2022 Word of the Year.

Monday, 31 January 2022

If you read my recent blog post on my 2022 goals I don’t think my word of the year will come as much of a surprise to you. All of the goals seem to tie back into one thing. It wasn’t something that was intentional but then reflecting on the goals I set, I realised they seemed to spell out my word for 2022.

Are you ready for it?!

Creativity.

All of my intentions for the year are fuelled by my desire to be creative.

I want to connect with my creative side again and find joy in making things simply for the joy that bring. I want to find that child-like playfulness within the little daily things like getting dressed, and how I spend my evenings. I want to explore the creativity in my 9-5 and the places where I wouldn't normally expect to find it.

To find joy in being creative for the sake of being creative, rather than feeling guilty for not using that time to tick things off that endless to-do list.

I think it's important I rediscover that child-like element of myself. I think that could be a ticket to fulfilment and mindfulness for me.

I want my year to be spent making, painting, and having fun. Creating.

Creating to add some colour to the mundane, creating as an expression of love, creating online, and offline, alone and among others, creating to cut down on buying and creating because I can.

And it's got me excited to feel craft-y again.

Have you set a word for the year?!

2022 Goals

Monday, 10 January 2022

Hello, happy new year. 2022 feels good, doesn't it?

As I do around this time every year, I've been thinking about the person I am, the person I want to be, the things I want to achieve and the kind of life I would like to lead and use this information to set my intentions and goals for the year to come (my blog post on my word of intention for the year is coming soon too, promise).

I know some people don't like thhe practice of create new year goals and resolutions, but I personally find them refreshing and exciting. They add a little extra flavour to the hope I find within a new year beginning.

So without further ado - here are my goals for 2022...

Feel like a writer again - and a blogger for that matter.

I used to feel like a writer. I used to shae poetry on my Instagram despite cringing whilst pressing post. I've written an entire finished draft of a novel, which is simply sitting on the laptop I'm typing on right now, just waiting around for me to make some edits. I used to write for the sake of writing. For how it made me feel.

My life had transformed a lot over the past few years. It's become happier, one I'd wished for, but with that my constant desire to write somewhat faded. It wasn't that I no longer enjoyed it, more that I no longer need to feel the release it provides. I no longer feel so lost that words on the page are the only way I can find myself. But still, I miss writing. I miss the places it takes and the peace it brings me. I miss the thrill of the words just coming to me. The high of feeling like I've explained myself in a way I couldn't out loud. I stopped writing because I didn't feel so sad, so lost that I needed it. But now I'm happy and in the place I want to be and maybe it's worth writing about that too. My happiness is worth writing down, recording on paper.

I miss talking about my blog with pride. I miss showing up, sharing with my tiny part of the internet every week. In 2022, I will find the writer and the blogger within me again.

A long time ago I wrote this blog post. Deep down I'm still that girl who dreams of being a writer. So I'd better get writing again.

Have more fun with fashion.

I love fashion. I have a degree in fashion. I watch shows like Emily in Paris in awe of the crazy outfits. I spend my lunch breaks scrolling fashion video on TikTok, feeling a jealous ping of all the cool 'fits. Then I realised if I want to have fun with clothes I can. I can get creative with my outfits and enjoy what I'm wearing because I want to. I can experiment and try new looks and express myself through the clothes I choose - so I'm going to do just that.

I've also decided to start posting 'get dressed with me' video on TikTok to encourage me to put a little effort into my outfits. Plus, I see so many styling videos on TikTok that I love, who's to say I can't be one of those people too - if you fancy checking them out, you can find my TikTok here.

Complete 5 paintings

I've recently rediscovered my love for creating art. I've been getting out my paintbrushes more often. For Christmas this year I painted my boyfriend's dad a picture of his home village in Italy. It was a present I handed over with self-doubt, but now I see it proudly displayed in their kitchen, I share its pride. The majority of the time I paint a picture, it doesn't get finished. There is always more that could be done, especially when I paint for no reason other than the joy that the brush stroke on the paper brings me. But here's the thing, I don't think I'm bad at it. Out of practice yes, but bad no. In fact, if I put in the work, I think I could be pretty good at it. So this year I will finish 5 paintings, at least. Considering I still have almost finished pieces from years ago sat around, actually completing them is a pretty big deal for me.

I see creating art in my future so I'm going to lean into that. Who knows, maybe at some point I'll feel confident enough to start selling pieces. And if the pieces are a load of rubbish, I will have experience the peaces that the painting process brings me, so that's something.

Make 5 pieces of clothing that I actually wear.

