Center Parcs is a popular holiday break in the UK, and I recently visited one of the villages and already want to return. 2019. Five years ago. That was the last time I went on a family holiday. Since then, I've felt like my life has been full of work and studying, with very few days off in between. However, earlier this month, my family and I went to Center Parcs for a week to have a break from life and just enjoy ourselves. And I must say, I never wanted to leave. Center Parcs is an activity-based holiday with resorts all over the UK in five different locations: Elveden, Sherwood, Woburn, Longleat, and Whinfell. I've been to three of the different parks in my life, but the one I've visited the most is Elveden. Growing up, Center Parcs was a family staple. I've stayed there during summers with my immediate family; once we had a big extended family holiday there; my mum and I had a small break there after my GCSEs and I often holidayed there with some family friends, who live five doors down the road. Essentially, it felt like I grew up at Center Parcs because I visited it so much during my childhood. So, when I returned this month, a wave of nostalgia hit me. Elveden isn't too far from where I live, so it was a quick journey that allowed us to make the most of our check-in and check-out days. Arriving on the Friday, we turned up at 11:30 and when we left the following week, we departed at 19:30. Having been rather stressed with work beforehand, I was very glad to have eight days of escaping reality and ignoring the world outside Center Parcs. And it was bliss! The good thing about Center Parcs, I've found, is that there is something for everyone to do. It doesn't matter if you've gone as a family, as a couple, on a girls/boys trip, or even for a break during retirement - there will be something you will enjoy doing. At Center Parcs, their Subtropical Swimming Paradise is the only activity that is free. But it offers a lot. Elveden, in particular, has a huge wave pool inside that links round to a lazy river. There are then two flumes, a white slide, whirlpools, Venture Cove (the kids area), a Lagoon Pool, the outside pool, a plunge pool, the Wild Water Rapids, and of course, the Tropical Cyclone. There is so much on offer and every day I found myself in the pool at some point. My sister and I went for a night swim one evening as well, which provided a different experience of the swimming pool, but one that is still just as good. But, if you're not a fan of being in the water, then don't worry. Center Parcs has boat rides you can go on, across the lake, which my family and I did, and I have to say, it was lovely and peaceful floating around, looking out at nature with the sun shining. And if you're worried about falling overboard, don't be! Taking it more on land, but still outside, there are activities such as Adventure Golf, which I very much enjoyed, high ropes, a zip wire, a 10m drop, and so much more. Plus, if you're a cycling family, it's almost second nature at Center Parcs to hire bikes, or take your own, and explore the forest around you. Badminton is another popular activity at Center Parcs, and in the past, my family and I have had our own little tournaments. But this year, we decided to forgo the rackets and shuttlecocks and instead, used glow-in-the-dark pool cues and also bows and arrows. Standard pool is available, which my sister was very good at, but there's also glow-in-the-dark pool. This was very fun, despite it being tricky to line up the balls correctly and determine the difference between the black eight ball and a dark red three ball. Nevertheless, we laughed a lot whilst playing. Archery, though, is probably one of the highlights of my holiday. I'd never done it before, I was the only one out of the 11 people in our group to be a beginner. I had had a couple of goes practising during lockdown with a plastic garden archery set, but nothing like the others. However, I was good. I managed to hit the bullseye and in the games we played, my sister and I as a team achieved double bingo. Now, I'm not saying I'm Robin Hood or Katniss Everdeen, but my sister and I were gifted Robin Hood hats as a reward for getting double bingo. If you're after a more relaxing break, where you don't have to plan anything or rush to get to your next activity, then Center Parcs is still for you. As I mentioned the swimming is free, and there are lots of beautiful walks you can go on around the park, Starbucks if you fancy a coffee, and of course, the different restaurants with pancakes, Italian cuisine, Indian cuisine, Chinese cuisine, etc. Also, the Aqua Sana Spa at Elveden was recently refurbished. It was next to the apartment/hotel that my family and I stayed in. Our visit to the spa was incredible. It was peaceful, calming, and overall just an enjoyable experience. There were god knows how many different rooms ranging from Scandinavian Huts to saunas and steam rooms. The spa had its own outside pool as well as hot tubs and a café as well - this café had the nicest slice of Victoria Sponge cake that I think I've ever eaten. In fact, all the food at Center Parcs was delicious, especially my Bella Italia's pizzas and Treats' ice cream. But I just want to take a moment to thank Center Parcs and all its restaurants for being so on top of everything when it came to allergies. Everything about my holiday at Center Parcs was wonderful and I must say, reading Emily Henry's Happy Place whilst there was rather fitting, because it is one of my happy places in life. If you've got this far and read about my holiday, thank you, and I hope I've inspired you to check out Center Parcs as a UK holiday destination. Until next time...

September is officially here, which means autumn will be arriving soon, so I'm recommending ten books to read this autumn that are perfect to snuggle up with. I don't know about you, but my favourite time of year is when we get to 'Ber' months: September, October, November and December. These aren't just my favourite months because I get to celebrate my birthday, my mum's birthday and Christmas. No. The 'Ber' months are my favourite time of year because of the aesthetic, the atmosphere, and the general feeling they make me feel. And there's nothing better than sitting down with a hot drink, in comfy clothes and a good book. I think this blog makes it quite clear that I love books. Reading is one of my favourite pastimes, and whilst some may prefer reading on holiday, I love reading in autumn and winter. There's something about reading an autumnal or Christmas book that just brings me comfort and makes me smile. So, I thought I'd share 10 books that you can read this autumn. Up first, is a current read of mine that I absolutely love. The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Page A young adult book told from two characters' perspectives, Scarlett and Vivi. At Westerly College, The Ravens, better known as the Kappa Rho Nu sorority, are three things: ambitious, smart and beautiful. But what others don't know, is that they aren't just regular college girls. They're witches. Scarlett is determined to become the president of Kappa Rho Nu and Vivi is trying her hardest to grab this opportunity of a fresh start with both hands. The two of them don't get along, but when wicked magic rises on campus and a threat from Scarlett's past threatens to destroy The Ravens, the girls must work together. To protect the sisterhood. Protect their secret. And to avoid losing everything they've worked for. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling Another witchy book perfect for spooky season is The Ex Hex . It's the first book in a series and it follows Vivienne Jones, a young witch, who cursed her horrible boyfriend nine years ago. The curse was meant to be harmless. Surely it wouldn't actually work with only a single candle? Well, when Rhys Penhallow arrives in Grave Glen, returning to his ancestors' town, things start to go wrong. And Vivi starts to realise that her silly little curse, may actually be a real Ex Hex. With their chemistry being reignited, Vivi and Rhys must work together to put what's wrong in the town right and to reverse the curse Vivi placed on Rhys. It may sound a bit cliché, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Ex Hex last Halloween. The perfect spooky season read for lovers of romance. The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore Autumn means pumpkin spice, gingerbread, Gilmore Girls , and a cosy mystery. And that's what Laurie Gilmore provides in The Pumpkin Spice Café . In this easy-read, romance blossoms as Jeanie inherits the Pumpkin Spice Café in Dream Harbour. She jumps at the chance of running the local café and leaving her office job behind, but when she arrives in the small town, her cheeriness annoys Logan, a local farmer. But the two join forces, making a grumpy-sunshine partnership, to solve the mystery that Jeanie finds herself entangled in. I must say, I loved this book when I read it last autumn because it had warmth, a feel-good story and provided simple pleasures. The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore The Dream Harbour series continues with book two, The Cinnamon Bun Book Store . I haven't actually read this novel yet, as it only recently was published, but I think we can all agree that the cover and the title give autumn vibes. Hazel, Jeanie's new best friend, runs the town's bookstore, and she's now presented with a mystery of her own. A single book starts revealing secret messages that Hazel struggles to decipher. So she enlists the help of Noah, a fisherman always eager for an adventure and who has been crushing on Hazel for a while. The bookseller and fisherman team up to solve the mystery of the secret codes, whilst realising, as the blurb says , that "their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells..." Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. Always have been and always will be. So it will come as no surprise that one of my favourite book series is Harry Potter and that I'm recommending the first novel as a good autumn read. The Philosopher's Stone for me provides the best autumn vibes with new beginnings and the discovery of magic and new friendships. There's something magical about delving into the world of Hogwarts and joining Harry as he learns the truth about what he is. And a bonus about reading the Harry Potter books is that once you've read them, you can snuggle up and have a movie night too! Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie Agatha Christie. A book titled Hallowe'en Party . A dark mysterious cover with a pumpkin. What more could you want from a book to read in spooky season? I love reading a good old-fashioned mystery novel and Agatha Christie writes these perfectly. In Hallowe'en Party , the infamous Hercule Poirot is put to the test after being called in to find an 'evil presence'. At the party, Joyce is murdered, found drowned in an apple-bobbing tub, after admitting that she witnessed a murder. No one believes her, but after her body is found, the hunt for the killer is on. For those who want a more visual story to immerse themselves in, the 2022 film A Haunting in Venice is based upon Hallowe'en Party , and I can certainly say, that if you watch that this autumn, you will feel the chill in the air. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna I must admit that I haven't actually read this book yet. However, it is on my TBR pile for this autumn because I keep seeing such good reviews about it - plus it was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award in 2022. But what I do know about this novel is that it follows Mika Moon, a young witch in Britain, who lives a rather lonely life. Hiding her magic from the world, she keeps her head down and follows the rules. Apart from when she 'pretends' to be a witch online and mysteriously receives an invitation to Nowhere House as a teacher to three young witches. Mika uses this as a new opportunity in her life, but when she arrives at Nowhere House, she becomes tangled up in the lives of those who live there. And to top it all off, a threat comes knocking and Mika must make a choice. Carrie by Stephen King Stephen King is an excellent writer, evidenced by his success in selling fiction, writing manuals and book-to-movie adaptations. He has written several spooky books perfect for autumn and one of them is Carrie . This was the first book I read of King's and it's great if you want a shorter read. Carrie's story explores her life as a high-school student with telekinetic powers. She's misunderstood and is alone at school, but when she's invited to Prom by Tommy Ross, she thinks things will start to change. But little does she know, she's still an outsider compared to the other students. And so, with her powers, Carrie lets loose and gives the town who hates her a taste of their own medicine. Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco The Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy by Kerri Maniscalco is a fantasy, paranormal series that tells the story of: "Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself... And an intoxicating romance." Emilia and Vittoria are witches who live and walk among the humans, but one night, Vittoria is found murdered. Emilia promises to avenge her sister and enact vengeance, at any cost. Even if it means working alongside Wrath, one of the Wicked (princes of Hell). The two work together despite all the warnings Emilia has been given about the Wicked, but she'll quickly learn that what you may believe, is not necessarily true. Emilia and Wrath's story continues in the next two books that delve deeper into Hell and dark magic, which just screams spooky season reading to me. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo The final book I'm recommending you read this autumn is the Six of Crows duology. I could talk about these books for hours on end because of how much I love them, but that would probably bore readers, so I'll be brief. Six of Crows follows the lives of six characters, all different, yet similar in some ways. They're tasked with an impossible quest, but being who they are, they go ahead with it anyway. The fantasy world, the magic, the adventure, the romance, the friendships. Everything in this novel, and Crooked Kingdom (book two), is worth the read and it's perfect for you to devour this autumn. So with 10 book recommendations for the autumnal months, I hope you find yourself escaping into the world and lives of others. And if you have any books to recommend yourself, let me know in the comments. Until next time...

