What Sophie Said

May was about realising when I need a break. The week in Kent was a bit of a wake up call, reminding me how important it is sometimes to switch off from everything. The month ended with a beautiful evening at Lambeth Palace for a masquerade ball. And what about this month? The theatre trips are back, for a start, which is good because I'm having withdrawal symptoms! My dad's coming to visit so we can head to Funny Girl, and I'm also seeing Titanic the Musical later in the month. I saw an amateur production of it a few years ago and was really impressed, so I'm looking forward to seeing it in the West End, complete with one of my sister's friends as a cast member. There are films lined up that I want to see, including the new X Men and Race, plus the excitement of looking forward to my birthday month in July. I want June to be about enjoying the things I have lined up whilst remembering what I took away from Kent: the need to slow my mind down and try and...

I cannot describe how much good my week in Kent did me. For seven days the only aim was to relax. I have relaxing days at home, some weekends for example, but when you're at home there are always little jobs or plans popping up, and I don't think you truly switch off in the same way as when you're somewhere else. The cottage was roomy and bright, decorated beautifully and so homely and comfortable. The garden was huge and alongside it ran the cutest coastal path. On  the other side of this path were rolling green hills leading down to the long pebble beach. The weather was beautiful, with blue skies and warm air and only a couple of hours of rain in the whole week. There was nothing to do but relax. There weren't shops everywhere, or tasks to be done. There weren't people around you rushing and stressing and gossiping. People were quiet. People were calm. People were strolling. People were walking their dogs. People were friendly. The pace of life w...

I love living in London. It's so different to where I grew up (Cheshire) and to where I went to university (York). There's so much to do in terms of work, culture, socialising and the opportunity to see this amazing city. In many ways, London is great. But London is busy. It's pace is like nowhere else, and nobody slows down.  Which is why it can be so important to press pause. Sometimes, you need to escape the city for the weekend and press the refresh button. Fresh from a weekend away recently, here are the top five benefits of that weekend escape: Pause. We're not designed to run at full speed 24/7. Sometimes you just need a break. Reassess. Time away allows time to think about what you're doing and when you're doing it,  Reflect. A break from the day-to-day allows you to re-order your priorities, and think about what matters most. Refresh. Unwinding properly is like hitting the reset button, allowing you to return to London with ren...