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Lifestyle

How to Plan for 2021

Changing tune today for today’s post, I want to look at how we even begin thinking about planning for the new year after a year like 2020. Everything we have ever known about planning went out the window this year, and one thing was left clear: No matter how much you plan, life will get its way.  So, how to go about thinking about what we want to accomplish in the new year? I will be the first to admit that I felt utterly lost this year, unsure how to measure my productivity and successes when I was struggling to…

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Books

What is Reading?

The Benefits of Reading On Your Brain Read. To read. Reading. Read. You know that feeling when you look at a word for a long time and all of a sudden it is like you have never seen the word before. It feels odd on your tongue, you cannot remember how to pronounce it properly and are almost entirely convinced you have been saying it wrong your entire life. That is exactly how I felt the other day while staring at the word ‘read’. The Cambridge dictionary defines ‘read’, a verb, as the ability to look at words or symbols…

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Movies

Rocketman: Movie Review

I am a lover of musicals. Pretty much any musical, of any genre, finds its way onto my ‘to-watch’ list and is included in my ‘Musicals’ playlist on Spotify. So, of course, when I found out there was to be a whole movie dedicated to the life and songs of Elton John, there was no doubt I would be buying a ticket to see it. Last week, I finally got around to watching it, and let me tell you: emotions were felt. For those of you who have been living under a rock, Rocketman stars Taron Egerton portraying Reginald Dwight…

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Books

Self-Help Books that I’ve Found Useful

…and When I Use Them Sometimes, without knowing or expecting, there are days that you aren’t able to handle. Days that you do not want to face, and days that are too difficult to absorb. If you’re lucky, those days are rare, far and few in between. But sometimes, you go through a point when there are plenty in a row. However rare or frequent, they are not days to be ashamed by. But those are the days that you need a little pick-me-up. Sometimes it’s difficult to ask your friends for those pick-me-ups, and on those days I turn…

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Reflections

5 Best Podcasts to Check Out: Mental Health Awareness Edition

May is Mental Health Awareness month. This month, we’re actively pushing ourselves to branch out and check out new media, be it books, shows, music, podcasts or film, that centre around mental health awareness and the destigmatization of mental illness. Today’s post is a bit of a First Impressions post: I’m highlighting five podcasts that I’ve only heard an episode or two from, that I’m looking forward to completing. These are podcasts that actively centre on mental health and illness as its subject matter, and do so in vastly different ways. Most importantly, these podcasts emphasize an importance on recognizing…

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Poems

“she must be mad” by Charly Cox

Poetry is a genre that I don’t often find myself reaching for, but I walked passed Carly Cox’s new collection of poetry and prose at the bookstore and I couldn’t resist. she must be mad is 22-year-old Cox’s first book, a compilation of her poetry and lyrical prose written from her teenage year onwards. At first glance, it had the same feel as Rupi Kaur’s writing, which, though controversial in the poetry world, I have enjoyed. I honestly can’t pinpoint exactly what it was that had me reaching for she must be mad. But undoubtedly, it had something to do…

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