The Eras Tour is perhaps the biggest tour a music artist has ever done with Taylor Swift performing for over three hours and covering 18 years of music. Ten years ago, I was just a 13-year-old girl, sporting a Taylor Swift t-shirt, at the Red Tour at London's O2 arena. Back then, I didn't fully understand the power music can have and the joy artists can bring. Last Friday, a decade later, I attended Wembley Stadium for night five of Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour. After a year since my friends and I had bought our tickets, it was finally our turn to become a part of The Eras Tour family and see the record-breaking concert in person. But surely it wouldn't have lived up to the hype? Spoiler alert...it did in fact exceed all my expectations. Taylor Swift debuted The Eras Tour in 2023 as she toured her home country, America, and the tour is set to end in December this year. Her setlist from last year has changed somewhat, following the release of her latest album, The Tortured Poet's Department , and whilst some were disappointed that she cut songs to make room for her new album, personally, her latest setlist that I saw at Wembley was perfect. The Eras Tour is a three-hour-long concert, following Swift's entire music career, as she moves from one album to the next. Since releasing Lover , Swift hasn't completed a tour for five albums ( Lover, Reputation, Folklore, Evermore and Midnights ). And so, the idea for The Eras Tour, showcasing her 11 albums, was brought to fruition and it was rather spectacular. Her illustrious career has only been strengthened since she started this tour. Fans all over the world, myself included, went all out in preparation. Friendship bracelets were made, cowboy boots were bought, and era-specific albums were created. And I wouldn't change any of it (except maybe some bigger shoes that don't cause blisters!). I attended Swift's second London set and was at Wembley for night five. That meant I got to see Holly Humberstone and Paramore live, before Swift came out on stage. The two support acts were amazing in their own rights and definitely helped get me in the singing and dancing mood more than I already was. But when Appla use by Lady Gaga came on and the big screens in the stadium showed a clock that began counting down, everyone knew it was time to experience a transcendent concert. Swift commands the attention of every fan present in the stadium straightaway from the very first song of Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince . She began with songs from her Lover album, before moving on to her second-ever album, Fearless . Up next was Red . This was one of my favourite eras to see because whilst I'd already seen it back in 2014, I had a newfound appreciation for Taylor Swift. Plus, the songs on this album that she sung will forever be some of her most well-known songs. And she ended this era with the 10-minute version of All Too Wel l, which I must say, was an unreal experience. The fact that one song, sung by one artist playing the guitar, can capture the attention of 92,000 people for a duration of 10 minutes and make it feel like no time has passed at all is incredible. It is an epic song and a testament to her ability as a singer-songwriter. Speak Now , another of my favourite albums was the fourth era of the concert. However, whilst the previous setlist included Long Live , the revised setlist for the European leg, only had Enchanted . But, that didn't make it any less powerful. In fact, I think having only that song from the Speak Now album was better because it's such an iconic song with a bridge that I've seen all over TikTok. Swift then left the pop vibes behind and came out in spectacular fashion for her Reputation era. Before attending The Eras Tour, I wasn't a fan of many songs on the Reputation album. However, that has since changed. The cinematics on the screens to introduce this album, the snakes, the high-heels, the iconic outfit... everything was perfect. After screaming at the top of our lungs to Look What You Made Me Do , Swift slowed the evening down a bit and came out in a flowing white dress and sat on top of a mossy cabin. With the addition of TTPD to the setlist, she combined the sister albums of Folklore and Evermore. The Folklore/Evermore section of the concert was one that gave me chills. Literally! During the set, Swift admitted that these two albums were her exploring something different in that she wrote them from a narrator's perspective. During the pandemic, Swift wrote both albums and created characters for different songs and wrote about their lives. For instance, the trio of songs, Betty, Cardigan and August , are about three characters in a love triangle. As a writer myself, this was fascinating to listen to because I'd never appreciated the imagination and creativity song writing required before. But it was an amazing experience and it only got better when Swift sang Champagne Problems . The applause after this song has been outstanding at nearly every Eras Tour show, but night five at Wembley, as Swift said herself, won. I got goosebumps and had to block my ears at one point because it was so loud and it went on for so long. And that's just a testament to Swift's career. 1989 was the next set and this was classic pop that had everyone singing and dancing, especially when Shake It Off was played. I loved 1989 and I must say it was probably in my top three eras of the night along with The Tortured Poets Department . I absolutely love the album TTPD , and I think it's such a shame that The Eras Tour movie on Disney+ doesn't showcase this album, because it was honestly breathtaking to watch. The theatrics, the outfits, the dancing, the movements, the scream during Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? . Everything about this set was of epic proportions and the crowd loved it. Before Swift moved on to the final era of the night, which was Midnights , we entered the acoustic, surprise song section. Each show, Swift has played songs acoustically, but she tries to not play the same song twice. Some of my favourite songs that I would've loved to have had as a surprise song were sadly played at other shows, but in actual fact, I didn't mind because I got three great songs. London Boy. Dear John. Sad Beautiful Tragic . It was so good to hear London Boy live and the mashup of Dear John and Sad Beautiful Tragic on the piano was emotional. Midnights as well was fantastic. I'm not a big fan of the album, but I loved watching it live and, quite frankly, I could watch it over and over again. Watching The Eras Tour was unforgettable as a fan of Taylor Swift. It is hands down the best concert I've ever been to and will probably go to. But watching The Eras Tour as a writer, was something else. It was almost like watching a movie with elaborate sets, dance sequences and beautiful lyricism. Swift explores young love, complicated relationships, friendships, societal expectations, and so much more during The Eras Tour. It is a concert that elevates the definition of the word to a whole new level. For one artist to capture the attention of a stadium's audience for over three hours and have them all sing and dance and cheer for you is something else. There was never a point where Swift looked tired or worn out or didn't put her all into each song. She was fully committed and that is why The Eras Tour is a masterfully crafted and performed concert that demonstrates why Taylor Swift is loved all over the world and is a global pop culture icon. The Eras Tour will forever be a night I will remember. Until next time...

