Hello! Well, it’s been quite a while since I’ve made an appearance on here and focused on my blog! As you may have read in my previous post, I had not been well earlier this year, which meant all my energies were going towards just dealing with the illness (vertigo) and getting better. It’s pretty debilitating when you are in the midst of it and normal life was put on hold for a while.
Then to add into the mix trying to get back work as well just about finished me off!
I spent the best part of summer dealing with this and just trying to get back on track.
Thankfully we had a two week break to Turkey booked in September, which couldn’t have come at a better time! I was feeling much better in terms of the vertigo which I was very grateful for, but I was pretty exhausted, so having some time away where I could just switch off and relax was just what I needed.
When I got home I was starting to feel a bit more like myself, but then I was knocked down by what was essentially a bad cold, not normally a major concern but as I was still a bit under par it hit me quite hard.
Being unwell and struggling to cope at work had hit me mentally too, I was feeling pretty low. It was taking all my energy just to get through the day, so a lot of other activities were falling by the wayside, which included blogging.
The balance has been way out of whack for a while now! I am always looking for that work/life balance sweet spot which has eluded me so far, but these past few months have taken the biscuit!
And then comes the ‘should’ category…
I should…I need to…I must…
These words swirl around in my head, adding to my anxiety that I am just not doing enough. It’s exhausting.
And so to my blog, those words have been bouncing back and forth in my brain for months now in relation to my blog. I should post something, I should at least read some posts, I should sort through my photos, I should try putting some words down…none of which I have really done because I just haven’t felt like I could. And that made me sad. My blog was something that was bringing me great joy, but I just haven’t been able to find the time/space/brain power to focus on it recently and words did not seem to want to come for posts.
Then the other day I was sat in the hairdressers flicking through a magazine as I waiting for my colour to take (yes, I need a little helping hand in the department now!), and I came across a few articles about life balance which hit a nerve.
Reading them got me thinking a lot about how I structure my time, how much I do just for me, why I get so anxious about things, what I can do to improve any of this.
It’s no coincidence that all of this has started to filter to the forefront of my mind as I am starting to feel healthier and stronger and I want to get back to normal activities! I can see the difference between myself now and a few months ago, where I was really struggling to cope with life in general, it’s a big improvement and because my health has improved I am feeling stronger in myself mentally too.
This has inspired me to re-engage with my blog again as my first step, I’ve missed it and it’s time to let the creative side of me out again!
It never fails to amaze me how topsy-turvy life is and it will always surprise/disappoint/disrupt/delight you when you least expect it. There is definitely not a one size fits all solution to any of our problem and issues and we must each find our own ways to navigate them as best we can. And that’s all we can do. ‘Living our best lives’ (oh how I hate that phrase!) isn’t always about achieving, or excelling, or living the insta-perfect life, most of the time it’s just about putting one foot in front of the other and getting through each day (which can feel like a big achievement sometimes!), being kind to yourself and others. Finding things and people along the way that make you happy and proud is to me one of the best ways to ‘live our best lives’!
And on that note, I sign off this rather long-winded and rambling post! I hope that I’ve managed to explain my absence a bit at least.
Now onto more lighthearted and fluffy stuff, I am looking forward to posting again and sharing some of my photos and tales from Turkey with you, so all being well these will follow soon!
Sorry for the absence and thank you so much for sticking with me! x
mydustyflipflops.com 
Great to hear from you!!! :))))))) Life is messy, hectic, wonderful, delightful and SUCH a journey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve read in Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now, that we go through low cycles – low energy – and this is our time of rejuvenation. Take care of yourself… ❤
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Thank you!! It certainly is isn’t it!! It’s definitely full of ups and downs. Ah I like that, ‘our time of rejuvenation’! I hope that is all well with you? x
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I’m really great!! Life is in a rejuvenation stage, so I guess rejuvenation is my lens right now!! ❤
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I’m so pleased, that’s brilliant!! I have some catching up to do so will be heading over to your blog soon 🙂
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🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Welcome back Dusty! What a frustrating few months you’ve had. Life can tough sometimes and it’s so hard to remember to be more patient and kind to ourselves during those times. Glad you’re discovering some balance and take care 💞
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Thank you! Yep, it certainly is hard to remember that when times are not going so great. But it is usually even more important to to be kind to ourselves then. Here’s hoping that things are on the up 🙂
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Did you change the layout of your blog again, or have I just not seen it in a while?
