Hey gang! Another week, another Weekly Balance. Let’s have a look back at the past seven days in my life and what I’ve learnt from it.

What went on in my doctor life…

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues, I’m going to leave out this section of The Weekly Balance for now. I can’t share the specifics of my day to day work – its not appropriate for many reasons, but confidentiality is the main one. I would also guess that many of you, like me, enjoy taking time to switch off from all things pandemic, and I hope these weekly posts might help with that a little. I hope you guys can understand that, and thank you! I am continuing to share COVID-19 update posts on my Instagram at least once per week – you can check those out here.

What I’m thinking about…

Doing things on your own. I live in Galway currently, in the west of Ireland, and have done for the past year and a bit. I’ve friends here and at home, but it’s true to say that I have spent more time in my own company since moving here, which is something I’ve become very comfortable with. That’s not to say I always was. It can feel a bit strange heading out for a coffee on your own, or for a meal, or even, as I did yesterday, for an adventure and a bit of a discovery daytrip. But you know what? I’ve realised that we need to be happy and able to sit and be with ourselves, before we can be fully content spending our time in the company of someone else – be it family, friends or a romantic partner. So instead of feeling a bit funny when I rock into a café and ask for a table for one, not two or more, I remind myself of how much of a privilege and joy it is to be able to give myself the time and space to be in my own company, to do the things I want to do, see and try. I may not always have that freedom. And don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love spending time with family and friends. But I’ve found that I can be my own friend too, and that’s a relationship I’m also willing to put the time into.

What I’m reading…

This weekend, I finished The Break by Marian Keyes. It’s a story told through the eyes of Amy, an Irish woman in her mid-forties whose husband has just told her that he wants a six-month ‘break’ from their marriage – he wants to go travelling, solo, no strings attached, no responsibilities, just an adventure for him and him alone. This leaves Amy to look after their three adolescent daughters, their house, their finances and her job, all by herself, with a good dose of confusion, betrayal and sadness at his departure. This book took many twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting – I won’t spoil it for those of you planning to read it, but there is so much interwoven into Amy’s narrative that you do end up quite absorbed in the book. I didn’t enjoy The Break as much as Grown Ups, Keyes’s latest novel, but I think that’s because Grown Ups is told through many different characters which I really liked. The Break does what Keyes does so well – capture Irish family life and the backdrop of Irish culture and ‘isms’. It also is an interesting take on polyamory versus monogamy, and explores the idea and evolution of long-lasting love between two people. All in all, a good read for some escapism, particularly for you Irish readers out there!

As always, let me know what you’re reading in the comments below! My next books to tuck into are Failosophy by Elizabeth Day and The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne.

What I’m listening to…

This week, I really enjoyed the latest episode of the Where Is My Mind podcast, hosted by Niall Breslin, which was an interview with Jameela Jamil, on the topic of empathy versus anger online, call-out culture and cancel culture – all important issues in the social media worlds many of us inhabit every day, and there was lots of food for thought in this episode.

I also LOVED the latest episode of the How To Fail podcast by Elizabeth Day, which was, to celebrate the launch of her new book Failosophy, a collection of favourite quotes and lessons from the various guests who have been on her podcast, as well as listener ‘failures’ which were sent to Day for the episode. It was a really inspiring listen and well worth checking out.

What I’m watching…

This weekend I finally finished Season 3 of The Crown! It took a while, but I got there, and I absolutely adored it. Season 4 starts in November and I cannot wait. Next I plan to try Schitt’s Creek, which I’ve been told is very funny. I also need to finish Killing Eve Season 3. I don’t watch a lot of television but when I do find a show I like, it’s fun to share it here.

Recipe of the Week

The recipe I’m loving this week is my Satay Style Chickpea Curry – a quick dinner recipe favourite for me, and ideal for a new week ahead! You can find the recipe here.

And that’s a wrap for this week gang! If you want to get in touch, you can find me @theirishbalance on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. I hope you have a lovely week ahead folks – remember, stay informed with the advice from your local health authority, stay safe, wash your hands, keep your distance and be kind!

Ciara  x