In a world where our lives are broadcast on social media and analysed by those we don't even know, it can be hard to feel confident and banish self-doubt. Confidence and Self-Doubt. Two opposing aspects of life. Both are present in our personal and professional lives and both can be difficult to grow and overcome. But building your confidence and overcoming self-doubt is important in life and something that we should all try to do, no matter how challenging and intimidating it may feel. It is, after all, easier said than done. However, I wanted to share some tips with you that I've used personally to help me increase my confidence, especially in my career, and how I've tackled those niggling thoughts that cause me to doubt myself. It wasn't that long ago that I had a little bit of a wobble with my confidence. I was coming up to results week for my university and I had had a very busy past few weeks that left little to no time for me to take a breather. I was juggling a lot and some things occurred that made me feel less about myself and doubt myself. Now, I'm no stranger to self-doubt; throughout my education, I've compared myself to others and thought, I could do better, but in the last few years, having gained a wealth of work experience, my confidence has increased. But a few weeks ago, I became very emotional and critical of myself and my abilities concerning my writing and my work. I kept criticising myself and putting myself down, despite knowing that I was actually doing a good job. Confidence is easy to knock, and self-doubt is easy to give in to, but I've tried hard to overcome my doubts and wavering confidence to build up my self-belief and feel good about what I do. So, if you're feeling a little bit doubtful of yourself, no matter whether it's professionally, personally, or whatever, I hope some of these tips can help you see the magic in yourself. Practise self-care In a world where it can be so easy to get wrapped in the lives of others and spend hours scrolling mindlessly online, it is essential we prioritise ourselves. Ensuring you're kind to yourself and taking moments to reflect can bring a source of comfort to you and allow you to develop emotional flexibility. If you've watched Inside Out 2, you know how many emotions we feel, and it's important to spend time with these emotions and look at why you're feeling them. But it's equally important to do things that make you feel good to build confidence. If you love spending an evening by yourself watching a movie, do so. If you love reading a good book, do so. There is nothing bad or negative about practising self-care. Recognise your strengths Self-doubt can sometimes be such a strong emotion that it's easy to fall down a rabbit hole of what you think are weaknesses. When you doubt yourself over one thing, this can lead to you questioning whether you're good enough at several things; and trust me, I know because this was me a few weeks ago. But you have to try and stop yourself from going down that rabbit hole. One way to do this is to recognise your strengths. When you start to feel the self-doubt creeping in, or you find yourself questioning yourself, try to think of what your strengths are. Focus on some positive comments you've received recently. Remember a time when you achieved something you're proud of. And try to think of these whenever you start questioning your ability and your worth. Support yourself and your colleagues When your confidence has taken a bit of a knock and your self-doubt is strong, it can be difficult to imagine others in a similar situation. But, the likelihood is that you're not alone in feeling that way. Your friends, family, and colleagues have all probably felt doubtful of themselves at one point or another. So, if you are struggling with overcoming those doubts and rebuilding your confidence, try to create a support network for yourself. Surround yourself with people you can talk to about your worries, but also those who can pick you up when you need it. And once you have that, you can reciprocate by doing the same. Set achievable goals One of the easiest ways to let that doubt take over is by having a huge list of things to do and an overwhelming sense of stress when it comes to tackling different projects. However, to ensure you're feeling confident without doubting yourself, you can set achievable goals. By creating these smaller, more manageable tasks, you can tackle one thing at a time, and feel accomplished when you have completed it. There is nothing worse than having a to-do list a mile long and not knowing when to start, but if you break down each task and prioritise the urgent ones, then you can work through what you need to do in a way that won't cause you to question yourself every step. Alter your outlook Within my family, I'm known for being quite positive. I rarely let negative emotions drive my day and I always try to look on the bright side. I do this in my professional life as well. And it's something you should strive to do too because by altering your outlook to include more positive thoughts and a growth mindset, you can overcome those doubtful thoughts. Now this is easier said than done, but even if it's subtle changes, it works. If you receive feedback, don't take it negatively; think about how it can help you develop and evolve. If you're unsure about something and need to ask someone, but are worried about how it makes you look, think of it as a way to learn more and broaden your knowledge. Try to be a positive potato! Use self-affirmations There is science to back up the power of self-affirmations and whilst it may appear as a bit of an odd approach to building confidence, it can work. So, the next time you're feeling unsure of your abilities or your worth, stand in front of a mirror and recite some positive self-affirmations. You can even write them on post-it notes and stick them around the mirror, so that every time you look in the mirror, you can see the positive thoughts about yourself. They don't have to be complex, they can be as simple as you like. For example, I am confident. I am good at my job. I can always improve. Assertive language One thing I've noticed I say a lot is, Does that make sense? Why do I say it? Because I can feel myself starting to doubt myself and in turn I speak quickly. But I shouldn't ask that type of question and I shouldn't use negative language. And neither should you. Instead of asking if something you've said makes sense, you should use assertive language that doesn't convey any doubt and instead, makes others think you are feeling confident in that moment (even if you're not!). A social media hiatus Social media is an integral part of our day-to-day lives and quite frankly, it shouldn't be. There are benefits to social media, but there are also a lot of negatives, such as a decrease in confidence and an increase in self-doubt. But if you take a social media hiatus, you can swap that around and have an increase in confidence and a decrease in self-doubt. By having time away from social media, you'll spend more time in the present, making memories and living, rather than looking at what others are doing and comparing yourself. And it's so easy to start comparing yourself to what you see on Instagram or TikTok - I've done it several times before. However, by taking a break, you can kind of cleanse your mind from social media and focus on yourself and the here and now. Do what you know you can Now this tip relates to 'Recognise your strengths' because it's all about focusing on what you know you're good at. When you're starting to doubt yourself, try to pick something that you know you can do well at. Whether it's writing a blog post, cooking dinner, knitting, or something else, do it and you will start to build up your confidence again, because you know you're good at it. Superman stance What I mean by 'Superman Stance' is quite literally what it says. This tip is in Grey's Anatomy and also backed by science, so whenever you're not feeling as confident as you can be and that self-doubt is settling in, stand in the Superman stance. Feet shoulder-width apart. Head held high. Hands on hips. Chest pumped out. And a look that says, I could be a superhero. The next time you're feeling doubtful about yourself and have a low level of confidence, try some of these tips, or any others you can think of, and see if they help. But always remember: There is no one like you in the world, so embrace it. Until next time...

Charmed is a television series that began in 1998 and aired for eight seasons, starring Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan. When someone asks, ' What's your favourite...?' it can be a struggle to think of answers, no matter the topic. I know I find it difficult. However, when it comes to TV shows, I can list five series that are, without a doubt, my top five programmes. And one of these is Charmed. Charmed began in 1998 - before I was born - and it aired until 2006. There was an unaired pilot, but the official programme consisted of eight seasons and 178 episodes. IMDB classifies Charmed as a drama, a mystery and a fantasy show, and the official synopsis is: "Three Halliwell sisters discover that they are descendants of a line of good female witches and are destined to fight against the forces of evil, using their combined power of witchcraft known as the 'Power of Three'." While that is correct, for me and many others, Charmed is so much more and personally, the scriptwriting and on-screen execution of the show are some of the reasons why it will always be a favourite TV show of mine. Review of Charmed I wasn't alive when Charmed was first broadcast on TV, but my mum was a fan of the show. When I was old enough and at an appropriate age to watch the programme, I became hooked, as did my sister. In fact, we loved the show so much that somewhere in our attic, we even have some of the books that were written and based on the TV show. But I'm not here to do a book review. The TV series Charmed is a mix of genres, including drama, fantasy elements/magical realism, action, and romance. Over the years, it became a staple show for lots of people and a comfort at that because whilst there were moments of tension and emotion, it had comedic aspects too. But first, let's delve into the premise of Charmed and why the show is worthy of watching, excluding the characters of the Halliwell sisters for now. The storyline and plot Whilst each episode of Charmed tends to focus on a central demon or warlock, there are narrative threads that continue across multiple episodes. For example, in the opening season, the animosity between Prue (the eldest) and Phoebe (the youngest) is present in more than one episode, just like the romantic relationships each of the sisters goes on to have. However, what I particularly liked about Charmed is that each episode is memorable in its own way. A lot of TV shows can have multiple episodes that blur into one; Grey's Anatomy, another favourite of mine, doesn't have that many memorable episodes unless it's a major event with a protagonist, such as a certain plane crash. But Charmed does. Since Shannen Doherty's passing, I've started to rewatch Charmed and I was saying to my mum and sister, how easy it is for me to remember specifics about each episode. I know what villains are what, what they're plan is and how it turns out. I can call out particular episodes or be shown a photo from them and I know what happens in it. I don't have that with many other TV shows, and that, to me, just shows how memorable Charmed is. Even the demons have their own storylines. Yes, there are probably hundreds and thousands of them, but to someone who has watched Charmed before and loves the show, the names Zankou, Barbas, The Source, Balthazar, and even the Dream Sorcerer, would all be familiar. Fun fact: The Dream Sorcerer is played by Matt Schulze, who plays Vince in the Fast and Furious franchise. Having plots for each episode that are easy to remember and recall, increases the rewatchability of the show. It makes Charmed a comfort programme because it's easy to identify what episodes are sad, happy, comedic, scary etc. This is one of the reasons why it's timeless because no matter what you're mood is, there will always be an episode for you to watch. Or even clips on YouTube; I know I've been guilty of watching compilations of funny scenes from Charmed when I need cheering up and Season 5 Episode 20 - Sense and Sense Ability - always brings out a laugh. Also, depending on what season you're watching, you will get a different atmosphere and tone. What I mean by this is that the first three seasons with Prue are darker than those with Paige. It is clear that there is a difference as seasons one, two and three focus more on Wiccan practices whereas the later seasons involve the next generation of Halliwells and things like Magic School. But the emotional undertones and key themes of family, sisterhood, and friendship, are present throughout all 178 episodes, making it a timeless show to watch. The characters As I mentioned above, the demons and warlocks are all very memorable in their own way, but the central characters of the Halliwell sisters are the focal point of the show. It wouldn't be Charmed without the Charmed ones. I'm a fan of all eight seasons, I might like some more than others, but I loved the show when Prue was in it and I loved it when Paige was in it. For me, the characterisation of the sisters is what makes the show because they are all incredibly unique with their own character arcs, but sisterhood and togetherness are integral to the story. Prue is the eldest Halliwell sister and she's probably the most serious, at first. She's a workaholic, likes to have a plan and grew up too fast after their mum died. Piper is the middle child (in the first three seasons) and thinks with her heart. She is always caring and looking after others, sometimes to the detriment of herself. Phoebe is the original youngest sister, who is more chaotic than the others. But she is loyal, and fierce and will always have her sisters' backs. Paige, the newcomer in season four, is thrust into a world she doesn't really know. Initially, I wasn't a fan of her character much because I loved Prue, but over time she wore me down. Each Halliwell sister is different and they each have different strengths and weaknesses. But what I loved about Charmed was the way they all worked together. Yes, they had arguments, only making the plot more realistic, but the 'Power of Three' was the true magic behind the show. I don't think it would be the same without those four actresses playing those specific characters. And that is why I love Charmed. To me, it is a timeless, comfort show that fits any mood. Yes, it may look dated when streaming on modern technology, but it isn't just a show for those who watched it in the late 90s/early 00s. It's for everyone. If you're a fellow fan of Charmed like me, let me know what your favourite thing about it is. If not, maybe I've helped inspire you to watch it. Until next time...

