#journalling out of me and make it more healthy while also letting me focus on the poetry and thoughts n art <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[catboybrain]

part of my soul dies every time i spend more than $100 on anything ever. but the plus side is i get a one piece cover for a type of journal im going 2 fall in love with and use all my life so thats a fair trade itll help grow my soul back

[margecouture]

how to raise your vibrations

having high vibrational energy is one of the essential qualities to living out a positive lifestyle and achieving happiness in your everyday life. here’s some tips on how to raise your vibrations:

decide what behaviors or actions that you will no longer tolerate from yourself or others. our everyday behaviors lead to our actions which create a pattern in our lives, no matter good or bad. sometimes, we don’t notice how effective our behaviors are on our lifestyle so it’s always best to self reflect and separate what is fulfilling from what is draining. some low vibrational behaviors to get rid of may include gossip, engaging in social media or real life drama, changing or adapting to please others, bad or inconsistent communication, arguing, toxicity, discomfort, and draining distractions. these are all negative patterns and can lead to negative outcomes such as, laziness, constant negativity, stress and depression. remember, it’s essential to reflect and make room for any positive changes that can move you in the right direction.

get clear on what lights you up and make space for it regularly. having clarity on what it is that you desire in this life will lead you to the depths of your life’s purpose and ultimately raise your vibrations. try writing in a journal, scripting in a notebook, reading self help books, and mindfulness meditation alone to help you get clarity on your aspirations. ask yourself questions like, “what do I enjoy doing?” or “what excites me the most?”. these questions will lead you to more answers about who you are. once your passions, hobbies or interests are discovered, make time for those things everyday to feel a sense of accomplishment and move forward towards your goals. try fulfilling outlets like going to the gym, painting, scrapbooking to help clear your mind.

visualize and embody your dream life daily. visualization helps tremendously with creating high vibrational energy because it gives you a sense of hope. you feel hopeful and optimistic knowing that a higher version of yourself is already living the life you’re visualizing. it’s helpful to visualize your success but also do things that align with your success. speak, act, and think like the person you want to become. for example, if your goal is to become the best version of yourself, do things like exercise, eat healthy, pick up a book instead of scrolling on social media, or make a vision board.

let go of needing something outside of basic essentials. comparison is the thief of joy, you don’t need the luxuries to be happy. be grateful in all circumstances for what you already have. this attracts more to be grateful for and allows more high vibrational energy to flow. fulfillment comes from within and happiness is a choice. intentionally choose everyday to surrender and express gratitude while also having faith that the best outcomes are on your path. this is the recipe for positive alignment. you are exactly where you need to be!

be willing to let go of that personality that doesn’t support the next version of yourself. if you notice that you may be the type of person who is easily irritated or upset, attention seeking, have FOMO, take everything seriously, or have any toxic traits, it may be best to reevaluate yourself and focus on shedding those negative thought patterns. think of it like a snake shedding its old skin to make way for new growth. it’s a necessary part of evolving into the best version of yourself and raising your vibrations. having negative personality traits can lead to low vibrational energy which can feel like you’re stuck in a never ending cycle of unhappiness. letting go of those traits can and will align you with a more fulfilling, successful, and positive life.

speak positively. those inner thoughts that we face daily can put us in a low vibrational state especially if they consist of thoughts of judgment, rudeness, or annoyance. aim to compliment instead of insulting and show compassion instead of judging. speaking positively over yourself and others will align you will a more positive state of mind which can help you to be more aware with your thoughts. you are perfect just the way you are and everything is going to work out. have a positive mindset towards life to reap those positive outcomes!

raising your vibrations consist of positive energy, emotional wellbeing and a sense of peace. it is always good to maintain high vibrations because it is a key part to maintaining a healthy mind, body, and soul. high vibrations can attract more positive experiences and opportunities into your life. vibe high and take care of yourself! 🕯️

[natalchartnurtures]

PAC: Energy Check~ for wherever you are right now

This was completely unplanned but frankly spirit doesn't give a fuck about my plans. So if this found you, here are some messages you probably need right now-

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pile 1: Ooh.. as I was preparing to start your reading, I saw 11:11 as the Chariot card showed up for you. This. Tells me that you are pretty strongly connected to your divine path right now, which simply means that you're doing something that's keeping you in alignment, sweet pile one! Good job! Keep going down this road because you WILL stumble upon amazing experiences and people! This message is coming through quite strongly. Now, isn't that lovely? Hehe.

