Laur Inspired (2025)

15/07/2025

It was a hot one this weekend, and I was able to fully lean into it on annual leave for the past few days ☀️

Out and about, and catching up with the people I love is my favourite thing. No rushing, no squeezing things in. Just some proper time off.

I talk a lot about burnout, balance, and the importance of purpose at work. But I’m reminded that rest isn’t just something we talk about, it’s something we actually have to do.

Here’s your reminder: especially if you’re the kind of person that’s nonstop, always on the go and wondering where the time went, to take some time off for you, even if that’s 15 minutes in the evening.

After a few days offline, I’m feeling more like myself. Less fog, more clarity.

If you’re someone who finds it hard to switch off, I get it. But when you can make even a small amount of time, it really does help 🥰

Hope you got some time for yourself this weekend, too 🦋

10/07/2025

🕒 The Power Hour... have you heard of it?

It’s a simple but effective time management trick I recently heard at an event, and it’s too good not to share.

Someone I spoke with mentioned how they carve out one hour, just 60 distraction-free minutes, to focus on one thing.

Either tying up all the little admin tasks that pile up, or diving deep into a single project.

No emails. No Slack. No phone.

Just one hour of pure, intentional focus.

I’ve tried it a few times now and it’s amazing how much clarity and momentum it creates, especially when you’re feeling stuck or scattered.

If you’re struggling to get traction, maybe it’s time to schedule a Power Hour into your day.

Have you tried this before? Or have your own variation?

👇 Would love to hear how you make time work for you.

04/07/2025

Do you take time out for yourself? 🤔

In the rush of deadlines, meetings, and constant notifications, it’s easy to forget that we’re not robots.

➡️ Taking time out for yourself isn’t selfish, but NECESSARY.

Whether it’s a 15 minute walk, a coffee in silence, journalling, or just sitting still and doing absolutely nothing, these moments are where we reset, reflect, and refuel.

I’ve learned that when I don’t carve out this space, burnout creeps in faster than I expect 🌪️

Creativity dips.
Focus wavers.
Even relationships - personal and professional - feel the strain.

But when I do make time for myself, everything shifts 💡

Clarity returns.
Energy flows.
I’m more present, more effective, and far more resilient.

So here’s a gentle reminder:

Your wellbeing is the foundation of your productivity 🪴

How do you make space for yourself during the week?

30/06/2025

Monthly roundup! 🌐 💬 💫

I think the months get busier each time, but this one has been packed for sure!

Looking back on this month, and 3 months of mentorship, I feel like I’ve really made progress towards my goals... with some even more exciting news in a future post 👀

Here’s a few of the highlights...

2 QUOTES

🌐 “Do the things you think you can’t do” - Sawyer Robbins

Going to the Let Them tour was a huge highlight, after listening to the podcast for forever and reading the book, it was so much greater and more impactful than I even anticipated. This quote stuck out to me because it’s all about proving yourself wrong. Whatever you’ve told yourself you can’t do, you totally can — sometimes you just need a push (even a big push!) but let this be your push.

🌐 “Encourage vulnerability. It’s the most important thing” - Jamie Laing

This goes hand-in-hand with psychological safety in the workplace and is arguably the most important factor contributing to engagement, performance, satisfaction, and wellbeing in the workplace. Jamie’s talk at FOW was really interesting and gave me some food for thought around people and business.

2 RECOGNITIONS

💬 The support from Lesley Kelly over the past 3 months who has really helped me to achieve my goals!
💬 The lovely chat I had about all things HR and careers with Lisa Simmons in the massage queue of the wellbeing village, of all places

2 REFLECTIONS

💫 Attending the CIPD Festival of Work, gaining impactful insights and wonderful connections
💫 Getting my first voluntary role in People Admin to enhance my experience

A little side achievement too - performing in a Hafla for the first time was an amazing experience, I know it won’t be my last 💃

With a lot of change ahead, I’m very excited for what’s to come in July!

📷: outside ExCel London

20/06/2025

Do you feel connected with your purpose?

One of the talks that really sat with me from last week described a quadrant of different mindsets at work based on two factors:

🎯 Clarity on your goals
🎯 Growth towards your goals

The clearer you are on your goals, the easier it is to find work that aligns with them.
— ask yourself: What makes me unique? What vision do I have for the world?

The more you put yourself out there, the more you’ll grow.
— ask yourself: How can I push myself to meet my potential?

👉 With clarity around your goals and growth towards them, you’ll find yourself in the driving mindset, making progress towards your North Star.

That’s true connection to your purpose.

Visual: LHH

13/06/2025

My 1st Festival of Work! 💬

Putting myself out there, improving my networking skills, and learning more about People and HR are big career goals of mine this year.

The 2 days I spent at the CIPD Festival of Work gave me incredible insights into different ideas about ways of working, and allowed me to connect and share stories with some wonderful new people!

I’m grateful I was able to attend and I’m excited to read back over all the wisdom I noted down 💫

30/05/2025

Monthly roundup! 🌐 💬 💫

May has been possibly the quickest month I’ve had this year, anyone else feel like it’s just disappeared?

Looking back on this month, in preparation for my call with my mentor this afternoon, I’ve been lucky enough to gain so many rich and valuable insights through my network and beyond, and here’s a few of the highlights for me...

2 QUOTES

“Create a culture of saying thank you” - Julie Turney

🌐 Appreciation at work isn’t always front of mind for managers, executives, and employees. My conversation with Julie helped to shape my recognition at work project by focusing on the most underrated yet impactful form of recognition. Simply saying thank you.

“This is all painting by numbers” - Jo Taylor

🌐 Every zoom call, message, in-person interaction with someone along your career journey is colouring in another bit of the picture. This is a reminder that your journey is an ongoing path of learning and discovery, and it’s what you gain along the way that has the biggest impact. My conversation with Jo was another turning point in my next steps for growth.

