Ranking every ‘Love Actually’ couple from the ‘absolute worst’ to ‘simply the best!’

The 2003 Christmas phenomenon, ‘Love Actually’ stars some of the brightest actors in Hollywood: Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Kiera Knightley and more! The film highlights key relationship dos and don’ts for any couple struggling at Christmas time. Whether your significant other is cheating, a big romantic or the Prime Minister, I’m gonna be ranking each ‘Love Actually’ relationship from worst to best so you don’t have to! Let’s see if “Love actually is all around.”

10. Colin Frissel and his ‘American Dream(s)’: 

Extremely self-explanatory for Colin to reserve tenth place in this ranking system because, realistically, what did the character do to prove "love actually is all around"? If the film was "Sex Actually", he’d have top spot; however, for me, the caterer and his American companions provided no sort of emotional depth, and the insecure Brit flew to a different continent JUST to get laid. On the contrary, Colin had a very lovely relationship with fellow caterer and friend "Tony", who supported his travel plans and was waiting for him at the airport on their return home! What a friend!

9. Sam and Joanna:

Whilst I think it’s absolutely precious that thirteen-year-old Sam found "love" with American school girl "Joanna", I find it strangely concerning that his love interest shares the same name as his mother, whom the character is still mourning. I enjoyed seeing Sam take on new hobbies (like the drums) to impress Joanna, however I do feel the audience should’ve been made aware that Sam felt a stranger to Joanna from the offset. It’s a shame their relationship seemed short lived with her leaving right after their concert performance, although who isn’t a sucker for the adorable airport scene they share?

8. Peter and Juliet (and Mark):

Personally, for me, this relationship is NOT the one. I absolutely hated that the film romanticised the idea of being in love with your best friend’s girl. Peter deserved way better than what he got from both his best friend, Mark, and his new bride, Juliet, (Kiera Knightley). The fascination Mark had for Juliet and the scene where she watches the video, he took of her on her wedding day was not appropriate at all for younger viewers, as it promotes false ideas of how love and relationships should be. This therefore takes eighth place ONLY for the iconic Christmas carol scene where Mark openly admits his love for Juliet in the form of large cards on her doorstep. My favourite part of the entire love triangle scenario is where Mark finally gets his closure with the closing line "enough".  

7. Judy and John:

 What’s not to love about Judy and John? Martin Freeman of "The Hobbit", and Joanna Page of "Gavin and Stacey", falling in love after meeting at a porno shoot is the most unexpected and hilarious twist of events in the whole film. However, how memorable are Judy and John apart from that? Whereas most characters in this film cross paths somewhere or another during the movie, the pair are (fairly) separate, which I happen to love, but they don’t have a lot of ground to stand on fighting for a place in top three with the likes of other, more important characters. I would’ve loved to have seen more character development from the pair and maybe a more important storyline, but as far as "Love Actually" goes, both Judy and John are the embodiment of two Brits falling in love. 

6. Sarah and Karl:

(TW) Unpopular opinion but having Sarah and Karl in sixth place was absolutely crucial when doing my rankings, because although the work colleagues never amounted to anything romantic, what’s extremely important is the love Sarah has for her brother, Michael. It breaks my heart every time I watch the movie, seeing Sarah sacrifice establishing a romantic connection with her long-term crush, to look after her (presumed) Schizophrenic brother. The character development we saw from Sarah throughout and the insight into her personal life helped to show the audience a deeper love connection than romance. The relationship between family is just as vital in the Christmas period and as we’re made aware, they’re all each other have. I loved the entire storyline and will not take any Sarah and Karl sixth place slander. 

5. Billy Mack and ‘fat manager’ Joe:

The grumpy, washed-up singer and his trusty manager are one of my favourite duos. Billy Mack’s number one Christmas hit "Christmas is all around" might be the anthem of the movie and that wouldn’t be possible without Joe. I love their "hate to love and love to hate" relationship and you can tell they’re both incredibly loyal to each other regardless of the one-sided bullying on Billy Mack’s part. The audience might even feel sorry for Billy Mack; he feels extremely alone in his later years but gives off this bad boy musician persona. "Now I’m left with no one, wrinkled and alone" and it’s extremely heart-warming to see him soften up towards the end and give Joe the recognition and love he truly deserves for putting up with him. "Much as it grieves me to say it... it might be that the people I love is, in fact... you." This friendship is incredibly realistic, especially for two middle aged friends. The expectation for Billy to disown his manager is seen throughout the film and I love that he did exactly the opposite come Christmas time, choosing to spend it with Joe. You just must love them!

