Digital Detoxing & Winter Woolies

Happy almost weekend everyone (can it just be Friday now please?). Hope you all have had a great week so far!

It’s been a busy but productive week for me with a couple of exciting new developments on the work front since my last blog post which detailed my recent relocation to Galway. Life has a funny way of pleasantly surprising you sometimes but I really believe that taking the time to put into words how I was feeling about the transition really helped to declutter my mind and let me focus on moving forward.

With additional workload has come the need to prioritise the things I am spending my time on and this past week I have found myself taking an unplanned break from social media. A digital detox I guess you could call it. Since starting my blog almost a year ago, I have become increasingly addicted to the curse of the endless scroll. You know what I’m talking about…you just pick up your phone to quickly check an Instagram notification then before you know it, you’ve wasted an hour mindlessly scrolling through your news feed and stopping to leave comments on your faves.

I have become so caught up in the Instagram bubble that I have been putting pressure on myself to post on a daily basis, create endless OOTD shots and spend hours replying to comments as well as leaving comments on accounts that I genuinely enjoy following. It all just becomes overwhelming. As a blogger trying to turn a passion into a business, platforms like Instagram are my shop front in a sense. They are my way of demonstrating my styling and writing abilities; my portfolio I suppose. And please don’t get me wrong, I love connecting and interacting with like minded people on social media but I am sure I’m not alone in saying that the length of time I spend online is unhealthy and can negatively impact my relationships IRL.

So this week I’ve given myself a well needed break from social media. The time I would normally be spending on scrolling, commenting and creating OOTD posts has been spent creating work opportunities and just chilling out in the evenings with my husband, uninterrupted. It has also given me a chance to take stock of what I want to focus on going forward from a work perspective and to set goals in line with that. I don’t want to just be known as someone who always has nice outfit posts on social media. I want to be known for my writing and styling abilities too.

I am not suggesting that we all give up social media completely because let’s be honest, where would I be if you guys all quit social media?! It would be very lonely around here! But what I am saying is that every now and then I think it is healthy for us all to examine our social media habits and put some boundaries in place. It could be as simple as having one day per week where you don’t go on social media or even simpler again, a cut-off time in the evenings where your phone is switched off for the night. While the break has been good, I have missed Instagram and will be back posting again but the difference this time is, I won’t be posting just for the sake of it because I feel pressured (by myself!) to do so.

So on a lighter note, has anyone else noticed the chill gradually creeping into the air?! Between hurricanes and constant rain, the weather has really taken a turn here recently. But you know what? I’m not even mad. During Winter it is completely acceptable to drink endless hot chocolates by the fire so I’m more than OK with it! It is the style during Autumn/ Winter that really has my vote though ! I am just mad about layering up with cosy knits, fur coats (check out my post on faux fur coats here) and stylish ankle boots. The shops are just bursting with amazing Winter clothes right now and I want it all! Because I want you to stay warm and cosy, I’ve rounded up my top knits for you below. Let me know which is your favourite!

Stylishly yours,

Trish xx