Learn to love the small things

You can’t really escape the fact that people are struggling to be happy in this modern world. I can understand why - there’s just so much pressure from so many sides, and social media is a real curse as well as a blessing.

I’ve always been on platforms like Facebook because they allow me to stay in touch with people who I’ve met at different times of my life, some of whom live thousands of miles away in other countries. I like having a community of friends from around the world and this gives me an easy (and lazy, let’s be honest) way to stay in touch with them all.

That’s the upside. I don’t have to remember phone numbers, store email addresses or keep track of physical postal addresses. Everyone is there, at the end of a message if I want to get in touch with them.

The downside is that you can easily get caught up comparing yourself to other people and looking at their lives thinking, ‘why don’t I have all that?’. Not to mention the ridiculous amount of time you can waste on there.

Anyway, while I understand that some people have problems with social media, the point of this blog wasn’t actually to debate the pros and cons of these platforms - it was to talk about how important the little things are in our lives, and how recognising those will make you happier (or that’s the conclusion I’ve come to).

I feel like I’ve got a lot better at just being happy in my everyday life in the past few years by taking the time to appreciate the little things. When I’m out walking with my dog I’ll notice birds hiding in trees, or I’ll stop to enjoy a beautiful view, listen to the waves on the shore, or even to watch bees buzzing around flowers. Beauty really is all around us, you just have to take the time to stop and look for it.

There are a few things in my life that I think have helped me cultivate that attitude and led me to where I am. The first is scuba diving. I learned to dive while I was at university and I’ve since done hundreds of dives. But having learned in the UK, there were very rarely exciting large creatures to look out for - everything is small, and for the most part pretty well hidden or camouflaged.

That was when I really started to look closely at the world around me - it started underwater but I’ve since noticed I do it when I’m on dry land too. With diving, it’s got to the point that almost all my favourite creatures are what’s termed macro life - basically tiny.

I was recently lucky enough to go and dive in a place called Lembeh Strait in Indonesia - one of the meccas of macro diving. I saw so many cool little creatures in my time there - it was incredible. I’ve shared a few of them at the end of this post.

A pygmy seahorse. It was about the size of my little finger nail.

The other thing that’s helped me appreciate the small things in life is yoga. Through my yoga practise I’ve been able to focus on being present in a moment. Again, it’s something that started on my mat, especially as I tackled challenging poses (or even just a flow of what you’d think are basic poses until you put them all together), but that’s spread into other areas of my life.

I’ve also realised the importance of being grateful for everything I have, and not just in the physical sense of possessions, a roof over my head and so on. I mean in the sense that I have a body I can bend, stretch and move; I have incredible opportunities in my life to travel; through my choices with work I have amazing freedom over how I spend my time; and I have amazing friends and family who have been supportive and who I also have a lot of fun with.

One of my yoga teachers in particular often talks about gratitude and it’s been a wonderful reminder of what’s important in life, and of just how much I have.

When I think about my life I feel so lucky to be where I am. I’m aware that I’ve worked hard in certain areas and that I’ve made particular choices, but that’s only part of the story. I’m lucky to have been born in a country where women are able to work and live independent lives; to have had incredibly supportive parents; to have a British passport that allows me to travel really easily.

All of these things are nothing more than luck, and I’m grateful that I got these gifts every single day.

I’m not saying that I’m always happy with my life - I have days where I don’t feel good about myself or what’s going on just like everyone else - but I do think it’s easier to get through down patches when you can focus on the positives, however small they may seem.

For me, learning to love the small things has been really important in helping me be happy. So I invite you to take a moment today to notice something small and beautiful in your life, something that you’re grateful to have seen, experienced or just to have in your life. I bet it makes you smile.

And if not, hopefully at least one of these little things that I was lucky enough to encounter on my dives will make you smile.

A baby flamboyant cuttlefish hiding among the remaining cuttlefish eggs

A baby frogfish

A creamy chromidoris nudibranch (sea slug)

Another nudibranch, this time a desirable flabellina

Tips to avoid distractions when working from home

When I tell people that I work from home, most of them find it hard to understand how I get anything done. When someone tells me they work in an office, I think exactly the same thing.

I’ve done my time working in offices and I find them incredibly distracting environments, which has only been amplified since I’ve worked from home. In one of my previous jobs, I spent nearly four years working from home and leaving that job to go back to an office was a huge challenge.

People come over to ask questions all the time, there are tea rounds every half hour (which is great in some ways) and there’s constant noise from people talking, phone calls, keys tapping and just other people moving around the office.

As far as I’m concerned, there are literally distractions everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I see the value in sharing a space with your team and at times I miss the lively atmosphere in an office. But when I actually need to get work done I’d rather be at home, in my own space.

That’s tip number one - make a space for work. If you’re lucky enough to have room for a home office, that’s brilliant. I’m not, so I have a corner in my living room where my desk and all my work paraphernalia lives. When I start work, I sit down at my desk. I try really hard not to move my laptop to other spots too often.