 4. The Prime Minister (David) and Natalie:

What I love about David and Natalie is that it’s so far-fetched and cringy that it’s an absolute must in every Christmas film! Frankly, I adore The Prime Minster, (Hugh Grant) and throughout the film, he just gets better and better. David continuously stood up for Natalie throughout, and even humiliated the President of the United States, whom The United Kingdom were previously friendly with, due to his vile, sexual coercion towards her. David is also the owner of the iconic quote "if you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling that love actually is all around" which represents the entire movie completely. The local celebrity, linked to Daniel and Karen is just a normal, down to Earth, lonely man with big responsibilities and it’s extremely heart-warming that by the end of the movie, he no longer has to live in the big "10 Downing Street" house alone as he’s fallen for his PA, Natalie. Her big family is exactly what David needs to keep himself humble and happy! Therefore, I believe it’s a match made in heaven. Let’s not forget to mention my absolute favourite scene, the iconic dance to "Jump (For My Love)". Extremely fitting!

3. Harry and Karen: 

Karen has my entire heart. The audience can’t help but feel sorry for Emma Thompson’s character throughout as we watch her long term husband and father of her kids begin an affair with an employee of his, Mia. Harry (Alan Rickman) seriously takes advantage of the mother of his children and soon understands the severity of his actions. What I hate to love about this relationship, is that it’s so realistic and is a true representation of relationships worldwide. The relatability of Karen, just wanting more from her husband is made clear with her desire for a bigger, more impactful Christmas gift. If you’re a great mother, a great wife, and a great sister, what more could you do to make your significant other love you just that little bit harder? This relationship doesn’t come with happiness and excitement like all the others in "Love Actually”; it’s one of sorrow and longing for better. The audience can feel the vast impact of Harry’s deceit in the crying scene where we see Karen silently weeping to Joni Mitchell"s "Both Sides Now" and it is heart-breaking. However, what broke my heart the most was how Karen wiped her tears away for the sake of her children; and carried on, proving just how loyal and determined she is to still be the best mother possible for her cheating husband and for her kids. This relationship is painful to watch, however, third place is definitely ideal for the pair, as it signifies everything that this Christmas film is about- determination for the ones you love. 

2. Jamie Bennett and Aurelia: 

Jamie and Aurelia are my favourite romantic couple by a long mile and definitely deserve second place! After dealing with heartbreak from his ex-girlfriend and travelling to France to write his novel, Jamie’s unlikely friendship with Portuguese speaking, Aurelia is one I can’t help but squeal at! Their willingness to do anything to be together is exceptional to see and is exactly what the romantic aspect of this film is about. I love how both characters are desperate to know each other despite the language barrier, and that Aurelia loves to see Jamie happy. In France and away from the manic of the other relationships around them, the pair get to know each other as friends and understand each other on a deeper level even without sharing the same first language proving just how perfect they are for each other. Their relationship emphasises just how easy love is to find and exactly how amazing it can be when both contributors make sacrifices. It’s also pretty amazing that Jamie would rather fly to confess his love to Aurelia in a foreign country, in a room full of strangers, then spend Christmas without her. Never settle for less girls!

1.Daniel and Sam: 

Top spot was no competition for me. Daniel, (Liam Neeson), and his stepson, Sam overcome the biggest challenge a pair can face- the loss of Sam’s mum. These characters are simply the best and steal the show with their everlasting support for each other throughout. Daniel is the best dad he can be, and although extremely lonely following the loss of his wife, Joanna, he still takes on full responsibility of Sam and bears the pain on his shoulders for them both. Whilst Sam attempts to prove his defamation of love to his crush, Joanna; Daniel is 100% supportive and willing to go above and beyond for his son. I love that the pair understand each other completely and there is never any bad blood or negativity, given the struggles they’ve both faced. I also admire Sam’s braveness to let Daniel know he is comfortable with his stepdad dating again; showing once again how much they love each other. They’re each other’s strength, which is vastly notable and overtakes every other "Love Actually" relationship by a long mile. The pair were introduced to each other by fate and are clear examples of being the best of friends, father and son and having an evident and strong similarity; the love they both share for late Joanna. 

