February 26, 2021 • Life
February, For Me
![My desk with Groot](http://18.132.103.141/wp-content/uploads/IMG_0880.jpg)
Main Highlights
Online
- 📝 On the blog, I collaborated with the team at 50inTech to talk about how their platform are aiming to reduce the gender gap in technology and my favourite tools for content creation.
- 🎙 On the podcast, I published my first podcast episode for 2021! It was mostly a catch-up on my thoughts for the year ahead and my attempt of being more mindful and intentional.
Career / Learning
- 💻 I hit my first month on my new job as a DevOps Engineer! Everyday is a huge learning curve, but I’m enjoying the challenge. 😃
![LinkedIn post on celebrating my new job!](http://18.132.103.141/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2021-02-22-at-10.36.02.png)
Community
- 📖 I featured on ‘The Collectiv’s Issue 03’ where I shared my learnings from 2020 and how I’ve been coping with lockdown.
- 🧬 For #WomenandGirlsinScienceDay , I was featured in ‘The #GirlsInScience Top 15 of 2021.’ As always surprise mentions like these are appreciated 🥰
![My feature on The Collectiv](http://18.132.103.141/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2021-02-22-at-10.34.26-720x1024.png)
Personal
- 💉 Lockdown 3 has been getting me down
- ☀️ But at least the weather is improving slightly
- ✨ I mostly focused on my February challenge on my Apple Watch was 2,700+ minutes of exercise for the month. It’s ridiculous but at least it was a fun way to push me to keep working out or moving when I’ve been feeling down
- 🍏 I’m going strong with a month of intermittent fasting, I’m pleased with myself for getting in the habit again
- 🎧 My AirPods have been funny over the past couple of months, but I fixed it I’m pretty happy about that. Tiny wins 😆
- 💜 I’m about a month in of using Threads over Instagram. Not having the feed to endlessly scroll through has been the best thing I’ve done for myself recently!
Things that made me happy
I found it difficult writing this part this month because I really struggled with everything.
Apart from work which has helped with the structure of weeks, I’ve struggled with other aspects of my life. Mostly I’ve been feeling miserable because of the lack of social contact that isn’t through a screen. It’s all becoming incredibly overwhelming for me and I’ve had urges to go back home to my family just to get out and be around people (rather than just Matt. Although I acknowledge that I’m lucky that I’m not alone in a flat) For obvious reasons, I’ve not been able to so it has been sucky.
In all my monthly reflections, I can guarantee that the thing that has made me happy has always related back to exercise. Frequent readers might be fed up of this, but it’s so true! This month more than ever, the one thing that has made me happy and kept me sane has been moving.
My foldable treadmill has been the best thing I bought, along with all the workout equipment that I have in my home gym. 😊 I’m grateful that despite how bad I’ve been feeling (which comes in waves) I have this space to reset and re-align to remind myself that this will pass.
If you’re feeling the same, I’m with you. 💜
February in Photos
![From walks around Leeds. Putting photos on the blog has been difficult recently. 😂](http://18.132.103.141/wp-content/uploads/IMG_0986-COLLAGE-1024x1024.jpg)
February Favourites
- 🍿 ’To All the Boys I’ve Ever Loved: Always & Forever’ is fantastic, it’s the pick-me-up, I-need-to-cry, cheesy romcom that everyone needs right now
- 📺 We finished watching ‘The Crown’ on Netflix. I’m not a fan of the Royals, but it was the drama that I needed to help me get my mind off everything else going on.
- 📺 We began watching ‘Heroes’ from Matt’s recommendation. I don’t usually like this type of stressful-bloody-graphic-creepy TV show, but I’ve actually got into it! I don’t think we’ll watch all the seasons because apparently it goes downhill after a while. So far, season 1 is fantastic.
- 📺 The Office (US) has gained a new super-fan, I.e. me. 😂 It’s literally the only thing that has helped get me through lockdown so far.
- 🎙 Although I’ve finished it now I’ve enjoyed listening to the ‘Office Ladies’ podcast where they break down episodes and talk about behind-the-scenes stories. Office Ladies has become one of all-time favourite podcasts!
- ⌨️ I upgraded my Apple Keyboard after it was slowly falling apart on me (must be all that blogging, eh? 😆) with Logitech’s MX Keys for Mac. It took a bit getting used to as it’s significantly longer than my Apple Keyboard but I have to say the typing experience has been great. It’s the keyboard Apple should’ve made!
Thought of the Month
![](http://18.132.103.141/wp-content/uploads/Screenshot-2021-02-22-at-10.30.04.png)
![PN in Greek](/_next/image?url=%2Fsignature.png&w=256&q=75)
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