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It’s now time for me to share other people’s wonderful blogs. Please go and show my June 2022 advertisers some love, by commenting, sharing their posts, and interacting with one another. I regularly post on Twitter about the blogging community and how it is great to be part of such a supportive group of people.
There is something for everyone in this bunch.
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ClaireMac Blog
A little bit about the blog
Claire Mac is a parenting & lifestyle blogger based in the North East of England. She has two girls, one who’s 3 and the other 8 months. Although she blogs about her parenting experience, motherhood doesn’t define her and she shows her audience how mums can be themselves as well as being somebody’s parent. Claire is an advocate for giving mum guilt the middle finger and embracing a non-judgemental view of motherhood. Her lifestyle blog covers various topics from parenting to self-love and self-care. It’s a space where readers can come back time and time again for relatability, reassurance and encouragement.
Mum Life and Me is a parenting, mental health and self-improvement blog written by a thirty something mum of two from North Yorkshire. After 10 years of living in Epping, Essex, the family finally decided to move up North to be closer to family. Mum Life and Me discusses everything from pregnancy to breastfeeding, to breakdowns to managing anxiety and depression.
Dispeller is a well-being brand without the sanctimonious fluff. I wanted to create a space dedicated to curiosity, shattering illusions, and being true to yourself. Essentially, I write about all the things I wish I’d worked out many years ago.
Guest blog post: brought to you by Amber Louise of the Lady Boss Nomad blog
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One of the greatest lies we tell ourselves is that we’re stuck in a rut. However, did you know it’s not only possible to change your situation but to also change yourself too?
The mind is a powerful thing. It can be our greatest ally or our biggest enemy. The key to reinventing yourself is to gain control over the mind and start living the life you want to live. One way you can do this is by keeping a journal.
Since my mid-teens, I have kept some form of a journal whether it be an art journal, a diary or a bullet journal. Now I keep a journal for creative brainstorming in both my business and personal life and I keep an A5 journal for all my mixed media art.
being 100% honest about your thoughts and feelings can be difficult to start with. You need to remember that your journal is a safe place. It’s a non-judgmental space which enables you to say exactly how you feel with no repercussions or judgements.
It’s a wonderful outlet especially for me as I suffer from GAD or Generalised Anxiety Disorder but, the high functioning kind which can easily go undetected by others. So you see it’s extremely important for me to have a creative and reflective outlet as a busy boss lady that runs her blog.
Here in this post, I want to share with you my best tips for creating a daily journal practice that can reduce your anxiety and stress. These are life-saving tips that can improve your whole mindset and is a form of self CBT Cognitive Behavioural Therapy technique.
Tip number 1: Choose the right journal for yourself
Ok, so this one may sound a little silly, but the journal you choose can have a significant impact on how effective it is. Your journal is supposed to inspire and motivate you to use it. So, if you don’t love it, you’re not going to feel very inspired.
Take your time to choose the right journal. Think about its design and how the pages are set out. Do you love it? Can you see yourself writing in it every day? It may sound a little ridiculous, but the right journal will pick you.
Tip number 2: Start by writing about the things you’re grateful for
Once you’ve got the right journal, figuring out how to start it can be pretty tough. So, if you’re struggling, start by writing a list of the things you’re grateful for. This can either be done first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening. There are advantages to doing it during both times, so it’s all about what works for you.
All too often, we spend most of our time focusing on the things we don’t have or the things we wish we had. This makes us forget about the positive things we do have. Journaling helps you to focus on the positive things in the here and now, rather than wasting time and energy wishing for something more.
So how can this help you to reinvent yourself? Well, the more positive you are, the easier you’ll find it to make a change. It’s often our negativity which sets us back in life so anything which makes us more positive can help us to reinvent ourselves.
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Tip number 3: Be absolutely honest in your journal
Journaling isn’t going to help you if you aren’t 100% honest. The trouble is, you may find you spend so much time hiding how you feel, that being 100% honest about your thoughts and feelings can be difficult to start with. You need to remember that your journal is a safe place. It’s a non-judgmental space which enables you to say exactly how you feel with no repercussions or judgements.
Once you’re honest about your thoughts and feelings and what you want from life, you’ll be able to see what you need to do to change.
