Into the unknown...

First things first, apologies for my accidental hiatus over the past few months. I unintentionally took a 3-month break from blogging and in all honesty, there’s just one, simple reason for it; I am completely overwhelmed.

Not so long ago, the most sociable part of my week was awkwardly waving to the neighbours during the 8pm clap, and the longest journey I had to take was the distance between my sofa and my fridge. Fast forward a few months and everything seems to have sprung back into action while I’m still here trying to catch up. I’m travelling here, there, and everywhere for work and feel like I’ve been unwillingly entered into a competition of who can fill their social media with the most fun and exciting post-lockdown plans (spoiler alert: I’m not winning). Throw in an unexpected search for a new flat and the fact that I am fast approaching the last year of my 20’s without a great deal to show for it, and you’ve got yourself the recipe for a cocktail I like to call ‘an anxious gal on the edge of a nervous breakdown’.

Anyway, back to the point of this post – the unknown; the scary, confusing abyss of adulthood that no one teaches you about in school (or even university, for that matter).

As someone who likes (okay, loves) being in control and needs a step-by-step itinerary to get me through the day, feeling like the rug has been pulled out from beneath me hasn’t been a feeling that has gone down particularly well, but you know what, sometimes you just have to go with the flow and hope that the universe has got your back. So that’s what I’m doing – sitting back, trying to relax, and trusting that I’m on the right path and that success and security are just around the corner for me.

In the meantime, however, there are some things that I’ve found helpful over the past few weeks when I’ve been encompassed by that sudden, overwhelming feeling and I’d thought I’d share them with you – just in case anyone else needed to hear them. So here goes:

• Find something that makes you feel instantly cosy and safe – your own type of comfort blanket, if you will. It may be an actual blanket that you love to snuggle up with, a nostalgic song that never fails to make you smile, or a TV programme that makes you feel comforted. Whatever works for you - have it at the ready for when you need it.

• Talk to your friends. I can almost guarantee that someone you know is feeling the exact same way as you, and as they say – a problem shared is a problem halved and all that jazz. Sharing your feelings doesn’t make you weak, it makes you human.

• Try and get into a good morning and evening routine. Even if the middle part of the day is an absolute shit show, at least you have the beginning and end sorted, right?

• Break down the things you need to get done into manageable, bite-size chunks and don’t measure your worth by the length of your to-do list or how many things that get ticked off it.

• Do a clear-out and be as brutal as you can. I mean, I’m no Marie Kondo, but I did make £400 on eBay this month so I’m feeling pretty smug with myself.

• Get comfortable with saying no to the things you don’t want to do – easier said than done I know, but once you’ve mastered it, your shoulders will feel much lighter.

• Remind yourself that you can be a strong, independent woman but still need your mum, a share-bag of minstrels and a Disney movie every once in a while.

• Stop comparing your life to the one that you imagined yourself living when you were a teenager. There is no invisible timeline that you have to stick to, so just stay in your own lane and try not to worry about it too much.

• Try and remember that some of the best days of your life haven’t even happened yet and isn’t that just such a lovely thought?

Now, I don’t know when I turned into a walking, talking Pinterest board and you may be reading this list thinking that they are some of the most obvious things ever, but we’ve established that I’m struggling to keep up at the moment so let’s just let it slide for now.

I guess what I’m trying to say is just keep putting one foot in front of the other and remember that even if you’re moving slowly, you’re still moving forward.

Thank you for reading and I promise not to leave it so long next time.

Katie x