Tag: mindset

  • Writer’s Block of The Blogging Variety & Practicing Gratitude

    Writer’s Block of The Blogging Variety & Practicing Gratitude

    Photography by Jess Petrie. Makeup by Chloe Gray

    I’ve been feeling a little off recently. Not necessarily unhappy, just off. I haven’t quite been able to focus and any attempts at productivity have been distracted by a feeling of frustration that I’m not getting enough done/haven’t done enough and in turn have halted my productivity. See the silly, vicious cycle here.

    Call it writers block of the blogging variety, or call it my brain thinking of too many things at once to the point where it can’t think of anything at all for longer than five minutes. I’ve ultimately got myself into a bit of a rut that seems to have halted my creativity and as a result, left me feeling unsatisfied.

    How to clear your mind
    Samio Makeup By Chloe Gray and shot by Jess Petrie
     

    I woke up this morning and as I opened my eyes, my first thought was one of gratitude. It filled me with contentment for a moment but then as that moment passed, a feeling of dread crept over me. A subtle reminder of all the things that I haven’t done and likely won’t be able to do today. You see, silly, vicious cycle. I wanted to go back to that carefree moment of contentment again.

    Then it hit me. Gratitude.

    As I lay there, I realised that one thing that I was usually very good at but that I hadn’t been lately, was practicing gratitude. It feels quite funny to see it as something that needs to be practiced, but the realisation is that if you don’t actively engage in it, you can easily forget to do it at all.

    By focusing on the things that I’m grateful for, I felt a weight slowly lifting, a grey cloud above me dispersing and a ray of sunshine breaking through.

    I could almost laugh. It’s surprising how something so simple could become so detrimental when forgotten.

    I feel somewhat different. There’s a shift in my emotions and I can feel my ‘can do’ attitude slowly resurrecting.

    The moral to this little story: Practicing gratitude everyday can make a huge difference to your emotions and attitude and in turn your productivity. It’s too easy to take your situation, or how far you’ve come, for granted. Now when I step back and think about it, I’m exactly where I need to be and have a lot to be thankful for and for that I am truly greateful. That thought alone makes my emotions feel resolved and my thoughts a lot clearer. It’s funny how something so simple can make all the difference.

    Samio x

    Practicing Gratitude
    Samio
     
    natural hair blogger Samio
    Samio Renelda Olowu
    Manchester Blogger
     

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  • How I Changed My Shopping Mindset

    How I Changed My Shopping Mindset

    It seems strange to say it but I’ve sort of fallen out of love with shopping, no wait, let me rephrase that, I’ve fallen out of love with shopping in the way that I used to. If you had discussed this with me a year ago, I would have talked about how I loved to shop and may have even jokingly (not joking) said I was a shopaholic. As much as I’m ashamed to say it now, barely a week went by when I didn’t purchase something new, however small. I was regularly popping into the high street shops and picking up a ‘bargain’ or something I ‘had to have’. But were they really bargains or pieces that I needed?…Do I still love those pieces now? And am I going to have them for years to come?…The answer to all of those questions is no.

    Black Pieces denim jacket

    Something clicked last year, well it was more of a build up really and then I seriously began to think about my clothes, what they meant to me, why I bought so much and what would happen if I just stopped shopping in the way that I did. Other than that initial buzz of an impulse purchase, it wasn’t seriously making me happy, was it? I almost thought it would spell the end of my fashion blogging because if I didn’t constantly have new clothes to post about, then what would I actually post about? The whole point of my outfit posts had been to talk about the ‘cool new stuff’ I’d bought, right? Then I reminded myself that I’d always tried to label myself as a style blogger, more so than a fashion blogger anyway. The reason I loved to put outfits together to share here on my blog was more for the styling aspect rather than talking about current trends and I guess that in my obsession for always finding something new, I’d somewhat forgotten about that.

    Womens lack denim jacket outfit

    I decided to take it back to basics, quite literally. I began a massive clear out and decided to focus on the basics when it came to making new wardrobe additions. I wanted to focus on more re-wearable pieces and only have garments in my wardrobe that I genuinely loved and wanted to keep for a long time. That meant no more impulse buying. I stopped shopping in a lot of the high street stores, which is something that helped a lot. If I didn’t pop in H&M, then I couldn’t end up impulse buying a super cute top that was ‘only £8’, or if I stayed away from Zara, I’d avoid getting caught up buying the entire contents of the store after wondering in amidst a huge sale…And it was actually a lot easier than it sounds because what you don’t see, you don’t miss.

    Womens all black outfit styling

    I began to find a love for clothing all over again and in a new way. Buying something new was always an easy option for me but working with something I already owned and constantly thinking of new ways to restyle it was actually a lot more fun than I had once imagined.

    Samio style blogger

    Now I really do think through my purchases. I use Pinterest for style ideas, I browse online at stores before buying and I like to plan. It actually makes the buying experience all the more enjoyable, as now it usually means that when I do come to purchase something new, I’ve really took the time to think about it and it’s something I really genuinely want, love and will actually get a lot of wear/use out of.

    Black Matt & Nat bag

    Dress – Old (Similar here) | Trainers – Converse | Denim Jacket – Dizen | Bag – Matt and Nat (Here in lilac) | Sunglasses – Vintage Christian Dior

    Matt & Nat long strap bag

    Samiorenelda

    Samio x