Here's the thing, though.. Although you're actually IN alignment with your greatest timeline and life, you seem to be completely UNAWARE of the fact! You might be going through the necessary purging emotionally and/or mentally as a result of this alignment since the "old stuff" has no more room in your new vibration anymore. So, you've probably had to go through some intense endings and/or tower moments in life lately and THIS has left you feeling really, really sad. Maybe even depressed. For some of you, if that's the case, please seek help, sweet soul. It doesn't have to be therapy but even as simple as talking to a trusted loved one, you know? Or even journaling about it could help if you're into it. It seems like you could use a new perspective on the things you're going through right now. I'm sensing that you might be feeling emotionally numb right now too, but that's because you've been doing a lot of emotional processing lately AND IT'S ALL PAYING OFF. I just need you to know that. You just can't see it right now because you're slap dead in the middle of the storm, and I'm looking at it from a bird's eye view, you know?

While you're purging old stuff, I also see you making your way through an old core belief - "I gotta work hard to be deserving of anything because I inherently don't" Or something along those lines. You may have started purging this belief as a result of life showing you that it's simply not something worth keeping alive inside you. Maybe recently, you caught yourself overworking yourself to death only to receive very little in return (in any area of your life - relationships included) and this experience helped you wake up to this unhelpful belief of yours. You're unlearning this belief as we speak. It's not easy though, but I CAN assure you, you're acing it.

If you find yourself worrying too much about anything and everything or simply feeling a general fear, just know that it's a normal reaction to having things uprooted in your life. Life, right now, is asking you to do your best to focus on what's right in front of you because if you do this, the future is guaranteed to sort itself out. I promise.

I love you so much, pile 1. I see all your hard work and am rooting for you SO hard, bro. Love and light.

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Pile 2: Seems like to me that y'all have been STUCK in a particular pattern for a while now, maybe years? For some of you folks reading? Let me spell it out for you what this pattern looks like to me - an imbalance of the mind and heart. Too much mind and too little heart. Maybe none at all.

I can't seem to tap into the root of this imbalance, maybe because it's different for each of you reading, OR maybe it's not relevant to us right now because you can simply begin to address this imbalance as you see it in your day-to-day. But I sense that you're really good at addressing things, so once you're conscious of this pattern going on subtly in the background, running your life, you can really do something about this. This pattern may show up as you struggling with feeling fear, and this is blocking you off to one very important thing fear is here to show us, and that is how to support ourselves. If we are afraid of something we desire and have a healthy relationship with fear, we go for the desire while caretaking our fear. I read a quote the other day, it said "Do that thing you love but if you find that you're scared, then go do it scared." The point I'm trying to make is, fear isn't going to go away on its own, it's you who will simply expand your ability to hold space for it AND your desires equally. When you figure out how to do this, magic will happen in your life. You'll find that your unwillingness to caretake your fear only gave you more things to be afraid of (because, hello, Law Of Attraction *lol*), BUT you'll also find that when you radically start taking responsibility for your fear(s), you'll be able to act from a wiser space and be your full badass self. You'll find that there are so many things you CAN do and so much life you CAN live. Everything you've wanted to start doing in life will start to happen almost seamlessly. It WILL surprise you big time. You're currently making your way through an important part of your healing, and that is to hold yourself in all your glory. To hold all parts of yourself, even the ones that are scared shitless. Once you've integrated this segment of your healing, SO many doors will unlock for you. Sweet soul, you have no clue of JUST HOW MANY. And this… is probably because you manifest with your heart primarily (meaning you feel things deeply and so you unknowingly tap into the frequency of what you want easily) and your fear is keeping you stuck in your head, which means you're only 40% of the full You right now, PRIOR the healing of c. You might even feel it sometimes. You might feel like you're only a shell of a person (been there myself, you're not alone in this!). Listen to that feeling. Your truth lies in there. You're meant to be the 100% you, and I see that you're already halfway there!

