Hello friends, and welcome to this week’s instalment of my new mini-series. I hope you are having a relaxing and peaceful Sunday.
It’s been quite a heavy week on this blog, so I thought I’d do something simpler for this Spiritual Sunday.
Today, I want to share with you five things that have brought me a lot of joy, and have given me some things to think about, this week.
Tapping into your spirituality is something you don’t have to do alone, and the following things have brought me a lot of peace and helped me so much when it comes to my own issues, feelings, and perspectives. If you’re on a spiritual journey right now or trying to make some changes to your life, I’d highly recommend checking out the resources below.
A BOOK
The book I have been reading and savouring this week is ‘The Unexpected Joy Of Being Sober’ by Catherine Gray.
While sobriety isn’t necessarily a major concern for me at the moment, you might have seen this week that I’m reconsidering my habits and thinking about healthier behaviours I require to make my life simpler.
I’ve briefly spoken about my relationship with alcohol in the past on this blog (which you can read here) but it’s not something I’ve ever wanted to confront head-on, to be honest.
This is such an honest, insightful, and friendly book about sobriety! Catherine is not preachy in the slightest and in fact it feels like you’re sitting down for a cuppa with a friend while she gives you advice. This book has given me a lot of insights into not only my relationship with drinking, but other ‘addictions’ I have.
If you’re wanting some self-help that actually works, without making you feel like a bad person or feeling as though improvement is too far out of reach, I’d highly recommend this book.
A PODCAST
On Thursday night I gave myself a little pamper evening, with face masks and candles and the whole se-bang. I like to listen to interesting podcasts to keep me entertained during this time, and I found some episodes of Russell Brand’s podcast on YouTube.
Now, Russel Brand is not really someone I spend much time dealing with, to be honest. I’ve never gotten on with his content in the past, but I have been interested in this new spiritual/self-development theme he’s moved towards in recent years.
His podcast ‘Under The Skin’ has been one I’ve listened to every now and again when it first come out, but the episodes are now under a paywall. However, some of these episodes are available for free on YouTube and I stumbled across them this week.
I absolutely adored this episode where Russell interviews Brene Brown, who you will know from this post that I adore. I also listened to his interview with Ricky Gervais which was a very peaceful, insightful, and funny conversation.
I’m hoping to listen to more of his interviews, as there are suprisingly quite a lot available for free on YouTube.
A TED TALK
I adore Ted Talks. Like podcasts, they’re something I put on in the background where I can learn and be entertained at the same time.
This week, I’ve been taking the time to actually watch and fully engage with the Ted Talks I have saved to my watch later. While playing things in the background is a great way to get through tasks, I find that sometimes I miss a lot of what is being said and the impact it can have on me.
I’ve listened to several talks this week alone, but my favourite has been ‘Why is Everyone So Fat, Broke, And Busy?’ by Jeff Gaines.
Now this sounds like a shame-filled title, but the talk isn’t like that at all! It’s very interesting and Jeff does a brilliant job of explaining how the brain works and the way we create habits and routines.
I adore his way of talking and the daft graphics he uses in his presentation made me chuckle, but they really have helped the information to stick.
A PLAYLIST
I don’t listen to music nearly as much as I used to, and this makes me sad. I’m actively trying to incoperate more music into my life because it can be so impactful on my mood.
This playlist isn’t really music you would sit and jam out to, if that is even a saying, but it is one I’ve had on repeat this week.
I love a bit of lofi music to put on in the background when I’m reading or chilling. I adore this Autumn playlist I found on Spotify.
Some of the best times this week have been spend sat in my room, with candles and fairy lights on, reading while it rains and this playlist on in the background. It makes you feel all cosy and it’s great to work to without getting distracted.
A YOUTUBE CHANNEL
There’s been a bit of YouTube on this list, but it is one of my main sources of entertainment!
Beauty content is something I used to watch loads of when I was younger, but since trying to cut down my spending and finding other interests it’s something I have fallen out of love with.
That is until I re-discovered Robert Welsh’s channel. Robert, if you don’t know, is a professional MUA and his videos are so educational. I adore his soft spoken voice and the overall aesthetic of his videos.
My favourite videos of his are the react content, where he reacts to other people doing their makeup and tells you how it can be approved, and the tutorials in which he uses makeup techniques he hates. If you’re looking for wholesome, educational and worthwhile beauty content without the drama and incessant shouting then give Robert a go.
For more content like this, I’d recommend his brother James Welsh’s channel where he talks skincare and their joint podcast – The Double Cleanse.
WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?
I hope you have a great start to the week, friends. Remember to take care of yourself and stay safe.
Speak soon,
Rachael.
Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash
Rachaelic 