Tip number 4: Write down your biggest goals
Use the journal to write down what it is you want to achieve. This can be done in the form of short term and long-term goals. It’s important to see the big picture. Where do you want to be in 3-5 years and how could you potentially get there?
Writing down your goals and identifying the steps you need to take to make a change, will help massively.
Tip number 5: Make it a daily routine if you can
It’s important to use your journal daily. Set up a daily routine where you write in your journal at a specific time. Once you’ve gotten used to writing in the journal, it will become an automatic habit you carry out each day.
As with anything, to reinvent yourself, you need to be persistent and committed. So, be sure to write in your journal every single day.
Summary
These are just 5 ways that you can reduce your anxiety daily through journaling practice. The more you do it, the more chances you’ll start to see – both in how you feel and how you act. I am 100% certain that a journal will help you to reduce your stress and anxiety if you make it part of your daily routine.
It can also improve your focus and generate creative brainstorming which is crucial for busy CEOs and boss ladies. Often I will use my journal to brainstorm blog post ideas or even a whole product launch. If you too a busy boss lady who has high functioning anxiety then definitely give this a try. Other ways you can use your journal are brainstorming recipes or jotting down positive affirmations. I just know you’ll love this practice as much as I do!
Amber Louise is the busy CEO and Founder of the Lady Boss Nomad. She inspires women with useful tips, resources, motivation & encouragement to help their digital businesses thrive. She helps female entrepreneurs launch a digital businesses. This service is for those who already have digital products but just need a robust platform or for newbies needing ideas on which digital products to sell, she goes through ebooks, eCourses, printable’s etc. She can offer guidance on the best tools and resources for digital businesses and blogs about product launching, marketing and sales page creation.
I always wanted to write a book about my life. I have storage boxes full of notebooks, diaries, poems I thought I could use to contribute to becoming a fully-fledged writer.
When the bottom of my world literally fell out from underneath me. Redundancy, a breakdown, a pandemic. Uncertainty central. I decided it was time for a change. Why not start your own blog, I thought? What’s the worst that could happen?
I felt compelled to share my story and what better way to do this than embracing the world of social media and online connections. After all, that’s where it’s at, right?
You have something to add. Your life experiences are unique and someone out there will benefit from what you have to say.
Quick note: Mummy Conquering Anxiety is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and thinkwould be useful for you.
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I have a list of incredible reasons to start your own blog TODAY…
Your own platform
Starting your own blog can get your message out there.
I’m seeing a lot of wonderful people with amazing things to say and messages which should be out in the world for others to see. But sometimes this is limited to one social media site and I would love to see more content from this person.
Having a blog, which is connected to other social media sites, allows you to gain more followers and get your message out to more people. You control the content and create everything on the site.
If you’re thinking of setting up a blog and need web hosting, Bluehost is amazing. They provided me with the best customer service I’ve ever received when I recently lost my website! I HAVE to recommend them to other people.
It’s your chance to create something of your own
How exciting? I did a lot of research before starting my own blog. I decided I needed a chic-looking theme and I wanted to spend money upfront to ensure the branding was good.
After all, this place is like your office, your space, home from home. You’ve created it and why not make it look appealing?
If you need a theme, please check out Bluchic. I’ve had a few technical questions since setting up my blog and their customer service is fantastic. I am considering setting up a second blog and they will be my first choice for a theme.
Before starting my own blog, I was unsure about whether I should do this or not. Self-doubt crept in.
I spent 15 years doubting myself. My confidence wasn’t in a great place and like all bloggers starting out, I was seriously asking myself whether anyone would listen to what I had to say.
I gained a high number of followers on my social media platforms without really putting much content out there. On Instagram, there were 7 posts saying good morning and connecting with people. Despite this, amazing things were already happening when I started interacting with other people.
You have something to add. Your life experiences are unique and someone out there will benefit from what you have to say. Imagine the feeling of helping someone, without really knowing it. Just trusting that you are making a difference.
What are you waiting for?
Gain confidence
Starting the blog has helped me gain confidence in my writing ability. The lovely comments and compliments I receive mean the world to me and confirm I’m on the right path. Just like the one below.
Making connections
I interact with such wonderful, smart, supportive bloggers on a daily basis and I genuinely love commenting on their work and making connections.
