a slow summer after a stressful year

Take a look at my new website where I have started sharing my writing, both online and in print (including a facsimile of the nature journal I kept in Spring): rubygranger.com/
instagram: @_rubygranger
tiktok: @rubygranger8
Pumpkin Productivity (my stationery company): bit.ly/3wgsR85
Frequently Asked Questions:
😇 How old are you? 23
📝 What are you studying? I am set to start my MA in English Literature at Oxford this autumn.
📚What are your favourite books? • 200 book recommendatio...
📚 Do you have a book club? Yes! You can join it here for free: fable.co/club/...
📝 Have you written a book? My life goal is to be a published author and make a living from writing and I am using this year to gain experience, build up a portfolio and work on a book with my agent. I have just finished the final draft of that book, as you can see in this video. I did self-publish a book about bullying when I was seventeen which is available on Amazon (amzn.to/3mdJKLm), but I'm slightly embarrassed by it now!
🎃 Do you have merch? I don't have merch in the traditional sense (I can't imagine selling something with my face or name on haha!), but I do have a stationery company where I sell planners for students. These are all designed with students in mind and follow models which I've used when planning my studying. Our products are printed in pastel colours on recycled paper: bit.ly/3wgsR85
🍵 What's your favourite tea? That's a REALLY hard one, but I think I'd have to say the B&B Chocolate Digestive Tea: bird-and-blend-tea-co.sjv.io/youwilllovethisone (affiliate link)

[@DawnNussbaum]

I took a year off between my Masters and law school. I was so burnt out that I didn’t want to read literature for 5 years or so. But that does change. The fire will reignite when you’re ready. I am so proud of your journey.

[@marryamakbaar3014]

💯 agreed

[@corncobpipe4]

Yes, I totally agree! I was so burnt out it took several years for me to return to pleasure reading, something I had NEVER thought possible! I had always been a voracious reader before. But it did return. Time, rest, recovery, and space...

[@112girlie]

Same after law school! For around 3 years couldn’t read fiction.

[@32446]

You are so sensible to listen to your body and rest. I didn’t listen to mine and developed CFS/ME. Keep resting and your body will tell you when it’s time to get busy again. Never feel guilty about resting either. You’ve had a tough year and have achieved so much.

[@freshdogturds]

I often listen to my body. It says "honour me, dork".

[@suespiers9943]

I too have M.E./ CFS and this thought came to mind when I was watching Ruby's enchanting video. Your body is screaming out for rest and real relaxation, unfortunately I ignored mine and have regretted that but I have learnt a lot about myself and there has and continues to be awareness and healing emotionally/ mentally. But - - - I pray that you will grow in strength and healing. Be kind to yourself, you are the one who has to live with pain, exhaustion and isolation 24/ 7. May you know better health. Blessings and love 🙏💖📚 🌻🌸🌳🍀☘️🌿

[@merlokiii]

Wow, I didn't know that not resting could get something like that. I am recovering now from a burn out (work-related). I recognised the symptoms and I stopped on time, but I can see the damage that it did to my health, and I hope I will get better soon.

[@jodieturnerx]

I became unwell for a while from being burnt out too. Rest is essential!

[@larafiolic3544]

I started crying watching this. I also finished my masters in psychology a year ago after many academic awards and many more sleepless nights, part-time jobs, and a rollercoaster of thrill, adrenaline, joy, and exhaustion. And I never felt as drained as then. Unfortunately, a lot has happened in my family life, and I started my own business and the culmination of all of that is just the exhaustion of overstimulation. It feels comforting seeing others go through similar periods knowing it will get better, especially when academia was something you used to get "high" on. I'm starting to sense that this autumn will bring a very positive change, and lots of creativity, joy, and abundance - it is also my favorite season. I'm sending all of you who are struggling with something similar, lots of positive energy! Better days are ahead, you deserve rest 🧡

[@dianelipson5420]

I have been watching you since before you applied to university. You came across my feed, and I was enchanted. I see many people used to compare you to Hermione, but that was never the case for me. I have always seen you as a modern day Anne Brontë. You remind me so much of the literature of that era in the way you speak and write. When you didn’t get into Oxford, I genuinely worried for the sanity of their admissions office. I’m so glad they came to their senses at last. You are an exceptional young woman. And I heartily encourage you to boldly stride forth on the path you’ve set yourself. Because the world is more than a bit ill right now, and compassion, communication and civility is the only cure. In an era where what you do is chronically overlooked, your work is more important than ever. It’s crucial. We must have examples like you to lead us on. Our hearts are weary, and we need to be reminded of how precious life is almost constantly now. I have so much respect for you. Extremely well done, carry on. ❤