Fika is a tradition that is popular in Scandinavia, but it is something we should all try to implement into our lives more often. My degree is online, which means I don't get the everyday interaction with fellow students and tutors that those attending a traditional university do. However, that doesn't mean I don't get to interact with others. Throughout each month, my university hosts workshops, seminars, and talks, covering various topics. These provide an opportunity to meet students on the same degree pathway, but also students studying something completely different. This week, I attended a workshop as part of our Student Voice Festival. This workshop lasted for about an hour but there was a task for those who attended to do after the call. And that's what I want to talk about today. The workshop was called Fika: Reading for Mindfulness and during the talk, we explored how reading can be beneficial for people. But we also touched on Fika; what it is and why we should all be doing it. What is Fika? Essentially, Fika is a Swedish tradition where people take time out of their working day to enjoy a hot drink and baked goods. Sounds divine, right? On a deeper level, Fika allows you to have a break from your working routine and socialise with others. There are no rules when it comes to having a Fika. Just that you have a cup of kaffi (Swedish for coffee), a sweet treat and spend time with colleagues, family or friends to have time away from work to refresh and reframe your mind. Think of it like a Spanish siesta, but instead of sleeping, you have a coffee break. And instead of being in the afternoon, it can be whatever time of day you please. You can also spend time in a quiet place with a good book if you'd prefer to have time to yourself to think. Importance of a Fika Now you may be thinking, Abby, why are you telling us about this Swedish tradition? Well, the answer is simply because it has lots of benefits. Completing a Fika as part of your working day can help you in a professional and personal sense. If you're like me, you'll probably struggle with the concept of taking breaks during your work day but in my uni workshop, whilst learning about Fika, I finally began to realise that having a break, a Fika, or reading, is never a waste of time. And this is because it can only help you in the long run. A Fika allows you to sit down, have a rest, and fill up on sustenance. A coffee (or drink of your choosing) paired with some baked goods doesn't exactly sound bad now, does it? During your Fika, you have time to reflect on your day and your work; you can ask yourself how things are going, is there anything you can do better, or do you need to take breaks more often to avoid burnout. It can improve your focus and flow (a new term I learnt in the workshop). This basically means that by taking a break, you can reshape your mind so that when you return to work, you'll have a new perspective and be able to tackle tasks in a more focused manner that keeps the flow going, ultimately working smarter, not harder. But it also allows you to take care of yourself. Mental health is just as important as physical health and a Fika gives you the opportunity to give your mind a rest sometimes and have a moment to relax and embrace the day. It may seem strange to interrupt your working day, but it does carry benefits. So, the next time you're in the office, or working from home, grab a colleague and have a coffee break or pick up a good book and settle in for a few chapters. Hopefully, by the end of your Fika, you'll feel refreshed and at the end of your day, you can be proud that you worked hard but also took time to take care of yourself. Do you fancy having a Fika? If you do, let me know how it goes. Until next time...

Powerless by Lauren Roberts is book one in the fantasy trilogy and it will grip you from the very beginning. Lauren Roberts is an author I've followed on social media for some time. I first saw her on TikTok when she was making videos about her first novel, Powerless. I remember watching her talk about this book that she'd written when she was 18 and had decided to self-publish it. I was hooked but I was a little late to the reading party. Now, having signed with Simon & Schuster, Roberts has published three books (two novels and a novella). The second novel, Reckless, came out yesterday and I was quick in my quest to buy the special edition from The Works. However, this blog post is all about book one in her fantasy trilogy. Her debut novel, Powerless, is a young adult romantasy and I'm here to convince you all why you should read it. My review of Powerless by Lauren Roberts Genre: YA Romantasy Tropes: Enemies to lovers Forbidden romance (in some aspects) 'Who did this to you?' Slow-burn He falls first Knife to throat As I mentioned above, I have seen Powerless being promoted by Roberts and other Bookstagram/BookTok content creators for a while, but I was rather late when it came to actually reading it. I read it last month for the first time, having high hopes given all the reviews I'd seen. But I was wary that with my hopes being high, I may end up being disappointed. However, that was certainly not the case. Roberts has crafted a blend of The Hunger Games and all her favourite tropes that just so happen to be some of my favourite tropes. It does end on a cliffhanger, but luckily, the second book is out now - I have just bought my copy and can't wait to continue the story. But first, let's review Powerless. Powerless is the first in the Powerless trilogy and the synopsis is: So we have a thief and a prince; one destined to be hunted and the other destined to be the hunter. This idea already had me hooked and when I started reading, I couldn't stop. I would say overall, Powerless by Lauren Roberts is a character-driven book. Yes, the Purging Trials and the divide between the Elites and the Ordinaries are two major narratives, but without Paedyn and Kai, the story would be different. Character thoughts Paedyn is an Ordinary parading as a Mundane, a psychic to be exact. Her father was killed when she was younger, but when he died, he taught her how to survive in the kingdom of Ilya. Living in Loot (the slums), Paedyn survives by thieving and her ability as a psychic is one she's learnt to perfect through being able to read people. She is very much an independent woman, who will do what it takes to survive. Her best friend, Adena, and her are as thick as thieves (literally) and you can see how much Paedyn cares for her. Our female protagonist at times did annoy me a little bit, but I liked that we saw moments of strength and vulnerability because it made her a more dimensional and complex character. Her character arc is linear, I would say. She starts as a thief, who despises the royals and the Elite society, but is soon launched into their world after - inadvertently - saving the prince's life. From there, she goes on this trajectory of discovering what the two princes are actually like before joining the resistance and fulfilling her dream of avenging her father. On the other hand, Kai is a charming, flirtatious, and dangerous individual. He is the prince that has been trained as the future Enforcer whilst his brother, Kitt, will become the future king. Kai has the ability to mimic other Elites' abilities and that makes him powerful. He follows his father's orders, even when he has a war going on inside him, but sometimes, he lets his heart take control. The Purging Trials in the book are designed around him to demonstrate how powerful he is to the kingdom of Ilya and we do see that. However, there are times when he is more concerned about Paedyn, which adds to the romance aspect of the novel, than his role as the Enforcer. The chemistry between Kai and Paedyn is definitely strong. It is a slow-burn romance in that with it being YA, there is no spice and if I remember correctly, there isn't even an actual kiss. But the push and pull between the FMC and the MMC is there. They flirt, they fight and they dance. We have knife-to-the-throat scenes, 'who did this to you?' scenes, 'touch her and you'll die' scenes. It is clear that Kai and Paedyn didn't expect to be taken with one another, which personally adds an extra layer to the book for me, because we see them struggle with falling for the enemy. Overall Narrative Thoughts I did feel as though the trials and the resistance/rebellion aspects of the novel did take a back seat to the romance. And that's fine but as a lover of dystopia/fantasy, I would have loved to have a bit more of the actual trials and worldbuilding, I guess. For example, the Plague that gave some people their powers is never really explained fully in terms of how the powers came about. Also, with the Purging Trials, it would have been good to have a mix of Mundanes and Elites, perhaps even some Ordinaries, rather than just Paedyn as the Mundane and other Elites. I feel as though that would lean more into the aim of purging the society of those who the king believes weaken it. However, I still loved the book. There is one scene at the end of the first trial where I literally shot up out of bed in shock! And then towards the end of the book, my jaw fell to the floor and I had to hold back tears. Lauren, you certainly know how to make me go on an emotional rollercoaster! If you like the sound of Powerless, after having read my review, do give it a read. It is one of my top books of the year and I will 100% be rereading it in the future. But for now, I need to get Powerful to read Adena's story and then I can start on my new copy of Reckless, which is out now. To read Powerless, you can click the image below, which will take you to the Amazon page. And don't forget to stay tuned for my review of Reckless, which will be coming soon. Until next time...