I love you so much, pile 2, sending you so much light and love. Hope you find the resources you need to make it through to your new life where you live in more love than fear.

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Pile 3: Man… y'all been fighting for your lives, huh? I see that you may be in the midst of a lot of divinely evoked darkness? Lol, I literally heard that - divinely evoked darkness. Maybe you're going through a dark night of the soul, perhaps? Whatever your're going through though, it seems like you've been hanging on for dear life.

Some good news for you- no matter the circumstances you're in right now (be it good, bad, or terrible), you've been doing all the work necessary to keep your head above water and have been diligently nurturing your own light, positivity, and essence. THAT'S incredible resilience, sweet pile 3, and I'm really proud of you! It's not easy to keep an open heart through bad times, and that's such a grand achievement in my eyes. UGH, BEAUTIFUL.

Your energy SCREAMS transition period vibes. You seem to be neither in your "old" timeline nor in the new one yet. You're sorta hanging in the middle right now. I see the Hanged Man in the third eye as I tell you this. Feels like you're in the void right now, and things just seem… bleh. Boring. Colorless. This is probably because you're already done with the ugly part of the process, "the divine shakeups", the loss, and the purge. Think… the bland but peaceful feeling you feel after having an intense ugly crying session, you know? Yeah, you're energetically there right now. You'll probably be here for a while longer because you've let go of MAJOR stuff, pile 3. Did you let go of people recently, maybe? Or that old bad habit, perhaps? That was the purge, so to speak. And now you're in the aftermath of it all, the uncomfortable but necessary calm.

-Side note: You might've struggled to embody your divine feminine earlier, but the timeline you're entering right now is the exact opposite of that. You might be attracted towards things that will help you nurture your own divine feminine right now. Give into it. Nurture patience, stillness, and compassion for self. It will HOPEFULLY speed up the void period if you consciously take part in it, you know?-

You're quite emotionally intelligent, and it has guided you throughout the whole process, and it also seems like it ain't your first rodeo in the process of proverbial death and rebirth. Good on you because you're doing a real good job keeping your calm through venturing into the unknown. You know what? You remind me of Elsa from Frozen, taking on the unknown like it belongs to her. You are such a queen, omg.

Yep, all that's left to do now is celebrate yourself, pile 3! Try your best to embrace this period, the void, and you'll be on your way to your next happy adventure! Love and light, sweet soul. Thanks for sharing your energy with me today.

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[ivesambrose]

August 2024 Mini Messages 💛

1. 2. 3.

Like that Taylor Swift song right?

I intend that everyone has a good month regardless of the astrological weather.

To book a personal reading with me DM or email me at ivesambrose@gmail.com

Services Offered

Reviews

Thanks for the tip ✨

Picture 1

You'll be diving in deep into your subconscious this month even if it means wanting to isolate from people and places for a while. Suddenly everything seems So over the top', right? And nothing and no one is phasing you anymore. This month is the first page of a big journey you're about to take so if you don't have a journal already I'd highly recommend you start logging down certain things for the purpose of accountability, gratitude, planning, manifestion, learning as well as progress. I'm letting you know, whatever you're about to do for yourself will make you stand out and you might feel a certain responsibility upon yourself as you end up inspiring others as well. You may be a person with more independent way of thinking and doing things so it'll feel strange when you end up becoming someone who leads by example. You might find yourself breaking out from a restricted environment, mindset or lifestyle. It is likely your financial situation improves as well. You might feel a bit eccentric this month with your ideas and thrist for knowledge and experiences that shape you as a person.

You might just block out the things that don't serve you and fixate on what you want deliberately. You're too engrossed in your own world and your own untouched potential to consider anything else that is eating up too much of your valuable focus. You have decided to become a version of yourself that you have chained up for long and you will become it.

