Welcoming Kat Nicholls to HER WISDOM today! Like most people who use Instagram I have found it a brilliant way to connect with like minded people and Kat is one of them. We recently stumbled across each other through the app with our mutual love of all things self care, happiness and mental health and Kat's blog Blue Jay of Happiness is something that really resonates with me, no doubt you'll adore her too!
How do you begin your day? What are the first 3 things you need to do to get your day started?
I’ll be honest, I tend to start my day with a bit of phone scrolling (it helps me wake up!) but I know this isn’t the best way to start my day. Something more positive I like to include at the start of my day is an inspiring podcast while I’m getting ready.
Three things I need to start my day are: Food (usually peanut butter on toast), coffee or green tea and a few deep breaths.
Share your favourite piece of wisdom and why it means something to you.
One piece of wisdom that’s really stuck with me is “thoughts aren’t facts”. We so easily believe that every thought we have about ourselves is true, (for example, “I’m not good enough”) but this isn’t the case at all.
As someone who battled an eating disorder in their teens, I learnt early on the importance of being aware of my thoughts and challenging them when necessary.
What is your go to thing for comfort when it all gets too much?
When things get too much, there’s nothing I love more than lying down and just listening to music. No multitasking, just listening with my eyes shut. It gives me the space I need to breathe and regroup.
Who are the women that inspire you?
Ahh there are so many… I love the work Sas Petherick is doing to help people overcome self-doubt and I learn a huge amount about feminism and body image from Melissa Fabello. The women who inspire me the most though have to be my girlfriends. They are fearless in pursuing their dreams and I feel completely revved up and energised when I spend time with them.
How do you see yourself and what makes up your sense of identity?
I feel like I see myself more clearly now than I ever have, I see what my passions are (body positivity, mental health, feminism) and how these have seeped into my ‘self’ and make up my sense of identity. I think a lot of this can be traced back to my past, when I hated who I was and how I made conscious decisions to change the way I view myself.
It takes work and self-awareness, but learning to see myself clearly and with compassion has been essential for my mental wellbeing.
Do you have a favourite dish or recipe that makes you feel good or gives you a much-needed boost?
I have a real soft spot for my mum’s spaghetti bolognaise, especially if she treats us to a side of garlic bread! We’ve been eating it as a family for years, but I never get bored of it.
What does confidence mean to you, what builds yours?
To me, confidence means having self-belief and this stems from self-acceptance and self-love. I’ve learnt a few tricks to build confidence over the years including arguing with my inner critic, reflecting on past successes and visualising a scenario going well.
What's challenging you right now?
I would have to say change! I don’t deal very well with change in general (it triggers my anxiety) and there’s a lot of change happening in my life right now - all great things - but my body hasn’t quite got the memo yet that change can be good. I’m trying to chanel the feeling of fear into excitement!
Tell us more about your latest or next project.
Well, I’m currently training to become a life coach and I hope that once I’m qualified I’ll be able to support people to accept, love and believe in themselves through coaching. I see it as an extension of what I do in my day job as a writer for mental health and wellbeing websites, and through my blog. I basically want to take it all one step further and help people in a tangible way… so, watch this space!
You can also say Hello to Kat via her social media:
Instagram: katbluejay
Twitter: BlueJayBlog
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