[@Dragonfly20233]

Ruby, your self-awareness is fantastic for one so young. I am a Crisis and trauma counselor and nervous system specialist and you are right on track. Essentially your nervous system is recalibrating from such a long stretch of left brain activity. Think about how the Olympic athletes have done such a long stent of years training the physical body for their task and they would be tired but for the opposite reasons. Lean into that tiredness and don't let it concern you. It's a normal thing and important that you rest and take things slow for a bit. With that in mind keeping your left brained tasks to a minimum right now and engaging in more pracitcal everyday "doing" sort of tasks might help restir your creativity. Cooking slow and fun meals, plant some fall flowers or plants. Daily walks are great. Taking up a sport(while I know this feels counter-intutiive when you feel tired it actually works very well when your left brain exhausted), redecorate or organize your room and watch your creativity begin to blossom again. Reading up on the Polyvagal theory and nervous system regulation specific to the polyvagal ladder and it will all make so much sense. All the best to you.

[@pilarg2121]

So young? She’s in her 20s ffs!

[@Dragonfly20233]

@@pilarg2121 My goodness that's quite the reaction to a woman old enough to be her mother calling her young. I was well into my mid-30's before self awareness was really on my radar, but Gen Z is a lot better about mental health and awareness than Gen X was at the same age. Suffice it to say, it was a compliment. It's not a criticism to call someone young.♥

[@enuna1]

This reminds me so much of Rilke's words in Letters to a Young Poet: "Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide." Lovely video 🖤

[@ladyrosenrot1514]

as someone who can't be productive in the summer and somehow even feel melancholic , I loved this video so much. my favorite seasons are Autumn, Winter and Spring. where I am the most productive and happy. and my favorite time are early mornings, evenings and nights.

[@ursulaclarke6066]

Me too

[@Diana02400]

that's so crazy to me; it's the first time i hear of people feeling melancholic in the summer. i'm the opposite. i feel melancholic in winter (even though winters here are not that cold). where i live, winter sunsets are around 5:30p and i feel so sad when the sun leaves so early. i feel the happiest in late spring and summer :) and my favorite part of the day is the early morning. at night i am quite productive, but it can also make me feel a bit melancholic

[@ladyrosenrot1514]

@@Diana02400 My Mom is like you. but I get seasonal depression in summer. I can't sleep , I can't go out I can't exercise or go for a run I really struggle with heat ( I over heat ) and sweating is overstimulating for me and is a sensory issue. so I just rot on bed all the time and I don't wanna do anything, I feel like moving my body makes me feel hotter.I actually really love the dark and nights and early mornings. I feel weird when it's after 8 until 15. I especially hate 10 am, I don't know why.

[@sashal1493]

I’m not religious, but your videos are a blessing. If ever I need or long for calm to be bestowed upon me, I turn to them, and always leave not only with what I came for but also an appreciation of life’s soft beauty.

[@UnJadedJade]

Ruby, this is such a gorgeous video. I'm forever so grateful to know you ✨

[@rautengarten6872]

Nettle tea is actually made from very young plants. Yours have already developed seed heads. The taste is then very earthy and bitter... Try it in early spring! That's when it tastes best ❤🍃

[@rautengarten6872]

(St. John’s Wort tea for creativity and happier thoughts) 🌞

[@peachxthief]

I was going to point that out as well, good tip for people who didn't know!

[@emilydaniel3668]

This video reminds me to appreciate the summer, even when I grow tired of it each year around this time. Beautiful 🩷

[@christinehogue2062]

Beautiful prose, Ruby! I'm old enough to be your Grandmother but I find myself watching & rewatching your videos, inspirational. I write too and Autumn is my favorite season and early morning, dusk. 👒🌼🦋

[@emielou]

I have a massive problem with hustle culture, it goes against our being, against the nature of life seasons. It brings so much that is negative. Enjoy your rest, allow yourself to refill the well that has been used over the past year:)

[@merlokiii]

Same, I hate this. No wonder why so many of us burn out..

