Sundaze 133

This week feels like a week-long ‘morning after’, especially given how jam-packed last week was! As such, I ended up falling ill and it’s been a total struggle. I find as I get older, periods of overwhelm leave me feeling contemplative and morose more than stressed and upset. I suppose that’s because I’m the sort of person that has an innate ‘get up and go’ spirit about her, that I can’t seem to let something get me down and stagnant. However, I succumbed to my ‘feeling awful’ and took a day off this week. It seems to have done me the world of good!

Earlier in the week, I wrote about how I planned to say no more. And say no, I did! I cancelled plans left, right and centre so I could get my physical and mental health back on track. And after having a bit of a wobbly one lunchtime and crying in the streets of Soho, as well as an evening where I got home and fell asleep fully clothed at the end of my bed, I finally feel pretty damn relaxed sprawled out on the sofa watching Strictly.

Self-care Tuesday

On Tuesday, my alarm went off at 6.30am and I got up to get ready, but ended up having to sit down to even get dressed. So I promptly decided to get undressed and back in my pyjamas, and take the day off. I had such an awful fever and felt generally rundown that it turned out to be the best decision.

Bowls of congee, a Lucozade, lots of Lemsip and a binge watch of Unbelievable were the perfect medicine. Sometimes, self-care looks like the bare essentials of getting yourself back on track and isn’t all bubble baths and twinkly fairy lights. (Although fairy light season is back so soon!) I touched on this in my Instagram post on the day, but there’s totally an odd stigma around presentee-ism in the UK workplace. Granted, I’m a freelancer, but as I’m contracted to be in-house, the guilt has begun to take over again. Let’s label this one a work in progress.

A crossroads

Like I’m sure you’ve noticed if you regularly check in to my Sundaze series, I’ve felt incredibly stretched over the last few weeks. So I’m currently trying to establish a new working week rhythm that allows me to be 100% there for all of my clients, as well as give me the headspace I need for the plans I have to grow little Tartle Copywriting. I think I’m 99.9% there with my plans to shift things a little, so here’s to some exciting things in the pipeline for all things Tartle and all things Daisybutter!

Climate Strike 2019

Of course this week was the Climate Strike, orchestrated by Greta Thunberg. Sadly I couldn’t take part but I felt so teary and emotional seeing everybody out on the streets, and reading everybody’s witty placards! Climate change is at the forefront of my mind at the moment and I often find myself worrying about so much. And it is now rightly at the forefront of everybody else’s. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at, frankly, the state of the world right now, but some of the easiest ways to instantly cut down your personal carbon emissions and footprint include swapping a bus ride a week for a walk (also brilliant for soaking up some of this autumn sunshine!), reducing your meat intake (particularly beef and lamb), and even shortening your showers a smidge.

On a related note, I downloaded the Vegan One app so I could easily see what my biggest lifestyle choice is doing for the globe. If you’re vegan or are considering going vegan, I totally recommend downloading it. I personally don’t need motivating to ‘stay on track’ as I’m pretty committed to my own choices, but if perhaps you find it difficult, this is great. For instance as I write this, I’ve been vegan for 263 days, I’ve saved 1319 tons of water, 5277 kgs of grain and 264 animal lives.

Links I’ve Loved

Taylor Swift’s interview in Rolling Stone reminded me just why I adore this woman so much. I mean, I was outraged she agreed to perform at a horse-racing event this week, but she’s pulled out now so…
Um, how beautiful are the photos from Liv and Joe’s wedding day?!
This outfit, inspired by Cinnamoroll, is just TOO cute.
A few more podcasts to subscribe to, this coming week.
Autumn is just around the corner, and these vegan cookies are next on my to-bake list.
My own Sunday routine is pretty set, but The Everygirl shares eight ideas that’ll help you get the rest of your week on track.
I thoroughly enjoyed Tavi’s piece on The Cut this week.