Tag: Advice

The art of staying positive during a pandemic

The art of staying positive during a pandemic

by Maeve ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

It’s possible that I have never felt more worried about the future until now, all because of the coronavirus pandemic. Within a few short months, life as we know it has been flipped, spiraled and hurdled into complete a lock down.

I am, like many other university students, now studying at home. Whilst it would be untruthful of me to say that I am not enjoying the morning lie-ins and reading books in the garden – it’s not a paradise. We are now confined at home, with daily news detailing the rising coronavirus death tolls, and how our healthcare systems is near overloaded. Gone are the days of meeting friends for coffee or visiting the cinema.

I don’t know about you, but I am also feeling increasingly guilty for not achieving more at home, with this free time granted. Why aren’t I learning Italian, or writing a novel, or starting a You tube channel like others?

In my attempt to remain positive during the pandemic, my best advice is to take things a day at a time, however cliche it sounds. We are living in times previously unheard of, so give yourself some credit for getting by. Staying at home is important to reduce the spread of coronavirus and it will bring us closer to overcoming it, together.

If you are working or studying at home and feel that you aren’t doing enough activities, do not feel guilty. Attempting to avoid being ill is stressful, so even if it’s the only thing you can do right now, it’s enough. Please do not put anymore pressure on yourself than what we are already facing.

Recently for me, I find myself doing things which can take my mind of coronavirus, and relieve stress. Although I am awful at it, I enjoy strumming chords my ukulele and pretending I can play entire songs. Other days, I’ve taken to the comforting arms of Netflix, indulging in TV series and nostalgic films to pass the time. If you find an activity which relaxes you, partake in it plentifully and have fun.

Living during global pandemic is a universally relate-able experience. You can receive a boost in positivity simply from connecting with others. If you are in lock down with your family, this may be the longest time you’ve spent with them recently, so now is the opportunity to reconnect. For your friends, use Face-Time, Duo and House party to chat. It’s not exactly meeting in person, but it’s safer, which is more important.

Generally it’s worth knowing that it’s near impossible to staying maintain a consistent positive mindset, especially during a crisis. If you can find small joys in life right now, it’s all you need.

Finally, to anyone who is working during the pandemic including: the NHS, pharmacies, deliveries, supermarkets and essential businesses – thank you, you are heroes.

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Stop Work Related Stress From Taking Over

Stop Work Related Stress From Taking Over

by Maeve ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Expectations. Pressure. Comparison. Whether you are a student or in full time employment, you may sometimes feel as if your workload has taken over your entire life; and not just when you have deadlines. Working too hard for long periods of time is a known causer of stress and burnout, but it can be hard to justify taking breaks when you need to get the job done. Especially if you are always trying to do things perfectly.

As a second-year student balancing studies with extra curricular activities and finding a placement, there are previous moments in my life when I have thrown myself into my work, despite feeling overworked and stressed out. Usually it is because I want to do everything to the best of my ability. However, it is physically and mentally unhealthy to be overwhelmingly stressed constantly.

Fortunately, there are some ways to stop stress from taking over.

Plan Your Calendar

Effective time-management is key in reducing stress. If your schedule is disorganised, it can lead to trying to do too many things in not enough time, and undoubtedly causing stress.

To help organise your time, create a diary; be it on your phone, or in a notebook. In the diary, write down of all the tasks you need to complete. Tasks can be numbered or colour-coded, to distinguish which tasks are of most priority. By completing tasks in an sensible order, you will manage your workload better and feel accomplished. Moreover, a calendar can be used to plan additional activities outside of work, such as meeting with friends, or relaxing with Netflix and popcorn.

Brighten Up Your Work Environment

Have you ever thought about bringing some of your amazing personality to your work space? If you work at a desk, photos of you and your pals can remind you that your loved in times of stress. Other personal touches include: Figurines, artwork, a cute pen pot, and the uber trendy potted plant. Incorporating these personal touches into your work space will bring joy to the space and express your unique style.

Focus on Yourself

Once you’ve found a balance between work and free time that you are happy with, use your free time for whatever makes you smile. It may be a fitness class, shopping or trying a new activity (For me, I’m learning French on Wednesdays). Even a quiet evening in will keep you refreshed, and stress levels down.

Celebrate Achievements

You’ve worked really hard, you exceeded those targets and impressed your management – what do you do? CELEBRATE! In a fast-paced work environment, achievements can sometimes be looked past, in moving onto the next project. However, it is essential to celebrate achievements at work, to reward yourself for your efforts and to acknowledge what all that hard work is for. Celebrating achievements not only relieves personal stress, it acts as a breathing space before the next big project. It may even boost morale at work, so gather your employees and shower the confetti.

Talk About it

Not matter what steps you take, stress can still happen and become overwhelming. If you feel that you are consistently in a state of stress, you need to find the root of the issue. Speak to a member at work or university/school that you feel comfortable talking to, and express to them how you are feeling. Even just telling someone how you are feeling will help relieve you. From then, steps can be taken to reduce stress in the future.

Thanks for reading. Do you have any other tips for reducing stress, or finding balance between work and activities? Say them here in the comments.

(BTW, I also have a new fashion related post coming out next week)!

5 Skills you need for a successful career in Public Relations

5 Skills you need for a successful career in Public Relations

by Maeve ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

If you choose to work in Public Relations, similar to advertising and other agency based careers, PR often involves a varied and fast paced work environment. However, by equipping yourself with these skills, you can ensure that you become the PR practitioner that everyone is talking about.

Creativity

If you’re going to think of unique ways to appeal to people and capture the attention of the media, then you need to have creative ideas. We know that this is often easier said than done, clients often request ‘new’ and innovative ideas, without specifically knowing what they want. If you find that you are creatively stuck and cannot seem to find a solution, do not worry. Instead, take a break and do things that inspire you. Even small differences such as taking a new route home can spark creativity. Research and brain storming is also very useful in coming up with unique and effective ideas.

Time Management

In an PR agency, it is rare case that you will be assigned to just one client. In many agencies, it is far more common to be responsible for multiple organisations. Effective time management is necessary in order to know how much time to dedicate to each client. This can vary, dependent on what sort of PR the client requires and how much the account is worth. It simply isn’t cost effective to spend an entire work day on just one client, so improve time management, track your time spent on activities or planning for clients in a diary.

Communication

Whether liaising with clients or writing press releases; from tweets, to speeches, to events, communication is vital for success in PR. In written communication, enticing, persuasive language captures the attention of your audience and can cut through the noise of other messages. Spoken communication is also a necessary skill that is used in speeches and with interacting with clients, to convince them that you are a confident communicator.

Adaptability

In PR no two days of work are alike. On Monday you may be hosting an event, on Tuesday you could be writing press releases and on Wednesday, hosting a photo shoot. To succeed in PR you need to be ready to get stuck into whatever is required to deliver a successful campaign. It is also important to be up to date with local, national and international news, so that you understand what is happening in the world today and whether it effects a publics opinion, or an organisations reputation.

Coping Under Pressure

With working in an agency environment and with clients, it comes with real time deadlines. In order to run events, press releases product launches, time restricted deadlines must be met. You simply cannot say that you are holding a public event on June 30th, only to say on that day that it isn’t ready (You’ll get negative press if you do so). If you want to work in PR, it is crucial that you stay organised and remind yourself of upcoming deadlines, to avoid stress. However, in an agency, you are part of a team, so never feel afraid to reach out for help.