I used to sew a lot. Like I said, I've got a degree in fashion, but it's been a while since I've made anything larger than a hair scrunchie - however when I created my Etsy store during the pandemic it did revive my love for sewing. More recently I've seen a lot of people creating their own clothes on TikTkok and it's made me think, why don't I do that. I know how to, I enjoy it, and I'll get some cool custom pieces of clothing (which will definitely help me have more fun with fashion). I figured it was the pattern cutting that was putting me off. It's the first step and for me the least enjoyable part. But I can pattern cut so until recently I going to do that part myself - and then I realised I can buy patterns. I can adjust them to make things more custom if I want to. But without that step, I feel so excited about it. There's no need to be put off by something, which I don't necessarily have to do. So I've bought myself some trouser patterns and I am excited to get sewing.

Actually, start my search for a literary agent and publisher

This one links back into the first goal really. I think it's time to try a little harder to do something with that book I wrote (I'm pretty sure I've had this goal before, but who knows, this could be the year).

Go outside every day

This is such a simple thing, that makes all the difference to my mental health. I'm working from home at the moment, and sometimes before I realise it I haven't been outside for a day or two. This year I'm going to make a conscious effort to get outside each day. To breath in the fresh air, and have a moment or two to take in nature.

Have you set yourself any goals for 2022?

I'll be sure to update you on how mine are going as the year progresses!

Let's Catch Up...

Friday, 5 November 2021

Hello, Hi, Hey.

It has been a while, at least it feels that way for me. But for me, it's a sunny Sunday morning, and I found myself thinking nothing would feel quite so satisfying as tapping out a good old fashion, chatty blog post.

I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but rest assured, I have not abandoned ChloeHarriets.com - I was working on stuff behind the scenes, you know, the more boring SEO stuff (pro-tip for any new bloggers: don't wait until you're five years into to learn about SEO), and then I got busy. But today, I fancied showing my face on here and found myself wanting to write for the sake of writing.

If you follow me on Instagram (if you don't you should, you can find me here) you'll know, there have recently been some changes in my life, big and small.

Firstly, a couple of months back I started a new job. My career is something I have struggled with for years. I've been in minimum wage jobs that made me feel so anxious that panic attacks became pretty common for me, I've completed unpaid internships which gave me hope. And I'd been job searching for well over a year, attended endless interviews to hear time and time again I didn't have the experience needed, despite the effort I'd put into building experience when I couldn't find somebody to employ me. But finally, I got a job offer. It's a digital marketing assistant which started a few months ago - so far, I'm really enjoying it. It's challenging in places, but I believe I am more than capable of doing a good job and seeing career growth from here. And there are other aspects of the job I could do with my eyes closed. I get to write blog posts, edit videos, and images and work on social media campaigns - all things which I do for fun in my free time.

I am feeling very happy and grateful. I feel like finally, my career is heading in the direction I've been attempting to steer it in for years.

I still have other dreams, other goals which I'll be working towards. I'm currently completing a life coaching course, as it's something my intuition has just been telling me to do for a while, and having been told by several friends that is something I'd be good at, I've decided to get learning - on completing my course I'll offer some sessions at low rates, or possibly free of charge to get feedback and build confidence.

I've also begun posting to Youtube again. I missed filming longer content. I like being able to chat to a camera and watch my life back, and short content like Reels and TikToks just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. I'm also trying to make my content as helpful as possible, filming sit down video where I share the thing which has to help me head towards are more mindful, fulfilling life.

Beyond work, life lately has also been pretty good. My new job has eased worries and diminished a feeling of purposelessness that I'd been battling for a while.

I have officially moved in with my boyfriend. After one lockdown apart, and one together, we decided we both prefer living together and it works well for both of us. We've done some decorating around the house, so you can expect some interior posts coming soon (if you have a small home, watch this space because I've learnt a thing or two along the way). There are more exciting house things coming, but I will reveal all at a later date.

Lately, life has been busy in a good way. It's felt exciting like things are moving forward in the best possible, way and I can wait to share this journey with you.

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5 Activities to Inspire Creativity | Sponsored Post

Thursday, 22 April 2021

Activities to inspire creativity blog post - paint, art, crochet, writing, flowers

As the world begins to ease back into normality, I've felt uninspired and lacking creativity. Being an introvert, after finally meeting up with friends I've wanted to do nothing but sit alone and play Sim 4, which let's be honest, as fun as Sims is, I don't aspire to be that girl who spends every evening playing computers game (if you do, then you do you). Several years ago, I realised, I'm happiest when I'm creative, so I've decided to make an effort to find time for creativity, and to integrate creativity into my hobbies and day-to-day life.