[@lunasdoodles5217]

Ruby, your quiet, introspective videos such as this are so healing, and the cadence of your words is like the soft humming of the trees. Keep creating 🫶

[@silvialogan9226]

Ruby, it is quite normal to feel exhausted after doing a MA for one year because a Master's degree is a lot of work and can be very stressful. Now that it is summer, you can rest and just relax and enjoy going for a walk in the beautiful countryside.

[@RubyGranger8]

Yes! This is exactly it!

[@julialindsay6759]

Your life is the kind of poetry I dream of writing❤

[@emikochidori]

I have been watching nearly every single one of your videos for over 5 years now, and I think this might be one of my favourites: it was really poetic, I love the way you described the passing of the day, and the views of your garden also had a calming effect on my mind. I think the exhaustion you feel after finishing your master's is quite normal: I have felt the same at each end of my master's years (it is a 2-year long diploma in France). Resting is always welcome after such intense years, both for the mind and the body.

[@anerley123]

Wow, so beautiful - an essay in pictures and words. You are a real artist, Ruby.

[@uglyducky7]

I relate sooo much with what you said Ruby 🤗! I'm currently writing a novel, and over the years, I've found out that I'm most productive during autumn and spring, which (not so conveniently) coincides with uni terms. This year, I wanted to dedicate my summer to writing my novel because I was so productive this spring, but for some reason I couldn't get myself to do it. The only time I feel my creativity well refilling is in the morning and evening (which coincides with spring and autumn !). Being away from the seaside I consider home, the constant bustle & stress of the city, and the tendency to see time as linear instead of circular, has made me forget to listen. Listen to my body & mind, and let it rest, just like we listen to the seasons unfolding and blending into one another. Sometimes a little time and change of setting to appreciate simple things is just what we need to get going again 🍂❤

[@elizabethdelafield7533]

You're doing the proper thing in listening to your body and mind. You spent a year in an intensive program. Your body needs to rest, so does your mind. Enjoy the peace of the season. Embrace the little things, just like you're doing. And when you are recovered, you will be able to step back into your full creativity and effort as strong or stronger than before.

[@Nate1975]

So true and well-described about the mornings. The best time ❤

[@uomi5676]

I always like to think about days as miniatures of life itself. In the morning, a new life begins and living is slow, you usually get to do the most exciting things during the noon and afternoon where the sun is up and towards the evening life slows down again. We know we should be doing something great in our lives, but sometimes that feels impossible as the lifespan is so long and feels outside our control. You dedicate yourself to something but after a couple of days/weeks you quit and you feel mad about it. I find it better to concentrate on the days, this way I can ensure I always do something productive because it makes me more guilty about wasting this tiny "life" a day is.

[@jillizzard9291]

Look after yourself - you deserve this resting period following such an energetic year. Your brain and body both need to rest - it has to be. So proud of all you've achieved. You'll be fine - I know it .............

[@joelharris4399]

Your summer rest is well deserved, young lady! Kudos🥂 Rest, like the soft grass in a green field

[@lunamestrela]

What a lovely video, and what a relatable feeling. ❤ I had such great plans for this summer, but ended up feeling too drained to actually accomplish most of them... learning to accept that and be attuned to what I actually need (rest), instead of what I planned for myself, is a major theme for me now, and this video was very timely. Thank you for sharing ❤❤❤

[@MushroomHat]

08:30 ah yes, the classic Ruby Granger demon summoning circle. Ominous.

[@ellenkarlsson9490]

Some tips for the nettles: 1. Only use the tender leaves and shoots, avoid the flowers. 2. You can make nettle soup. This is best done in spring when the nettles are small and tender. Collect, rinse, boil in broth, blend it smooth, add cream and herbs if you like. It's usually served with a boiled egg, you could probably substitute it for tofu.

[@partdelange1109]

Take care of you, of your mind, body & soul. You are so inspiring and I thank you fort that. Cheers to you from France !