The blogging community really is the best. An amazing group of people all supporting each other and I feel lucky to be part of it.
Use is as a diary
Writing is therapeutic and it certainly helped me during a tough time.
Your blog posts can be any format: a diary entry, a rant, or an informative post. You get to choose the type of content you share.
It creates opportunities
Whatever your end goal is, starting a blog WILL create opportunities.
Some opportunities have come to me, through social media messages and emails. Others I’ve had to work hard for.
The main thing is, good things are happening now I have my voice out there in the world. And I am finally doing something I love.
What you need to begin your blogging journey…
A computer
Sounds silly doesn’t it, but it’s true. I’ve heard some people try and run a blog without a laptop. But honestly, there are only certain tasks I can do on my laptop. That said, I do use my phone for some admin tasks like social media interaction and noting down ideas, occasionally writing in google documents.
Research
I spent a lot of time researching how I would set up my blog.
Pinterest was a massive source of information for me. Other bloggers give the best advice because they have walked in your shoes and can speak from experience.
Time
Luckily, due to my situation, I had time to set up the blog. I desperately needed to occupy my mind with something to stimulate my brain but also help my mental health.
Don’t worry if you don’t have huge amounts of time. Sometimes I only manage 30 minutes a day for blogging tasks. But I look at it like that’s a few things off my to-do list and you can only tackle small chunks, which then lead to bigger goals.
Small steps really do amount to something amazing.
Patience
It is correct that it takes roughly three months to rank on Google or start seeing any results in terms of traffic to your website.
I was starting to feel deflated. I went for a weekend away. I had writer’s block and was just not feeling the blogging vibes for about a week. Then I checked my DA score and surprisingly it was at 9, EXACTLY three months after I released my first blog post.
DA is at 9! Wooooooo hooooooooooo! Can’t quite believe it. But I have worked my back side off since 12 August!! 👍
Almost six months since starting the blog, I am a bit more comfortable with revealing other details about my life and it feels great to open up about the aspects of life I love.
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How does the tag work?
Be Unapologetically You Tag Rules:
1. Use the Be Unapologetically You banner in your post. It can be your featured image or not. It’s totally up to you.
4. Nominate between 5-10 bloggers, link to their blogs, and tag them on social media to notify them.
5. Most of all, have fun!
Reminder: you don’t need to include the “Be Unapologetically You Tag” in your blog post title if you don’t want to.
Be Unapologetically YouQuestions:
Introduce yourself and your blog while sharing one trivia about you that not that many people know.
What topics do you love geeking out about that you would say are topics that give you bliss?
Do you blog about them? Why or why not? If not, would you like to blog about them one time?
Would you say that you are living life by being unapologetically you? Why or why not? If not, what would your life look like if you were unafraid to share more about the things that make you happy?
Permission to geek out & be unapologetically you: share with us one thing you fangirl or fanboy over and how you became a fan of it. It can be anything. Your love for soy candles, your favorite food, a boy band or an underrated film.
What do you love the most about being a fan?
Share a fun or unforgettable fan experience.
Before we get into the questions, I wanted to say this tag is perfect for me at this moment in time. Following a mental breakdown and redundancy from my job of almost 10 years, I have an overhauled perspective on life. I feel like a new person, with a fresh outlook. And I intend to make the most of this transformation and finally create the life I want to live.
Let’s dive into the questions
Introduce yourself and your blog while sharing one trivia about you that not that many people know.
I’m a mummy to a feisty toddler and a wife, living in the North of England, UK, and making it a priority to enjoy life.
Following my recent breakdown, I believe talking about our mental health struggles is key to recovery. My blog focuses on parenting and mental health, but I also explore other lifestyle topics.
Something people may not know about me, is I eat raw potatoes and I mentioned it in one of my other tag posts. I don’t know where it came from, but I still love them to this day. Although I can’t eat too many, because I don’t think the starch is very good for you.
What topics do you love geeking out about that you would say are topics that give you bliss?
In keeping with the trend of being unapologetically you, I have to talk about my love of gaming. I always thought it was just my hubby who was the geek. However, I am starting to realise it’s also me who loves geeky games. I think it comes from playing these with my dad and brother when we were younger. We have a Sega console and I love playing the old games and feeling a sense of nostalgia.
