Peace in a Pod

I am taking inspiration for this week’s blog from the 140km of cycling I somehow managed to put up this week (yes, yes, I know, hold the applause, please). This included the Limerick Greenway, from Barna to Rathkeale, and the entirety of the Waterford Greenway - both of which I would highly recommend for your summer staycations as they are flat for the most part and have many scenic stops along the way as well as an abundance of amenities. The weather was dry for all 3 of my days out, bordering on hot at times, but overall the cycling was enjoyable and manageable. There were moments, however, where the going got tough - mainly, dealing with that chronic ache that slowly develops in your behind from sitting on an uncomfortable piece of rubber for 6 hours on end, as well as battling the heat of the last few days, something to which we Irish are sadly not acclimatised.  Coping with these physical discomforts was made a lot easier, mind you, by employing some of the mindfulness and gra...

Right now in Ireland we are going through a national heatwave (highs of 28-29°C , y'all!!) and there is room in people’s minds for little else. All we can think about is nabbing the perfect spot at the beach, devouring our ice-creams before they melt, and being sure to lather on enough factor 50 to protect our delicate skin. We’re stressed out from it all, but at the same time, we love it. Therefore, it felt right to dedicate this week’s blog post to the sunshine and the impact it can have on our mood. Let me be the first to say that I low-key can’t cope with the fact that I am writing about the weather. This is literally the stuff of small-talk parody, and no-one is more aware of that than me. Having said that, I for one have always felt a deep emotional connection to balmy weather as it brings back the best memories: family days out at the beach as a child making sandcastle villages (yes, villages - the Trenchs were extra), holidays in France biking around the countryside and can...

This week’s post will be short and sweet as it merely serves as a jumping-off point for a self-care practice worthy of your time: the art of journaling. Keeping a daily journal need not be as huge and as scary as novel-writing, and in fact, it needn’t even be daily. No-one is asking you to draft 20,000 words by the end of the month. Think of journaling as another tool in your self-care kit that allows for deeper discovery, reflection and expression, which I will explore later. Not only this, but there are actually physical health benefits linked to regular journaling, such as decreased stress, a strengthened immune system and even a reduction in asthma symptoms . So what about the mental and emotional perks of journaling? Personally, from a very young age, my more difficult thoughts felt all confusing and tangled up in my mind until the moment I got them down on paper and I could actually see them for what they were and therefore understand them better. I truly cannot count the amount...

(I would like to preface this opinion piece by stating simply that: this is my opinion, on what is clearly a sensitive and nuanced issue, and it is subject to change as I change. My intention is never to preach, to hurt, or to make anyone feel bad, and I hope I can address this particular topic with sensitivity and respect. After you read this blog post, I would be more than happy to engage in conversation with you should you wish to discuss any point in further detail.) The idea for this post was sparked by a conversation I had recently with a group of friends in which the topic of cosmetic surgery was mentioned. Not gonna lie - I was a bit taken aback as the conversation continued and I discovered just how polarised our opinions were. I personally don’t feel any draw towards lip fillers, Botox or anything of the sort, but I support bodily autonomy and everyone’s right to choose. That said, it made me wonder why we as a society are so taken up with physical appearance and what this fi...