[@elliestales]

thanks to this video and to remind us the importance to rest and take care of our mental and phisical health

[@maneskinnnnn7190]

What if we can’t rest as we have to keep working to pay rent

[@Autumn1988]

A great project for this season would be learning DIY and upcycling. You could strip back and repair your garden benches/chairs for instance. Also start a flower garden or a veg patch maybe? Help you spend more time outside if that’s a goal of yours

[@bookwormrose6289]

i graduated from university at the end of may and have been feeling similarly this summer. this video gave me a sense of peace about needing this time to rest - thank you, ruby! 💗

[@essentiallyann2650]

I spent 10 years at university, but then I also took a year off, working and travelling. These years were as great as my uni years. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@Diana02400]

this made me teary. thank you ♥

[@alicegreenbury346]

I really resonate with this video Ruby! I love what you say about time being cyclical. I often find I beat myself up in the summer for not working hard even after a stressful year. Each September I return to a motivated and hard-working state after spending the summer worrying I have lost these traits. It’s very comforting to think of time and seasons of our lives as cycles that naturally balance each other out.

[@AinoSinioja]

Thank you for this video. I've been finding myself in a similar state of loss of creativity and fatigue after the last academic year. This video made me feel a bit more hopeful, and the way you describe things visually and with words is very beautiful.

[@enyoonyx]

i teared up while watching this vlog. as a student who finished my master's last month i could relate so, so much. thank you for your vlogs, for being yourself and your constant motivation to be good and gentle to ourselves and the world 💜

[@RubyGranger8]

Ah thank you so much 🥺❤️

[@catreadsabunch]

I think when we challenge ourselves academically it taxes the thing that often brings us joy. But the joy will return.

[@Claudia_K.]

I started to work straight away after handing in my Masters Thesis and I developed burnout/depression not long after. Rest is important, especially after stressful times. My therapist put it this way: “Everything in life is a trauma, but we often don’t see it as such, because we think we’re smart. We are not smart and hence we develop burnout etc. Moving house - trauma. Starting a new job - trauma. Rather positive events in life aren’t easy at all, so all we can do is being gentle with ourselves- and others.”

[@Courtney-pl7er]

I don’t think what your therapist said is particularly helpful. Those events are upheavals, they’re disturbing our equilibrium, but they are not traumas. I think it’s important not to overuse that word so it is drained of meaning. I speak as a therapist myself.

[@Claudia_K.]

@@Courtney-pl7er Sorry, not a native speaker here - upheaval is a much better word for what I tried to convey. Thanks for your input!

[@diannearends2840]

I’m always so inspired by your way of thinking. Thank you for sharing your writings/thoughts!

[@Jonathan27850]

You will get through this just like you got through making friends or passing and succeeding those exams you have been able to get thru it you have a incredible mind and you dont have to prove the world that because you always have had such a unique understanding of everything around that no one could even come close to replicate you are incredible and we love the creativity we love your ideas we love the journaling we love the progress and most importantly love yourself

[@winterflower2972]

How have you not hit 1M subscribers yet?! I've been following your channel for almost two years now, and I’m absolutely obsessed with your content! As a big fan of literature, I connect with so much of what you share. I’m really rooting for you to reach that 1M milestone before the end of the year🌸🌸

[@jazminjimenez3823]

Ruby thank you so much for this video. I've been feeling burn out, specially this last days of homework and projects from my masters. So thank you for the peaceful set of mind✨

[@marziehroudbari-r3b]

You expressed your feelings very beautifully, take some rest and listen to the sounds of nature, your inner faith and your favorite people and enjoy yourself, but I am waiting for you to write many books and I know you will become a famous author.

[@girlylondonchic6513]

Just adore you !!! Ruby please make more beautiful slow videos like this ideally longer ….. your videos are magical for the soul …… would love to see a summer slow living day and maybe a preparing for fall slow video !!! I cannot wait for your Christmas and autumn content - you just make everything so calm and magical and beautiful …… your a true inspiration and your videos are a gift to us all !!! X

[@TheSeatedView]

When you finish a big creative project (like a thesis or a book), it exhausts you on every level, including your creative well. Taking time to fill that well again is the way to get back to being creative. So enjoy filling your well and have faith that you'll get back to yourself.