These days, I also love playing games on my phone as a way to destress. With a job search underway, a tempremental toddler and generally busy life, I need moments to decompress and a task I can easily dip in and out of.
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Do you blog about them? Why or why not? If not, would you like to blog about them one time?
When I first started the blog, I didn’t initially talk about these subjects. Almost six months since starting the blog, I am a bit more comfortable with revealing other details about my life and it feels great to open up about the aspects of life I love.
As the title of this post suggests, I have an overhauled perspective on life. It is inevitable when you go through life changing events.
Stay tuned to the blog for more on my mental health journey and my life adventures, whilst I go through this transition period. My second blog will be launching in the next few weeks and a third one in the next few months. I also plan on doing some freelance writing. The hope is I will gradually feel comfortable sharing more about my life.
Would you say that you are living life by being unapologetically you? Why or why not? If not, what would your life look like if you were unafraid to share more about the things that make you happy?
I am getting better at being more open. Simply because I realise this makes you more authentic and in turn, happier. Discussing my honest thoughts on the blog was the pivotal factor that aided my recovery from a mental health breakdown. I am so over hiding my true self. Whilst I will probably always keep some things private, there is a lot to be said about opening up.
I do have more work to do in this area though. I hid my anxiety from everyone for 15 years. Therefore I am at the beginning of my opening up journey and it is all new to me.
Permission to geek out & be unapologetically you: share with us one thing you fangirl or fanboy over and how you became a fan of it. It can be anything. Your love for soy candles, your favorite food, a boy band or an underrated film
I am a sucker for a candle or wax melt. Gone are the days I used to spend £50.00 in the Yankee candle shop on my lunchtime at work. These days I am all about deals, supermarket candles, and melts seem to be cheaper.
But yes, I have a great love of candles. If you’re looking for some cheap, but lovely smelling candles, I suggest checking out the range at Wilko. I use their tea lights and jar candles, because they smell amazing, but they are also affordable.
What do you love the most about being a fan?
The candle business is huge in the UK, but having them dotted around the house brings a sense of calm. It wasn’t until my breakdown I relaised how important these touches are. A relaxing bath and a candle literally helped to get me out of bed and start the day. Granted, it didn’t solve all my problems. A combination of factors did and this includes medication. However, self-care is a vital part of recovery.
I just love my passion for them because I know it aids my need to keep up self-care. And I always welcome a sense of calm in the house.
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When I previously had my lunchtime candle spending sprees. And spent all the extra money I was earning in the name of stress, I regularly purchased some cute Yankee candle Votive holders (these were also cheap to buy compared with the jar candles). One night, me and my now hubby were chilling and it broke due to increased heat. A bit of the jar cracked and popped across the room and we are lucky it didn’t hit anyone. I am always careful to this day, ensuring the wick isn’t resting on one side of the jar.
I’ve seen some posts from fellow bloggers recently discussing creative outlets, their main reason behind having writing as a passion. What motivates them to write and why do they enjoy it so much? It got me thinking.
I wanted to share my personal journey and my love of writing. I haven’t ended up at this point by accident. I picked up skills from my ancestors and I was always destined to reach this point.
I loved each and every one of these experiences. They made me who I am today… a writer.
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How it all began
Throughout my life, I’ve taken steps to turn my passion into something more. My ideas have usually been about giving back to society.
I wanted to study journalism and imagined myself uncovering some huge injustice, like Erin Brockovich. I then wanted to be an English teacher and during my university placements to further this dream, I spent time helping underachieving students. I worked with the Communications Manager for an NHS Trust, interviewing nurses and writing pieces for a newsletter. I loved each and every one of these experiences. They made me who I am today… a writer.
There is no avoiding the fact that writing is definitely in my blood Something which was pre-destined for me.
Further back in time
In this post about why I’m grateful to be a writer, I explain the following:
Istill have a nursery rhyme book I wrote lists in when I was tiny. From the age of 12, I was writing folders full of poetry. I wrote for our local newspaper and still have the clippings. I have a portfolio folder full of the pieces I wrote for work experience and throughout my university days and I one day dreamed about writing a book. I also toyed with the idea of becoming an English teacher.