2 RECOGNITIONS

💬 The kindness of Gail Bennett who introduced me to the supportive Nicki Bidgood
💬 The generosity of Roly Walter who gave me advice and reached out to his network

2 REFLECTIONS

💫 Achieving a high pass on my 3rd CIPD assignment
💫 Gaining confidence with in person networking (Festival of Work, here I come!)

As I await 2 very exciting calls later today, I am appreciative of everyone who has supported my journey over the past few months, and I’m excited for what’s to come and what I’ll learn in the future!

📷: one step at a time

16/05/2025

Done is better than perfect.

Overachievers struggle with that one.

🤔 So how do you stop trying to strive for perfection?

I used to struggle with trying to complete tasks to an perfect standard, which led me to work way beyond my hours, fixating on every last detail until I had looked at it for far too long.

📎 This doesn’t achieve anything but extra stress.

📎 When you’re juggling a lot of responsibilities, it’s important to prioritise and to know when a task is done.

📎 The more you fixate, the more things you’ll find wrong with it (and when you’re striving for perfection, that usually means there’s nothing really wrong at all!)

📎 It’s better to take action and make progress than get bogged down in analysis paralysis, otherwise you’ll never stop working on it.

So, the next time you’re striving for perfection or not able to let go of a task, ask yourself is it good enough?

Because by your standards, “good enough” will be amazing.

🤔 What’s a piece of advice that’s stuck with you throughout your career?

09/05/2025

“Let them have their opinions. Let me live my life in a way that makes me proud.”

The Let Them Theory 💫

Have you heard of it?

I’m sure you have. And if not, well I have the best book and podcast recommendation for you!

This is a tool from , backed by incredible Science, that will completely change your perspective on stress management, career choices, relationships, and more 💥

I could talk about this book until the cows come home, and this won’t be the last time I talk about it that’s for sure, but I’d like to share how it impacted me this week.

I don’t know about you, but networking is out of my comfort zone, it makes me nervous, but it’s something I’ve been doing more of, at least in formal settings.

However, putting myself out there in public, when people are going about their own business, is something I’ve avoided.

What if they think I’m strange?
What if they don’t want to talk to me?
What if I get ignored?

Well, let them.

👉 Let them have their opinions and think what they think.

But LET ME take risks, put myself out there, and make myself proud. 👈

So, as I sat in the British Library reading this book and hearing the impactful conversations from the woman next to me, I knew I wanted to build a connection.

She was on constant calls, so I thought I’ll write her a note instead.

But then she moved seats, so I got more nervous as I had to build up the courage to walk up to her and hand her the note.

But as I was leaving, I passed it to her, and she thanked me.

And do you know what? 👀

Everything was okay. In fact, I felt empowered and more confident after that exchange, and I was proud of being brave enough to approach a stranger.

So the next time you want to put yourself out there, but you’re afraid of judgements, remember this:

“Let them have their opinions. Let me live my life in a way that makes me proud.”

02/05/2025

Did you know you’re only born with 3 emotions? 🧠

Rage. Fear. Distress.

The environment we grow up in connects the 3 parts of our brain, and these pathways can form until the day we die.

led an informative and eye-opening stress-busting workshop on Monday which gave a lot to think about when it comes to stress in the workplace, and dealing with my own stress.

Here’s my FOUR greatest takeaways:

🧠 Nothing is fact. Everything is about perception. If you don’t like your perception, change it.

How much we stress is relative to how much we CATASTROPHISE about the potential outcome. If we change our thoughts, we change our feelings and behaviours.

🧠 The best way to help others is to first help yourself.

By looking after yourself and setting boundaries, you are in a much better position to actively listen to someone else.

🧠 Stimulating your vagus nerve reduces stress.

There are so many ways to do this: laughter, sugar, meditation, compassion, cold, and more...

🧠 Do less of what drains you, more of what replenishes you.

When you have positive mental health, you are far less likely to personalise other people’s problems, so you should prioritise this through positive selfish activities.

How do you reduce your stress? 🤔

25/04/2025

☀️ “Culture is what you see, not what is said” ☀️

Such an impactful event yesterday, organised by People Talk, about aligning company culture with beliefs, and the importance of incorporating sustainability in the workplace.

Here are my 3 key takeaways:

🗒️ Culture manifestos are different to values because they are HUMAN
🗒️ Supporting employees in developing their climate story will make sustainable changes PERSONAL
🗒️ Prioritising sustainable practices throughout your organisation will make a huge difference for your FUTURE HIRES

I learnt so much from the sessions yesterday and gained some wonderful new connections.

I can’t wait for the next one!

04/04/2025

The NEED to switch off 📲 ❌

Just before going on this holiday I found myself trying to be productive but struggling to focus and unable to get into deep work.

The difference between my productivity levels then and now are HUGE.

Why?

Because sometimes we need to completely switch off.

No socials, emails, notifications... nothing!

It doesn’t have to involve going abroad, it could be a couple days out to reset your brain.

Our brains need time to recover from being constantly on in an ever-connected world.

It’s not until I stopped that I realised the impact always being on was having (even if it wasn’t work related).

Trust me, I know that’s not always easy, but there’s always going to be a reason to stay switched on.

It sounds obvious, but my ability to perform at work and in my own endeavours has significantly improved after some time out, and it’s something I never used to prioritise.

If you’ve been putting off your request for annual leave, feeling like it’s not the right time, here’s your sign to put it in!

Laur Inspired

15/07/2025

10/07/2025

04/07/2025

30/06/2025

20/06/2025

13/06/2025

30/05/2025

16/05/2025

09/05/2025

02/05/2025

25/04/2025

04/04/2025

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