[@lesliegraham8478]

If there ever was a place to reset and destress it certainly would be where you live. Beautiful❤

[@SeerOfTime577]

This was an exquisite video, Ruby. My favorite season and favorite time of day also align: autumn and evening. I, too, love the transience of them, the quietness, the tranquility. I sincerely hope your creative juices begin flowing freely again, and I hope you can find some joy in resting. ❤

[@padmavathyswaminathan9672]

I loved every bit of this video. The script, the videography and the music. ❤

[@sassycat1825]

We cook soup from the stinging nettle. Very delicious! And it is not that bad for blood circulation on hands, so I pick it up without gloves. ☺

[@annilyskye-jeffries3522]

This is a gorgeous video. Thank you Ruby

[@rosemarysykes6178]

some nettle advice: they taste better if you gather the tips before they start to set seed. Rest well

[@dearcornelia]

Ruby... this intro was beyond beautiful. The way you speak and string words together is so calming. Thank you for all that you do, and put your time into. Now it's time to take your time 🌸

[@RubyGranger8]

Ah Cornelia! Thank you so much ❤️

[@radiogaga4628]

Wow, this video is a masterpiece! So peaceful and nostalgic. Thank you, Ruby.

[@sparksoflight5022]

Dear Ruby, it's high time for backing, lying on the grass, stargazing and trying on pretty clothes 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤we are proud of you!!!!

[@hiroshii586]

Autumn is coming. Although autumn is not in my country, I can feel it. The smell of slight rain and baking and cold wind are the key things in autumn. I'm glad you finished your dissertation.🍂🤎

[@Unknown0ne]

We WILL all sing again come morning! 😀

[@mal-320]

2:59 omg this shot reminded me of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland so much!! I love the dress too ✨

[@marinaanais]

I'm so happy you are listening to your body. Rest. And then rest just a bit more. Your energy will return. You're just in classic burnout right now. Znd the depression of "coming down" from a tremendous adrenalin push. Take care. 📖😌

[@margaretschachte489]

After my master's degree I took a year off and volunteered with the Red Cross. I needed the break. Then I was able to jump back in to work (I'm a librarian) with so much excitement and joy. Take your time.

[@hanjissidegirl8672]

Congrats on finishing your masters, and you deserve nothing less than a summer filled with rest and relaxation! ❤

[@Drew-fx7ke]

🎉 The evening and the morning is how the creative week of each day began 😊

[@sophiependragon2467]

Such a beautiful video. So meditative and poetic, it’s almost like a meditation. The visuals are stunning and your voice is so soothing ❤

[@NinaJoanna]

What a lovely video! Makes me miss Britain :)

[@hello50881]

I finished my masters last October (almost a year ago) and it took me at least 6 months to not be tired again! Deep rest is important!

[@MarsMinorem]

Ruby! What an beautiful and mesmerising video. I really understand how you are feeling. Last year at this time I was writing my Bachelor's thesis. I graduated in October and started my Master's immediately after, so I had no time to rest in a year. Now it's catching up with me, which is why I am doing exactly what you do in this video - rest, read, and be kind to myself. Thank you sharing this 🤍

[@Gladioli10]

Beautiful video, I hope you take all the time you need to rest Ruby xx

[@hananebouslahi1433]

Rest is really important even though all of us underestimate its power. Great video dear Ruby, however, in this video you gave us a really good angle to think about the notions of time and rest. Therefore, I don t feel that you are lacking creation my dear. It is all just in your head. Proud of you.

[@oiqueleria]

As someone who must work all summer I deeply appreciate this video. At least I get to experience a bit of slow summer through your experiences 🥲

[@KristenMelissa]

I love thinking about life in cycles and seasons~ it never occurred to me to apply this to portions of the 24 hour day. I love this so much! ✨️

[@kristin-c5e]

Stunningly beautiful and meaningful. Thank you!

[@MichelleGordon-p9r]

Take your time, I was quite ill on completion of my Masters, it's exhausting, I worked full time during mine, however didn't commit to studies like yourself, enjoy a time of slow living and restore your lovely self, best wishes

[@RubyGranger8]

Working full time alongside your masters is HUGE- no wonder you were exhausted x

[@LotteRometsch]

I just want to say I really appreciate your content ruby. It's always motivating for me yet still realistic. Thank you ❤

[@dogood7337]

Dear Ruby, nettles are AMAZING to make a pesto with. The green cream is great to use in risottos, with pasta, with polenta and a veggie burger, on potatoes, etc. The possibilities are numerous and the health benefits are high. But regarding tea, if you eat something sweet that makes you feel sick, if you drink nettle tea, your blood sugar will balance again. You can make also a natural insect repellent with nettles, and also a fertilizer. Nettles are truly remarkable, what a pity they sting (they say that even the stinging itself is good for you). Take care!