The last couple of weeks the UK has been greeted with warm weather, which can sometimes make it more difficult to concentrate and work productively. If you're anything like me, you like summer and you do like warm weather, but not when it gets too hot to even function. If it reaches the high 20s in temperature (Centigrade, not Fahrenheit), and I don't have a swimming pool to jump into, then I'm not necessarily my usual positive self. And recently the UK has experienced some hot weather. It's been lovely having a bright blue sky and being able to not worry about taking an umbrella or wearing a raincoat. However, it has at times got a little too hot and apparently, it may only get hotter. A lot of companies implement summer working hours, but sometimes, that's not enough. Therefore, I wanted to share some tips about working productively in the summer heat, whether you work from home, commute to an office or even work outside. Hopefully, if you're someone who doesn't always function at the best of their ability during the summer months, these tips will be of some help to you. Take regular breaks I've said this before in other blog posts regarding mental health and productivity in general, but it is key for summer too. Taking breaks allows you to rest your mind for a short period of time and return to work with fresh eyes. It allows you to have a break from looking at a computer screen or writing notes on a pad. And it also allows you to stretch your body and get out of your office to go somewhere cooler, fresher and less stuffy. I know if I sit behind my desk for long periods of time and it is very hot (inside and outside) then my room can become stuffy and make me less able to concentrate. So when the sun is shining and it's hot weather, take some breaks. Schedule them so you don't forget. Ice, ice baby Now this tip covers a lot of bases. I've labelled it as 'Ice, ice baby' because the ideas encompass ways of cooling you down. When it does get too hot and you feel yourself struggling, try and cool your body down. You will automatically sweat, which is your body's natural way of trying to cool you down, but there are other ways that you can implement whilst working to make sure you're still productive. These include: If there is a breeze, open some windows Have a fan or air-con turned on Put ice cubes in your drinks Use a cold flannel to dab on your forehead and wrists Comfy and loose clothing If you have to wear a uniform for work, then this tip might not be for you. However, if you get free rein over what you can wear whilst working, then listen up. There is nothing worse than being hot and having tight, fitted clothing sticking to your body. So, when you are working, make sure you're wearing comfy and loose clothing. This way, you should hopefully feel more comfortable during the working day and therefore will be able to work productively without having to pull on your shirt collar, roll your trousers up or kick your socks off. Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate This tip is one that everyone should follow all year round, but it is even more important when we enter the summer months. Our bodies are made up of up to 60% water, so when people say it's important to hydrate, it is important to hydrate. Plus, when temperatures reach high figures, it can be difficult to work productively if you haven't drunk enough because it can make you feel under the weather and give you a headache. So in order to work productively in summer, ensure you've always got a drink, preferably water (or an equivalent if you don't like water) with you so you can always have a sip. And when your glass or bottle is empty, refill it. Shut out the sun It is lovely to have the sun shining in the summer, but if you're working and the sun is incredibly bright and giving off a lot of heat, it's not necessarily a good thing to have your curtains or blinds open all day. In my house, the sun shines on the back (where I work) in the morning and then on the front in the evening. When that's the case, I like to have my blind shut because one, the sun makes it difficult to see my laptop screen, but it also makes my room even hotter, making it harder to concentrate. If you're finding the sun is adding heat to your office and you're able to shut it out, pull those curtains shut. Obviously, if you have a job that requires you to be outside, that's not possible. But what you can do is take some time to find some shade, even if it's for a brief moment. Change the time Another thing that you can do to help you work productively in the summer heat is to change your working hours. Now, this is only really applicable if you don't work a general 9-5 or a job with strict hours. But for those of you who have the flexibility to alter your working day, it could be beneficial to change your working hours. What I mean by this is when it's cooler in the day, say earlier in the morning, that's when you could get a good chunk of work done. Then, when it's hotter, around midday, you could take a break. That way, you're not forcing yourself to work at the hottest part of the day, which would in turn, make you more productive because it would be cooler. Now these aren’t the only tips you could follow to try and cool yourself down and work productively, but these are some I implement to help me. So, if you're someone who struggles to give 100% focus to the task at hand when it is rather hot, I hope these tips help. Until next time...

Last month, I had the pleasure of sitting down and interviewing romance author, Heidi Swain, who is the author of 18 books. If you know me I love to read and I love to write stories, so it's no surprise that I would jump at the chance of interviewing one of my favourite authors. And last month I did just that. Having met Heidi Swain in person at an afternoon tea with herself and Cressida McLaughlin, I was delighted to have the chance of offering to interview her. So far, she has published 18 novels, two of which are standalones. Her 19th book is being released this Christmas, following her latest release of The Holiday Escape in April this year. I sat down with Heidi to discuss all things writing-related and Heidi Swain-related too. If you've read some of Heidi's books before, I hope you enjoy the interview below and can get an insight into what her life is like as an author. Alternatively, if you haven't read any of Heidi's books, what are you waiting for? I'm only joking, it's absolutely fine, but I hope this interview below inspires you to pick one of her stories up because they are just so good. My interview with Heidi Swain WriteWatchWork: How did you get into writing? Was becoming an author something you'd always wanted to achieve? Heidi: It was something I always wanted to do, right from when I was teeny tiny. In fact, I was at my dad's yesterday, celebrating his birthday with him, and we had a walk around the paddock out the back of the house. I said I could remember when I was really really tiny, I had an exercise book with the words The Cherry Tree Club on the front. It was only me in The Cherry Tree Club, an only child, and it was a nature club that I'd started up and I'd got this exercise book so that I could write down all my notes; I'd drag my dad and my step mum around the perimeter of the field, looking for wildlife, flora and fauna. So that connection with words has always been something I've had forever, but it took me decades to get around to doing anything with it. I studied literature at university, I worked on a newspaper for a year, I had various blogs about things like my chickens, and I wrote for a parish magazine. I was doing all these things to do with words, and it wasn't until, I think my 40th coming up, that I thought, 'If I don't get a wriggle on, I'm not going to actually do what I really want to do,' which was to see a copy of my book on supermarkets shelves. Once I'd made that decision, it was head down and get on with it. WriteWatchWork: And how did it feel then to have your first book published and out in the world? Heidi: It was amazing. The first two books in my first deal were The Cherry Tree Café and Summer at Skylark Farm. They were a digital-first deal, so they were only going to come out as eBooks. The Cherry Tree Café came out and did phenomenally well – thank you Wynbridge. When Summer at Skylark Farm came out, that was the one that went to paperback first. I remember going to Sainsbury's with my daughter on the day that it came out and it was on the shelf next to J.K. Rowling’s The Cursed Child. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing; I’d already held the book because I’d had my author copy, but to see it on the shelf in a supermarket, where someone could actually pick it up and put it in their trolley was just phenomenal. It was absolutely phenomenal. However, even though we now have 18-19 books, I still get that same buzz when I see it anywhere. I still can’t believe that’s my name and my words sitting on that shelf, or that table. It’s very exciting. WriteWatchWork: That's good you still get the buzz because it keeps you going and keeps you motivated, I suppose, to write more books and tell more stories. Heidi: And it keeps giving you fear because you want every book to be better than the last one. It’s really really scary, especially recently branching out into standalones. How are people going to take the standalones when they’re so used to me being a series author? But I think you need a bit of that fear because otherwise you might get a bit complacent and it would get samey. It wouldn’t feel fresh or challenging. So I’ll have the fear but just a little bit. WriteWatchWork: Exactly. When you had published your first two books, did you notice any changes in the way you approach writing a book? Heidi: Well, The Cherry Tree Café, which I suppose is the same as anybody's debut, you've got all the time in the world to write it, edit it and sort it out before you decide what you're going to do with it. If you're fortunate enough to secure a contract, you are under a very specific deadline schedule at that point. I guess that's what changed the most for me; how I approach the write and how much time I had for the write. I always put in a really tidy first draft; I don't tend to put in a first draft and then do a re-write and then do another draft. The first draft will go in, which will be tweaked, and then hopefully that's immediately ready for the copy editor if I've done my job properly and I've got it right. So it was a case of tightening everything up, but I think the more you do, the more you learn to do that. In that respect, things have changed. I'm still a planner. I always was a planner. That's me. Very tidy-minded, very list-orientated, and that hasn't changed so much, but I guess I've just had to speed it up a bit. WriteWatchWork: Following on from that, how long on average does it take you to go from a book idea to having the published product? Heidi: That is an impossible question to answer really because it varies so much. For example, Underneath the Christmas Tree, which was the second book set at Wynmouth, is set around a potted Christmas Tree plantation, and I had had that idea in my head for at least two years before I could actually start to write it. I’d read an article in Country Living about somewhere that delivered potted Christmas Trees on a bike in this town – you couldn’t be doing that in Wynmouth, it’s too remote. But I carried that idea for a couple of years in the hope that I would be able to put that in a Christmas book somewhere, so that took a really long time whereas something like The Holiday Escape, which came