It's pretty much a Paris-themed week on the blog due to my recent return so I thought I'd continue with this week's Five Favourites dedicated to my favourite places/things to do in Paris. So if you're planning a trip, here's five ideas for you:
1. Have a cocktail in La Favorite
Absolutely my favourite bar in Le Marais. It's been my haunt for a while, throughout my placement year and when I returned this week. It's a little pricey but Happy Hour (7pm to 9pm) solves that, plus they really are seriously good cocktails. I can also vouch for the mocktails being incredible too, and are also included in Happy Hour. Find details on their website here.
2. Eat Ladurée macarons
When people say they are the best in Paris, they're not wrong. I reckon there are a few independent patisseries that equal them but they are worth their name and, if you're going to try macarons while in France (which you should!) then they may as well be Ladurée with their many enticing flavours. If you can drag your eyes away from the pastel coloured rainbow of macarons then they also do other patisseries and bakes, as pictured above. Find the nearest shop here.
3. Cycle around Le Marais
I was persuaded by a friend to do this on my year abroad and was so pleased I did! I love Le Marais anyway but if you're brave enough to jump on one of the Velibs (find one close to Le Marais by Saint Paul metro stop) it gives a totally different view of this pretty area. The streets are far quieter too so you can worry less about traffic!
4. Sit on one of the bridges
It almost doesn't matter which one because they all give a different but gorgeous perspective of Paris. Watch the sun go down, or come up and it'll be magical. Watching the sun go down the night before my birthday was truly memorable!
5. Visit Shakespeare and Company bookshop
If you're a Literature student, or just love books, you'll love this little bookshop. It is a bit of a tourist trap and there are other equally cute bookshops in Paris but this is easy to find, and is next to Notre Dame to just pop in. Its history and charming nooks, along with its dedicated reading spaces make it a book-lover's dream. Make sure to go as soon as it opens for a quieter experience. Click here for their website.
Hope I've given you some ideas for your trip to Paris! Do you have any favourite haunts? I'd love to hear them!
Let me start this post by saying that by no means do I class myself as an excellent or highly experienced runner. I haven't run any marathons, or half-marathons for that matter, and I've only been running for about two years which is apparently quite a short period of time in the running world. However, I think what I am able to offer is a 'normal' person's view of the exercise and how I genuinely believe that anyone can start running and learn to love it. Sound too good to be true? Read on!
I think there's this assumption that to be a runner, you have to be naturally sporty and fit. I can tell you now that, in my case, that idea could not be further from the truth. I began running during my year abroad in France because with no internet connection and a lack of a social life, I needed to fill my time and also find an outlet for the stress and anxiety that came with moving countries. I found this in running. Sure, I'd tried to get into it in previous summers and loved seeing an improvement but I gave up pretty quickly. It was always easier to sit in and eat (because I've always loved food) rather than to get out running. Nevertheless, I kept at it in France. Probably driven by my situation, I started around October time and shortly I was going about three times a week.
Knowing that I had to run past the school children (including some of those I taught) or that I would have to get up early to avoid them almost hindered my motivation. But I think the key to combatting excuses and discomfort comes with routine. I organised my runs around my teaching days and knew I loved to run early on a Sunday morning because I was usually the only one around. After about three weeks, it became habit and gradually I felt my ability getting better and better until I managed to run for 40 minutes without stopping. Soon, I'd continued throughout the Christmas period when I had returned home. I'd even had to buy a new pair of trainers, and I was considering signing up for 5kms races when I came back to the UK.
And, unbelievably, I stuck at it. I stress that I am not a sporty girl (or at least, I wasn't!)- I was the girl who hated PE at school. But I think once I'd got myself into the routine and began to see a quick improvement which does happen when you first start, my motivation stayed and it became normal. Now, I can honestly say I love it. Sure I have bad runs, but I've never regretted a run and I think that's key. I'm always pleased I've got out, even if it's only for half an hour, and if I go for even a day or two without running I get a real itch to go again. It's a part of my life, and whenever I feel myself getting a bit reluctant to go, all I have to remember are some of my longest and best runs; absolutely nothing beats reaching the top of a tough hill and being met with the view of a sunrise.
So if you take anything from this post, take these five points:
1. Don't think you can't run, because everyone can (unless you have injuries, in that case you're forgiven!). All you need is a pair of trainers and headphones.