To Conclude:

Each and every relationship in this brilliant Rom-Com signifies a different particular take on "love" which is why it’s the best. It’s almost like watching 10 different films in one! How lucky are we? Each song used is represented beautifully by the characters and represents the alternate scenarios perfectly. These rankings are my own opinions and I’d love to hear yours too!

Cassie Moreland 

Christmas Comes to Cardiff

If there were any questions over whether Christmas had begun in Cardiff, they’ve been answered now. 

Winter Wonderland has arrived in the ‘Diff. meaning Christmas mode has been fully activated and the festivities can begin! 

I don’t know about anyone else, but I find the annual arrival of the Christmas markets and Winter Wonderland one of the true green lights, signalling that Christmas can begin. The lights, snow machines, big wheel, festive treats, to name a few, create a festive atmosphere that lights up the city centre. 

Due to barely being able to contain our glee over the Christmassy arrival, we headed down swiftly and promptly to the grounds outside City Hall mid-November, to see what was going on this year.

After buying a hot chocolate for what seemed a small fortune, we took in the sights of lights and laughter, as Winter Wonderland provides such a joy to many, young or old.

Braving a fear of heights, we went around the big wheel, which provided a rare glimpse of the city from above. I found something quite magical about being able to oversee the going-on of Cardiff, all lit up and the hustle and bustle about town. After entertaining ourselves with, we did what most people do at these events, decided to waste a bunch of money at ill-fated fairground games.

Now I may have thought we’d have been totally useless, but we came annoyingly close to winning on several occasions. I don’t know what it is about these games, but they fill you with a sudden desire to win a giant stuffed toy, which any other time of the year would seem the most gigantic pile of rubbish not worth spending money on. My heart was set on a gigantic penguin (again, for reasons I cannot even fathom), but alas, it was not meant to be- which is probably for the best.

My face lit up when I started to see snow fall, only for my illusions to be shattered when I realised it was a fake snow machine producing little drops of icy foam over our heads. Still, in-keeping with the Christmas magic, it did just the job and still provided me with excitement. 

After another walkabout, a gander of the rides, a listen to the music and some obligatory photos, we headed back to reality. I have to say I do regret not booking the ice-bar, a new addition to the Winter Wonderland this year, although a hot chocolate quite sufficed.

Our reasoning for not going on the skating rink was a little self-explanatory for anyone who’s ever seen me try to skate- spoiler alert, it doesn’t usually end well. So even though we may not have done everything the attraction had to offer, we certainly ticked all our desired boxes.

Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland is a must for those wanting to get their festive cheer on and escape the mundane for a few hours. You can be in your own Christmassy bubble for an evening, and it’ll surely put a smile on your face.

Words by Gabi Page 

Can We Start Decking the Halls?

The Halloween decorations have gone down, the clocks have gone back, and the nights are drawing in. We’re now left with that awkward gap to fill until December 25th. This then propels the question- is it too early to start getting the tinsel and tree out?

I was thinking this whilst walking through the hustle and bustle of Cardiff City Centre. Shops stocked with Christmas decorations and extending opening hours for keen shoppers, the markets being set up and the Winter Wonderland starting to take form, Christmas is truly in the air whether you like it or not. 

Maybe we have just come to accept that November means Christmas for the sheer reason that there’s so much build up and planning needed for the most magical time of year. 

Finding the perfect presents, ensuring everyone at the table is catered for and well fed, making memories with loved ones, these things take organising and often can’t be done on a whim, in fear of suffering the chaos come Christmas Eve when shop pandemonium peaks and you’re left with nothing to give your nan on the big day.

But does it just enforce the idea that Christmas has become just consumerism at its peak, with no real thought as to the meaning behind the day or the fact that it’s a chance to spend time with family and friends. We can so easily become entrapped in the idea that we ‘need’ to do this and ‘need’ to do that to have the ‘perfect’ Christmas, but surely the perfect day costs not much at all. The company of loved ones, the merriment of some time off work and a chance to embrace the spirit by thinking of others, surely that’s what Christmas is all about?

Don’t get me wrong, my hands are practically shaking in anticipation of riding the big wheel, drinking hot chocolates whilst admiring the lights and trees and splashing out on gifts for my nearest and dearest, but sometimes I think it helps to stop and reflect. Think about whether I need to spend my years earnings on one day, when really, some goodies and a jokey gift or two is enough, and instead I should just appreciate the extra time to slow down and be with those I love.

Christmas is a magical time of year, my favourite to be exact, but maybe we should start to embrace the simplicities of the season, instead of worrying about how big the turkey is going to be or already fuelling the local economy by buying endless pairs of socks, chocolate, and more gifts aplenty. 