[@vanessarahimi661]

I wish I could like this video more than once. It was such beautiful poetry both spoken and visualized ❤ A bit paradoxical that in this video you spoke of a lack in creativity yet I sat here enjoying the artistry of your poem come to life.

[@lingwelocekoukou1516]

Thank you sweet Ruby for this video 🧡

[@aliqua8974]

How much effort you put into this video is incredible, all the footage is so stunning 🤍

[@RubyGranger8]

Thank you so much x

[@Luke-nz3zx]

Poetic and beautiful

[@nikolium]

Your walk in the morning at the beginning reminded me SO MUCH of Lizzie & Darcy at the end of 2005 Pride & Prejudice!

[@lennsisson]

There are times in our lives when we just need to let ourselves "be." This is particularly true when we are finishing one major project or stage in our lives and preparing to move to the next. Such breaks give us the time to process what we've been through and what we've accomplished, assimilating it into ourselves before moving forward. Good luck as you move into the next stage of your life. Are you going for your PhD next?

[@maneskinnnnn7190]

What if we can’t afford a break as we need to keep working to pay rent and have hot water ?

[@lennsisson]

@@maneskinnnnn7190 hi, I think you may have misunderstood me or I failed to make myself clear enough. I was referring to allowing ourselves to exist in a state of being where we are okay in not knowing which way we are going in our lives, rather than taking a complete break from everything. Obviously, if you need to work to support yourself then you need to do so. But that’s different from deciding on a new direction or new stage in life, when you’re at the end of the previous stage. For example, after my divorce in 1992, during which I also lost my job due to a recession, I was faced with a new life stage. I still had to work, so I managed to get a survival job, but I knew I needed to take some time to let myself adjust to the new situation and sort out how this new stage in my life was going to go. So, I worked the survival job for a year and a half, until I decided on a new course. That resulted in a career that lasted 29 years and from which I just retired, but I’m not sure I would have gotten there if I’d rushed things. Letting myself just exist in that state while I took the time to sort it all out helped a lot. I hope this helps.

[@merlokiii]

I am recovering now from a burn out, completely caused by my job (or, as I should say, my company that I will leave soon...). Nothing is more important that our health, we should always stop on time, so we can have a proper recover. At the moment I still feel tired and demotivated, but being away from my company has started the path towards healing. I hope that my next job won't cause this exhaustion again.

[@clouise7626]

i write this with the best intentions - would you not be interested in spending some or all of the next year, knowing you have it free, travelling the world? Learning and academics are obviously a passion of yours and I am not discrediting that at all, but you have your whole life to write and study. You won't be young and with this level of freedom from responsibilities in your later life so I would encourage you to travel, experience life beyond books for even a little while. The best part about gaining knowledge is having the ability to share it with people and you will meet some amazingly interesting people whilst travelling.

[@RubyGranger8]

I would love to spend some time travelling this coming year (and definitely plan to!) but also have a 9-5 which means I can’t do it full time!

[@fionahowellwrites5302]

I feel the same after finishing large projects! Especially after finishing writing a book. We all need that break to restore the well. :)

[@amandabritton23]

Ruby this video is *beautiful* The ending made me tear up It’s entirely okay to want and need rest. You just finished a masters from Oxford. I can hear the inspiration and confidence in your voice and in your poetry. Your body is absorbing all you learned and all you added to scholarship Take the rest. Take the calmness. We don’t have to be “on” or creative all the time. Sometimes when I work for long lengths, I opt out of reading a book in the evening because my brain needs to rest The creativity will come back when you’re ready for it ❤ although this video feels creative to me!

[@arielmarie8493]

A beautiful video your voice is always calmin to listen to

[@AlexKenas]

The rustic English cottage setting is ideal for peaceful moments, which could inspire you to write historical literary works. Summer in the American southeast is hot and humid with plenty of mosquitos, alligators, sharks, snapping turtles, venomous snakes, and other potentially dangerous animals. I love early morning as well; especially in autumn, which in the American south, rarely comes before late October. I used to hunt in rolling hills, vast meadows, and various forests with my uncles when I was 7 years old and the landscape hardly changes.

