Devon Maid is a story about my ongoing wellbeing journey and life in a rural playground
It’s been two years since I quit booze. I’d wanted to cut alcohol out for ages. For a while there were lots of broken promises and fresh starts. But I had this developing discomfort about drinking; like it was a waste of time, sapping energy which could be channeled elsewhere. Alcohol always made me feel rubbish […]
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At times social media has made me feel anxious and quite cross. It wasn’t always like this. When I first joined platforms like Facebook and Twitter it was a lot of fun; free from ads, pushy influencers and showy-offy projection. What started as good time in the amusement arcades turned into an unpleasant rollercoaster ride. […]
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In the last few years swimming has become an exercise staple. From spring through to autumn, I take to the seas and rivers and so when the warmer weather arrived it was time to get back into the brine. My usual swim spot is Torbay, South Devon. Torbay has lots of advantages because its waters are […]
Read MoreIt seems when restrictions were partially lifted, people were afflicted by another contagion; one where ‘good old British common sense’ was replaced by a mania in which people perceived themselves invincible. They started throwing themselves off cliffs into swirling seas, marching up mountains in flip flops or queuing for three hours to buy a Big […]
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It is June already – how did that happen? One minute I’m getting up at 5.30am in the pitch black to go and photograph a wintry sunrise, the next I’m wide awake at 4am because the dawn chorus convinces my half-asleep brain I’m in an aviary. And now we are on the cusp of British […]
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I wanted to write a long and thoughtful article on looking after your mind all the time, not just when Mental Health Awareness Week rolls around. But, quite honestly, I’ve not been able to find the words. I started procrastinating and that led me into beating myself up about it. The teeny tiny internal critic […]
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This morning I happened to check the app which tracks how long it has been since I quit drinking. And – wow! – it’s been 700 days since I gave up booze. It got me thinking about how different life is. Today I woke up early, did yoga, some cleaning, messaged my […]
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Over the past couple weeks talk has turned to what the ‘new’ normal may look like. Things won’t be the same again, we are told. It’ll be very different. The same people can’t tell us what our hinterland beyond will look like, it just won’t be what we were used to before. You become caught […]
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Rain showers I do love hot weather, really I do. I’m very happy that the dry spell is helping farmers after a shocking winter. But I’m blonde and fair skinned. I’ve only got to step outside the house sans factor 50 and I wonder if I might melt like a Mr Whippy. Along comes a […]
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I’ve realised I’m changing. Usually I am here, there, everywhere. Racing around, running myself ragged. And now… now, I am not. I’ve slowed down. I’ve spent more time looking, observing and enjoying what is around me. These last few weeks have provided me with a deeper appreciation of what running means to me and the […]
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