The Art of Single Tasking

Happy Monday!

Just wanted to share a really quick and simple productivity tip. This is especially for those of you who are always multitasking in the hope of getting more done. I'm the worst for this! Until recently, many of my meals were eaten at my desk, whilst trying to get a college assignment finished. I can't remember the last time I watched a movie, without absentmindedly scrolling through social media alongside. I am all for taking breaks, but switching the tab to reply to facebook messages every five minutes is not productive. I fiddle and fidget, and always feel the need to be doing something with my hands.

I have been a huge multi-tasker, but often at the expense of my best work, or the most meaningful experiences.

from powerofpositivity.com

So I've been practicing something new. It's pretty simple, but so effective. All I do is try to focus on a single task or activity, devoting all of my attention to it.

"We have to dispel the myth that if you're only doing one thing you're not doing as much"

- Dr Rouse

 This falls in line with mindfulness, and delayed gratification as I've mentioned before. I've not perfected the skill yet and I still find myself multi-tasking on a daily basis, but it has been so effective when I've committed to it. Not only do I complete tasks sooner and to a higher standard, but I am far more mindful and appreciative of the the things I truly enjoy. According to Huffington Post, 'unitasking' is allows mindful people to complete tasks 50% faster, and with 50% less chance of errors. Try it out some time!

"Rather than divide our attention, it is far more effective to take frequent breaks between intervals of sustained, one-pointed attention"  

-Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness at Work 

This week is half term for me, and I can feel myself becoming overwhelmed by the amount of work I have to get through. My three essays and research project won't write themselves, so I'm setting myself a new challenge for this week. I'm super excited to see how it goes (yeah, I'm a bit of a nerd). I've taken from this list of reminders for single tasking, and I've a few of my own. Prior to today, neither of these three things ever happen; they're still things I need to work on:

1. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with my phone out of reach for a week
2. Watch a movie from start to finish without distractions
3. Listen to an album all the way through

 So far so good! Here's to a productive week! Hope you have a good one.

S xxx

Freda

Hi again!

Thanks so much for checking in. I'm really excited to share this post with you all, so I hope you enjoy. I wanted to talk about Freda, a business I discovered recently, and one whose values I consider profoundly important. They are a subscription service with a range of different packages, so that you have good quality pads or tampons (or a mixture of both) delivered to your door each month.
The wonderful ladies at Freda are on a mission to unlock the potential of all girls, by helping to provide safe and abundant menstrual sanitary products.

Co-founders Affi and Diahann
from myfreda.com

Monthly subscription boxes are a bit of a trend at the moment, be it snacks, flowers, beauty products... (I've even seen one for cacti!). Here are some reasons why this one is special, and one you'll be really thankful for:

• Never get caught out

We've all been there. Who thinks to buy tampons or sanitary towels unless they need them? A very organised person, that's who. Reality is, we're often forced to make mad dashes to the shops when our periods appear. Or even worse, we improvise until that's possible. Freda puts an end to this, since you know for sure you'll be receiving ample sanitary products every single month, without having to pay any thought to it. I think it's pretty ingenious. 

• Kind to your body

Freda's tampons and pads contain one ingredient: 100% organic cotton. You can also opt for BPA-free plastic applicators with the tampons. They don't use any dyes, fragrances or other artificial nasties, and they are hypoallergenic for sensitive skin. I hadn't even considered what goes into my usual products but I'm of the belief that if I can't pronounce it or visualise it, it's probably not ideal for me. 

from myfreda.com/blog/

• Simple and stylish design

Now maybe this means nothing to you, but I loved the design of Freda's products from the offset (honestly, it's what caught my eye). The colours are calm and simple, and there are none of the garish patterns and slogans found on typical sanitary products. The little cotton bag is such a lovely touch, and mine travels with me in my college backpack so that I'm never caught out on the go. Not to mention it's discreet, which is always cool.

• Support a great cause

Freda helps out wonderful charities, such as A Bloody Good Cause who collect donations of sanitary products for homeless shelters. Not only do they help to publicize their mission, but they donate sanitary products to those who would otherwise go without. These things are a basic human right. Freda are also working to support refugee women and girls without access to education. I'm lucky to enjoy a relatively privileged western lifestyle, and it has been enormously eye opening and humbling for me to learn about the conditions millions of women and girls have to live in. I think we can all agree that no girl should be held back by her circumstances, so any step towards greater dignity, freedom and equality is so important.

from myfreda.com/blog/

Freda offers a range of monthly boxes including pads (night, day or pantyliners), tampons, and there's even a box especially for teens. You can choose what works for you.