Let’s instead think about who we can see this Christmas, what we can do for others, and be grateful that we’re here to see another after the year, or two, we’ve just had.

BLOG: There’s nothing sweet about today: Sourest Day

October 25th, a day you may see as normal as every other day, but today is in fact Sourest Day don’t ya know. 

Yes, that’s right, a day to celebrate all things sour, whether that be food or people. 

Like with many of these whimsical holidays, the origins are unknown. One assumption that can be made though is that someone brainstormed it to encourage others to try new sour foods, or to turn their attention to the sour people in their lives, maybe making things a little sweeter. 

Sourness itself is a taste. It detects acidity in a food item, thus determining its level of sourness. Scientists rank substances on their sourness by comparing it to hydrochloric acid, which has a sourness index of 1. 

The word sour is used to refer to someone who is angry, disagreeable, or irritable. A person who harbours resentment or disappointment is also sometimes called a sour person.

A quick google search presents a few ideas for how one may celebrate this holiday, with the ideas being as follows:

1.     Try some sour beverages such as limeade, buttermilk and drinking vinegar.

2.     Try some sour food, such as sour citrus fruits for breakfast, or some lemon chicken for lunch. A ceviche, grapefruit salad and key lime pie would make the perfect sour dinner.

3.     Some sour candy is obvious. You could bring some to your co-workers or just try them solo.

4.     Maybe you know a slightly sour person in your life! Well, doing something nice for them to sweeten their sour may help.

FUN FACT:

An average adult has about 10,000 taste buds in their mouth, reducing in number as people age.

Prepping For a Haunting Halloween

Pumpkins, orange autumnal leaves and sugar rushes aplenty. Yes, it’s that time of year again, Halloween is creeping around the corner with only two weeks to go, meaning now’s about the right time to make sure everything’s in order for the spookiest day of the year!

Whether you’re planning a haunting Halloween gathering or a night in on the sofa with for a scary screening is more your thing, having an idea of what you’re doing is always the key to success. We here at KCL are here to help with your nightmare-ish plans to provide you with the perfect ghoulish inspiration you need for all things Halloween. 

Drinks

These will prove especially handy if you’re planning a Halloween party, as you’ll of course need some refreshing beverages for guests to sip on throughout the night, but they can also keep your solo-self or small group of friends refreshed when needed. 

·      Grasshopper Cocktail

·      Blood Beetroot Cocktails

·      The Witch’s Heart Cocktail

·      Halloween Mocktail Punch

·      Beastly Blackberry and Bay Lemonade Mocktail

·      Green Beer

·      Sparkling Ginger Sangria 

·      Zombie Brain Cocktail

·      Vampire Floats

·      Toxic Tonic

Food

Again, you don’t need to be having a party to enjoy some scary snacks, but if you are then it’s important to remember you can multiply recipes to cater for your crowd. Adjusting and experimenting with methods can tailor your food to your needs for your get-together perfectly- but we won’t tell if you chose to keep all the goods for yourself!

·      Easy Halloween Cookies

·      Eerie Eyeball Pops

·      Pumpkin Cheesecake

·      Witch Hats Cupcakes

·      Spider Pizza

·      Bloody Finger Hot Dogs

·      Rotten Devilled Eggs

·      Poison Apples

·      Bloody Mary Syringes

·      Halloweentown Marshmallow Spiders

Music

Now it’s all good having ‘Thriller’ on for the 100th time, but you’ll want to diversify your Halloween playlist a little, for fear of growing tired of the same music and to keep things fresh and new. As you may have guessed, music is very important to us here at KCL, and we feel it’s important to ensure you have a good idea of some spine-chilling songs so that you can make an informed decision when it comes to your playlist.

