Five Things I Learnt From My Internet Detox



internet detox, personal development, harry potter colouring book, adult colouring books, colouring for adults,

I just finished doing 48 hours without internet in aid of Cancer Research UK. Here are the things that I learnt during this time.



1.       It is ok to use the internet sometimes 

I often feel bad that I use the internet as much as I do. I think that I should be doing other things instead. However, I have realised that it is ok to use the internet. It is ok to spend time on social media, post things and talk to others, as long as you are not spending too long on there or spending time on social media or accounts that make you feel bad about yourself.



2.       Without internet you can relive some good old times


Not having access to internet 24/7 reminded me of when I was younger and we literally did not have access to internet 24/7. We had to spend our time in other ways. The one activity that I spent most of my time doing was playing video games. I used to love spending time playing the same game over and over again and a lot of the games I never even completed because they were too difficult for me but it was still a lot of fun! Without internet, I actually played a couple of games that I had been thinking of playing for a while, without distraction. I could fully immerse myself in the game and in that moment. No muting the sound to watch a video at the same time, no pausing the game to check social media and it was good.

Rapid Fire Book Tag

rapid fire book tag, book tag, book blog, book blogger, reading, books to read, book recommendations, good books, bad books,



This is a book tag created by Kate from GirlReading (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-46EzDWdSY). There are a series of book related questions to answer so let’s go:


Q: E-Book or Physical Book? 
A: E-book, I know this is a controversial answer but I love my kindle so much! It is light to hold, keeps my page open and tells me an estimate of how much longer I have left in the book which helps motivate me to keep reading.


Q: Paperback or Hardback? 
A: I don’t really have a preference!


Q: Online or In-Store Book Shopping? 
A: I love shopping in a book store. Being surrounded by books is one of my favourite places. I can look at all of the different books available and choose whichever is available at the time. I often find books that I wasn’t originally planning on buying!


Q: Trilogies or Series?
A: I love series because then there are more books to read, as long as the books still continue to be great and there is enough story to last across more books.

Guest Post: The Psychology of Writer's Block by Kim from writersideoflife.com



writer's block, guest post, writing tips, writing advice, the psychology of writer's block, tips from a writer, tips for aspiring writers, advice for aspiring writers,

I want to talk about the dreaded realm of the tortured artist: Writer's Block. Anyone who calls themselves a writer has experienced it. Your coffee is hot and your fingers are poised over the keyboard. The cursor flashes black in a sea of white. All those ideas that were rushing around while you were trying to get to sleep are gone. Your mind is completely blank.

What is writer's block?

Writer's Block is defined as the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing. I love the quote by Thomas Mann; “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” So what makes it harder for us writers?

Fear of criticism

Writers are inherently sensitive people. They have to feel things deeply to be able to write about them in a way that feels relatable to other people. It follows that they will think deeply about others' attitudes towards their work.

April/May Goals



goals, goal ideas, blog goals, blogger goals, writing goals, reading goals, reading targets,



Hello! I have been spending a lot of time blogging and working on social media in relation to this. I love doing this but in between I am spending a lot of time just scrolling through social media and I am not getting other things done that I want to do. So here is a list of my goals to achieve over the next month or so:


Read


I really want to finish more books a week and I have been experiencing a reading slump in April! So my goal is to try to read even more. I need to actively make sure that I am fitting in reading time where possible because I love reading and there are so many more books that I want to read! My 48 hours of no internet is this weekend (28th-29th April) so I am hoping that will help kickstart some more reading (this is for Cancer Research UK and you can donate here).


Art


I have always wanted to be good at art and over the years I have experimented with different arts and crafts. Earlier this year I was lucky enough to obtain a drawing tablet to draw digitally and I have so far made a couple of drawings that I am proud of but I would like to try fitting in regular drawing time to practice and improve. 

Guest Post: Mental Health & Creativity by Hannah from thedysfunctionaldamsel.com

Today’s guest post is by Hannah from http://thedysfunctionaldamsel.com/I am honoured that she wrote a post discussing dealing with her mental health issues to share with you all. 


Hannah often writes about mental health and trying to navigate through life while making weird metaphors, pretending to be dinosaurs with her toddler and ranting about her obese dog.