You can get your first month completely free (including shipping!) by using the code joinsally92 at the checkout. So go grab your free box if you're interested, I think you'll really like it.

Have any questions that I've not answered? You can follow Freda on instagram, twitter or facebook at @fredaspeaks or shoot them an email at campaign@myfreda.com.

S x

What's in My Bag?

Hi friends, Happy Monday!

'What's in my bag' posts are some of my favourites to read and watch. There is something so fascinating about what others carry around with them, as the contents of our bags are pretty unique and personal. That said, my version of this post might be super boring, since I don't really carry anything interesting around with me. But without further ado, I thought I'd share with you the things I use on a daily basis, and never leave the house without.

1. My Fjallraven Kanken 

Let's start off with the bag I use. I've had this trusty backpack in the colour Frost Green for almost five years, and I'll probably be using it for many years to come. I love its durability and timeless style, plus the fact that it seems pretty indestructible. I'm sure I overload mine on a daily basis so that it's bursting, but it's yet to fail me like most of my previous backpacks. One thing I will say is that the straps aren't the most comfortable, but you can invest in some of the shoulder pads if it causes you problems. Mine is beginning to look a little faded and vintage now, since my Mum washed (and tumble dried) it last year. Thanks mama. 

2. Beats Executive Headphones

These headphones are one of my most treasured possessions, and they're approaching two years old. My favourite feature is the noise cancelling which makes them perfect for listening to music and podcasts on my noisy commutes to college. My least favourite feature is the fact that they're battery operated, and you have to switch them on every time you want to use them. The awesome sound quality outweighs the cons though, so I'm happy! They also came with a travel case and interchangeable wires (one with volume control, and one without). I've just done a little research and it seems that Beats themselves have discontinued this model, but they're still available on Amazon. I'm no tech nerd, but I'm crazy about these. Oh, and because there's nothing worse than leaving the house and realising you've forgotten your headphones, I also carry the small apple earplugs which came with my iPod.

3. IPod Touch

Speaking of my iPod, I am using the 5th generation Touch in blue. If you know me, you'll know that it scarcely leaves my hands (or ears) - I love my music. Again, I've had this for years and it continues to serve me well.

4. Moleskine Notebook

This is my fifth moleskine to date, and I get the classic black one every time. My current one is in size large, with squared pages and a hard cover. As of last year, I'm crazy about bullet journalling and can't imagine my life without it. This notebook comes absolutely everywhere with me. Moleskines are unrivaled in my opinion; the paper quality is so beautiful and the simplicity of the design (complete with ribbon page marker) does the job perfectly.

5. Monki Purse

I got this purse for Christmas, and I love it! If you know me, you'll know that I can't resist glittery things and so this is the perfect purse for me. Unfortunately I can no longer find it on the Monki website, but I do have my eye on this silver one. All of their wallets are super cute and very well priced, plus they are always bringing out new ones. Besides money and some spare bobby pins, I also carry my Holland & Barrett card, plus a bunch of coffee shop and cafe loyalty cards. I use these all the time! 

6. 1984 Canvas Pouch

I picked up this pouch just over a year ago, and it serves as the perfect pencil case (I carry a lot of stationery). Size-wise it's more like a make up bag, but it works perfectly for me. Being one of my favourite novels, I squealed with excitement when I realised that Out of Print has a 1984 version of their pouch! But check out their others too in case there's one that floats your boat. I've got my eye on the Edgar Allan Poe one, although I definitely don't need another pencil case.

7. Life Factory Bottle

I LOVE this water bottle! I kind of suck at hydration, but my Mum recently treated me to this, and it's surprising how much easier it is to drink water when you find the right receptacle! (I've never used he word receptacle in my life before now). Life Factory is such an awesome brand; they use all eco-friendly materials and their glass is free from BPA or other nasties. A glass bottle is always a great choice because they are extremely hygienic, won't make your drink taste funny (as I find plastic bottles often do) and are really environmentally friendly. I know you can also buy these in Planet Organic stores, as well as in Wholefoods which is where I found mine.

Anyway, that's all from me. Wishing you a calm and positive week!

Love,

S x

Update: Where am I in terms of recovery?

Hi friends

Today I turn 20, which is both exciting and scary! I'm surrounded by those dearest to me, and my heart is so full.