2. It's horrible to admit it to yourself but the voices inside your head that say 'go tomorrow', or 'it's a bit early' are excuses and if you really do want to run or exercise more, I promise you'll feel 10 times better once you recognise that and overcome them.
3. Get into a routine. Dedicate a certain time each week and stick to it for a few weeks and it'll start to feel normal.
4. Recognise and appreciate your improvement. You know that tree that you couldn't run to last time? Feel that pride once you pass it because even if it's only by a few metres, that's still an improvement and it'll make you feel epic.
5. Finally, if you ever feel like you 'can't' (the amount of times this word has been through my head is probably in its millions), remember some of my favourite running quotes:
I hope this post has been helpful, I definitely could have done with some reassurance when I first started. So go and get motivated!! And let me know below how you get on!
I'm the first to admit that I'm a complete stress-head. I'm a nightmare for worrying and panicking. It's partly because I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so when things don't go quite according to plan my automatic reaction is to get anxious.
Joining the Bloglovin' community recently (omg, best decision everrrr - it's equalled Instagram in its addictiveness) I found quite a few posts about stress management and general advice about coping. Although most of the advice was pretty obvious, I actually found the posts extremely helpful. Maybe it's because I feel guilty if I tell myself I'm stressed, like I'm not allowed to be, but when other people suggest that it's okay to feel overwhelmed and take a step back from it all, I listened. And it felt good!
Here's one blogger whose post I could definitely relate to. The part about feeling guilty and university was particularly relevant! From Roses is a fantastic blog, and I'd thoroughly recommend taking a look around her site because her content is both beautiful and insightful.
That I was helped by such posts made me want to write this one. As a self-proclaimed stress-head (see above), I hit a new low during my dissertation process. I always knew it would be one of the most intense periods of my university career, but I got so worked up about it that I actually began to make myself ill. Nothing serious, but enough that made me sit up and take notice and realise that it wasn't worth it, stress is simply not worth sacrificing happiness, health and well-being. So this turning point has led me to offer the following advice if you too are a worrier, stress a lot, or just find it difficult to relax...
1. Exercise. I know, I know. Some of you might roll your eyes at this, and I know that some people don't think exercise if for them but believe me - I was one of those people!! About 18 months ago, I wouldn't exercise if you paid me. But then I discovered running and I never looked back. It's become a part of my life and acts as a serious stress-reliever. The power of escaping your worries and running in the countryside is unbeatable.
2. Plug in those headphones, put on your favourite songs, and turn it up. Whether you feel like listening to a calming playlists (there's some great ones on Spotify), or you choose your favourite pop hits, do it without looking at/doing anything else - just listen. If you want to get up and dance, do it! Having a boogie is one of the best stress-busters.
3. Light some candles, get a mug of your favourite hot chocolate and curl up with a book or your favourite program. Go wild and add a bar of chocolate into the mix. Losing yourself in a fictional world is the perfect escape, even if I am biased as a Literature student!
4. Don't isolate yourself. This is easier to do than you realise. Working independently, even when you're surrounded by people, takes its toll and a simple interaction like a half-hour coffee break with friends will do wonders. It'll take your mind away from your worries, give you a chance to laugh and ensure you take a break from your work!
5. Nourish from within. Around the time I got into running, my diet and tastes had a change too. I discovered how good it feels to feed your body with the right foods and nutrients it needs. This is something that easily gets lost when you're stressed because you'll feel like spending time preparing something in the kitchen takes away from productive time spent elsewhere. But if you want your body and brain to perform at its best, there really is no replacing the benefits of good food.
6. Take 10 minutes of total relaxation. If you find yourself on the verge of a complete panic, take a step away and for at least 10 minutes lie down, close your eyes and put all of your concentration into encouraging every muscle in your body to relax. I recently started going to yoga and other well-being classes and the relaxation time at the end is one of my favourite parts. No matter what my worries are, I'm able to forget them in this moment and concentrate on making my body feel more relaxed. On a similar note, don't disregard the power of sleep. The optimum of 7-9 hours per night allows your body to re-energise and gives a new perspective on things in the morning.
I hope these ideas could help you in the way that I've been encouraged by other bloggers to allow myself down time, and not feel guilty about it. I've realised that my well-being and health are super important and now definitely understand that my body needs time out to work at its best.
Are any of you worriers too? What do you all do to relax? Or do you have any tips to help with stress management? As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts below!
2. Eat Ladurée macarons
