Why are we ALWAYS so busy? Even when we’re not?

By Hannah | Admin December 14, 2017April 4, 2019 1 2.2K

Millennial ‘busy-ness’

We’re busy. All. The. Time. Even when we’re not busy.

If that makes any sense to you, then you’re certainly experiencing the same phenomenon as me.

These days, being ‘busy’ is the modern-day curse. Or luxury depending how you look at it.

When I started this blog back in May, I didn’t quite realise how much time it would actually take. That’s not a problem, because I love doing it, but it does seem to add to the pressure of another thing to make time for.

Work has been hectic and I’ve been staying late, I’ve booked myself in to see different groups of friends and said ‘yes’ to various outings all at the same time… and it just feels like I have no time to tidy up and keep on top of my blog. I’M JUST SO BUSY, YOU GUYS.

Except that I’m not. Not really. I still found time to watch ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ most evenings and that’s one hour I could have spent writing. And that’s okay, we’re allowed to have downtime. But it just feels like I have no time because my brain is still whirring away. There is a pressure to always be ‘on’, so relaxation time is spent worrying about what we’re not doing.

More time, so much more to do.

In fact, we have more leisure time than we used to. On average, we work less than they did in the 60s. Yet, with so much available to us, the wide variety of choice and the overwhelming amount of information, everything seems hectic. Thanks to technology it can also seem as if time is going quicker and so it feels like we have too much to do in the time we have.

Competition and status.

If I slip into a conversation: ‘oh I’ve been so busy recently’, in stead of a question about what I’ve got going on, I’ll be met with a dismissive ‘oh yeah, me too!’. This could be a competitive, or simply, a statement of fact: we’re all busy. And we’re all guilty of it.

Studies suggest that people between the ages of 21 and 34 have become workaholics or want to appear to be. And the below quote suggests why:

A full Outlook calendar seems to have replaced the sports car as the new status symbol. Being busy means you’re important, needed, valued.

Forbes

The busier you are, the more important you are? There are whole studies dedicated to the relationship of busyness with status. See: ‘Ugh, I’m So Busy’: A Status Symbol for Our Time.

FOMO and learning to say no.

“Oh I have to do abc…”, “I absolutely need to get xyz done…” unless these things will directly impact us right there and then, like paying a bill, we probably don’t HAVE TO do half the things we say we do. I know, easier said than done!

You know I mentioned how many things I have going on at one time? Well, that’s my own fault. I wouldn’t be so busy if I didn’t keep organising my schedule like that. You get that ‘Fear Of Missing Out’, and you want to be a part of what’s going on. When you’re not a part of it, you see everyone else’s busy timelines on social media. There you have it. You’re busy looking at everyone else being busy and you’re worried that they’re busier than you and you’re not busy enough! Phew… It’s just exhausting thinking about it.

There is no shame in having to say no. And sometimes we should.

There is a pressure to always be ‘on’, so relaxation time is spent worrying about what we’re not doing.

Time to switch off.

The reason we’re SO BUSY, or feel busy is that nowadays, we are never disconnected. Unlike never before, there is always a constant connection to the rest of the world via internet, phones etc etc. Technology is so ingrained into our lives, that we can be connected by work, friends, companies trying to sell us things and so on, at literally any time of day.

So, even when we’re not actually doing anything, we’re so aware of everything that’s going on, that we don’t feel like we’ve had a break.

There is no room or time to exhale and let go of everything. I’m often multi-tasking so much, that when I’m left to myself, I feel restless.

Let’s all just try to chill out. Let’s relish in not being busy when we have the chance. Give me Netflix and chill any day. And switch off that social media!

(She says, whilst tweeting this out to the world!)

What do you think? Are you getting stressed about how busy you are? And do you have any tips on how to cope with it?