Picture 2

Your entire focus and drive has shifted to your career and public image. You've decided that even if you have to go at it alone, you will gO at it alone. But this month you'l likely learn that you aren't as by yourself as you thought you have been. Be mindful of doing anything impulsive or taking on more than you can chew or over exerting your body. Some of you may also find a healthy outlet for the emotions you have been putting a lid on. You might make new friends or deepen your relationship with existing ones. There will be moments of joy and celebration too when you least expect it. Deep down you have this inner knowing that things will go smoothly or will work out if you simply have just a teeny tiny bit more faith in yourself. You might be making travel plans too that will likely take off in September. You will also be building up your confidence this month and might also be learning a new skill, taking up a hobby or language. Thing is, you will be forced to take a pause in between or simply slow down and when that happens you might wonder okay how long is this going to take? Or you might assume your progress has halted which is far from the truth, you're in for a sweet victory consider it a reward for your persistence and your mindset.

Picture 3

There's a need to go off the radar and keep certain things private to the public eye. You might feel uncomfortable and untrusting towards a lot of people maybe you're right too, some of them aren't as reliable and don't really have your best wishes at hand. You might also consider investing in something privately for yourself for future use or you might get a return on an investment you had made. A lot of you may have been dealing with resentment, grief or some kind of fear, maybe past actions of someone towards you or how you had been with them. However. you'll find clarity and make peace in regards to what you're going through. You'll overcome something that has been hovering over you like a dark cloud for months. Some of you might also be manifesting love or end up manifesting a connection that earlier felt impossible to have in your life. You may also consider making business plans this month that you will likely launch by the end of the year. You may also consider cutting chords and might feel a sense of guilt doing so, but you'll feel much lighter and you'll find love and wealth and overall mental peace flowing into your life much easier. All the weight you've been carrying is itself begging you to let go of it, it no longer has anything to serve in your life.

[milkoomi]

Hi I adore you and your blog, you definitely inspire me. Do you have any advice for students who are behind in their studies?

hi lovely anon!! thank you so so much for your kindness and support towards me and my blog! it means so much to me that there are people like you who get inspired because of what i’ve created! so thank you!! 🤍

academic track reset tips. ᥫ᭡

falling behind is extremely anxiety inducing and can feel disastrously overwhelming. i promise you, i’ve been there before and i completely understand the dread that comes with it. you feel one too many steps behind everyone else and it feels like the workload is suffocating you. but i promise you can get yourself back up and on track again!

let’s begin …

୨ৎ — gentle reminders

first and foremost, i want you to know that you will be okay. things happen in life that we can’t always control, but i promise it’s 100% okay! you will get through this and you will get back to where you need to be! you aren’t a failure just because you’re behind.

think of it this way: let’s say you have a really good book that you’ve been reading for fun (or maybe there’s a show you’ve been watching!) but you had to take some time away from reading, but with any good book or show you’re watching, you can always come back to it and pick up where you left off! it isn’t going anywhere!

faustina’s official guide to getting back on track:

୨ৎ — emotional & situational processing

take some time to process your emotions because i’m sure there’s quite a few things you’re feeling right now!

let your feelings flow

cry, scream into a pillow, angrily scribble all your emotions and thoughts onto paper; just do whatever it is you need to do to let your feelings out (in a healthy manner of course). give yourself some time to feel your emotions, but don’t let it draw on!

journal dump: write down everything you’re feeling and thinking, talk about how stressed out and anxious you are, vent about how disappointed you feel. just dump it all in writing!

reach out to a loved one: if you need a shoulder to cry on, don’t hesitate to talk to someone close to you! your friends, family, and other loved ones are there to support you!

reflect on your situation

i personally either wrote in my journal, talked to my therapist, or even just simply thought about my situation alone, but take some time to reflect on what’s going on.

how’s your health? could there maybe be some underlying mental/emotional/physical health issues causing you to fall behind?

what does your day-to-day schedule/routine look like? do you have enough time during your days to focus on school while still being able to balance your work/personal life?

what does your work load look like? do assignments & exams pile up too quickly for you? are you maybe unintentionally procrastinating? maybe there are things outside of school that have been piling up?

it’s good to answer these questions for yourself and figure out what exactly is causing you to fall behind. what’s going on at the core of it all? once you find your answer(s), it’s time to start reworking and tweaking some things.