Finding the right creative hobby for you can be a struggle - so today in this blog post, I thought I'd share some activities that inspire creativity if like me you've been looking for a way to get those post lockdown creative juices flowing.

5 Activities to Inspire Creativity.

1) Painting:

Watercolours, acrylics, oil paint, or just a simple pencil drawing - I love it all. There's something special, and freeing about creating art especially once you let go of the outcome (my friend Stacie is great at talking about this).

2) Crafting for a get-together:

As lockdown is easing in in the UK, and the sun seems to be shining for us, why not take advantage of this and combo social with creativity. We haven't seen our friends in a while, so even if you're just having two friends over for a BBQ in your garden, why not make the most of it and decorate for the event? It's a fun way to use your creative energy and it will make seeing your pals even more memorable. I personally love the idea of creating a theme and running with it. For a garden event (within the restriction rules), I'd love to go with an insect theme, creating bumblebee bunting throughout the garden, or ladybug cake topper - You can use ladybug clipart, or bumblebee clipart to find the perfect designs, get out your scissors and glue and get creative. When your friends arrive, you can either keep the crafts out and get creative together, or just enjoy a catch-up amongst your bumblebee and ladybug decorated garden.

3) Crochet:

Crocheting is something I have spoken about on this blog many times (see posts here and here). It's one of those hobbies, that once you get the hang of it, it feels so natural and eases any tension, plus you get to create something lovely - I'm still chuffed I managed to crochet myself a jumper (you can see it here). Also if you love the look of crocheted bits, but hooks and yarns aren't for you, I often sell crocheted pieces on my Etsy store. Crochet is a great one if you want to be great creative, but you also want to watch your favourite Netflix show - once you get into it, it doesn't feel as though it takes too much time away from you because it's that perfect in front of the TV hobby - I'd definitely recommend picking up a hook and some yarn, popping on a Youtube tutorial and giving it a go.

4) Photography:

A creative hobby I've really been enjoying lately is photography (which has left me obsessed with Instagram all over again, you can find my insta here). Photography is great because it makes you look for the beauty in everyday things. Whether it's phone photography, film photography or you're getting out your fancy DSLR, it all counts.

5) Write:

I've always seen myself as a writer (I wrote about my dreams of being a writer here), I think there's something therapeutic in putting thoughts onto paper, and there's magic in the storytelling aspect of writing. I like to write everything from poetry, to think pieces that share all of my unpopular opinions. I find putting words on paper is a great way to be creative, you can keep what you write to yourself, in your journal if you want to the pressure away from the creative hobby too. It's therapeutic and I find empty my thoughts onto a page, which helps me make room for any other creative hobbies I want to embark on.

What's your favourite creative hobby? Let me know if any of these take your fancy.

Yoga with Adriene - 30 Day Journey, 'Breath' Review

Monday, 15 February 2021

Girl doing at home yoga - Yoga with Adriene 30 Day Breath Challenge review

In this blog post I wanted to share my review and thoughts on the Yoga with Adriene 30 Day Breath Journey which I completed during January 2021.

My most popular blog post, is this one I wrote last February sharing my thoughts after completing a Yoga with Adriene 30 Day Challenge. On finishing the January 2020 yoga challenge 'Home' I knew without a doubt it would become a tradition for me to each January to begin the year with 30 days of yoga.

So again I rolled out my yoga mat each day for 30 days as I welcomed 2021. As my last yoga journey blogpost was so popular, I thought it would be valuable for me to share my thoughts on completing my second 30 day yoga with Adriene challenge, and the comparison of yoga with Adriene's Breath Journey which I've just finished and the Home journey that I completed a year ago.

As you can imagine the two journeys are pretty similar with the same yoga moves which now feel familiar to me. Through each challenge Adriene offers the same kindness in her voice. She shares alternatives to the different poses making the sessions more accessible. Adriene always encourages you to find what feels good, listen to your body and trust yourself.

The major difference between the two journeys, was the anchor of breath in the 2021 30-day challenge. Throughout the practises, this challenge really focused on the breath, as it's name would suggest. Different breath techniques were taught, and in general the practises felt slightly slower and more meditative. Some practises we're more focused on breath than movement. Last year when completing my first 30 Day yoga challenge I found I enjoyed the practises which felt more like a workout, with the idea of 'the more movement the better', but this time around I found the slower pace refreshing, focusing on the breathwork meant I left the mat feeling in a relaxed haze.

