October has been a really busy month for me, both at work and socially. My weekdays have been monopolised by work, exercise and sleep, whereas my weekends have been packed with countless birthdays, catching up with friends and volunteering. Although it's great to be busy with lots on the go, one thing I really feel I've lacked lately is 'me time.'

'Me time' is something that I really value; it's a chance for me to do the things I enjoy, reflect on my thoughts and relax in the pleasure of my own company. As much as I try to avoid planning my free time down to a T, I often find that I book my weekends up in advance so I can regularly catch up with friends and family, and as a result 'me time' fast becomes an afterthought. 

Last weekend I decided to take a 4-day weekend and I feel it did me a world of good; I did some home-cooking, I went out for a friends birthday, and best of all I went to a spa with my mum and got rid of all of those nasty knots in my back.

Sometimes I think we take our time for granted - it's easy to get caught up in our hectic lives and many of us (myself included) forget to put some time aside to do the things we love. Going forward, I'm hoping to make some more time for myself and I definitely urge the rest of you to do the same too... who needs an excuse to be self-indulgent!?

- Megan

Small Acts of Kindness

Have you ever wondered what marks our time here? If one life can really make an impact on the world or if the choices we make matter?

For the past couple of weeks I have been re-watching old episodes of One Tree Hill, one of my all time favourite TV series. Besides the captivating plot, relatable characters, and the eye candy that is Chad Michael Murray, the thing I like the most about this series is that it never fails to get me thinking (cue my deep and meaningful thoughts for your reading pleasure...).

In the episode "Songs to Love and Die By" the main character, Lucas, has a heart attack and during his state of unconsciousness he experiences an alternative reality, one which shows him how different life would be if he hadn't made the choices he had. In a nutshell, tragedies have led Lucas to believe that being a good person doesn't matter, but as the episode progresses he is shown that all of his acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, have impacted the lives of his friends and family immensely.

With this is mind, I have been particularly reflective about whether or not the choices I make really matter. I love it when a stranger smiles at you in the street or when a store cashier sparks up a genuine conversation with you and wishes you a good day; if I smile back at the stranger or wish the cashier a good day back, will I positively impact their day? I'd like to think so.

I think the following quote is spot on and it really sums up my sentiments with regards to small acts of kindness:

A simple smile can turn someone's whole life around - it can signal support, approval or just genuine compassion and for someone who is having a bad day, a little smile can provide them with the reassurance they need to make them realise that things maybe aren't as bad as they seem.  

Other than the foods we eat and the lifestyle choices we make, I think a big part of being healthy is rooted in our relationships with others and our social environment. Over the past couple of years I have made a conscious effort to become more thoughtful in everything that I do, whether it be through keeping in touch with people, remembering the little things (have I asked Friend X how their interview went?) or simply by adopting a kind and caring nature with everyone that I meet.  

One of my favourite books is the '5 People You Meet in Heaven' by Mitch Albom, which is about a man who encounters five strangers in heaven who significantly impacted his life when he was alive, irrespective of whether he personally knew them or not. This is a real thought-provoker as it really highlights the significance of our actions and how we can impact a strangers life without even knowing it - it's definitely worth a read!

In response to the opening questions of this post, I really do think that one life can make an impact on the world, even if it's just the world of another person. Kindness doesn't cost a thing and we'd all do well to show more of it. I also think it's important that we become kinder to ourselves; we need to stop beating ourselves up over small failures and comparing ourselves to others. The choices we make do matter, so let's start using these choices to improve the lives of ourselves and others for the better!

P.s. Being kind to myself means that I can treat myself to a new wardrobe this week, right?

- Megan

Digital Detox

As with every holiday, one of the main things I look forward to (other than sun, sea, and relaxation!) is completely cutting off from the world by engaging in a digital detox. Although the technical revolution is a great one, I firmly believe that we are becoming far too dependent on digital devices and as many of these online videos (ironically) depict, by being so engrossed in the digital world we are forgetting how to live. Below is a particularly powerful video that went viral within the last year or so and it really made me evaluate the time I waste looking down instead of up.

Now that's not to say that I'm not guilty of having the millennial 'hand claw'; iPhones are absolutely fantastic, I love sharing a good Instagram post, and my train journeys to work often consist of mindlessly scrolling through social media pages to see what other people are up to. Nevertheless, if there's any time to cut off from the digital world it's definitely on holiday.

For the last few years I have engaged in this little holiday tradition of mine and I have to say it really does work wonders for me. Being a former psychology student, I have learnt about the vicious link between social media and mental health, and I can 100% see why. More often than not, social media only ever shows the glamorous snippets of peoples lives which can lead us to believe that other people are happier than ourselves. I know so many people who constantly upload a stream of photos whilst on holiday and/or spend a good portion of their day whatsapping friends back home. Why can't we just enjoy being on holiday? What's the urgency with sharing photos online? Can we really be having such a #greatholiday if we have the time to post about it 24/7?

Upon arriving home from my sunny getaway to Menorca this year, I received an influx of 
messages and notifications across the digital sphere, which yes, I admit, was exciting. However, my digital detox seemed to have a complete rebound effect as I spent the next couple of days completely engrossed in catching up on everything I had missed out on. Consequently, these days were also accompanied by the mother of all headaches and I can only blame this on staring at a little, bright screen for hours on end. Case in point - digital is detrimental. 

I could go on for hours about my thoughts on the digital takeover but for now, I'll call it a day. I really wish I could have a digital detox more than once or twice a year, but it really isn't that easy. My mission for the next few months is to cut down the time I spend on my phone by enforcing a 'curfew', i.e. switching my phone off an hour earlier each month.

I'd love to attend a retreat or the 'Wilderness Festival' next year, which both embrace digital breaks and restoring balance. With any hope, my holiday companions next year will join me for a digi-break too!

- Megan