୨ৎ — health check-up

sometimes our health can hinder us from staying on track, keeping up with school, and even keeping up with things going on outside of school! maybe we’ve been getting sick more recently and our bodies have been putting more energy into fighting off infections that they’ve become weaker and lack the energy to do other things. or maybe our mental health isn’t where we need it to be. maybe we’re experiencing a depressive episode or there have been things going on in your personal life that have been causing you immense amounts of anxiety that’s leading your focus away from your studies.

physical health

schedule a doctor’s appointment! you could probably get yourself a note to bring to your school/professors that could allow you a grace period for you to get caught up with your studies! it’s also good to have regular doctors visits to make sure your physical health is where it needs to be.

fuel for your body! are you eating well enough? are you staying hydrated? make sure your body has all the nutrients it needs to stay energized! sometimes we don’t realize we’re neglecting our nutritional needs, so be sure to have any and all necessary meals and that you’re getting enough hydration!

recharging every night! are you getting enough sleep? is the sleep you’re getting good? do you feel well-rested when you wake up? be mindful of your body’s energy! sleep is extremely important and lack of sleep can cause lack of motivation for just about anything, so be sure you’re getting a good night’s rest every night.

mental health

self care! i can’t stress enough how important self care is in your daily routine. please always take care of yourself. do something that makes you happy and make sure you’re giving your mind what it needs.

counseling! lots of schools, if not all schools have counselors on their campus. if therapy isn’t a financial option for you right now, please don’t hesitate to seek out your school’s counselor. they’re there to help you through whatever it is you may need! (& it’s quite literally they’re job!)

୨ৎ — rescheduling your schedule

think about your current daily routine. there might be some things within your routine that just might not be working out for you. you might have too many extracurriculars, maybe your work hours are overloaded and take too much of your time, or maybe you’re not setting aside enough time in your day to work on schoolwork.

lessen your load

while having extracurriculars is wonderful for your academic career, sometimes you can have too many of them. keeping up with club meetings, late night/early morning athletics trainings, events that take place during your class times; there’s a lot of things that extracurriculars do that may be taking a lot of your time away from you and your studies.

keep your extracurriculars to a minimum: 1-2 max! you have so much time to build up on extracurriculars for university admissions and job applications, i promise! but you have to consider your current schoolwork load and make sure you’re able to balance both extracurriculars and your studies!

if you are trying to balance your school & work life, be sure you remember what takes priority: your studies! if you feel like your work schedule is overpowering your time to study, it may be time to lessen your work hours.

talk with your bosses! set up a meeting with your mangers or send them an email letting them know you need to start working less. let them know that your studies take priority right now and you need the time to focus on school.

part-time over full-time! being a full-time student and a full-time employee can lead to burn out. while it is possible to balance both, it’s definitely 100x harder. it’s okay to work part-time! and just remember: your studies will lead you to a better job!

weekly planning

you might want to start creating a general plan for your week! it doesn’t have to be super detailed, but have at least an overview of what your week will look like!

create small task lists! have certain days contain a small, achievable list of tasks to complete! again, detail doesn’t matter, you don’t have to write down specific assignments but you can write which classes you want to work on for those days!

for each day, have an hourly schedule! maybe from 5am-6am to you want to be up & out of bed and by 12pm-2pm you want to get some schoolwork done! don’t feel the need to create something extravagant and go by each hour, keep it as general as possible.

the key is to keep your weekly (or even daily) planning simple! don’t try to jump right into having detailed schedules and plans, that can cause more stress than help.

designated study days

to go off of weekly planning, try setting aside specific days during your week that are entirely dedicated to getting schoolwork & studying done!

my personal schoolwork/study days…

saturday/sunday (i try to dedicate at least one of those days to rest, relaxation, & more personal things! so maybe one week saturday will be my work day and sunday will be my rest day)

monday - wendesday (mondays & wednesdays are the days i have class, but i’m off from work mon-wed so i have so much more time on mondays & wednesdays to get some work or studying done!)

of course, you can start off small! i actually encourage you to start off small! maybe two days out of the week will be your designated days or maybe you’ll only have one day out of the week! and that’s okay!

