown buddies and I are staying safe. We're not being risky (nursery being the only wild card really) and we're hanging in there. 

​Stay safe yourselves! 

Lou x

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Born to be a Tourist

Yes, I know, some are submarines and the pretzel holes are far from defined, but they tasted perfect. Yum yum! One more from the buns of the world baking book!

 This is my last Lockdown diary style post. I feel like all that's missing from 'before' is the social distancing, the 2m rule still being advised. It's feeling doubly like the end of lockdown as I'm working again, albeit returning from mat leave, and only upstairs in the spare room, but still, feels like a new beginning.

​Honestly, on meeting friends, once we got over the initial 'can't hug hello', a walk or a cuppa continues as normal, especially now we're allowed indoors. Still waiting for the cinemas to re-open, personally, but it's not bothering me much at all nowadays. Hope you're feeling similarly!

My final wellbeing lockdown challenge looked like this yesterday...

Something for me: Online Zumba class
Something to make someone else smile: Pretzels for friends and neighbours
Productivity: The pretzels - they took forever to make!

Lou x

The local fruit trees are just coming into season, but I'd never noticed the cherries before. I picked exactly one cup's worth too, on a whim, and that's exactly what I needed for a recipe I found later that afternoon. 

I have never baked (or indeed, tasted) cherry scones with fresh fruit before, but these are YUMMY. The dough was really wet, which made rolling it out and using a cutter impossible, but I 'blobbed it' on a baking tray and they came out pretty well. 

Ooh look, it's time for afternoon snack. 

​Lou x

Lockdown Wellbeing:

Productivity: See above
Make myself happy: Enjoyed having a coffee in the garden with my brother this afternoon. 
Made someone else smile: I delivered a chococlate cake to my very pregnant friend. 

I'm going back to work this week after 13 months of maternity leave, and I am full of emotions. I've thoroughly enjoyed being a new mum and having so much time looking after Rox. Honestly, if we could afford it, I wouldn't be going back to work. Consequently it's been a bit of an emotional time lately, and I've felt pressured to 'enjoy the time' I have left with Rox, even through the limits of lockdown. 

Here's a few of the things which have been playing on my mind...

 - Will I remember  what I need to for my role? My brain is a bit mushy right now!
 - Will my new mum crowd drift away?
 - Will our childcare plan work out well? This involves El Husbandio having Rox two days in a row, he'll be learning fast!
 - Will I be as good as my team expect or remember me to be?
 - Is there anything I should do before I return to work to help Rox's development? To enjoy myself?
 - Why are me and El Husbandio at each other this week?
 - How will domestic duties be split now I won't be as available?
 - How will home working work when both of us are in the office?

So many things on my mind!

I had a bad day today with all this - and more - going round my brain. I realised I felt 

This is a bit of a lethal combination for me, the Big Three. These feelings do dominate when I'm having a rough time. Spotting I felt this way is a HUMUNGOUS achievement for me, given I had no emotional awareness a couple of years back. I've worked hard to recognise my emotions and to help let them be and pass, if they're not helpful. 

I didn't want to reflect any more. It was getting too much.

I took some deep breaths. . 
I spent some time in the garden alone. 
I reminded myself I'll still be a mum forever, it's not ending. 
I thought of the near future, how exciting it'll be when Rox is walking, talking...
I made a mental list of all the great things Rox and I are planning for the next year.
I reminded myself that I like my boss, my job, I'm going to go back to having a monthly income. 

And this helped enormously. I start work on Wednesday, and I don't feel terrible about it. Now I feel

  Proud
  Relaxed
  Sad

I'm immensely proud of what I've achieved this year, relaxed about going back to work (slowly does it, it'll feel normal before long), but still a little bit sad still I won't have my little shadow by my side all day. 

And that's ok. 

​Lou x

Something possessed me and I couldn't turn the oven off. I've just kept going since Sundays major charity bake, it seems!!

The rolls are linseed and oat (for tea), the buns are almond sponge with cherries for decoration (reminds me of my grandma), and the carrot cake is egg free - vegan, actually - as my baby can't eat egg. 

​So there's my productivity ticked off for today...
For myself... I participated in a weekly quiz my mum friends and I do, and I won, even with the theme of TV! I don't watch much so I wasnt hopeful, but yay!
And to make someone else smile, Rox and I played for ages with the Paw Patrol sit-on car we have, making the lights flash, the sounds blare, and riding on top. Love her laugh!!

Lou x

I promised you photos!

My kind friends and family helped me to raise £175 for this worthy cause. It was exhausting and delivering them all in Bristol took some time, but I really enjoyed it. I have a feeling my home baking business 280 Bakes will be back this year! 

Thank you again to all who donated xxx

Lou x

The recipe was massive, so I batched up half of them and posted them to a friend's parents who needed a hug in the post. Hopefully they arrived in one piece!

Productivity - boom!
Making someone smile - I walked the neighbour's dog because he's sick.
Something for me - I sat down and read a huge chunk of my current book, Freakonomics. 

Lou x