Anyway, in the midst of the birthday celebrations I've got my reflective head on. I thought I'd make this post about how things are going recently, with regards to my eating disorder recovery in particular. Plus, I've been meaning to get some goals written down for this year, and what better place to do it?

So without further ado, what's been going on?

Well, I'm still having weekly therapy and weigh-ins, three years down the line. This is not so great, although for the first time ever I have a therapist I connect with, and who I'm actively engaging with. We're not doing any formal treatment type, although there are elements of CBT to what we discuss. This is mainly because until now, the more pressing issues have been at least stabilising my weight, and regularising my eating. I'm on top of the latter - in fact I've made huge steps in restoring my weight these past few months. I'm eating consistently and adequately, although admittedly I still struggle with variety, and I mostly don't exceed a maintenance amount (energy-wise). The orthorexic side of my eating disorder is pretty loud these days, most likely due to the whole "if I can't control how much I'm eating, I'll control what I'm eating" sort of thing. That said, I'm munching on chocolate as I type this, so I'm breaking down those walls every day.

Vegan coffee and walnut cake, courtesy of Boston Tea Party
Enjoyed within half an hour of waking up, obviously,

In the past six months, things have taken an enormous 360 degree turn. I've dragged myself out of a dangerous relapse and my life has changed dramatically. I'm in college, I'm making new friends (whilst cherishing my old ones) and I'm loving life. I think the sense of purpose which came with starting college has been hugely important; I'm learning that my problems largely stem from feelings of  laziness and worthlessness.

My biggest struggle currently is accepting my enormous appetite. I hear the concept of 'extreme hunger' thrown about by professionals and so forth but until recent months, although it's not something I've ever experienced in recovery. But man, if this is what I'm experiencing now, then it's hit me like a train. If you don't know what this is, I'll explain it to the best of my understanding. It's basically the process of your body crying out for food following a period of starvation. This often means feeling hungry, heck, ravenous despite eating supposed 'normal' amounts of food. It also means, unless you opt to ignore your body's pleas, that you end up consuming what you perceive as excessive volumes of food. You feel bottomless, and constantly ravenous. In reality, this is your body's way of fixing the energy deficit you've created, and restoring itself to its comfy place as fast as possible. For me, it's been relentless. I can easily consume four times the portion my Mum would eat for dinner, and my tummy will be rumbling within half an hour. I am hungry all the time, and because I struggle mentally with allowing myself to eat until I'm satisfied, I end up grazing on fruits and veggies constantly between meals. I'm not quite there with honouring my body's wishes, unfortunately. It's a work in progress.

My decision to temporarily cease exercise back in November was a good one, and whilst this creates internal battles for me, I am sticking to it. I'm on the hunt for a form of exercise which relaxes me, and which I genuinely enjoy. I'd love to try out yoga and as always, I still love walking. I'll get back to running one day, I'm sure.

2016 was the year I committed to veganism, and it is among the best decisions I've ever made. My eating habits have dramatically changed, and so have my attitudes towards food. Gone are the days of weighing things, obsessively counting calories and tracking my intake. Thank goodness, since all of those things are boring, and now I can shift my focus to other matters. Speaking of focus, I now have something so much bigger than myself to put my energies into. I am more compassionate and conscious in my actions, and I am learning to love my body for what it is capable of. I'm not sure how veganism has bought me all of these things but trust me, it has.

I'm conscious that I've been unwell to some degree for many years, and that with eating disorders, the prognosis gets worse as time goes on. The thought of carrying this illness into my twenties is terrifying, far more so than challenging my eating disorder in the present. I have to let this go, and perhaps this will be the year.

So, without further ado, here are some of my goals:

• Reach the target weight set by my team, and accept that this is a minimum as opposed to a limit
• Continue to challenge myself regularly with foods I consider "bad" or "unhealthy"
• Keep fighting to shift the focus from my weight, to other things like my social and artistic strengths
• Continue to expand on my bank of healthy coping mechanisms, and start to pinpoint what has caused me to relapse over and over in the past
• Let go of any remaining things which hinder my recovery, like unhelpful social media accounts and old food diaries 
• Ultimately, reach a state which allows me to go to university later this year.

Before I go, happy #womensmarch day! I pray that today will be a day of great change. Follow my pinterest board for all things feminist. 

 

Your ongoing support gives me so much strength. Oh, and to those of you who have wished me a happy birthday on my social media accounts, thank you!!! I'm overwhelmed by you all. 

So much love

S x