Seasonal Achievements: Autumn

I've decided to do things a bit differently this season. Although I think that seasonal goals was a good idea, I realised I'd been setting myself up for failure each time, giving myself (some) unrealistic goals. For Autumn I wanted to concentrate on the things that I have achieved rather than mope on about what I haven't managed to do. So here I am, sharing with you my reasons to celebrate!

Uni campus is actually stunning.

'I would love to read more, but I just don't have the time.'

Apparently I have been guilty of this phrase for quite a while now. I'm currently reading a huuuge book for university called Clarissa by Samuel Richardson and I want to get through it as quickly as I can. So to break out of the habit of using a busy lifestyle as an excuse, I thought I would share a few tips on how to fit some reading time into your busy schedule!

• 10-15 minutes first thing
  Before you get stuck on scrolling through endless buzzfeed posts on fb, take a few minutes to read a book, either physical or, if you can't get away from technology, on your kindle. This could be in bed before you start your day or whilst you eat your breakfast. Take care not to drop too many crumbs in your book! :)
• During your commute
  Now this will totally depend on whether you use public transport or not. Obviously please don't attempt to balance a book on your handlebars/steering wheel if you're driving yourself! But for those of us who do catch the bus or train to work/uni/school then make the most of this time to get a chapter or two in.
• Whilst you're cooking
  Some recipes just take a long time and if you're a really busy person, it's likely you'll put aside some time to prep some meals for the week. While you're waiting on the oven to do its thangg, set a timer and pick up your book!
• While you work out
  If you go to the gym or just use your living room to work out, there's always room for a bit of reading. This could be whilst you're on the cross-trainer, exercise bike or during your planks. Get creative and find a way to merge the two together.
• Bath time!
  This is a double plus for the busy person. You get to chill for an hour and you can fit in some all important reading whilst you're doing it! Turn your phone off, get in the tub and read...
• Last thing at night
  Now we all know that staring at our phone or laptop screens stimulates the brain and keeps us awake, so this is great for making sure you get good nights sleep. Why not read until you drift off? Who knows, it might make for some very interesting dreams!

That's just a few ways I plan to get through this humongous book! How do you find time to read? Share your tips in a comment below :) 

Bicks xx

I pretty much go to Hogwarts..

So I popped over to uni the other day to drop off some library books and it was such a beautiful day that I couldn't resist having a walk around campus. That's when I remembered why I fell in love on the open day; it reminded me of Hogwarts! Okay, so we don't learn any magic there, but it's surrounded by wildlife, has a lake and even it's very own castle! Just by having a walk around it is easy to see a little resemblance to the wizard school.

I really enjoyed the fresh air and the walk, it was great to have a moment to myself and just appreciate the nature around me. I often forget how lucky I am to have such a beautiful environment in which to learn and I think this is something that I need to try to remind myself/take advantage of more often.

Bicks xx