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Behind the Fashion Fashion Luxury for less Tips

The secret to shopping Erdem x H&M

By Hannah | Admin October 25, 2017April 4, 2019 6 2.4K

H&M is back with its latest designer collaboration: ERDEM x H&M

Thursday, 2 November. PUT IT IN YOUR DIARIES.

As of today (25 October) The Erdem x H&M collab release is only one week away. If you want to get your hands on something from the collection you’re going to need tactics.

The H&M designer collections are notoriously popular; so much so that it crashes their website every time. The most coveted pieces sell out within minutes. I always get sucked into the hype, so after a few years of shopping the H&M designer collabs, I have learnt a couple of tricks to shop online and without camping out in the cold to queue! So, if there’s an Erdem x H&M piece you absolutely need in your life, I’ll share my tricks that seem to work!

The full collection of pieces with prices were released last week, and, to be honest, it’s one of the priciest collections yet. Unfortunately, everything is at the higher-price point, with not much to pick up for less than £50, unless you’re after a T-shirt or earrings. So, it’ll be interesting to see how it goes down this year (no doubt the site will still crash).

A bit about Erdem

Established: 2005 in London by Canadian/Turkish designer Erdem Moralioglu.

Known for: Exquisite romantic garments and beautiful floral prints with a vintage, timeless feel.

Notable clients: Cate Blanchett, Emma Watson, Felicity Jones, Nicole Kidman and the Duchess of Cambridge, Emma Stone…

1. Decide what you’re buying BEFORE

This is important. Browse through the collection and decide exactly what you’re after before the launch. You won’t have time to dither on the morning.

2. Make notes

H&M normally release the collection onto their website a day or so before the launch. You’ll be able to view details, but not add to your basket. This is the time to note the details, while you still can. Previously, there has been a product number (they didn’t do this for Kenzo though), so if there is, this is the most important thing to note down. If not, jot down exactly how they describe the product on the site.

3. Make sure you have an account

Got something in your basket? Yay! But, it’s not safely yours until you pay, so it can still get snatched from you at the last second. So, make sure you have an account set up with H&M already, log in, save your password. If you can, it’s better to remain logged in.

4. Be ready at 8:45am

The collection will be released at 9am.
Make sure you have their sales phone number: 0344 736 9000. I have H&M saved in my phonebook (what a state of affairs 🙈)
Okay, so you need to be able to multi-task. You need to try to place an order online AND on the phone. Hopefully, you’re still logged in – you’ll need to be in your account a couple of hours before, as the site will probably crash way before 9am.

5. 9am: go, go go!

All systems: go. At 8:59am, phone H&M; you probably won’t get through and will have to call numerous times. If you’re lucky, you’ll get through to someone. Meanwhile, keep refreshing your webpage. You may just slip through! If you get in, search for your product as quickly as humanly possible and add to bag.

I normally have more luck on the phone… after several attempts at ringing, You see why I saved the number to my contacts – it’s quicker when you’re calling again and again. When you get through, use your notes to give the sales advisor, so they understand exactly what you want and will be able to process your order before the stock runs out! Also, tell them your name and name and email address you used for your H&M account. If you managed to put something in your basket, it should still be there.

6. Pay

This is where your H&M account helps you get through on the quicker. They’ll have access to your details, so you just need to confirm your payment card and security questions and then your postage address. Just confirm you want your order sent to the address on your account.

7. What to do if you’re not successful

You have up to 28 days to return your online order (online 3 days in store), so keep checking the website every few day, in case someone has returned a piece in your size! And you can always check out eBay, although be prepared to pay more than the RRP.

Pieces I predict will sell out in minutes

Silk scarf

A silk scarf with the signature Erdem print? At £25 this will be a steal.

Hoodies

There is a floral and logo hoodie. Everyone loves a logo – from previous years everything with a logo sells out first and doesn’t come back into stock and this year will be no different.

Tea dress

As the least-expensive of the dresses in the collection, and maybe the most versatile, I think this will get snapped up early on.

Don’t want to wait?