out in April, that was a much quicker process. But I would have been planning it for a couple of months before that, so it can kind of range from anything like eight months to a couple of years really, depending on what that spark of inspiration has been and where you can fit it into the publishing timeline. WriteWatchWork: That's fascinating how it depends on the spark of inspiration as you say. But a lot of your books are very character-focused and community-based as well, so are the characters the first thing you think of when it comes to writing a book or is it the idea first, then the characters? Heidi: That’s really interesting you should ask that because the planning for The Holiday Escape, all this number of books in and I completely got it wrong. What I tried to do was think about the characters and what their story is first. No. I can’t do that. I have to imagine it’s like being in the theatre, I have to dress the set, and I’ve got to have the setting secure in my mind, so for The Holiday Escape that’s Kittiwake Cove and then Hollyhock Cottage and the town of Shellcombe. For Nightingale Square, it was obviously the square and the garden at Prosperous Place and Prosperous Place itself. I have to have the stage set and then I think about who’s going to walk in and why they’re there and what they’re going to do when they get there. So for the last Nightingale Square book, which was That Festive Feeling, I had to look at the houses around Nightingale Square and think, 'I don’t want anybody to leave, so what can I do to get a couple of people away from the square, which will give me the opportunity to bring somebody in?' So I had Mark and Neil going off to Barcelona for Christmas and the New Year, which meant they needed a house sitter so that just worked really really well. For me, characters come later than the setting itself and then I think I get more of an idea of what I want the story to be about before I decide what the character is going to look like or anything like that. That all actually comes quite late. WriteWatchWork: I love the analogy of using the theatre there and getting the environment of the books before inserting the people who live there. Heidi: Yeah. I think I tried to do that differently with The Holiday Escape, because with The Book Lovers' Retreat, that’s where a group of friends go and stay on holiday in a location that’s been used for the film of their favourite book, that idea for that first standalone landed pretty much fully formed. My daughter and I were watching Sex Education on Netflix, you know that beautiful house, I kept on and on about it and my daughter said to me, 'You can rent it, but it costs a fortune and it’s booked up for the next two or three years.' And that just put the idea in my head that you could actually go and stay somewhere where your favourite book had been filmed. Because that first standalone idea landed in such a complete, lovely, little package, I thought I’d try something different with The Holiday Escape because I didn’t have an idea for that fly in, I had to sit and think where are we going, what are we doing, and I thought I’ll start by trying to think of whose story I’m telling and what their story’s going to be. I wasted weeks because I just couldn’t get it. I couldn’t get it and then as soon as I could imagine the cove and the house, everything else just started to come in, so lesson learned. WriteWatchWork: As you just mentioned, it was more challenging writing The Holiday Escape, so do you have any tools to help you get into the writing zone, and subsequently, out of writer's block? Heidi: I haven’t had writer’s block and to be honest, I haven’t got time for it. Planning, you can sometimes get into a bit of a panic with the planning if the ideas aren’t coming, and the best thing you can do then is to back off. Go for a walk, do something completely different. That frees your mind up and then hopefully things will start to come in and settle. In terms of actual writing, if I’m writing my first draft, I will never end one day’s work without knowing where I’m picking up the next. I might finish within the middle of a scene, but not very often. I like to finish the day at the end of a chapter, so if I finish the end of that chapter, I will then set up a new page and write the first paragraph so that when I sit down the next day, I will read that and I’m back in the zone, rather than sitting down and looking at chapter 23, and going, What am I doing? By keeping it in my head that way, for the rest of the day, I’ll still be thinking about what I’m going to write the next day and picturing it all in my head. It’s that whole stage setting thing again so that hopefully when I sit down to write, I’ve got that first paragraph there, I can see it in my head and off we go. WriteWatchWork: I will have to use that tip because I sometimes do struggle remembering exactly what I wrote the day before, but writing that paragraph in preparation will help refresh your mind and can only be useful. Heidi: Absolutely, and also, it’s a real temptation, even for me now, I tend to faff and fiddle about the first few chapters, go back to the beginning, read it again. Don’t. You shouldn’t do that. You’ve got to just keep going and I know that, but I feel as if something is not quite working, I want to change it before I move on. So the most important thing you can do, Abby, is trust your process and find what works for you. It doesn’t matter what anybody else says or what anybody else does. It’s having a go at all these different things and choosing the ones that work best for you. I know lots of authors who jigsaw write. They’ll have the whole book planned out, but they can’t write Chapter 13 so they’ll write Chapter 27. I couldn’t do that because what I write in Chapter 14 might change what’s going to happen in Chapter 27, so that process doesn’t work for me but it works for other people. Find your way. WriteWatchWork: Touching on other authors' methods, do you find when you're reading other books that you have an analytical eye, looking at each writer's style, or can you simply enjoy the read? Heidi: For the most part, I’m in the book. I’m enjoying it. Sometimes, if something trips me up, if I think, 'Oh I wouldn’t have written that sentence that way, I think it would have flowed better that way,' that can trip me up and it can take me a little while to get back into the book. But generally speaking, that’s a rarity and I will be in it and really enjoying it. And I’m really grateful for that because reading is one of my greatest pastimes and I would hate to be so conscious of analysing everything that I couldn’t enjoy fiction anymore, that would be a real shame. WriteWatchWork: Would you ever be tempted to write in another genre, or have you previously tried your hand at a different genre? Heidi: Do you know what, I haven’t. I don’t think I would but then I’ve learnt in this business really you should never say never because sometimes you end up doing things that you never thought you’d do. I didn’t know when I started writing that I’d write one series, let alone three. It wasn’t part of the plan at all. So never say never, but I don’t think I would ever write a different genre. I read a bit of crime, I read a bit of historical, and I’ve got friends who write dual timelines and I really enjoy those. I’ve got another friend who’s a saga writer. But I’m happy where I am. If I got to the point where I wasn’t happy, then perhaps I would look elsewhere because there’s no point doing it if you’re not enjoying it, so it’s 10 years next year since The Cherry Tree Café came out, it’s unbelievable. But I’m happy where I am, so that’s what I’m going to stick to. WriteWatchWork: You mentioned earlier that a lot of readers know you as a series writer, but you've now ventured into writing standalones. What was it like making the jump to standalones? Heidi: It was terrifying, to be honest. I think the first scary thing I did as an author, having had really good success with the Wynbridge series, then my editor said to me, I’d like you to write about somewhere else, so when Sunshine and Sweat Peas came out, the first Nightingale Square book, that was terrifying because everybody loved Wynbridge and I was like, what are they going to think because we’ve gone country to city, urban community, how is that going to work? It did pretty well, it did alright, haha. But writing standalones was something completely different. My editor asked me to do that, so that was two years ago, and all on the same day, I moved home, I had a big deadline and it was my 50th birthday. It was mad. But everything went really really well, so I was kind of feeling a bit on a high, a bit invincible, so when she said to me, do you fancy writing a standalone, giving that a go – and I’d already got this idea of the whole house thing – I was like, Yeah, go on, why not? It was scary because you always want to keep the readers you’ve got happy, because my Swain-net squad, they’re amazing. People have read every single book and quite a lot of them have kept all of the books, which is phenomenal. So you want to please those readers but you also want to offer something fresh and a bit different for someone who doesn’t want to get stuck into a series. That’s how it came about and it was again, just like when I started another new series, it was a really scary thing to do. You just want everyone to love everything you’re doing and I’m a bit of a people-pleaser, so if someone says they don’t like it, that’s horrible, but if someone then explains why, I can take that because you understand why a series might suit them and a standalone didn’t. The standalones, as someone pointed out, have a bit more sauce, was how they put it. There’s a bit more sauce in the standalones than in the series. A little bit. WriteWatchWork: How do you deal with mixed reviews? Do you read the reviews of your books at all? Heidi: I always read reviews. The negative ones, sometimes you might find you get an Amazon review that’s one star, 'Parcel was left out in the rain.' Okay, you know that that can go. Nothing to do with me. It’s brought down my review average, which is really frustrating but gotta move on. But then you also read the other ones about why someone might not have liked something, and you take that on board. There was a review that went on Amazon quite recently for The Holiday Escape and the reader didn’t enjoy it because it was different to the series, she didn’t like a couple of the threads in there, and she didn’t like the sauce I don’t think, and that’s because she was used to the more door-closed of the series. I read that and think well that’s something I have to expect because the series and the standalones are so different. What I’m trying to say is, unless it’s something really crazy, you can always learn something from it and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to change the way you work or the way you write to please one reader, but it’s always interesting to see if you think there’s something valid there that you can change going forward or something you might need to take onboard. I think the most important thing is if you came across a few reviews that were all saying the same thing. That’s the point where you want to sit up and properly take notice. It doesn’t happen very often, but like you say, you can’t please everybody, but you’d love to be able to. If you enjoyed reading the first part of my interview with romance author, Heidi Swain, come back tomorrow to read part two, where we delve deeper into her books as well as completing a fun game of Would You Rather. Until tomorrow...

