Peace in a Pod

Straight out of the gates, I will hold my hands up and acknowledge that the phrase ‘main character energy’ sounds kind of ridiculous and feels very Gen Z, trendy, and abstract - saying something but nothing at the same time. But the wider concept of feeling like the ‘main character’ in your life - in other words, valuing yourself and honouring your power and worth - is something that really resonates with me, and has helped me gain perspective on issues that have cropped up and caused me pain. My learnings on this particular topic stem from a situation that happened in the last year which had me feeling really down, anxious, and insecure in myself. It dogged my thoughts for months - sometimes it was all I could do not to ruminate on it all day. It was the first thing I thought of every morning, like a thick, grey cloud that settled over my head for the day and never left; the sun might peep through here and there in flashes but that was it. Overall, life was gloomy and I didn’t allow ...

If you’ve dipped your toe into the ever-expanding world of wellness, self-love, self-help, positive psychology - whatever you wish to call it - then you may have come across the concept of affirmations . Affirmations, simply defined, are statements or mantras you repeat, usually on a daily basis, that align with your goals or a mindset you wish to adopt. I remember thinking, as I read about affirmations in many self-help books, that they sounded way too good to be true. How is it possible, for example, to feel more self-confident by merely looking in the mirror each morning and saying “I am confident” aloud five times? It sounded to me suspiciously like witchcraft, horoscopes, tarot cards - too vague and too simple to have any true impact or incite any real change. Oh but how wrong I was. I first began to play with the idea of affirmations back in early 2021 after reading the amazing book ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod. He asserts that we should start our mornings early and use th...

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...