My relationship with mental illness and creativity has been evolutionary. I was diagnosed with depression when I was merely 11 years old. I can remember feeling like an outsider even then, and not in the cute “no one gets my preteen angst” sort of way. Instead it was insidious self-hatred. I always felt as if I was stuck behind a glass pane, with my nose pressed against the window while I voyeuristically watched others enjoying their lives. I wanted so badly to have effortless joy, but had no idea how to find it or if I was even meant to have it. My acceptance of what I felt, of what I was, and just of myself truly started with channeling my creativity.

Deciding what to do with your life



how to choose a job, how to choose a career, how to find a career, looking for a job, what should i do with my life,



Finding what you want to spend your time doing- both for a career and for your free time, is something that can be really difficult to do. You may feel lost or you may have an idea. However, this idea can change as you grow older and that is okay. Even if you feel lost now, don’t worry, you will find your way. Here are some tips that may help:


What do you already enjoy? I have a passion for books, I love writing and reading and so it seems natural for me to hope for a career in this industry. You can always think of subjects that you enjoyed at school or people that you look up to.


What jobs stand out to you? It is okay to try different jobs, take work experience or internships or temporary jobs. Research related careers on job websites. For UK graduates, I would recommend Prospects.

Games that I am finding relaxing right now


relaxing games, games that are relaxing to play, games to play, good games,
I have always been a gamer. However, when my mental health dipped I found it harder to focus on video games and I haven’t really played them as much as I used to but I do want to change this. I am trying to relax more and here are two games that I am finding relaxing at the moment. I am focusing on these as these are what I feel like playing at the moment!


Kingdom Hearts Unchained X


I recently restarted this game after losing the account when my phone broke. This is a free mobile game based on the Kingdom Hearts series. You play as your own custom character and you go through levels finding items, opening treasure chests and fighting heartless (the creatures in some of the Kingdom Hearts games). You don’t need to have played Kingdom Hearts before to play this. The game is separated into short levels which is relaxing and fun.


For those of you that do play Kingdom Hearts, this game is a prequel to the original game and I think that it connects to Kingdom Hearts 3!

What I Have Been Up To #2




Hi everyone, so the plan was to read a lot and post more book reviews. However, my health had other ideas and I have had a terrible cold for over a week so I’m a little behind with what I wanted to do. However, I wanted to update you on what I have been doing and some of my future plans.

Now We Rise Book Tag

This book tag was created by Rebecca at https://rebeccagough.wordpress.com/and is inspired by Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. I have yet to read this fantasy book but it is getting a lot of praise and I would like to read it soon. Here is the tag:



Iku Clan, Maji of Life and Death: What's a trope you'd love to see die, and one you'd love to see live, or flourish more often?
A trope I would love to see die is a love interest 'curing' another character's mental health. I would love to see more slow burn organic romances.
Emi Clan, Maji of Mind, Spirit, Dreams: What do you immediately connect with when it comes to a book?
A character who writes, reads or has anxiety or OCD.
Omi Clan, Maji of Water: If you could push a book on someone, what would you immediately recommend?
I have two! Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder.

April Goals


goals, goal ideas, craft ideas, crafts to do, fun crafts, games to play, book reviews, writing and editing,


Digital drawing
I got a drawing tablet and started drawing different characters. I want to practice a lot more to hopefully improve my digital art skills.
Crochet
I want to learn how to crochet and try to create cute crochet animals, although I think it will be difficult and unlikely that I can create good creations but I can at least try!


goals, goal ideas, craft ideas, crafts to do, fun crafts, games to play, book reviews, writing and editing,

Languages
I am going to try Duolingo, a language learning app. I have wanted to learn Japanese, Italian and improve my Spanish as I only remember a little bit and why waste that when I can learn more? Hopefully one day I’ll be able to use different languages in real-life situations one day!

Instagram
I want to keep posting on my book and gaming Instagram accounts because I enjoy taking pictures of books and games.

Write chapters
I would like to continue writing chapters of my book. I have been editing what I had already written of my first draft and then I intend to keep writing and finish my book.

Read and review
I would like to keep reading frequently and write reviews when I finish books.

This list is so that I actually try some things that I want to practice but just haven’t gotten around to it. I want to dedicate time to learning new things and developing my skills and hopefully I will create some great things.



What are your goals for April?