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...

The idea for this post occurred to me during a week where I’ve actually been really occupied with solo travel plans, so it seemed apt to put pen to paper (read: fingers to keyboard) to speak to the concept of travelling as a party of one, and why it is something you should never rule out. First things first, solo travel does not need to be an entire holiday where you are on your own 24/7 (but if you like the sound of that, by all means shoot for the stars, doll). It can take the form of booking a spot on a tour group who run a set itinerary, or getting in touch with independent guides in the area beforehand who can suggest and arrange activities for you (all to be covered in future posts). So just bear that in mind as you read this. We are not talking seclusion-in-a-cave-for-a-week here (but go for it if that sounds like heaven). When I sat and contemplated the life lessons I have learned from experiencing solo travel, I came up with 3 main lessons that I’m willing to share here. But t...

I know I said from the outset with this blog that I never intend to present myself as an all-knowing, all-seeing, omnipotent being who has all the answers to life’s problems (disclaimer: no such person exists). But this is really and truly the first piece I have written where I am acknowledging from the get-go that I grapple hugely with the issue I’m about to discuss, and I don't just mean a 'general' struggle - I'm talking about the actual present. Today’s topic is: having awkward conversations. The minute you read that, I guarantee a chill went down your spine. And why wouldn’t it? Humans HATE having awkward discussions. Our palms go sweaty at the mere thought of it. Our hearts race, our mouths go dry, our breathing becomes shallow. Some of us (ahem, me) are almost on the verge of tears before we’ve even begun. Why is this? I am currently reading ‘Daring Greatly’ by Brené Brown, gifted to me at Christmas by a good friend. Brown is a shame- and vulnerability-researche...

For the last few years of secondary school, regardless of what homework needed to be completed or what sandwiches required preparing for the next day’s lunch, Tuesday evenings were sacred in our house, because, for 60 minutes, starting at 10pm, Desperate Housewives was on. With 5 out of the 6 of us getting hooked from about Season 3 onwards, it became an unspoken ritual in our home to gather around the TV set each Tuesday and watch in suspense as RTÉ2 delivered the latest instalments in these glamorous women’s lives. Now almost a decade has passed since that time and I decided to rewatch the series with my parents, only viewing it this time through a far more educated and nuanced lens, and, while I still love it and find it entertaining, boy do I see some stuff that makes me mad, the highlights of which I will momentarily flesh out for you here. First and foremost, I absolutely refuse to apologise for any spoilers you are about to read: Desperate Housewives originally aired between 2...