[@verolandry6997]

Absolutely beautiful.

[@Alisongriffith-z7g]

I know you love 2nd hand book shops. Visiting my daughter in Oxford, we took a trip to Avebury, stopping in Wantage for breakfast. It was in Wantage we came across this 2nd handbook shop. Honestly, it was the best one we have ever visited, I just know you would love it. My daughter even found a book she had been looking for, for ages that Blackwells couldn't get.

[@donna25871]

I had Glandular Fever and then Covid within six months of finishing my PhD (which I was doing while working as a Head of Department in a school and doing sessional lecturing at a university). From that I developed Chronic Fatigue and fibromyalgia from autoimmune conditions. You have to listen to your body and take time out to rest and recover when you need to. It’s only now after two years and changing doctors that I’m getting the treatment I need.

[@sevvalbayraktar8644]

My favorite KZbin channel ❤

[@sabah1828]

This was a lovely and peaceful video - your garden seems like such a sanctuary ❤❤. I also wanted to say, in case you are not aware, they are re-showing Coraline in cinemas this month for its 15th (or 20th) anniversary and i know its one of your favs!

[@laura221B]

Ahhh, I always enjoy your videos so much! :)) I've been feeling very drained since the beginning of summer break as well, mainly due to a class that was far more stressful than I had anticipated (and due to me being a perfectionist and wanting to get everything right, therefore spending hours on end on said class haha). I hope you have a relaxing rest of the summer; it truly is important to take enough time to simply relax! 😌

[@danielbautista7]

Glad you're expressing your emotions and giving them an outlet. Been there before, it is a bit worrying when your creativity/inspiration takes a dip. Stress chips away at your ability to be consistent and stick to a routine, and unless that's being reinforced, your energy levels and cycle will normalize to how you spend your time when you're slowing down. Hours could pass by without doing much and it can take months to get back to previous levels of engagement. I really recommend trying to stick to some schedule even while you're resting. Gardening and making terrariums is really replenishing, it's helped me out, even if there's a learning curve. It's a rabbit hole in itself though, you might find yourself buying lots and lots of seeds of different plant species. And you could try connecting more with everything around you, rediscovering how much there is to know and see everywhere (maybe get a microscope/telescope if you want). Or you could catch up on Marvel movies. Some people prefer movies that are closer to real life in the hope that they could learn something about ourselves, but superhero movies actually teach a lot. Good superhero movies are never about the superpowers, they're always about character. It's an artistic expression of character and resilience, just like music is an artistic expression of emotion.

[@zaasaa_art]

I'm happy you're taking it slow dear ruby! ✨👏🏼 I think we need to talk about educational burn out more seriously. It is so real and distressing. I've been studying my whole life, I only took a year off between bachelor and masters and even that wasn't an actual break, i was getting ready and studying hard for entrance exam. Right after graduation, I applied for PHD program and I'm waiting for the result. But to be honest, although I love learning and studying, I'm definitely burnt out and unmotivated now. So to everyone out there, if you need a break, please take it. If you don't, it'll affect your mental health, and I assure you won't like it that way.

[@idolivercampos]

Ruby you're Happy, so happy!!!!!!

[@amyh9845]

this is such a beautiful masterpiece ruby 💝

[@RubyGranger8]

Ah thank you so much!

[@ammie_1212]

This is soo pretty and eye opening thank you Ruby ❤

[@jessi5924]

Let yourself rest. You worked so hard in uni, and all your school years, it's totally reasonable to take this time to recuperate. When you're feeling prepared to read again, I have a recommendation. "A Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom. It is a memoir crafted as narrative writing. Not only does she have moving, extraordinarily beautiful prose-- but the tone of warmth and kindness she carries through such difficult subject matter really shifts your perspective.

[@emehierro]

I was planning on writing this summer too but I've faced the same problem I encounter with every summer: it's imposible to be creative during the summer here in the south of Spain because of the heat. I've lived here all my life and I still find myself complaining about the heat. But it truly doesn't let you do anything.

[@environment5261]

Dear Ruby, I love your videos so so so much. ❤❤❤❤

[@charliekingpin8568]

You've earned ! a slow summer :)

[@maneskinnnnn7190]

Most ppl have but we need to still work 12 hour days. Just to keep a roof over our head