A Wonderful World

                                                     'A POWERFUL TALE OF A MOTHER'S SURVIVAL' Netflix have returned with another hit series ‘ Maid ’, which follows young mother Alex as she fights to care for her daughter Maddie while experiencing abuse, lack of support and income. Although it’s extremely hard hitting, covers some sensitive topics and has some very raw moments, it’s a beautiful and very honest portrayal of the reality of the circumstances for many and provides light and hope for those who may have been affected by similar situations.   It’s inspired by Stephanie Land’s 2019 Memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive , in which she shares about working as a maid while raising her daughter. It’s ‘inspired’ by rather than ‘based’ on, as many of the characters, happenings and storylines have been created for t...

      Our minds are extremely powerful. Our brain and body are connected, it’s an energy, and we can change our physical world by changing thoughts and beliefs. It begins with what our brain perceives and because we are in control of our thoughts, we can control our perception. How we perceive things directly effects how we think, which then effects how we respond and behave. It’s a cycle. Thoughts create feelings. Feelings create behaviour. Behaviour reinforces thoughts. Our bodies are direct products of our minds, though we can often mask it externally, our body holds on to and is effected by how the mind thinks. So if we take care of the thoughts, the feelings and behaviours can be altered as a consequence. This is the strategy behind cognitive behaviour therapy. We’re able to take back control of our whole being. One of the thoughts or feelings of course being ‘stress’, we often feel stressed because of how we think about something rather than how things actually are...

                                                Channel 4 returns with another powerful piece of television. New drama ‘Help’ centres itself around the Coronavirus pandemic in its height as it first emerged in 2020. The two hour long drama is set in a fictional care home in Liverpool in the spring, and follows a carer (Jodie Comer) as she bonds with a patient (Stephen Graham), as the pandemic hits she is put to the test in horrific circumstances. This vital one off television creation shares insight into the impact Coronavirus had on care homes during its initial onset and looks at the undervalued care workers whose job was to keep the patients going. Its necessity comes with its strength at shining a light on the hard work and voices of those that continued to work and care during such a difficult and uncertain time, recognising how important the work is that thes...

US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles has changed the narrative around mental health. In stepping away from the Tokyo Olympics final after achieving her lowest Olympic vault score, she’s sparked conversation around the importance of putting ones health first and prioritising caring for ourselves. Losing her bearings mid-air and experiencing ‘twisties’, a mental block resulting in the loss of spatial awareness, she pulled out in fear of her mental and physical state. Despite the discomfort or difficulty it may cause along the way, we have to continue to consider our mental wellbeing and the benefits of doing so. The young athlete was and is a huge name across the world, and therefore faced with a huge amount of pressure and expectation from those watching, she was expected to win gold by many as she has so gracefully many times before. She was set to succeed similarly to her wins at Rio 2016, with expectations from the nation on her shoulders. It’s this unnecessary burden and strain that ca...

                                                 'CLASSIC AND CREATIVE COCKTAILS' Despite the lack of sun recently, the summer holidays and summer months have meant family and friends have been reuniting and coming together as restrictions have eased. Sun or not, hopefully you can get some garden gatherings and parties can get booked in the diary. Over the course of the pandemic we have had the time to explore and get resourceful in our kitchens, one of the popular experimentations being cocktails. Whether you’re trying to save a bit of money at home rather than spend away in the pub, you’re looking to host the next garden party or want an activity to delve into with family or friends, I thought I’d share some easy and tasty cocktails to try creating at home. 1)     BANANA COLADA (Serves 2) - 100ml Rum of choice - 250ml Pineapple Juice - 2...

                                                        APPS FOR THE MIND ‘USEFUL APPS WHEN CARING FOR ONESELF AND MENTAL HEALTH’ Amongst the social media, music streaming, fitness and popular gaming apps that we can download onto gadgets or phones, there are also many apps that have been created to help us keep our minds in check and continue to ensure our mental health is cared for and a priority. HEADSPACE: A simple mindfulness and meditation app. Accessible techniques available so people can experience the benefits of meditation anytime, anywhere. It includes and shares guided meditations, animations, articles and videos. Sharing the message that meditation and mindfulness isn’t about switching thoughts off, but about acknowledging them and letting thoughts pass by in order to bring the attention back to the breath. Settling and quietenin...

      After shedding light on the impact of Suranne Jones’ performance and the harrowing storyline shared in Episode 1 ‘I am Victoria’, I wanted to touch upon the other two episodes in the series. ‘I am’ is a mini-series on Channel 4, made up of three episodes with different casts tackling challenges and taboo topics faced throughout womanhood that are all emotionally raw, thought-provoking and personal. As addressed in a previous blog, episode one takes us through Victoria’s journey as she’s pushed towards a breakdown. The powerful performances, Dominic Savage’s detailed direction and step to bring such a sensitive subject matter to screen has been praised across the nation. It’s proven to be a success, Episode 2 and 3 haven’t been a disappointment either, they’ve continued to have a huge impact on viewers and the conversations had around women, wellbeing and taboo topics. Episode 2 ‘I am Danielle’, delves into consent, relationships and boundaries. Danielle is playe...

                                                   ‘CHANNEL 4's POWERFUL NEW MINI SERIES’ ‘I am…’ is a new three part series on Channel 4 of searingly truthful dramas. Each one hour episode follows a different protagonist and shares their story, each focusing on an important subject matter, supporting raising awareness and increasing conversation around such topics. ‘I am Victoria’ is the first of the three. Suranne Jones takes on the role of Victoria and does so phenomenally, her performance is extremely raw, honest and at times difficult to watch. Sharing Victoria’s story, a mother trying to do it all and hurtling towards a breakdown. We see her juggle multiple aspects of her life, finding it difficult to manage until it reaches a point of extremity. It’s a very moving and harrowing piece, equally important in raising awareness and discussion around m...

MORE OF MY FAVOURITE PODCASTS ON THE BLOCK. I’m back with another 5 of my favourite podcasts, their hosts, what they cover and why I’d recommend them to others. 1)   1)  BOBO AND FLEX: This is a vital listen, important and educational but also equally fun and inspirational. Hosted by friends Bobo Matjila and Lillian Ahenkan (Flex Mami) they bring us a psychology and lifestyle podcast. It’s particularly fascinating as it’s cross-continental, Bobo was born in South Africa and raised in New York and Flex is Ghanaian-Australian. They’re passionate about bringing conversations surrounding identity, intersectionality and mental health to podcast platforms and every episode challenges your beliefs, perspective and what you know. They’re constantly teaching me something new and encouraging listeners to question the way we function, behave and think in the world we live in today. They facilitate discussions on taboo subjects, sexual liberation, dating and critical thinking, huge top...

‘Listen and learn, listen and love.’ Another Podcast post. 6 podcasts that I particularly love. This week I thought I’d share some more of my favourite podcasts. Whether it’s because they’ve taught me, enlightened me, inspired me or simply entertained me, here’s a few that I’d recommend listening to and a brief outline of what they cover. 1)  1)  HAPPY PLACE: Hosted by Fearne Cotton, this podcast is equally beautiful and inspirational. Bringing a different guest on for each episode, she discusses what helps them experience happiness, as well as the difficulties they’ve faced through their life. It’s insightful hearing about others’ lives and through discussing the mind and its battles it helps to remove the stigma that surrounds mental health. It’s reassuring to remind yourself that you’re not alone and that everyone has their highs and lows. Fearne is a great host, very compassionate, calm and a great listener. There are some very insightful conversations and inspiration...