Breath Journey Details

Personally, I'd recommend completing the entire journey. For me it felt as though each day led into the next and prepared me for the practises to come. But if you'd like to pick and choose your practise below you can find some of my thoughts, and the facts on the individual sessions.

The shortest practise:

Day 20 - Pause, where you do exactly that. This practise is just 16 minutes and 21 seconds.

The longest practise:

Day 30 - Begin is the longest at 50 minutes and 59 seconds - however being the final day of the challenge, this practice is slightly different from the other, as Adriene turns off her microphone and you complete your own practise alongside her, unguided, using the tools you learned in the previous days.

Day 1 - Invite is also slightly longer at 48 minutes and 12 second.

Averagely the sessions are around 20-25 minutes.

The most movement:

Day 6: Burn is the one to go to if you're in it for the work out. Day 11 - Flow offers pretty continuous movement throughout, as does Day 12 - Drop.

For stillness:

Day 8 - Snuggle... the practise takes places entirely sat or laying on the mat. Day 20 -Pause, also offers exactly what it says in the title.

Pros:

- You can do it from home

- Don't really even need to change your clothes. The practises are fairly gentle, so on the days I was feeling super lazy, rather than change into my yoga clothes, I'd hop straight onto my mat in whatever I was wearing - it just makes it slightly more convenient.

- Alternatives offered so Adriene's teaching is accessible for all different abilities and experience levels.

- You can do it at a time that suit you.

- The videos are also educational teaching different breath techniques and mindfulness practises.

Cons:

- No one to check your poses, or offer personal guidance reassurance.

- It does take commitment. Going into the challenge without fully committing is likely to leave you missing days and feeling guilty.

On showing up.

Personally for me I think carving out the time and showing up matters, more so than perfecting the poses (as I'm sure you can see from the imagery in this blog post, my poses could still use some work).

You won't feel like doing yoga everyday for 30 days, but especially on those days you don't fancy it, afterwards you'll be glad you showed up, and see the value in taking that time for your body and mind.

In my previous yoga challenge review blog post I spoke about how to motivate yourself to show up, so I won't go into too much here, but I will say, I found it much easier to show up everyday this time around, knowing that I had once before found myself capable of dedicating time each day to yoga practise. This year, I went in the yoga journey knowing without a doubt a wouldn't miss a day. That doesn't mean that some days I didn't put it off until the end of the day, and some days I still found my mind distracted when on the mat - which for me only underlined the importance of the mindful practise.

My results:

This year I went into the journey feeling slightly more confident when it came to the yoga poses, having spent more time practising yoga overall.

In general balance is something I struggle with, practically down the left side of my body - however this was an area I saw improvement as the days went on. I became better at using my core, and using that push and pull of energy to create stability where I once would have felt wobbly.

Focusing on and following the breath during this challenge was something which, despite years of meditating, I, at first struggled with. But as the days when on, I found it easier to tune my body to the rhyme of my breathe and breathing through the nose began to feel more natural to me. I still think I could do some work on the breath techniques learnt, but it's set the foundation heading forward.

I complete yoga completely for my mind, but for those curious, I began to see a small amount of toning in my stomach come the end of the challenge. I also noticed I felt stronger, particularly in my arm (maybe from all of those planks)

There are still poses I wish I could do, but I am not there with yet (hello, crow pose) but overall I feel more confident when creating shapes in yoga, and feel much closers to the poses I once thought impossible for me.

More so than last year, I found this journey really helped with my mental health. I talk about it more in this post - but daily yoga is something which has really calmed my mind, and enabled me to manage anxiety and panic attacks.

I'm sure you can tell from the imagery, my poses are far from perfect, but I am always striving for progress over perfection, for me it's about the journey.

Shop this blogpost:

Yoga Mat: John Lewis - Leggings (old similar linked) - Tee: Hush - Sports Bra: Shock Absorber - Grey Blanket (old similar linked) - TV: Samsung Frame TV - TV Stand - Sofa: M&S - Mirror: Made.com

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How to Improve Your Wellbeing | Little Things That Improved my Mental Health During January 2021.

Monday, 1 February 2021

How to improve your wellbeing - little mental tips blogpost. Blogger girl chloe harriets in pink beret.

Towards the end of 2020 I wasn't having the best time with my mental health, I was having a panic attacks on a pretty regular basis. Going to the new year I decided to make sure I was putting as many little things in place to improve my wellbeing. Those little things have made all the difference. I felt it in myself and others have noticed it in me, my boyfriend and family have all commented on how my I've seemed happier, less anxious and more myself. So in this blogpost I wanted to share those little things I've been doing which have improved my wellbeing.

