Tag: britishbloggers

Am I Being Useless ?

Published on by The Essence Of Efe5 Comments

“In this self-isolation period I have :

Started 7 businesses

Learnt how to trade

Hosted my own masterclass/live webinar

Read 10 books

Invested in 3 start-up companies

And so on…”

Now, I have likely lost count of how many times I have seen a tweet, story, picture or post similar to the above quote. Somebody posting of what they have achieved during this lockdown period- leaving me to question as a blogger- am I utilising my time wisely ? Am I plainly being useless ?

No, and you aren’t either.

The lockdown period had brought many changes to people’s everyday livelihood. What once was a time where we could freely go out and just celebrate our freedom, is now a time of it being taken away from us. And is now suddenly a time where everyone wants to be the most “productive” “successful” and make the most money. Everyone is preaching about how this lockdown period should make you :


LEARN A NEW SKILL

That’s the phrase, that’s exactly the words that got me up thinking on my Sunday afternoon, and I have two ways of viewing this

Playing devil’s advocate:

Now for those people who are driven by success, whether that may be in financial terms or fame, then I guess I can understand why they are so adamant on possessing a new skill or thinking fast of ways to fill their bank accounts. At the end of the day, in this current season- the internet is your golden token. So that’s why you are seeing more people write E-books, do masterclasses or webinars, start YouTube channels or collaborate with brands/companies. I guess the whole obsession with learning a new “skill” is what is important to these people, so they would be set once this bondage.. I mean lockdown is over.

Here’s my take:

I’m no expert in business, or branding at that, but what I do know is that it is not easy to start up a business. AT ALL There are lots of downfalls, cash losses and pits that you fall in, therefore just because we may have all the time in the world does not mean we should be so eager in starting one. There is no harm in learning a new skill honestly. Learning skills is what pushes us in life- however learning a skill with the pure incentive of becoming rich overnight ? I don’t think that’s the best thing to do. Additionally, I think that we shouldn’t be pressuring people to learn a new skill without no drive behind it. If you want to learn a new skill, normally there has to be a genuine interest that comes from it, otherwise it just becomes a chore.

And you would be surprised, there are a lot of business owners/ or content creators out there who are even urging people to not rush into anything, to get used to the change in routine and take some time to yourself- and I would agree. I would say to anyone feeling guilty of not being useful in anyway- DON’T. Trust me we are all in the same boat, learning how to adjust to the new system.

What are your thoughts on this ? are we rushing too much into the whole phase of learning new skills ?

Thanks for reading !

Your Mental Health in this Quarantine Period.

Published on by The Essence Of Efe2 Comments

It was after an online prayer session with my church group this week, where one of the leaders stated “ the reality of this period is that people’s mental health won’t be the same, they would come out as a different person” and I started to think of how true this statement was.

Adjusting to the WFH lifestyle was already tough. Being confined to a small desk or small space without the freedom of the commute (no matter how annoying it would be) to express your minds and have a think was really tough. Accompanied by the fact that you couldn’t separate work from home- if you had a stressful day or a heavy workload you would have to remain in the same place or environment where you dealt with it. All in all- it’s been tough.

I have compiled 5 tips together, which I think are essential with helping you with your mental health during this season. I hope these tips are useful and guide you to improving your mental health day by day.

  1. Stick with your regular routine

For many of us our regular routines of getting up and getting ready for work would have changed drastically since the lockdown period, and I’m sure this time would have had an affect on any entrepreneurs/self-employed workers too. However, this does not mean your routine needs to change. If you practiced self-care every Monday – continue ! If you went for a run every Saturday morning – continue ! (only once a day of course lol). The point is that life does not have to stop due to the pandemic, keep to your regular routine of doing what you love and make sure to stick to that routine even whilst working from home.

2. Limit your time on the news/media

As much as we want to keep up with the news surrounding the virus, keep up on any vital information the government may be providing us, it may be daunting to constantly hear negativity or hear sad news of deaths- it can increase the feelings of hopelessness and constant worry about how the virus is deteriorating. Therefore, limiting the amount of news you hear to just the morning may be best- get the negative news out of the way and then turn on a positive mindset for the remainder of the day

I would avoid listening to the news just before bed, this will prevent you from having worries during the night, it may even prevent you from getting to sleep on time for an early work start the following day.  

3. Get fresh air at least once a day

Although we are advised to stay indoors, I am so grateful that parks and large sparse areas are left open to do at least 1 form of exercise a day (and 1 form only- don’t go and sunbathe!) After watching a report on Sky News today, they  explained how they were purposely left there for exercise but also for mental health reasons. People use large spaces to free up their minds and release their thoughts- it can be your only form of escape during this time.