୨ৎ — baby steps lead to giant leaps

from my previous points, i really emphasized simplicity & starting off small. here’s why: slowly chipping away at something will still show great amounts of progress!

don’t feel like you have to take on huge amounts of work to get back into the swing of things. if anything, biting off more than you can chew will cause you to choke on even more stress!

step 1: talk with advisors/counselors/teachers

the first step to officially getting back on track in school is meeting with your advisors, teachers, and pretty much any faculty members that will help you! (and i promise they will help you! it’s their job to make sure you succeed as a student and they’ll always encourage you to reach out for help!)

step 2: meet with tutors

there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a tutor! they do more than just help with understanding class content! they also help you with time management, organization, and study techniques/methods! plus, 9 times out of 10, those tutors are fellow students, so they know and understand better than anyone else what it’s like dealing with the stress of school as a student!

step 3: riding the completion coaster

this is the part where you can start completing assignments/tasks that need to get done! again, don’t overload yourself! start small! this is where slowly chipping away at your assignments comes in!

prioritize! which classes take priority? which assignments have the closest due dates? what exams are coming up the soonest? whatever needs to get done first is your first priority!

pomodoro method! i’ve talked about this productivity-time technique a plethora of times here on my blog, but it’s a wonderful work method that not only encourages you to get work done within a set amount of time but it also allows you to get very much needed breaks in as well!

tina’s productivity tip: there’s this little method i’ve created for myself where i write down on a little sticky note or separate piece of paper “prizes” that i get for when i complete an assignment or task called “recognize the prize”! the prizes are super simple things that still make me really happy (incorporating psychology techniques here lol)! i keep that little sticky note/paper with my prizes close by so i can remind myself what i’m working towards!

examples of how i do it…

assignment: lab workbook ch. 4, pages x & y

prize: take a break to eat a kitkat bar (i love kitkats hehe)

task: study for 1 hour

prize: watch one youtube video (no longer than 20 minutes)

assignment: online homework

prize: play a video game for 20 minutes

final notes —

falling behind sucks, but it happens and i hope you know that it’s completely normal! just remember: being behind & needing to catch up does not, and never will, define you as a failure. we aren’t made to be perfect students; there’s no such thing as a “perfect” student. strive for progress, not perfection!

you have the ability to get caught up with your studies! please don’t best yourself up for not being where you want to be right now. show yourself some grace because you’re only human at the end of the day.

with lots of love, faustina 🌷

[emptypapertowelholdermodelx]

weekly rituals with my deities - a study in motivation, worship, routine, & relationships

while working with apollo today he approached the subject of my lack of relationship with the deities i have been worshipping. he acknowledged how it bothered me. while praying to hekate, she pushed the word “try” into my mind several times as i lamented about how i “couldn’t” keep up with everyone i wanted to, and how my faith was waning as i lacked devotion, focus, and motivation. apollo and hekate, together, suggested i pick a day of the week to worship each deity separately. j can continue my small, daily routines (sleep for hypnos, yoga for the morrigan, pills for apollo, etc.), but i may find it easier to pick a day to devote to each deity as well. i worship seven deities, and there are conveniently seven days in the week.

all of this was confirmed when i saw a post here about how i should do the same. i knew apollo and hekate sent the post my way to confirm what they were already telling me - sign, if you will. confirmation.

in that case, i’m writing my routines and devotional acts out here, as a way to stay motivated, accountable, and have it on hand whenever i need it.

every day i plan to pray to them more intensely than usual and offer something small, whether that be a portion of my meal, a flower i found, or a cool rock.