Always good to hear from people with whom you click and then they disappear. I hope you continue to recover and that pesky vertigo doesn’t bother you anymore.
They “shoulds” and “musts” can be annoying. Often times they actually do the opposite that what they are intended for. They just bring you down and make you not want to do anything.
After such a lengthy break, it might be a bit difficult for you to get back, so take it easy on yourself. But know that we are here, and looking forward to reading about your Turkey (not the bird, as I first thought Thanksgiving) tales.
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Thank you so much for your lovely words, I really do appreciate it. I hope that all is well with you. You have hit the nail on the head about the ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’! They are counterproductive in a strange way. Well, I’m looking forward to getting back in the blogging game and catching up with everyone, but I probably will be doing it slowly. I changed my blog layout a little while ago, updating the theme and having a little tinker with stuff. I don’t have any Thanksgiving tales I’m afraid, but I can certainly regale you with ones of Turkey the country 🙂
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Thank you for sharing 🙂 I’m in the thick of unexpected illness, wowza what a lesson. Looking forward to reading more of your posts!
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Thank you and my pleasure. I’m so sorry to hear that you are suffering at the moment, unexpected illness certainly throws you doesn’t it. It’s not fun, do look after yourself and I hope you feel better soon.
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Always a pleasure to see your posts!
Balance is so helpful! I have learnt the value of balance by being unbalanced and seeing where that took me!
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Aah thank you!! Yep, balance is the goal…hopefully will get there one day. But you have to go down some bumpy roads on the journey there! 🙂
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Glad you’re feeling better and welcome back. Keeping up with blogs can feel like a fulltime job – and that’s just reading other people’s blogs, not writing your own! What I’m trying to say is that I don’t blame you for not reading/writing. Sometimes other things need your time and energy. That’s the great thing about blogs… they will be there waiting for you when you’re ready to return. Looking forward to reading about Turkey.
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Thank you so much, I really appreciate your supportive words. It takes up a lot of time doesn’t it and it’s been hard to not have that time or energy to blog. It made me sad as I didn’t want it to be the end of my blogging journey! It felt difficult to get back into it after a break like this, but you are right about them still being here and I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone and writing some new stuff 🙂
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Keep on truckin’. It’s all we can do. Each one of us gets a down period but unless we are very unlucky, we do surface after a bit and carry on. It sounds as though you have come out the other side now and are ready to get back in harness. Good vibes and we await your next blog.
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Thank you very much, I appreciate it! Yes life is definitely full of ups and downs isn’t it. It’s lovely to get such support on here and makes you feel like you are not alone in your struggles 🙂
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Welcome back! While reading this, I was thinking, even this we have in common. I, too, feel quite exhausted and need to push myself to get things done during the day. But the reasons for my fatigue are different: I had my sweet little twins 2 years ago and they still don’t sleep at night. Which means we parents don’t either. My body still hasn’t recovered and I’m several sizes larger than before, resulting in me not being able to wear anything I used to love and changing my identity somehow, though I never used to be a fashionista. I also have split abs – and low iron levels which supplements don’t seem to be helping, also causing even more fatigue… and then there are all the colds and tummy bugs we keep catching from the kids’ daycare… etc. Oh, and I do have a full-time job, as well! 😅So my blogging hasn’t exactly been very creative lately, either! And I don’t have the energy to comment on posts much these days, though it’s the BEST part of blogging! Anyway, I’m looking forward to your Turkey stories and happy that you managed that trip and got rid of the vertigo! 😘
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Thank you so much! We really do seem to have quite a lot in common don’t we 🙂 How on earth do you even manage to blog at all with all of that going on??!! I’m amazed and very impressed!! I remember you mentioning your twins in a previous post, my friend has twins so I know how exhausting it can be – and you are holding down a full-time job! It can’t be easy at all! Sorry to hear that you are suffering a bit at the moment healthwise too, that must be difficult. I hope you manage to get some resolution there to help you feel better. I am still struggling with the balance thing, but am trying to not beat myself up too much, you just can’t do everything can you! The season definitely doesn’t help matters, I always find winter quite difficult, I just feel like hibernating! Anyway, I hope you’ve had a good week and enjoy your weekend x
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Blogging is my way of relaxing, believe it or not! The only hobby I bother with 😊 And you’re right, you can’t do everything
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Well it’s a good hobby to have and you are very good at it too!
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Aww, thanks, you are too! 💕
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🙂
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