I still have boxes full of diaries I wrote in during my younger days and sometimes go through them. It makes me feel nostalgic about those days. I really should read them again soon and get some inspiration for the blog. When we moved in together, I told my now hubby I was keeping these to one day contribute towards my book. It’s vital information I needed to keep, justifying the reason for taking up so much space in our storage cupboard.
During the worst times of my life, living through anxiety and depression, I’ve used journaling as the main technique to help me get through it. There is something about releasing the words onto the physical piece of paper. Therapists have taught me to rip them up afterward and complete a breathing exercise. Literally releasing the negative energy from my body and it really does make you feel better when you complete this exercise.
My relatives and their writing
When we first moved into our house, nearly 6 years ago, I was adamant I wanted to display two pieces of writing, one from my grandpa and another from my aunty on our wall. I didn’t consciously know at the time, but it’s because it inspires me each day. I literally wanted to view the skills I picked up from my ancestors.
Discovering treasure
I first came across the below piece of writing when my grandma used to let me go through her things. Like any little girl would. She had drawers full of jewels, an old 1950’s suitcase packed full of old photos and amongst all these wonderful gems, was this letter my grandpa sent to my grandma. I loved it from the first time I saw it. I was probably about 10 years old.
There is no avoiding the fact that writing is definitely in my blood Something which was predestined for me.
Writing supplies
As writers, we all need our vital supplies. I used to be adamant about writing paper lists only, but I’ve come around to the idea of technology, due to starting the blog. Paper lists mean I basically had to cross everything out, because life is so hectic.
That isn’t to say I don’t like my paper-based stationery. It still excites me and I write notes as I’m working.
The only way I can describe the excitement I feel is this. When I walk down the stationery aisle at Wilko, I hear the York Minster choir singing in my head and I feel an excitement I just cannot describe (BTW I cried when they sang on a random visit when they were practicing!). This should convey the level of excitement I feel.
Purchase your Wilko stationery here…
A list of some more amazing stationery…
Paperchase – I have an absolute obsession with the shop. I’m basically banned from entering a shop or buying online. I do keep trying to convince my little one she loves it because of course, daddy won’t say no to her. I have a solution, a shopping trip with the little one and grandad.
We haven’t even broached the subject of Smiggle yet… hmmmm!
Boots – each year I get a new piece from the Zoella collection. The hubby is fully aware it is to be added to my Christmas list.
Final thoughts
What inspires you to write?
Do you have another passion you feel comes from family members?
What skills did your ancestors pass down?
Let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.
Being a freelance writer is an incredibly rewarding job. You get to work from the comfort of your own home, set your own hours and rates, and have the freedom to write about whatever topics you’re passionate about. Yet there are also some challenges that come along with this type of work. To become a successful freelance writer, you need to be organized, have excellent writing skills, and be able to market yourself effectively. But that’s not all.
As much as this career choice isn’t impossible to master and turn into a very lucrative career, it can often take more than a creative voice and good contacts. This is a business endeavour after all, so it’s important to get it right. So to help you get started, in this blog post, we’re going to take a look at what it takes to become a successful freelance writer.
Develop Your Writing Skills
Before you can start working as a freelance writer, you need to develop your writing skills. Start by reading as much as possible and practising writing in different styles. Take classes or workshops, if necessary, to hone your craft. Of course, you’ll always get better by doing. So keep writing and writing more to help you to establish your voice and improve your craft.
Find Your Niche
Next, you’ll want to pick your key niches. It’s important that writers identify their niche so that they can specialize in certain types of projects and build expertise in those areas over time, rather than trying to do too many things at once without any real focus or direction. You don’t have to get too specific here, but knowing that you write about travel or business or tech or TV is a great place to start.
Research the Market
You need to understand what types of writing businesses and publications are looking for before you start pitching yourself for jobs. Do some research into which publications might be interested in hiring you and what kinds of stories they’re looking for. Again, team this up with your skills and interests so that you can come up with a few areas of expertise that you want to specialise in.
Create Your Portfolio
A portfolio is essential if you want people to take you seriously as a freelancer. Start by creating a website or blog where you can showcase samples of your work and link back to articles that have been published elsewhere online or in print magazines or newspapers. It doesn’t matter if you’re brand new — write some blog posts on your site or write for free to get some samples going to start with.
