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✖️HELSINKILOVE It was a good day because ther

✖️HELSINKILOVE
It was a good day because there was a munkki and the sun was so warm and I think my happy bright lipstick made a few people smile. That’s all 🤍

#myhelsinki #visithelsinki #helsinki #helsinkilove

✖️THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED MY ANXIETY I was dia

✖️THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED MY ANXIETY
I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder over half a year into therapy. Even though I was aware of being anxious a lot, I hadn’t even thought of it as disordered, but looking back, it’s clear as day to me. I experienced so many symptoms that I never even connected to anxiety but once I knew and things suddenly made sense. As that fell into place, it had helped me a lot to understand my own issues and triggers and learn how to manage them and be better. Anxiety - and any mental health issue - is super subjective, everyone experiences things differently and what helps me might not help you.

Here are a few things that have helped me a lot:

1️⃣Turning off (email) notifications - over a couple of months, the sound and sign notifications on my phone from my work emails sent my anxiety spiralling. Turning them off helped immensely.

2️⃣Audiobooks from my childhood - as intrusive thoughts kept me from sleeping, I found so much comfort in listening children’s books that I loved when I was young. They provided me with a familiar sense of peace and safety. Nowadays, I put one on to fall asleep and I’m gone in less than 13 minutes.

3️⃣A lot of walking - walking in fresh air has many benefits - and one of the main ones for me was a generally lower level in my anxiety for sure. In periods where for whatever reason I wasn’t going on my walks, I felt it. This is both preventative for me and helps in moments of intense anxiety.

4️⃣Morning check-ins: a (sometimes also not so) brief voice message over morning coffee with good friends has pretty much become a pet of daily routine, and it’s been so helpful. It’s great for a bit of structure but also helps to hold me a bit accountable to get things done on busy days.

5️⃣Hugs 🤍: hugs are great anyway but a good, tight squeeze really does something. I do not hold back in asking for hugs and I recommend it. Only Misu does not appreciate my hugs as much but she lives here rent free so tough luck 🐱also, the purring of cats has been proven to help with anxiety so sometimes Misu also has to be a purring pillow and it’s super helpful (for me, she just wants snacks)

✖️WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY Over the last years,

✖️WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY
Over the last years, I’ve learned a lot. Though my own struggles with mental health and disordered anxiety, through therapy and conversations with friends. Understanding your own mind and learning about it has opened up a whole other world for me. It has quite frankly changed how I see and live.

Unfortunately, therapy is not available for everyone and especially for us foreigners in Finland it can be harder - the language barrier is a real threshold in getting help or just getting diagnosed and finding the right person to talk to here, and when going private it is expensive. This needs to change.

And until then, we can all learn and listen and be empathic towards each other. Everyone experiences their own struggles and all differently. And I’m beyond grateful for friends who are here, who don’t judge and try to understand, but also give a bit of perspective and help me change the context.

Let’s take care of each other and keep learning 🤍 and a day to put the focus and thoughts on mental health is a great place to start.

📷 @wolfwendy_

#worldmentalhealthday #maailmanmielenterveyspäivä #mentalhealth #mielenterveys

✖️SEASONS END AT TÖÖLÖNLAHTI With the closi

✖️SEASONS END AT TÖÖLÖNLAHTI
With the closing of @sinisenhuvilankahvila for the winter, we’re really moving towards that time of year. So happy I still got that last coffee and munkki last weekend.

#myhelsinki #helsinki #visithelsinki #töölönlahti #helsinkilove #ruskanvärit

✖️ THE ICONIC KOLI NATIONAL PARK Last week, i

✖️ THE ICONIC KOLI NATIONAL PARK

Last week, it was finally the time! After so many years, I made it to the infamous Koli National park and its views. Last year's trip was cancelled because the weather was just horrendous, so when it all came together for the most stunning autumn "ruska" colours this year, I was just so full of happiness! I've always wanted to see this view of Lake Pielinen myself, and I have to say it: everyone should go and visit Koli. It's breathtaking. If there is one spot you should put on your list, it's Koli.

Here are some facts about it:

✖️Ukko-Koli is the highest point in Southern Finland - with 347 metres above sea level
✖️these famous and most amazing views are from the Ukko-Koli, Akka-Koli, Paha-Koli hilltops
✖️the hike is actually really easy. You can drive most of the way up the hill, take an elevator up to the plateau and from there it's only a 1,4 km walk to see the 3 main peaks
✖️we visited during the week and in the afternoon on a grey day, and it was already quite busy. If you can, I would try to avoid weekends during the day because I can't even imagine how many people will be there. For a reason, obviously
✖️the views go out towards the East, calling for epic sunrise moments!
✖️take more time that you'd think! The views are just too amazing, and you will want to spend a lot of time. We spent 3 hours just at the main peaks without even properly hiking anywhere and it wasn’t nearly enough time to take it all in properly
✖️Additionally, at the Nature Center Ukko you can learn about the local geology and get all the tips and advice for your hike
✖️next time (yes, my next visit is already booked) I want to hike to the Mäkrä hilltop, which is a 7 km trail, and has possibly even more amazing views, I’m told
✖️Painter Eero Järnefelts famous piece of this view, "Maisema Kolilta" from 1928, was used in some of the first tourism ads for Finland
✖️Koli is easiest reached by car. You can also take a train to Joensuu and continue from there by taxi or bus

KOLI 🤍

📷 @wolfwendy_

✖️A MAGICAL STAY IN NORTHERN KARELIA // Commer

✖️A MAGICAL STAY IN NORTHERN KARELIA // Commercial collaboration @breaksokoshotelbomba

My autumn trip also took me to the stunning Break Sokos Hotel Bomba at the northern shore of lake Pielinen, which is about 1,5 hours from the city of Joensuu.

