The Shoulds by Francesca Specter | Substack

The lessons I learnt from overwhelm (honey, I'm back!)

Jesus took three days to return after Easter – this mere mortal took three weeks. Some thoughts on rediscovering joy and balance after burnout.

22 hrs ago •

Francesca Specter

Issue #71: Do hobbies have an expiry date?

Plus, confessions of an underage aunt.

Mar 28 •

Francesca Specter

Issue #70: Good for you, sad for me

Celebrating other people’s wins can be complicated. Let's talk about why that is.

Mar 21 •

Francesca Specter

Most Popular

Issue #57: The great flaking debate

Dec 7, 2023 • Francesca Specter

Issue #60: The simple life lesson I learnt on my yoga retreat (that has nothing to do with yoga)

Jan 11 • Francesca Specter

Issue #50: Reflecting on my early thirties, so far

Oct 19, 2023 • Francesca Specter

Issue #17: How to walk yourself happier (in 7 steps)

Feb 23, 2023 • Francesca Specter

Issue #20: The radical act of admitting you care

Mar 16, 2023 • Francesca Specter

Issue #23: What's the point of beauty?

Apr 6, 2023 • Francesca Specter

Issue #69: The 9 qualities I look for in a friend

Friendships are the relationships that have defined my adult life to date. Here's what I value most in mine.

Mar 14 •

Francesca Specter

Issue #68: How to romanticise your life

'I will never have this version of me again, let me slow down and be with her,' writes Rupi Kaur. A practical guide to falling in love with your…

Mar 7 •

Francesca Specter

Issue #67: Reframing the choice to be childfree

'I'm one of life's aunties.' Introducing Intergenerational Conversations, a brand-new interview series on The Shoulds, featuring special guest Sam…

Feb 29 •

Francesca Specter

Issue #66: How much alone time is too much?

A new study has calculated the ideal social-solitude balance. Plus, would you trust a wearable 'social tracker' to prevent loneliness?

Feb 22 •

Francesca Specter

Issue #65: The ones that got away

It isn’t just a partner you lose when a relationship ends.

Feb 15 •

Francesca Specter

Issue #64: Ghosting, WhatsApp statuses, 24/7 news & other things we normalise (that aren't actually 'normal')

How the modern world makes us insane – and what to do about it.

Feb 8 •

Francesca Specter

Issue #63: What could Happily Ever After look like, single?

'At 46, I’m living the life I’m meant to be living,' says author Marianne Power. On Perma-Singles, non-romantic plots and why the Happy Middle beats the…

Feb 1 •

Francesca Specter

The Shoulds by Francesca Specter

The Shoulds by Francesca Specter

From Alonement author & podcaster Francesca Specter, an online publication examining the hidden rules & stories that shape our lives.

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The Shoulds by Francesca Specter

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