Set Up as a Business
One of the most important things is to get set up as a business from the start. You will need an easy way for clients to pay you for your services. So sign up for payment accounts like PayPal or Venmo so that clients can easily transfer money into your account after they hire you for a project. You’ll also want to register yourself as a business officially and for tax purposes. This is best to do early on, so you can treat your freelance writing like the business it actually is.
Build Your Network
Networking is essential if you want to find new clients and stay on top of industry trends and news. Reach out via social media or attend industry events so that potential employers know who you are and what kind of services you offer as a freelancer. Also, look to go to networking events and make connections online to help yourself get noticed.
Pitch Yourself For Jobs
Once all the groundwork has been done, it’s time to start looking for work. Start by searching online job boards such as Problogger or Upwork for freelance gigs related to your speciality area(s) of interest. You can also send pitches directly to business owners and editors to land gigs or introduce yourself. This is a huge part of the job and should be something that you get more comfortable doing.
Determine Your Rates
However, before sending out any proposals, make sure that your rates reflect the amount of experience that you bring with each particular client opportunity. This will ensure that both parties feel comfortable with the arrangement moving forward. When it comes to publications, you may find that they are the ones that let you know what they can pay or what their rates are.
Keep Learning
The best way to stay on top of trends in the industry is by continuing education. Whether it’s attending seminars or webinars related specifically towards writing or your niche, reading more, or keeping up to date with industry trends — make sure that you’re doing it. Not only that but make sure to learn how to get the most out of your writing tools. With options like setapp.com, you can get more familiar with your laptop or computer to help you be more productive. Over time, you’ll feel like more of a master at it.
Stay Organized
Last but not least, it’s important that you’re always focusing on staying organized. If you don’t know where you are with pitches and projects, things can get messy. So make sure that you’re setting clear milestones and expectations upfront, then track the progress too. Using more online tools, like Trello or Asana, can help you here. It’s all about making sure you know where you are and so do your clients. This can be essential when it comes to delivering your work and meeting deadlines.
Breaking into the World of Freelance Writing
Becoming a successful freelance writer requires dedication and hard work—but it can be incredibly rewarding when done correctly. While there’s no set formula for making this work for you, you will find that the points in this blog post create a great guide for you to stick to. By following the key steps that we’ve outlined, from perfecting your writing and finding your niche to making connections and getting set up like a business, you’ll be well on your way towards finding success within this ever-growing field!
AD – PLEASE NOTE – these advertisers were winners of my recent giveaway
February 2022 giveaway
I just want to say thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and shared my posts. It was great to give something back to the blogging community.
Look out for more giveaways from me in the future.
I feel privileged to introduce you to my March 2022 advertisers
Please go and show my March 2022 advertisers some love, by commenting, sharing their posts, and interacting with one another. I regularly post on Twitter about the blogging community and how it is great to be part of such a supportive group of people.
There is something for everyone in this bunch. Izzy is a pro at teaching other people about the blogging world. AFF – You can check out several useful courses from Izzy. I am working through the ‘How to Make a Money-Making Blog’ course at the moment and I honestly feel so motivated. Wish I had done this when I first started my blogging journey!
Alexis runs a great blog, all about make-up, college, and other lifestyle topics. You can also check out the second blog she created.
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Let’s dive in…
Izzy Matias
Why I loved checking out Izzy’s blog
Izzy is one of the bloggers in the community I have regular contact with and she is so supportive.
A little bit about the blog
Izzy Matias is an author, blogger, and content creator at izzymatias.com. She helps content creators build their dream blogs by being unapologetically themselves and sharing the things that they love and make them happy. For her, that’s travel, K-pop, blogging, and her unique lifestyle: a fangirl approach to life.
Alexis is one of the bloggers in the community I have regular contact with and I love her blog.
A little bit about Cafe Beauty blog
Cafe Beauty is a beauty and lifestyle-centric blog that helps you find the right products. Starting in 2020, Alexis started focusing on blogging tips and college-related posts. On the blog, you can find a variety of posts as she transitions to a new stage of life.