The hotel celebrates Finnishness at its best - in the middle of wilderness, but embracing its local culture. I didn’t know too much about Karelian heritage, and was so happy to learn more about it when visiting Bomba House, just a short walk from the hotel.

The spa is definitely one of the best features - especially as it gets dark, the northern lights lighting turns the whole area into a magical place. But of course the jacuzzi outside overlooking the lake is just something else.

The whole region is just beautiful and I can’t wait to come back. It’s full of culture, the most gorgeous nature and lovely people and like I told some friends today - everyone should come and visit this area. It’s just unreal. And not just in these incredible autumn colours.

Check out my stories from today for more impressions!

Thank you for having us 🤍
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📷 @wolfwendy_
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#breaksokoshotelbomba #bombanurmes #nykykarjalainenluksus

✖️LAKE LIFE & AUTUMN COLOURS Being in a boat o

✖️LAKE LIFE & AUTUMN COLOURS
Being in a boat or kayak is my happy place ✨my energy levels have been pretty much non-existent lately so when @wolfwendy_ offered to row us across the lake by @hakoniemiluovatila I was more than happy to accept 😃 those bright colours on a grey day are just something else. The northern Saimaa archipelago really had only one thing missing for us on that day: Norppa seals 🦭 so we’ll have to come back.
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#finland #visitfinland #topfinlandphoto #hakoniemiluovatila #saimaa #visitsaimaa #syksynvärit #ruska #ruskanvärit #finnland

Greetings from my mini-break in northern Karelia!

Greetings from my mini-break in northern Karelia! Perfect timing for the beautiful autumn ruska colours and I love every bit of it.

📷 @wolfwendy_
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#visitkarelia #ruska #ruskanvärit #syksy #finland #visitfinland #ourfinland #finnland #finnlandliebe #thisisfinland #finnishdesign #rcollection #nanso #meindl #outdoorsfinland #outdoorfinland #itsgreatoutthere

✖️GRANDMAS APPLE SHEET CAKE I don’t have a

✖️GRANDMAS APPLE SHEET CAKE
I don’t have a lot of memories of my grandma from my dads side, but her apple cake is one of them. I make it usually around this time of year and then all the time. It’s simple and delicious and the perfect autumnal comfort dessert (or breakfast, like today) 🤍

🍎Ingredients:
4 eggs
125g sugar
125g margarine
125ml milk
300g flour
3tsp baking powder
8-10 apples
Sugar and cinnamon mix to sprinkle

🍎Method:
Mix eggs and sugar. Bring margarine and milk to a boil and add hot to the egg and sugar mixture. And the flour and baking powder.

Peel and cut apples into slices.

Pour the batter on to a baking tray (most sizes work, the cake might just differ in thickness) and lay the apple slices in rows on top. Sprinkle generously with the sugar and cinnamon. More sugar will make it more crusty and beautiful! The original recipe asks for more sugar in the batter but I personally prefer more sugar on top instead. Go by what you like. Bake at 190C for about 25 minutes.

Perfect on its own or with some whipped cream. It also travels well so great to bring to a party or take on a hike. Enjoy 👵🏻🍎

#resepti #omenakakku #apfelkuchen #applecake #syksy

✖️RUSKA IN NORTHERN KARELIA Matching with the

✖️RUSKA IN NORTHERN KARELIA
Matching with the autumn colours 🍂🍁

For years I’ve wanted to come to this area during the autumn, the famous views, the Great Lakes and the pies - and I can’t believe I’m finally here. The trip last year was cancelled last minute because of terrible weather, and waiting for this year seems to have paid off so far 😭

I’m in constant awe of everything. The train ride, the drive. Until the end of the week I’m staying with @wolfwendy_ at the beautiful @hakoniemiluovatila.

I can’t wait to explore more of it and get a bit of a break - it’s needed.

#ruska #karelia #northernkarelia #pohjoiskarjala #pyhäselkä #visitkarelia_finland #finland #visitfinland #finnland #thisisfinland #syksy #ourfinland

✖️PASTA HEAVEN AT RESTAURANT ANGELINA Oh few t

✖️PASTA HEAVEN AT RESTAURANT ANGELINA
Oh few things excite me as much as a good pasta, especially a carbonara, and @ravintola_angelina is here for it! Just opened over in @malloftripla, you can enjoy Italian delicacies like handmade pasta (and pizza) in modern urban flair, with a just fantastic service experience (!!).

Thank you @veerabianca for taking me 🍝🥰

*dinner gifted

#helsinki #visithelsinki #helsinkirestaurants #heleats #ravintolahelsinki #datenighthelsinki #malloftripla #tripla #myhelsinki

Friday 🙌🍷 . . . #myhelsinki #helsinki #vall

Friday 🙌🍷
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#myhelsinki #helsinki #vallisaari

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