How do I write when it all seems a bit much (????)

👋 The Queen of inconsistency is back!

After a couple of weeks off (partially due to being absolutely KNOCKED off my feet from a flu/suspected COVID), I have returned. And the pressure is feeling… a lot.

Towards the end of my old blog, AliceMoyna (if you’re new here, she was around for 12 years (!!!) before moving to Substack), I became awful at updating it.

A combination of writing for work and feeling like I had nothing to add to the conversation (any conversation, lol) created a big storm of writer's block. In the final two years, I simply posted bi-annual updates to let readers know I still existed and was living out my best life in whatever country.

And to be honest, I thought that starting a new piece of the internet would give me a new lease on life, you know? I’d wanted The Sunday Reset to be a weekly catch-up, a bit of respite, and just a warm place with light content.

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But two things have happened:
1) I underestimated my own need to write about things a little bit deeper.

2) 2025 happens to be a really fucking hard world to be living in at the moment.

So I’ve been struggling more and more to write about the whimsy and the fun without SCREAMING into the abyss about how shit the world is right now, and just asking how are we all coping??????? Are we even coping??? Because some days, I really truly am not.

I wanted to write a post on some of the small joys I’m finding in a tough old world. But I don’t think that can exist without first sharing links to help out Palestinian charities. And while it might feel jarring to go from donation links to a list of these small joys, I know that grief and light live side-by-side.

I recognise that I’m likely not alone in desperately seeking out joy in as many places as possible right now. And part of coping, for me, has been trying to do something—however small—to help.

That means sharing, donating, and attending protests. So if you’re in a position to contribute, these are the organisations I’ve been supporting:

• My local pro-Palestine protests: Find yours here.

• The Sameer Project: A grassroots initiative run by Palestinians on the ground, currently funding support for four refugee camps.

• UNRWA: The UN’s relief agency for Palestinian refugees. A good option if you’re able to set up a repeating monthly donation, as they provide long-term support alongside emergency aid.

• Palestine Red Crescent Society: Part of the Red Cross & Red Crescent network, they are often the first to respond during crises. If you’d prefer to donate to a large, recognised charity, this is a good choice.

• Al Banna Family Fundraiser: Alongside bigger organisations, many families in Gaza have set up verified fundraisers to help rebuild their lives after losing everything. The Al Banna family’s fund has been vetted, and donations are protected/refunded if anything suspicious arises.

As mentioned, if you can, these are trusted charities.

So yes, donations, protests, shouting into the void, that’s definitely one half of it. But I’m also trying to remember that it’s okay to still laugh at TV shows, go on lovely walks, and enjoy making delicious food.

Here are a few of the things that have kept me feeling human lately:

1. Watching The Summer I Turned Pretty (YES, I KNOW, I’M NOT SORRY).

   I feel so passionately about TSITP that you almost got a full Sunday Reset on it. It is girlhood, and you cannot persuade me otherwise. See you at the midnight release of the movie, fellow Conrad gals. 💅

   

2. Painting the flat with Fraser

   Fraser and I moved into our first flat (rented) in January, and have been living in a mass of grey-purple walls ever since. We got permission from our landlord to paint over said walls, and have spent a couple of weekends brightening things up. Painting the first couple of rooms in what will hopefully be a lifetime of rooms together just felt so good. And we also managed not to have a single argument, so a win-win.

   

3. Baking

   I’m rediscovering my love of baking, specifically in line with the new season of Bake Off. Frankly, I believe it’s illegal to sit down and watch Bake Off without a sweet treat.

   
   I’ve recently baked my mum a birthday cake, baked a semi-successful banana bread, and baked some much more successful chocolate chip muffins. Fraser is vegan, so discovering new vegan-friendly recipes has been part of this journey because, however much I want to, I probably shouldn’t eat 12 muffins alone.

4. Being creative

   While decorating the flat, I also decided to use some of the momentos I’ve kept over the years to create scrapbook frames. Fun fact: I’ve actually kept a scrapbook of my life since I was 18, so I always pick things up throughout my life, and keep anything I know I’ll want to use.

   I’m always limited to how much I can put in my scrapbook (I’m currently on my second one), so it’s been LOVELY to put some of the additional tickets, photos, etc, to good use.

5. Dog sitting

   Ugh. Need I say more?

   We have signed up for a dog sitting service, and I’m currently writing this with a beautiful Husky x Labrador sat at my feet, where she’ll hopefully stay for the next two weeks.

   Having dogs in the house has brought so much joy and routine, and it’s filled a gap for us at a time when we can’t commit to a dog of our own.

Thank you if you’ve made it this far! Next week will be a little lighter, I promise. ✨