Simple steps I took to improve my wellbeing:

Getting ready

Lockdown has made me realise two things: Number one, I feel better when I get ready. Number two, getting ready doesn't have to mean a full face of make up and uncomfortable clothes. Sometimes just not wearing what you slept in is enough to get you feeling good, and sometimes a smudge of red lipstick makes you feel like you can take over the world. As I'm not going many places recently (hello lockdown) I've got myself two pairs of slippers, onw for in the day around the house, a cat pair which I think look pretty fancy, and a pair of fluffy boots for when I'm cosying up in my pjs - a pair for day and a pair for evening - I'm surprised how much a different pair is slippers is making me feel less like a slob. Spending a little time in the morning getting ready help me feel in a routine and signals to my brain it's time for the day to start, and reminds me, even if I'm not going anywhere my purpose exists beyond watching Netflix in my jammies.

Asking for help when I want it

I don't mean the big deal help here... not going to a therapist when you're hitting rock bottom (although if you think you might need a therapist, you probably do, and you should look into it...) but the small help. I very easily get overwhelm. For example if I'm cooking dinner as there's too many dishes around, it stresses me out, rather than continue to be stressed about dishes, and desperately searching for the kitchen space I need, I'm simply asking my boyfriend to help clear them up. Hanging the washing is a task I hate but rather than dread it every time, I can ask for a hand and get it done in half the time. It took starting to ask for help with the small things, to make me realise I can ask for help and realise that the majority of time, I only surround myself with people willing to help me.

Daily meditation

One of the new habits I wanted to cultivate in January was more regular meditation practise, and I'm pleased to say I have kept it up everyday through the month, and I feel so much better for it. Those 10 minutes of mindful have impacted my entire day, allowing me to manage anxious thoughts. For those curious, I'm currently using the Calm app, but I have a full blog post here on meditation apps which I love.

Daily yoga

Last year in January I completed a 30 day yoga challenge which I talk more about here, well I've decided to make it a tradition. So this January I completed the Yoga with Adriene 30 day breath challenge and dedicating that time each day to my breath and body has really calmed my mind. It's movement that I enjoy.

Fresh air, spending time in nature.

Getting out and breathing in fresh air makes such a difference to how you feel. Spending time outdoors and feeling gratitude to the trees and the sky makes all the difference to my mood.

Keep track of finances

Not knowing what's going on in my bank account can be major cause for anxiety. Rather than ignoring those numbers and hoping for the best, daily checks in with my online banking keep that anxiety at bay and allow me to plan where to spend and where to save.

Make small steps everyday

When I look at the bigger picture, I tend to get overwhelmed but like most people, I have long term goals. I've tried to more days take steps towards making those goals feel more achievable, it doesn't matter how big the step as long as I'm moving. For example rather than feeling daunted by the huge task for writing a book, I just dedicate half hour to writing that book each day. It's comforting to know, that even if it's a slow process, I'm moving in the right direction.

Taking vitamins

Taking vitamins can actually impact how you feel, your energy levels and overall wellbeing, yet they are so easy to forget about. I got into the habit of taking iron and vitamin D and C each day with my breakfast.

Listening to the good stuff

I've been trying to be more mindful of the content I'm consuming because it affects how I feel. During January I listened to some great podcasts that have brightened my days - you can find out my current favourite listens here.

Making time for loved ones

I know it sounds obvious but I think it was something I wasn't particularly good at until recently when I started making a conscious effort. I'm being sure to actually spend time with my boyfriend when he's home from work, to watch something together, to laugh together and really catch up, rather than finding myself busy elsewhere in the same room at him but actually not spending time with him. The same goes with catch up with family and friends who I can't see because of lockdown, I've been trying hard to put time aside to catch up on those phone calls, and send messages.

Close tabs

It's so simple, but so easy not to do. I always used to keep my tabs open and come back to the chaos (cough *3 ASOS tabs, 2 amazon tabs, an expensive bag, an article I'll probably never read etc). Rather than open my laptop to a fresh start. During January I've been taking those moments to close my tabs, and it feels good to start each day with a clean slate.

Keep things tidy

My environment really impacts how I feel, so the month I have been making extra effort to keep on top of the cleaning and tidying ensuring my home is a nice place to be. 10 minutes before bed to make sure everything is in order downstairs, cleaning up as I go when I cook and Sunday bedding changes make all the difference.

Outfit Details:

*Affiliate links are used in this blog post