Several studies have confirmed that separation from nature is detrimental to human development, health and wellbeing, and that regular contact with nature is required for good mental health.

Therefore, if you feel like being in quarantine is seriously affecting your emotions then take advantage of the natural spaces around you

4. Speak to at least 1 person a day

If you are at home with family then this can help as you can talk to your siblings, partner or parents about how your day went. However, during this time where you may not see your friends or loved ones in a while- technology is your best friend. Whether it may be audio call, FaceTime, Skype, finding a way to talk to someone can distract you from the thought of being confined to one space. Having that one important phone call session can help distract you from the constant news of death or uncertainty and can help clear and free your mind.

And they always say- check up on those who appear the strongest !

5. Think Positively

This current period can bring nothing but anxiety, worry and confusion. I’m sure nobody would have imagined the sudden changes that we would have to follow due to the outbreak, and this can have an effect on people negatively- to avoid this, change the way you perceive the current situation we are in.

I think this graphic explains it best. This year would have brought many disappointments to plans such as travel plans, birthdays, social events etc. But if you learn to change your mindset from the FEAR ZONE to the GROWTH ZONE, it can improve your mindset as a whole. This is something not done overnight, and will take some time to implement

There you have it ! 5 tips to help your mental health during this period

Thanks for reading


6 Worship songs you should be listening to!

Published on by The Essence Of Efe6 Comments

Hey guys, 

Welcome back to a new blog post.

So initially I wanted to talk about my thoughts towards the Corona virus outbreak. You know- Corona, Miss Rona, Auntie Coro,The Rona, Coro Coro, and so on…
However I decided not to, since that’s what is always showing on every news channel you may find, every social media platform and I’m sure in every group chat there is out there. Yes, it has had a massive effect on all of us, some positively, some negatively.

But whilst I’ve been stuck in the house for the past 6 days, due to- yes you guessed it – The Rona, I have been listening to a lot of worship songs lately, mainly whilst I’m working, or doing any other sort of activity. To be honest, adjusting to this new working from home lifestyle has been crazy- and it has affected my prayer routine- let’s just say it’s been hard to get into my prayer time as of late- worship has been the only escape. I talk more about my journey with God so far here.

So here I am documenting 6 worship songs I have been loving lately- and I hope you will love too!

In no particular order:  

  1. Yahweh (Spontaneous) (Live)- Campus Rush Music 

What I love most about this song is that it is live, I guess it was taken from one of their concerts and I absolutely love how it puts you in the atmosphere of worship- just as if you were in a concert yourself. It also consists of a medley of 2 songs that I love – Yahweh and Adonai. You can really feel the spirit in the song and I’m so glad my friend recommended this song to me- one of my faves!

2. Casted Crowns- Jubilee Worship

I believe this song is new as it just came out in February, but I just love how uplifting this song is. Especially at the end, it almost brings you to tears! I am a fan of Jubilee Worship and their songs, one thing I really love about them is their videos- the fact that they always show people of all ages and backgrounds in one room worshipping, is just so beautiful. This is also a live version of worship; therefore, you really hear and feel the people in the room worshipping. 

3. You Are Awesome- Deborah Darling

I can only describe this song as beautiful, from the melody of the song to the instruments and the emotion behind it. This is actually my morning commute songs- as in I normally go for this song to start my day off, it just sets my mind on God before I start my day, even if I didn’t get to do my prayer time in the morning before I leave.

4. Most Beautiful/ So In Love- Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore

So, I had heard this song at worship concerts, probably 2 times before I had discovered it on YouTube, only this year! Again, this song is done with a group of people- generating a great atmosphere to worship in. by the end of a song, you are just left in awe of how worship can be so beautiful. And oh- can we talk about Chandler Moore’s voice please!!!!

5. Yi Naye (Live) – Ntokozo Mbambo, Joe Mettle

Being a Ghanaian myself, I never realised how powerful Twi worship was, until I heard this song. I don’t know but something about it being in a different language just makes it special! Their voices together are just so strong and powerful, and the song is simply about praising and worshipping his name because of how good he is

6. The Lord’s Prayer- Jubilee Worship

This has to be one of my favourite worship songs ever. The Lord’s prayer is literally as the title states, so it is a familiar prayer that many Christians are aware of, so making it into a song is catchy and easy to learn. But once again Jubilee Worship does it again with their amazing music and video. When I say there is a song that brings me to so much emotion and tears it is probably this one here. It is my go-to song if I just want to immerse myself in God’s spirit.

So, there you have it, 6 worship songs that I am loving at the moment, I will probably do another one in a few months in case some new songs have come out that I am not aware of. In the midst of all this Corona chaos, I hope you can find solace and rest in these songs and remember that God is in control.

Thanks for reading!