Tip number two is to set working hours. When you work from home it can be really easy to think you’ll just do one more thing before you finish, and before you realise it, it’s 9pm. I’m not too strict with myself about working 9-5 every day, but first thing in the morning I think about what work I have to get done and I set myself a start and finish time for that day.

My third tip is to take regular breaks, but to use them wisely. One thing I often hear is that people get distracted by household chores when they work from home. I’ve found that doing things like the washing up while I’m waiting for the kettle to boil helps me make the most of my time.

So, a tea break becomes so much more useful. I can put a load of washing in, clean part of the kitchen or even write my shopping list.

As an add-on to that, you should also make sure you take a lunch break. Give yourself an hour away from work-related stuff. I walk Franklin, which means I get out of the house and get some fresh air too.

Tip number four is don’t turn the TV on. It’s so tempting to think you’ll work with the TV in the background, but you will get distracted (trust me, I’ve tried). Music is a much better option. Personally, I find listening to albums I know really well is great when I want to concentrate. I’ve also got some good playlists on Spotify - their music for concentration and reading playlists are ace.

My final tip is to make a to-do list each day. I used to do this when I worked in an office too, so it’s far from just a tool for homeworkers. I find it helps focus me on what I need to do. Usually I’ve got an ‘absolutely must get done today’ list, then a ‘great if I can fit it in’ list.

For me, being efficient when I’m working from home is all about focus. When I first started doing it I found it hard at times too. But work through that - it’s definitely worth it to be able to enjoy all the benefits working from home brings. Just think of the time you’ll save because you’re not commuting, the little jobs you can do on your tea breaks, and the fact that you’ll always be in for parcel deliveries. And yes, you can work in your pajamas (although I wouldn’t recommend doing this all the time).

Life as a freelancer: One year in

To say that my life has changed over the past year feels like a bit of an understatement. One year ago today I left my full-time office job. I took a leap into the semi-unknown and hoped that my gamble would pay off; that I’d be good enough to find and retain clients; that I’d find a bit more of the balance I’d been craving.

A year later I’m still working as a freelance copywriter and SUP instructor and not once have I regretted my decision. I have certainly had moments of panic over my workload (there’s too much, I can’t cope/there’s too little, how will I pay my mortgage?), but I’ve pulled through.

Taking a moment out, a deep breath and remembering what’s important helps me focus. So does Franklin, who constantly reminds me I’d rather be napping.

My last 12 months has had some difficult personal patches too, which have led to wobbles. Every time I hit one of those though, I’d tell myself I’d worked too hard and for too long to get to this point to lose it now; that things had been hard before and I’d always come out the other side stronger.

I’ll admit there have been times I’ve buried myself in work this year, partly from a fear of the work running out (as all freelancers have) and partly to avoid other things happening in my life. But that’s also made me realise the importance of taking time for myself.

My time as a freelancer has taught me a lot of things. I know I still have a lot to learn and that I’ll keep developing and changing my working habits as I do.

I’ve learned that taking time for me is just as important as hitting that deadline. I’m not working at my best when I’m tired and run down. That means the hours I spend walking the dog, doing yoga or reading a book are just as valuable as those spent in front of my laptop.

Now when I start to feel as though I should skip my morning yoga practice, or work late into the night, I’m better at stopping myself. There’s always something else I could be doing, so at some point I have to draw a line.

I’ve learned that I love the variety of working as a freelancer. One day I’m at the beach teaching kids how to paddleboard. The next I’m writing a series of blog articles. A week later I’m jumping into a big project with a new client. It’s never boring and I constantly feel as though I have to push myself to be better.

Professional development is something I want to make more time for in the coming year. There’s so much more for me to learn, and so many incredible people out there who I can learn from.

I’ve also learned not to take earnings for granted. Until the money is in my bank account I don’t factor it into my calculations. I’ve been lucky that I’ve only had one person not pay me for work I did for them, and I was luckier still that it was a very small job, but it served as a bit of a wake-up call.

Similarly, you shouldn’t count your chickens before they come home to roost (as the saying goes). I’ve had jobs that have just taken longer than I anticipated, meaning I don’t get paid until the following month. The money always arrives, just maybe not when I’d originally hoped.

I’ve learned the value of flexibility in my approach to work and my finances. I’m gradually getting better at letting go of the stress attached to money, but I know the importance of keeping on top of my records and invoicing.

Away from work, I’ve been grateful to have such supportive family and friends who have always been there when I needed a rant, a confidence boost, a large glass of wine or a bar of chocolate (or sometimes all of them at once). Spending time with those wonderful people has become even more important now that I’m not going into an office and interacting with people every day.

This year seems to have lasted a long time and it seems to have flown by all at once. I’m excited for what the next 12 months have in store.