sunday; apollo’s day. pray to him, offer something to him. sunbathe in the window, or outside, in the morning. make a point to dedicate my medicine-taking to him. journal a little, and do a weekly tarot spread to honor his divination aspect.

monday; the morrigan’s day. pray to her, offer something to her. read one of my books about her. do an intense yoga routine to get the blood pumping - no skipping out on this! journal while praying to her.

tuesday; anpu’s day. pray to him, offer something to him. do some shadow work - this could be free writing, a tarot spread accompanied by journaling, or following some prompts. i’ve found that anpu really appreciates when i perform shadow work, and as a death deity, i think ill start a trend of working through my death trauma with him on tuesdays.

wednesday; hyacinthus’ day. pray to him, offer something to him. on wednesdays i will make a point to talk and pray to him while i water my plants, pick weeds, and check on the overall health of my garden and health plants. i’d like to also do some introspective journaling on love and the trauma i am working through, as hyacinthus’ main goal with me is to build a healthy relationship with my partner.

thursday; hypnos’ day. a soft, calm day. not much goes on. i offer to him, and pray to him. perhaps i can take an extra long nap. i can cleanse my bed altar, make it all tidy, and do some devotional prayers and restful activities in bed. i will also make a point to dedicate that night’s sleep to him, and invoke him to appear in my dreams if he’s willing.

friday; hekate’s day. offer to her and pray to her. read one of my books about her. perform a magical spell or ritual, no matter how big or small. right now it’s hard to do full blown spells as i’m working in the broom closet at my christian sisters house, so i don’t have much of my supplies. but manifestation and intention setting will be one way i can accomplish this.

saturday; hestia’s day. pray to her and offer to her. clean my room and tidy up my space in dedication to her. light a candle while i pray to her, and let her energy fill my room. maybe do some baking in her honor, like a sweet desert or an attempt at bread.

i am hoping to follow this routine for my gods and myself. this will help me refocus on my practice and get in touch my deities again, who i’ve been slightly neglecting in favor of doing nothing all day.

i had an insightful time with apollo and hekate, and hope they’re proud of me as i implement their ideas into the coming weeks <3

[deepestdelulu]

Hi! I’d like some advice about something I’ve been thinking about for a while. I’ve realized that I’m not at all the person I want to be, and I really want to change that. I’ve been thinking about simply uninstalling my social media and truly starting over in a more radical way, becoming someone like Paris Geller. Something truly transformative, you know? I’d love to hear your opinion on this, especially since you inspire me so much.

(I love your blog from the bottom of my heart! 🩷)

Hii sweetheart, let me just say: you’re about to make such a bold, amazing move. Deciding to change and become the person you’ve always dreamed of being is not only possible—it’s totally within your reach. And aiming for that Paris Geller vibe? Love it! She’s ambitious, focused, and unstoppable, so you’re setting the bar high (as you should!).

Now, you must remember that real transformations is a journey, not a single dramatic leap. It’s all about small, consistent actions that lead to big changes. So don't despair if the change is not as fast as you expected. Since I love lists, here’s a list to help you start turning your vision into reality (hope you like it!!):

Get super clear on who you want to be.

Write it all down: What does your ideal self think, do, and believe in?

Make a vision board (digital or physical) to keep yourself inspired and focused.

Set clear, actionable goals.

Break your goals into categories: health, relationships, career, mindset, hobbies.

For example, if you want to be as well-read as Paris, commit to reading one book a month or taking an online course.

Cut out distractions and prioritize what matters.

Replace that time with things that actually fuel you, like journaling, meditating, or learning a new skill.

Build routines that boost productivity.

Start your mornings intentionally: plan your day and set your top priorities.

Use tools like planners to stay organized and on track. (Make sure to find a cute diary to motivate you) :)

Focus on healthy habits.

Move your body every day, even if it’s just a walk or a quick workout.

Fuel yourself with good food that energizes you and keeps your mind sharp.

Surround yourself with inspiration.

Find people who motivate you and push you to grow.

Join groups or communities where you can share goals and ideas. I started going to the gym few months ago and there I found a lot of people with the same goal as me (change my mindset and body)

Master the art of saying “no.”