·      ‘Thriller’, Michael Jackson

·      ‘Monster Mash’, Bobby Pickett

·      ‘A Nightmare on My Street’, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

·      ‘Werewolves of London’, Warren Zevon 

·      ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’, Rockwell

·      ‘Superstition’, Stevie Wonder

·      ‘Psycho Killer’, Talking Heads

·      ‘Heads Will Roll’, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

·      ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper’, Blue Oyster Cult

·      ‘Zombie’, The Cranberries

·      ‘Dead Man’s Party’, Oingo Boingo

·      ‘Witchy Woman’, The Beagles

·      ‘Monster’, Kanye West

·      ‘Black Magic’, Little Miz

·      ‘Black Magic Woman’, Santana

·      ‘Feed My Frankenstein’, Alice Cooper

·      ‘Dracula’s Wedding’, OutKast

·      ‘Red Right Hand’, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

·      ‘Bury a Friend’, Billie Eilish

·      ‘Howlin’ for You’, The Black Keys

·      ‘This is Halloween’, Marilyn Manson

·      ‘Sympathy for the Devil’, The Rolling Stones

·      ‘This is Halloween’, Michel Elias

·      ‘Disturbia’, Rhianna

·      ‘Highway to Hell’, AC/DC

·      ‘Dragular’, Rob Zombie

·      ‘The Monster’, Eminem 

·      ‘Runnin’ With the Devil’, Van Halen

·      ‘Ghostbusters’, Ray Parker Jr. 

·      ‘Halloween Theme’, John Carpenter

·      ‘Spooky Scary Skeletons’, Andrew Gold 

·      ‘Ghost Town’, The Specials

·      ‘Spooky’, Dusty Springfield

·      ‘I Was a Teenage Werewolf’, The Cramps

·      ‘I Put a Spell on You’, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins 

Films

Maybe you’re hosting a frightening film night for friends or family, or perhaps you’re choosing to go it alone on Halloween eve, whichever you decide you’ll want some great films that will keep you on the edge of your seat. From classics to modern-day horrors and thrillers, there is no shortage when it comes to suitable Halloween films. 

·      Beetlejuice 

·      Adams Family 

·      Halloweentown

·      The Nightmare Before Christmas

·      Edward Scissorhands

·      Shaun of the Dead

·      Witches

·      Ghostbusters 1 & 2

·      The Rocky Horror Picture Show

·      Little Shop of Horrors 

·      Hocus Pocus

·      Gremlins

·      Hotel Transylvania 

·      Zombieland 1 & 2

·      Scream

·      Jennifer’s Body

·      Hubie Halloween

·      The Nun

·      The Conjuring 

·      Midsommar

·      Hereditary

·      Halloween film collection

·      It Follows

·      Insidious 

·      Carries

·      The Birds

·      Coraline

·      Corpse Bride

·      Casper

·      Donnie Darko

·      The Invisible Man

·      Heathers

·      Paranormal Activity

·      US

·      A Quiet Place 1 & 2

·      The Cabin in the Woods

·      The Babadook

·      The Omen

·      Poltergeist 

·      The Exorcist  

Now that you’re feeling inspired for what you can get up to this Halloween, all you need to do is decide what spook-tacular things you’ll be doing this October 31st.

Daily Nuisances

Today it’s a bit of a rant on our blog. Not a full-blown end-of-the-world type rant. Just a little moan to get stuff off our chests, stuff that is not doubt very relatable to many.

It can be the little things in life that gets to us, can’t it? As a nation, we’re renowned for complaining but often lack the ability to stand up and right our grievances face-to-face. We may not be too impressed with our main course at the restaurant, but God forbid we let the chef know! ‘Oh yes it was lovely, thank you’, we mutter as we flash a false smile and proceed to leave a tip out of sheer panic that anyone may think we didn’t enjoy ourselves.

Whether we like it or not, nuisances are riddled throughout daily life. Take not being able to find the matching sock to complete your pair, now that’s an all too familiar scenario come Monday morning. Why can we not seem to keep the same colour together instead of inevitably resorting to odd socks for the day? 

The smaller an issue, the more annoying it can often be. It’s a bit like when stubbing your toe on the bed can feel so much worse than any other pain you’ve experienced, we often sweat the small stuff and get more annoyed the pettier the issue. 

But why do we get this way? What causes us to feel these frustrations over life’s niggly nuisances? Is it because we simply enjoy complaining? Personally, I have another theory.

When there’s a big problem, and I’m talking big picture things like real emergencies and incidents in life, it can feel like things are out of our control, like we’re helpless. We have a better way of accepting that we can’t do anything, but when it’s something smaller, more trivial, we get annoyed as it could’ve been prevented easily. There’s more control in those situations, and we perhaps struggle with the fact that something so silly can happen. 

I feel that is where our true frustrations and nuisances lie. Lapse of control in the most trivial of momentary problems. We could’ve thrown away the 50 chargers that don’t work so that they’re not clogging up our draws. We could try a better job of keeping our matching pairs of socks together. We could even check replace the loo roll BEFORE we go to the toilet. But these things have a sneaky habit of escaping our busy schedules of life, and come back in the form of daily nuisances when forgotten. 