My online blogging journey began in July 2021. It was born out of hitting rock bottom and feeling compelled to help other people facing mental health struggles. I just had to write down my thoughts and feelings, and sharing my story aided my recovery. Now I am working on my third blog launch.
Needless to say, my writing journey began way back. I still have boxes full of poems and diaries I scribbled in and shoved away in our storage cupboard. I really should dig them out and do something with them! I’ve always considered myself a writer at heart. Writing is my method of communication. It’s how I express myself. Writing helps me process my emotions.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have bad days. Even bad weeks. Everything gets on top of me no matter how hard I try to prevent it. I still have unhealthy outbursts around those I love, because I allow anxiety to take over. However, no human is perfect. We are all flawed and the difference now, is I don’t beat myself up about my downfalls. Instead, I learn from it and move on.
So how have I turned this ability into something I do each day? A passion that has taken over my life, in the best way possible?
I don’t do anything by halves. I never have done. My university days were spent burning the candle at both ends for three years. And as a result, almost seriously quit three times. From there, my life carried on in much the same fashion. A constant pattern of, running around like a superwoman, with lack of sleep, high anxiety, believing I could tackle the world. My blogging journey is no different.
The only difference is, that I am now a transformed person, who can manage my anxiety better. It hasn’t gone away, and it probably never will. However, I now look after my well-being daily. I make myself a priority. Hitting rock bottom has forced me to admit I cannot take on the world and I need a job with fewer hours, so I can focus on my little girl more.
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Time to review the way I live my life
Admitting you are not superwoman, when you’re predisposed to believe it, is a hard pill to swallow. However, hitting rock bottom was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
Following my mental breakdown, I was forced to stop and take stock of my life. My mind and body wouldn’t allow any other mode than ‘go slow’. The only way to recover was daily self-care, medication, and self-love. By being brutally honest with myself and those closest to me, about my years of stress and anxiety. And telling the truth about what it did to me.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have bad days. Even bad weeks. Everything gets on top of me no matter how hard I try to prevent it. I still have unhealthy outbursts around those I love, because I allow anxiety to take over. However, no human is perfect. We are all flawed and the difference now, is I don’t beat myself up about my downfalls. Instead, I learn from it and move on.
In summary, I’ve set up two blogs and I am working on my third. However, I am confident I will know when a rest is required. When a long soak in the bath is to be favoured over writing a blog post.
You can be a certain personality type, even honour this, but also honour yourself and take care of your needs.
When you suffer the impact of a mental breakdown, you can’t ever go back to the person you were before. You’ve lived through the hard lessons already. It makes you a pro at detecting your stress levels are rising, and it’s time for some much-needed recharge time.
How do you manage your stress levels? I would love to know the techniques you use! Let me know in the comments below
I can’t wait to launch my third blog, in the meantime, you can view all my blog posts here. You can sign up for my freebie library here and you can check out the social media accounts for my second blog here.
By offering a guest post slot on my blog for other people, I felt like I was giving something back. I honestly felt emotional and proud to host some of the amazing writing I will talk about in this post.
And best of all, I got feedback like this:
Just wanted to extend my sincerest thanks to you for posting my content on your blog. I feel like it’s been very well received, and I so appreciate your help with getting the conversation and message out there. Please don’t hesitate to reach out in the future if there’s ever another project I can help with. Thanks for the great work that you do.
Guest posting is a way for us to strengthen our relationships in the blogging world. To support one another and share in our talents. For this reason, guest posts are still open on my blog and you can send your ideas using this form.
But I also wanted to dedicate a blog post to talking about the benefits of guest posting
Your writing can be seen by a wider audience, especially if you’re new to blogging
The reality is, not many people will see your writing when you start publishing. But don’t be disheartened! Google ranking takes time. Social media promotion can be tedious, but it also pays off. After three months I saw the results of my hard work.
Think of it like this. If you don’t tell anyone you’re writing is there, how will they know? Imagine the millions of Google searches each day and how hard it is to find one specific piece of writing. You have to trust the process.
You will make lasting connections with other bloggers
Some of the relationships I’ve formed by communicating with other bloggers via email are valued to this day. It’s refreshing to make contact via another communication method, other than Twitter. It’s also lovely to chat with other creative minds about your writing and get feedback.
