The Introspective Diaries

Friendships: navigating boundaries and building our sisterhood

In this episode, I invited my friend and sister Sarah to talk about some of the tough lessons we've learned in our friendships. From navigating boundaries to being enablers we discuss some of the tricky aspects of building a sisterhood. 

Episode 13: My thoughts on vulnerability in this era

We've all known or have been that person who claims to be nonchalant and heartless. Although this can come from a place of hurt or trauma, whether you are doing this to hide your pain or to look cool it can be damaging. This is something I struggled with for a long time and thought I'd share my thoughts!

Episode 12: My issue with ’self love’: aesthetics, selfishness, and hard decisons

We have all seen the reels and images of people going on solo dates and taking bubble baths all in the name of self-love. Don't get me wrong - I too like to indulge in these things sometimes, but I believe self-love is more than social media makes it out to be.

Episode 11: Poor quality of friendships: boundaries, intimacy, and recovering from being the ’go to’ friend

Many of us have conflated knowing a lot about someone with friendship. This can impact the quality of our friendship and reduce our identity to one aspect of ourselves. I had to learn the hard way, but setting boundaries helped to recognise that my identity wasn't based on being the 'go to' friend 

Episode 4 of the ’my hijab journey’: my experience as a hijabi at university: social exclusion, mircoaggressions, and taking up space

Being a hijabi at university can be tough! From sticking out like a sore thumb to trying to foster a community of good people it can be challenging to enjoy your academic and social journey whilst staying true to your boundaries.

The hijab and the male gaze

In this episode, I explore a common struggle some hijabis contend with: not feeling attractive in the hiajb. I discuss if the hijab fits in the male gaze as well as my own journey deconstructing what society defines as beautiful.

Episode 2 of the ’my hijab journey’ segement: Dealing with sterotypes as a hijabi: marriage, force, and lacking a personality

From people thinking I got married to people moving away from me on the bus, in this episode, I talk about my experiences with microaggressions stemming from stereotypes as a hijabi and how I am navigating through them.

Episode 1of the ’Things I’ve learned from wearing the hijab’ segment

In this episode, I discuss my hijab journey and some of the struggles I've faced along the way. From striving for my inner self to align with my outward appearance to deconstructing the notion of everything a woman does being for the purpose of male validation, this episode shares many insights into my journey so far. 
 

Episode 6: How introspection can heal you

In this episode, I detail my accidental journey of introspection through journaling, how it's helped me and how it can help you. Going within doesn't require any special skill - just honesty with yourself, although this can be difficult at the start it gets much easier.

Episode 5: Personal development, navigating the world of self-help, and my intentions for The Introspective Diaries

In this episode, I discuss the pivotal moments in my personal development journey, how self-help can be a double-edged sword, and clarify my long-term goals for The Introspective Diaries.