Which weird and wonderful day is up next… ah! Happy Uncle and Aunt Day! (Yes, really)

It’s safe to say that there’s a fair few weird and wonderful holidays that are spread out across the calendar year, and I’m not talking your average Christmas or Easter.

Here at KCL, we like to look at the more unusual ‘unofficial’ holidays that people may not necessarily know about, educating you, if you will, about things you may not know about. 

So, following this fashion, today we wish you a happy uncle and aunt day! 

Perhaps often overlooked, uncles and aunts can take on an important role. From providing support, influence, guidance and fun, they can help shape who we are.

Now, not all of us have uncles or aunts with whom we have contact with, or any in the first place, but for some they play an integral role in our lives.  

Aunts and Uncles are similar to parents, except without most of the rules and regulations. Whether it’s getting spoilt with attention, showered with gifts that your parents refused to get you or providing some much-needed advice that you can’t seem to approach with mum or dad, they can be a huge part of a much-needed support system. 

But it’s not just those with whom you share DNA with that can be regarded as uncles and aunts.

In Western cultures, these terms are typically reserved for the close family members who are related by marriage or genetics, but many other cultures contrast this ‘norm’. Africa, Asia and Middle East cultures especially use the terms to refer to anyone from the generation of one’s parent, and that has followed, in a way, to Western cultures as of late.

For example, close or old friends of parents are often sweetly referred to as ‘aunty’ or ‘uncle’, especially if they are Godparents. Having that support network of people who are close to you but not necessarily related can be invaluable. Speaking personally, I would be a little lost without the support, advice and adventures I’ve been fortunate enough to experience with my Godparents.

My Godmother, who I refer to as an ‘aunty’, is essentially my second mother. Someone I know I can always turn to when it may not feel quite right talking to my mum about or I can go and experience new and exciting things with (including some questionable delicacies on our travels). This isn’t to say I don’t talk to or get on with my own mother at all, it’s simply been incredibly beneficial to me to have someone to go to when I may need advice on delicate topics, or just knowing there’s a place and person I can go to when I need space and support. 

It can be so important to have these people in our lives, and I feel extremely grateful that I have that, as I know not everyone is lucky enough. So, for those who are, try and not take them for granted, and take a minute this uncle and aunt day to let those people know how important they are to you, or simply have a perhaps overdue catch-up.

Family doesn’t always have to be down to genes and DNA. Often those we chose to be part of our families serve the greatest purpose and are the ones you value most. 

Did You Know…

…that "say uncle" is a phrase popularly used in the United States and Canada and is usually used to concede defeat in a game or match?

Put in too many working hours? Today’s your day

Shutterstock images

Here at KCL, we like to appreciate the weird and wonderful, including fun themed holidays. This one, however, is probably slightly less of a fun-packed thrill. Why, may you ask? Well because today is national workaholics day. Ermmmm…woohoooo?

This unofficial holiday was created to raise awareness about overworking, and the fact that too much work and too little play can have negative impacts on mental physical health. So instead of celebrating this lifestyle, it’s more of a focus on encouraging workaholics to make lifestyle changes in order to give other aspects of their lives as much attention. Having a healthy work/life balance is important, and with the majority of us working from home in this Covid-era, it can be hard to separate the two worlds.

With 60% if employees working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, 77% of remote workers in the UK have said they’re more productive when working from home, with many hoping to continue this new way of life post-pandemic. But it’s important to draw a line when doing this. Many of us are getting carried away and taking laptops to bed with us, typing till the early hours, or taking on more work than possible. This can have a negative impact on those around you, as family and friends may not feel their having quality time with you. 

So, on this holiday, why not take some time out to look out for the workaholic in your life and ask them to join you in a fun activity? Maybe you’re the one guilty of spending a little too much time in the office, so take yourself out for a walk or phone a friend and just check in on yourself. It’s important to remember to look after our mental wellbeing, especially after the chaos of the last year, so there’s no shame in taking a little time out. 

Some ideas for today:

·       If there is a workaholic in your life, ask them to take the day off and take them out to do something fun. Perhaps a trip to a theme park or a hike?

·       Make a nice meal for the workaholic in your life and tell them about the problems associated with working all the time.

·       If you are a workaholic, take the day off to revaluate your life and take some time off for yourself.