As we welcome in the second month of 2021, I just want to say WHERE IS THE TIME GOING!! Last year was strange as it felt really long but at the same time went really quick and I'm beginning to think this year will be the same too. I guess this is just a little reminder, to enjoy the present moment. We spend a lot of our time worrying about our future, thinking about the past but never are we truly living in the present moment. 

I regularly take some time for myself and journal and I think it is a great way of collecting your thoughts, setting goals and looking back at how far you've come. It is also a good way of enjoying the present moment. I would recommend taking some time out of your day or week and thinking about the things that happened the past year, any goals you want to achieve this year and what brings you joy. You can do this in whatever way you want; writing in a journal, typing it up in a word document or even writing in your phone notes. 

Some questions/prompts to help you get started:

- One thing you learnt last year

- What do you want to do less of this year (e.g. less screen time)

- One thing you want to achieve in Feb & one step you can take to bring you closer to this goal

- 3-5 things that bring you joy (e.g. baking, reading, going on walks with your family)

One thing that brings me so much joy is SNOW. And if you know me personally, you will know how much this makes me happy. Now... living in the UK (especially down south near London) we barely get any snow, so when it turned to Sunday 24th Jan and I looked at my phone and it said snow showers, I was super happy and definitely made the most of it! I wrapped up warm and ventured out to my favourite place and had a mini photoshoot! Enjoy the pics :)

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Social Media is one giant topic and I do have a lot to say about it so I'll try to keep it short! It is absolutely necessary for all of us to be aware of the content we are mindlessly consuming because it can have a major impact on your energy, mood and behaviour. I really encourage you to look at who you're following, the type of people you follow and think about how it makes you feel when you're scrolling through Instagram, or looking at certain tweets. Do you feel drained or energised? Are you constantly comparing yourself to these "perfect" celebs? If so, then unfollow! There's no need to constantly see pictures that make you compare yourself and make you feel bad about yourself. I promise you, you may not see the impact it is having on you currently, but in the long term, you'll be so much better for it! Follow people or pages that bring you joy, make you happy, inspired... all that good stuff. 

I definitely noticed the difference after unfollowing loads of celebs off Instagram. Before, I spent waaaay too much time being interested in what my favourite celebs were doing 24/7 that I never focused truly on my life. I now have much more time and focus on pursuing my goals and finding out what really brings me joy and doing more of those things!

Action: Have a social media refresh

After reading this I hope you start to become more aware of the content you're consuming on a daily basis & I hope you give writing a go.

Thank you for reading!

Amrita

xx

Twenty days into the new year and I'm uploading my first post. And it's only the third post in the #wellbeingwedsnesday series!

 I've been reluctant to say Happy New Year to people this year knowing what people have been through last year, this year might not have started off like everyone would have hoped. So instead I wave goodbye to 2020, and welcome in 2021 with the hope that it will be better for us all. 

In this post, I want to talk about something that really helped me through the endless days in lockdown last year and that's walking! I know I know you must be sick of hearing about people going on walks etc etc. But last year, I really started appreciating the little things that I would normally take for granted. I learnt a lot about life and myself including what really brings me joy, what truly matters in life, how to actively practice gratitude and so much more that I won't bore you with!

One thing that stood out for me last year was going on walks (and the occasional bike ride in the summer!) in forest areas and parks. It was a really important part of my week (and continues to be important to me) because it helped clear my mind and allowed me time to think. No matter what the weather was, rain or shine, I was out. I guess it became a part of my weekly routine. And one thing I loved was watching the changes to the trees and the landscape as the seasons changed from spring to summer to autumn. 

I really encourage everyone to try and fit some walks into their week (whilst abiding by the lockdown rules!). If you don't have a forest area close to where you live, try to find some open park space or adventure around your local area on foot ... you might find places you've never been to right on your doorstep! 

(Sidenote: I want to thank the amazing queen Taylor Swift for her albums last year which were PERFECT walking/biking music)

If my words didn't encourage you to venture out, maybe these pictures will persuade you!