Our Little Friday Letter | Friday, 10th April, 2026

Stepping Back, Slowing Down, Starting Again

Hi everyone,

It’s been a little while since I’ve sat down to write to you properly, and I just wanted to check in.

For the past year, I’ve been working steadily on my blog again after a very long break. I had almost ten years away from it, really, aside from dipping in and out over the last couple of years. But from last spring, I made a conscious decision to rebuild it, to see if I could bring it back to life in a new way.

And I’m really proud of what I’ve created.

But if I’m being honest, there’s been a lot of work in that too. Not in a negative sense — it’s been a beautiful creative outlet — but work all the same.

As you know, I talk a lot about living more mindfully, more intentionally, more slowly. And while I have been living that way in many respects, I started to notice recently that I wasn’t fully living in alignment with what I was sharing.

That began to bother me.

I’m someone who really values authenticity, and I could feel that I was starting to create or write because I felt I had to — not because I genuinely wanted to in that moment. There was no pressure coming from anywhere else, only from myself, but it was there all the same.

And then, one morning, I had what I can only describe as a bit of a “speed wobble.”

I opened Instagram and saw that we’re now a community of nearly 20,000 people. And for a moment, it stopped me. That’s a lot of people. And suddenly, I felt a little exposed. A little aware. A little… pressured, if I’m honest.

And I realised that wasn’t how I wanted this to feel.

So I stepped back.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve taken a proper break. No real posting, no deadlines, no trying to keep up. Just a bit of space to think, to breathe, and to check in with myself again.

And it’s been good. Really good.

I’ve been enjoying my home more. Being present with the kids. Getting outside when I can. Not feeling the need to capture or share everything. Letting moments just be what they are.

I’ve also been noticing what I actually want to create and share — and what I don’t.

And I think that’s the biggest shift.

Going forward, I’m not planning any big overhaul. Nothing dramatic is changing here. But I do think things will be a little slower, a little more intentional.

I want to write when I feel something worth writing about.

I want to share from a place that feels real and grounded, not rushed or pressured.

I’ll still be sharing seasonal content — I love that side of things and always will — but I think there’ll be more space now for the quieter, more reflective pieces too.

More thoughts. More honesty. More of the “why” behind everything I share.

And hopefully, more of that feeling we’re all trying to create in our lives — a bit more calm, a bit more clarity, a bit more kindness towards ourselves.

I’m not entirely sure what this next season will look like yet.

But I do know I want it to feel more like this.

More like me.

And I have a feeling that’s a good place to start.

Ciara 🤍

P.S. I’d love to know — have you ever felt like you’ve drifted a little from the life you were trying to create?