I had the pleasure of interviewing Heidi Swain, a quintessentially British romance author, and we spoke about all things writing and books. If you visited my blog yesterday, you'll know that I interviewed Heidi Swain. It was such a pleasure interviewing Heidi and I'm very grateful for the opportunity. However, because we had so much fun talking about books, the interview required two blog posts. You can read the first part here if you missed it, but to read part two of my interview with Heidi, simply carry on scrolling. My Interview with Heidi Swain, Part Two WriteWatchWork: You have a lot of characters across all of your books, but they're all very different. Is there one that resonates with you the most? Heidi: All the main characters, they’ve all got something I would love to have, or, and I’m not just talking about their fellas, but something I wish I could do. I think on a certain level they all resonate in one way or another. One of my favourite characters is Jemma, who owns The Cherry Tree Café because she’s never had a book of her own but she’s got her life sorted. She’s pretty set, so she has an influence in other people’s stories rather than a book about herself, but I don’t think there’s one more than any other who I can relate to. But I guess the one I’ve always just written or am writing, will always be the one I’m thinking about the most. At the moment, it’s Bella from Home for Christmas, which is the Wynbridge Christmas book this year and Bella is just, she’s such a Pollyanna. She is just adorable. I love her and I gave her the hair that I would like, a job that I would love and a dog I would love to have, so I think I’m in love with everything that character has and is, then that helps with the writing because you can put your enthusiasm for that character in. WriteWatchWork: Alternatively, have there been any characters you've not enjoyed writing about? Heidi: Protagonist, no. I have to really like them because I’ve got to spend 100,000 words with them and I want my readers to like them. But there are a couple of guys, where I’m like, I do not like you, so in Snowflakes and Cinnamon Swirls, Hayley is almost engaged to somebody who I didn’t like and there have been a couple of guys who just aren’t very nice and a bit gaslighty. It’s characters like that and it’s a good thing because if I’m not liking them, I don’t want their behaviour to be so bad that it’s triggering for people who have had negative experiences in life, but I want there to be enough in there for you to really not like that character at all. I do tend to find if it’s a female character who’s a bit of a ratbag, they do tend to get a bit of redemption, but a few of the guys get binned off. There is no redemption for them whatsoever. It’s getting that level right, but a few of the guys I haven’t liked, but I might have enjoyed writing them because I can give them their comeuppance to a certain extent. WriteWatchWork: A lot of your characters and worlds cross over, especially in your series, so how do you keep track of them all? Heidi: Do you know what, because I’ve lived with them for so long, they are genuinely like real places to me. If I walked into Nightingale Square, I know who lives in each of the houses and everything about them, and it’s the same with Wynbridge as well. I’ve just got so used to carrying them in my head, they almost feel like friends and family really and the settings could be real places that I go and visit. But I do love putting somebody in a different book, I really enjoy that, especially when readers pick up on it. I like to make sure there’s enough information in each one in case someone new comes across the book, they can just pick it up and read it and not think, I don’t understand. I think because it’s a different main character, that helps with that. I had Catherine Connelly turn up at Wynter’s Trees in Underneath the Christmas Tree. You didn’t have to know who she was because I think that scene was where she loses her purse and somebody brings it back for her, but if you’re a fan of the books, you know who that is and then I start getting the messages, ‘Oh I spotted…’. WriteWatchWork: I remember that scene and I think it helps readers feel like part of the community too. Heidi: I’m pleased you like that. There have been a few characters I’ve sent off to Wynmouth for weekends too, I think in That Festive Feeling they went off there in the horsebox, they had a bit of time in Wynmouth. Scoop for you, Wynmouth gets a mention in the Christmas book as well, so a few little threads there. WriteWatchWork: You spoke a bit about The Cherry Tree Café, your first novel, earlier, but what was the inspiration behind that? Heidi: I think I wanted to write about things I loved because it was the first book, so I wanted to be able to put sort of my passions into it and that combination of baking and sewing, I love both of those things, but I’m pretty damn rubbish at them, but I’m always prepared to have a go. The Cherry Tree Café was just somewhere I would love to be able to go and I didn’t want to pick something that other people weren’t writing about. There were quite a few café books coming out at the time and I thought I know that those books sell and I want to have a try at writing something commercial, but how can I give it a bit of a twist? So rather than just writing about the café, I decided to bring Lizzie home to Wynbridge, and she’s got the sewing and crafting side and put the two together, so that’s where it came from really. WriteWatchWork: I love that, putting things you really want in books. But my next question is which book was the easiest to write? Heidi: Gosh, I need to turn around and have a look at my shelves. I don’t think any have been easy, but I think I have enjoyed writing some more than others. I very much just enjoyed writing Home for Christmas actually. I've literally just sent the copy edit back and that book has been a joy to write at every stage. The words poured out and there was practically nothing to change! I think it could be my favourite. But I do have a post-it that was written on the 6th of February 2022 and it says: "Draft one is a muddle, a mess and a total nightmare to write. This note is a reminder for next time around when I have forgotten the pains of labour." I think I always get to a point where I hate it, I can’t do it, it’s rubbish, I don’t want to keep going, and I thought, 'Well if I was doing it in 2022, right at the beginning of that year, and I got through it and the book’s here on the shelf, it’s going to be alright.' Some are hard, some are easier. It can depend on what I’ve got going on in my life because you know real life doesn’t stop and you’re trying to write through that, so that can have an influence on how much you’re enjoying the writing. Although saying that, more often than not when I sit down and start I’m in it, but you’ve still got all that chaos. That was a very long answer to a very simple question. WriteWatchWork: Well, my next question is which book was the most challenging? Heidi: The Holiday Escape was a difficult write. Very sadly my step-mum died at the very beginning of February; that had a big impact on that write, it made it a difficult write because it was very stop-start because I was travelling to see her and thinking about that a lot. That was external circumstances that made that a difficult book to write. Another tricky one was The Christmas Wish List, which is a book that I love and I enjoyed writing the book but the story behind that was I had an impacted wisdom tooth removed and a few months later, the dentist realised they’d removed the wrong tooth because it wasn’t healing and there was a lot of pain. I love that book, I love that story and I love the characters, but I associate it with a lot of dental drama so that pain made that tricky to sit there and write every day. I think that’s about it and it’s because of this post-it. It is like giving birth, you forget the pain in between doing it. I like to get all my planning sorted and feel organised before I start and then it’s generally, I think the most difficult part comes during the planning process when I’m trying to get it all straight in my head. What I would love to do is be able to shut myself away for 10 or 12 weeks, depending on how long it’ll take me to get those words down and not have anything else going on. Send the cat off to boarding school. No weather, no garden, no shopping, no car dilemmas, nothing to deal with. I could just sit here and write it. That would be grand but it’s not life. WriteWatchWork: Planning is incredibly useful but it can be difficult to get everything down as a plan and set up the entire story before you actually write. Heidi: You will find as you start writing and get to know the characters, things will change. My advice would be to go with that. Don’t worry. If you know where you’re starting and you know where you’re ending, if a few bits change in the middle, it’ll be for the better because you’ve realised that’s what works for the characters. I know that quite often, I go back and change things my characters said or did because by the time I’ve got to the end, I know them well enough to know that that might not have been their reaction, so I can go back and tweak that. Sometimes my editor and agent will get the book and say, I don’t remember this in the planning meeting, but I like it, we’ll keep it in, but I don’t remember that being in there. WriteWatchWork: You write a mixture of Christmas and Summer books. Is there a season you prefer writing over the other? Heidi: I think I prefer writing Christmas because I don’t do heat. If that gets to 23 out there, I’m in with the curtains shut. I don’t do hot weather, which is why I’ve never set a book abroad in the summer because I don’t go abroad in the summer. I’m not a fan of the heat. I like the long light days, that I do enjoy, so I think because of my preference for the season, that’s why I prefer writing Christmas books. And I’m mad about Christmas, it’s that mid-winter celebration where it’s dark and dismal outside. I celebrate Solstice, so being able to write in Solstice celebrations is a real luxury, so I enjoy all of that. So I guess they’re the books I enjoy writing the most and that’s probably why because of how I feel about the weather and things. For the community garden, I wouldn’t have been able to create that at Christmas, so Nightingale Square books, summer books, would have had a completely different vibe, where all the characters come together, you needed that beautiful community garden. Who wouldn’t want that community garden? I would love to write an autumn book, I would love to write a pumpkin patch book is what I call it. I would love to write about a pumpkin patch farm, and it’d be very Halloweeny. But it doesn’t work with the publishing schedule, unfortunately, so I do get Halloween in – a lot of the Christmas books start at the end of October or the start of November – but I would love a full story. WriteWatchWork: A lot of your books have specialised knowledge within them, such as the plants involved in The Grow Well Garden. What sort of things do you research for a book and how long does the research take? Heidi: Well, I used to be a gardener, so that helps. I don’t think it’s necessary to write what you know especially with the research options that we have available now. But I do enjoy writing about things that I know and things that I’ve got experience of because then you can bring an extra layer. In A Taste of Home for example, which is set in the Wynbridge countryside, that’s based around a fruit farm, a strawberry farm, and I spent my childhood summers picking strawberries with my grandad. There was a lot of my own experience put in there. If it’s something that I really don’t know anything about, I would do a lot of research to cover it. I don’t just want to do online research, I want to find somebody who either does that job or used to do that job or has a family business involved with that job so you can get first-hand experience. That is important to me. I think especially with the Grow Well garden, that was me banging my drum a bit because if you follow me on Instagram, you know I use the hashtag #GreenThingsGrowing and especially during Covid, I just wanted to keep pushing people to get outside for a little while. I’m somebody who couldn’t go two days without a walk and to get out there. I like to put things in there that I think are really important and I do like to put things in there that address mental health issues like getting outside and we have Beth with her houseplants because she didn’t have a garden for a while. The books are an opportunity to put these ideas in people’s heads and hope they will act on them. WriteWatchWork: That's great because your books inspire you to get outside and explore nature a bit more, providing another purpose for reading other than escapism. How do you come up with the names for characters and locations, such as Prosperous Place and Wynthorpe Hall? Heidi: It’s hard. I spend a lot of time on that. I’m always writing names down. The book I’m planning that I’ll start writing in a couple of weeks, which will be next summer’s book, all the characters are named but I know the main character’s name is wrong. I’m not happy with it. I think I have got the right name now so I’m going to go through my planning; I haven’t printed it out yet and I think that could have been why because I knew I would want to change that. But I spend a lot of time looking at baby name sites. They’re brilliant but I do try and be careful because if you’ve got an older character, they wouldn’t have a name that’s popular in the 2023 birth naming lists. So be mindful of that. A really really good thing that I have found is film credits. Film credits are brilliant for finding names, so I sit there with either my phone out or a pen and paper if anything comes up. Place names, with Wynbridge, I don’t know where Wyn came from, but you’ve got the River Wyn that runs through the town, the town had a bridge over it, so Wynbridge. That was fine. Wynmouth, the River Wyn runs down to the sea, and I was thinking of Great Yarmouth, and it was like the mouth of the river so Wynmouth, that worked. No idea where Nightingale Square came from. No idea. I think the thing to do is just sit with it. I write down every idea that I have and every combination of ideas that I have and quite often there’ll be one that stinks and one that works. That’s the key to it I think, just keep writing it all down. When I do my planning, in an A4 crappy notebook – not my nice notebook, that comes for when I’m writing the first draft – I write in pencil and on A4 paper because if I’m writing in my notebook, I  like to be quite neat and tidy, but if you’ve got an A4 pad, it’s a mess but it doesn’t matter that it’s a mess because it’s just an A4 notepad that you can rip out and shred. I find that really helps because that frees me up as I’m not thinking, 'I’ve got to get it right because it's a nice notebook and I don’t want to mess it up.' WriteWatchWork: The Holiday Escape is set on the Dorset coast in Kittiwake Cove. What made you write a book set in Dorset? Heidi: It comes back to personal experience. The Book Lovers' Retreat was set in the Lake District because that’s somewhere I used to visit as a child on holiday and loved. I went to Dorset because I lived there for a while. My now ex-husband had a gardening job there; it was the summer that we married and he was a National Trust gardener, so in fact the first week he was working, we lived in a tent because they didn’t have anything for us to live in. Then we moved into Kingston Lacy House, which was the actual period property where the gardens were and they still didn’t have a cottage for us on the estate, so they put us in the staff accommodation. We were in Dorset for three years maybe and it was just beautiful. That part of the world was stunning and we were near the coast, so it was another place in my head that I knew well, that I could write about without having to visit because I’d lived there, I’d been immersed in that life, so that was why I picked Dorset. I just thought it was a beautiful place to set a standalone. WriteWatchWork: Your books tend to focus more on the heroines but do feature romance, so which hero is your favourite? Heidi: Blimey! I’m always going to say the most recent one, but I have a real fondness of Gabe, who’s Hayley’s partner at Wynthorpe Hall. Some of that is because he’s got Bran, the Irish Wolf Hound and I would adore that dog, I have put him in more than one book. I’ve given him more than one role in a couple of books because I love the dog. So Gabe is a favourite. I loved Beamish as well actually in The Christmas Wish List. Bear, oh my God, Bear. It’s impossible. Whereas I write the ladies as women that I perhaps aspire to be, doing things I love, the guys are all blokes I wouldn’t mind being with I suppose. Love them all. WriteWatchWork: And finally, what piece of advice would you give to aspiring authors? Heidi: Get on and do it. Literally, as simple as that. Get on and do it. If you are scared of doing it, just remember that the first thing you are doing, you are doing for yourself. Don’t worry about if an editor going to like this, if a reader likes it, write it for yourself. When you are first starting out, you are learning your craft. We never stop learning, I’m still learning now. It’s just really important to be open to learning and don’t assume you know it all. But when you are first starting out, be aware that it’s for your eyes only and just get on with it. Don’t put it off. Don’t wait for the perfect time or until you’ve got more time because you will never have more time, you have to find a way of making that work for you. Until next time...