Improving your domain authority (DA) score
For anyone who doesn’t know (I didn’t when I first started blogging) I am going to trust another source with explaining. I am not the most technical person, hehe!
Definition: Domain Authority (DA) is a metric created by the SEO consulting and research company Moz which measures a website’s likelihood to rank on search engines. “Authority” is often used outside of Moz’s metric to describe a domain’s relative “strength,” determined in large part by their backlink portfolio.
Domain Authority is used as a predictive measure for PageRank, Google’s proprietary algorithm that plays a major role in determining search engine results. Due to the shroud of secrecy around PageRank, Moz’s DA metric is widely considered to be one of the best third party tools for evaluating domain strength.
MY DA score started off low, but jumped to 15 after three months of immense hard work, day and night. And now it’s at 22. Backlinks from higher authority websites will improve your DA score. Who wouldn’t want to do that? Whilst also building lasting relationships.
A summary of the guest posts I wrote for other people
Head over and check them out. It’s great to have my writing on other people’s sites. Follow me on Twitter for updates on my guest posts.
A summary of my recent writing on other platforms
In recent months I’ve also expanded where I publish my writing. Some of what I want to say doesn’t fit with the topics on this blog and it’s refreshing to publish on another platform.
I love reading books and writing about everything in my life, and I also love participating in the stories other people have to share. As someone who loved the literature part of my English degree and still has the quotations book given to me as a prize by my headteacher as a teenager, soaking up literature is something I have continued into adulthood.
Prior to setting up three blogs, I attended the local literature festival for as long as I can remember. On those days I arrange childcare and totally clear my schedule. Free to immerse myself in culture, and words. More importantly, to be in the company of other amazing creatives. I am now finding ways to travel further afield. It is time to share with you what I found when I searched for more opportunities to do something I love.
Borderlines is a not-for-profit event, now in its 7th year, run by volunteers who believe in community – and the joy of words. We deliver a Festival that balances bringing major national and international names to Carlisle with celebrating and showcasing fantastic local talent. We also run events and activities that encourage and inspire individual creativity.
Encounter incredible writers, actors, comedians, musicians, poets & change-makers. Fri 7 – Sun 23 October 2022. Featuring Edward Enninful, Rob Delaney, Ian Rankin & more!
This is another gem I found out about from contact with a publisher. What a mission this bookshop has –
We want to work with schools and the local community to promote new ideas and initiatives. Through book clubs, ‘walking’ book clubs, poetry slams, storytelling events, book launches and writers’ workshops – we seek to share knowledge, cause conversation and bring people together through the spoken and written word.
27 October – 6 November 2022 – BOX OFFICE OPEN FROM 28 SEPTEMBER 2022
The festival website states –
The Petworth Festival is a remarkable success story. Founded over 40 years ago by Lord Egremont and a group of like-minded local people, including the composer Robert Walker, an event which first straddled a weekend has now become a major fixture in the summer diary, not just locally but also throughout the region.
A very warm welcome as we return to live events in Berwick at this year’s Festival. We are delighted to offer a varied and attractive programme that has a focus on Berwick and north-east England, a strong Scottish element, and an international aspect. We hope to entertain, to inform, and to encourage everyone with an interest in words and their expression. Over four days the 9th Festival will include both Zoom and live events around the town, using several new locations for the first time too. Central to north Northumberland and the eastern Scottish Borders, our walled town provides a stunning backdrop to very varied events.
Since 2008 we’ve been bringing you an exciting mixture of debate, ideas, celebrity author events, workshops and humour in spring and winter. We’re also a charity promoting the benefits of reading and writing on education, literacy and well-being in schools, the community and prisons.
The Festival is one of the most significant literary festivals in the UK, attracting thousands of people who share one passion: a love of books, writing and reading.
I have only recently heard about this festival, through contact with a publisher about reviewing some amazing writers who find new and creative ways to cope with anxiety. The festival website states –
Our vision is, and always has been, “To inspire more people to explore, respect and represent mountains, wilderness and their cultures” and today this seems more relevant and timely as ever.
A seasonal weekend of wonder! Join us for a very special Hay Festival Winter Weekend 24-27 November in the newly renovated Hay Castle. Priority booking opens to Friends of Hay Festival Tuesday 27 September. General booking opens Friday 30 September.
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