If you're a writer and find yourself in need of some inspiration, I can recommend a great place for you to visit to fill your brain with knowledge and ideas, and that is Colchester Zoo. When I was younger, a place my family and I used to frequently go to was our local zoo in Colchester. We had the Merlin Passes, so it was easy for us to nip to the zoo on any day we fancied. But it had been a good decade since I'd last gone. We had arranged to go two years ago, but we never got around to it due to the weather and other factors. However, my family and I did take a trip to Colchester Zoo earlier this week. And it was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the seven hours or so that we spent at the zoo, walking around all the different areas. In fact, I don't we sat down for a break once and overall I totalled 12,279 steps and 5.6 miles. Whilst at the zoo, we saw a vast variety of animals, ranging from giraffes, tigers, sea lions, aardvarks and guinea pigs. I loved seeing all the different animals and getting to spend time with my family, away from work, fully engrossed in the setting we were in. My favourite animals to see were the orangutans – they mean something to my family – but also the otters, chimpanzees, tigers and elephants. However, another takeaway for me was the inspiration that Colchester Zoo provided. As a writer, inspiration can come in many different forms from all kinds of things in life. It can come from a story in the newspaper, a snippet of conversation you've overheard on the bus, or even the actions of your family and friends. It is great when inspiration comes in abundance because it gives you different ideas for the components of storytelling, whether that be a location, character or whole story idea. And that is what Colchester Zoo gave me on my visit. If you know me by now, you'll know that I dream of being an author and I'm currently writing a dystopian novel – two in fact. Within these novels, the world is based on our current one, but several hundred years in the future. As a result, there need to be unique components of each world, but also some specific and factually correct aspects. For example, in one of my novels, the forest is a key setting. At Colchester Zoo, there were lots of animals that live in the woodland that could potentially feature in my novel. Going away from the animals themselves, there was a ruin of the All Saints Church next to the Orangutan enclosure. Even just looking at the stone building gave me story ideas, as did the landscape of the sea lion enclosure. Colchester Zoo don't just show you animals, they give you facts about them. At each enclosure, there are boards detailing the animals inside, giving their more common name, scientific name, diet, habitat, and some other weird and quirky facts. As a child, I probably wouldn't have cared much for reading these boards, but now, as an adult, as someone who appreciates the world we live in and is eager to always learn, it was fascinating. Pictured below are just some examples of these boards and the facts they present to visitors. Another aspect of Colchester Zoo that I thought was brilliant was the Nature Area. I don't remember this being there when I was younger, but I really liked this time. Essentially, the Nature Area is just an area of the zoo full of nature; natural plants and insects. It was so quiet and serene there that I could quite easily go back with a notebook and write for hours on end. The inspiration from Colchester Zoo is just what I needed after a busy month to get back to writing blog posts and also more of my novel(s). I even got two new notebooks from the shop at the zoo, which I can't wait to write in. So, if you're looking for a fun day out that is a bit different from what you normally do, head to your closest zoo because there will be inspiration of some kind there in abundance. Until next time...

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme for 2024 is all about movement and how it can help your mental health. Mental Health Awareness Week is seven days of raising awareness about mental illness and ways to improve our mental health, slowly but surely reducing the stigma surrounding it. For 2024, the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week is movement. The Mental Health Foundation, which has been striving to raise awareness about mental health since 2001, has created the phrase: "Movement: moving more for your mental health." Therefore, with movement being the key theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year, I wanted to share how movement can make all the difference. But I also wanted to share how you can incorporate movement into your daily lives. If you're wanting to learn more about how to improve mental health and want a few tips about how movement can help, then read on. How movement can improve your mental health Mindful meditation Getting in some movement, whether that is going for a walk, a run or completing a workout at the gym, can be incredibly beneficial for your mental health. The repetition of the same movement can lull your mind into a sense of calm. It can act as a kind of meditation, where you become so focused on the movement that you forget about your current life stresses and instead focus on working your muscles. I'm not a huge fan of running, but I know that when I go for a walk or do some strength training, it does clear my mind. So, try to add some movement – it doesn't have to be complex – and you may find your mind becoming clearer and a sense of calm settling over you. Increases your confidence You may think that movement surely can't increase confidence because you'll be red-faced and sweaty after a good workout. And that may be true. However, if it becomes a habit, then moving daily can build your stamina. It can increase your fitness, your strength and, if you're goal is to change your body shape, it can do that too. All of those things can increase your confidence because you'll feel better about yourself and feel like a healthier version of you, both mentally and physically. Reduces the risk of illness As I said above, incorporating movement into your daily life can help you become fitter and healthier. This isn't just because it'll increase your stamina and build muscle. Doing more movement can help reduce your risk of heart disease by making it easier to lower your blood pressure, your cholesterol and also your risk of diabetes. As a result, this reduces anxiety and worry about your physical health. Reduces feelings of loneliness In a world where technology rules, it can be difficult to have meaningful social interactions. Lots of people work remotely and communicate via social media or text messages. But by adding daily movement to your routine, you can increase the likelihood that you'll meet new people. By going out for walks, you can meet people in the street. If you go to the gym or attend workout classes, you can meet new people and, perhaps, over time build up friendships. This can help reduce feelings of loneliness and in turn, improve your mental health and wellbeing, because you'll be getting that social interaction that humans need. Improves your mood Feeling calm, more confident, less worried about illness and less lonely all contribute to a happier, more positive outlook on life. But it's not just these benefits of moving that can improve your mood. It's the movement itself. Science has proven that when you engage in exercise and move your body, it releases chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin. These are feel-good hormones, with serotonin being dubbed the Happy Hormone. Ultimately, movement causes your body to release hormones to boost your mood, combatting those negative feelings and anxiety, which will all improve your mental health. But it can be easier said than done to incorporate movement into your daily life, so here are ways on how you can add movement to your routine. How to incorporate movement into your lives Make it fun There is nothing worse than doing a task that you dislike. It makes you less determined to complete it and do it well, and it's just not fun. Therefore, when you're trying to incorporate movement into your daily routine, you have to make sure it's fun and something you enjoy. If you're a runner, go for a run. If you like dancing to music, feel free to go and dance. Whatever you choose, make sure it fits into your schedule and is something you find enjoyable. Do what's right for you This tip is similar to the one above because an activity that is right for you and that you find fun might be the next person's nightmare. I know that one of my friends goes running and I can never picture myself running unless something is chasing me. So when thinking of doing some movement, be true to yourself. There is no harm in going for a short walk every day compared to running five miles. Everyone has different versions of happiness, fun, success etc., so stick true to yourself and don't try to follow society just because you think it's the right thing to do. Move with a buddy A lot of the time it can be difficult to start something new on your own. It can be daunting, you may feel out of your depth and it can knock your confidence if you were to join a group scenario. But one way to add movement to your day that makes it easier to stick to and less scary is by doing it with a buddy. Having a friend join you when moving can be such a benefit to you and your friend because it's something you can do together to build each other up when times get tough and to give each other a boost. Schedule it each day To stick to a routine of completing some movement each day can be challenging, especially if you have lots of other commitments. However, one way to make it easier on yourself is by scheduling time specifically for it. Writing something down in your diary, having it there for you to see as a task to complete, makes all the difference. It cements it in your mind as something to do each day and if you do it at the same time for at least two weeks, it starts becoming a habit and a natural part of your day. Small, manageable goals But if it's a mammoth task that you've scheduled, you'll be less likely to complete it. So make sure that each bit of movement is a small, manageable goal that you can realistically achieve. For example, a 10-minute walk in the morning before you start work. It doesn't have to be anything extreme, just something you can do and this will be different for each individual. So if you're looking to improve your mental health this week, month and year, I hope these tips can help even a small fraction. Until next time...