Channel your inner Paris and focus on what actually matters. Protect your time and energy like your future depends on it (because it kind of does).

Celebrate your wins—big or small.

Every step forward is progress. Acknowledge it and enjoy it.

Most importantly, remember this transformation is for YOU. It’s not about impressing anyone else; it’s about waking up every day proud of who you’re becoming. Radical changes are exciting but can also feel overwhelming. If you stumble, get back up. If you doubt yourself, reread what you wrote about who you want to be. And above all, trust yourself. You’ve got everything it takes to make this happen.

I’m already so excited to see the incredible person you’re going to become, (at least more than what you already are). You’ve got this girllll!!!

Love yaaa ♡

[literallyrennisdeynolds]

Dennis Reynolds; An Erotic Life

As a Dennis kin and understander, I have really, really strong opinions about the iasip fandom’s portrayal of him. Which is done mostly well, but some headcanons/fanfictions make me so genuinely uncomfortable. (Also I’m about to yap for a while, so I apologize for that.)

One of the most off putting things about Dennis Reynolds is the way he approaches sex and sexual partners. In earlier seasons he’s often seen just wanting to bang as many women as possible and record it for his tapes and sex journal. He has this unhealthy relationship with sex that’s just so fascinating to me. So I want to explain two things in depth and offer my thoughts on them; what Dennis’ views on sex are and WHY he is the way he is. 

Starting with the “problem” itself. Which is the fact that Dennis doesn’t seem to value sexual partners as anything more than a cheap bang. The way he views making people fall for him as a game– as a challenge. Dennis has no actual relationships for most of the show, and, in exception of Mandy (Which, let’s be honest, was more of a co-parenting thing and was only for Brian Jr.), Dennis never commits to anything romantic or sexual. However; there is Maureen Ponderosa. Maureen is interesting because she isn’t particularly anything special. She’s clingy, annoying, and all up in Dennis’ business. He marries her– which is short lived– because Maureen reminds Dennis of a time when he experienced romantic love. And strong romantic love; like the scene where he tells Mac something along the lines of “I feel like I’m fourteen, I’m having feelings again!” Which is often misinterpreted to mean “Oh, Dennis doesn’t feel things!” WHICH IS SO FALSE. Dennis has so many feelings, big feelings. But he has a hard time experiencing things that he can’t control; so he masks what he feels and takes on this cold persona of sorts. This “I’m having feelings again!” quote is meant to portray the fact that Dennis hasn’t felt joy like this going into a potential relationship since he was a kid. Because Maureen was his high-school sweetheart– but not his first time.

No, that was the school librarian.

This skewed vision of sex, I think, originally stemmed from Dennis’ experience with her. Internally he thought he enjoyed it; because he’s a man, he should get lucky for getting laid (especially from an older woman). And now he views this experience as something nice, sure, and a surge of power, rather than expressing love for someone. It’s an exchange of services. No matter if Dennis denies it, the librarian fucked him up. I also want to add the fact that both Dennis’ parents cheated on each other constantly and didn’t have a healthy relationship. One of the first sex experiences he even had was Frank fucking a prostitute. Some of this can be blamed on Frank, actually. But that’s not the focus here. So, after having sex with Maureen, Dennis can’t see anything else past that that he can gain from her. 

Which brings me to Mac. I won’t analyze him here, that’s for another day (and I’m probably not the best for that). Dennis sees Mac as sort of a rock. And not in the cute romantic way, of course, but as someone to control. Mac is predictable, and Dennis likes predictable. Any time Mac is unpredictable, Dennis freaks out. Like in The Gang Tends Bar, for example. Dennis has no clue why someone would do that for him, or why Mac would look at him with those big doe eyes like that. Dennis can’t imagine a life without Mac across the room with his Ass Pounder 2000, without predictable Mac and his predictable ways. He keeps Mac in line, whether it be with weight-loss pills, anal beads, or an inflatable bed, Mac will stay right by Dennis’ side. And Dennis, being in the exact same environment for 30+ years: will never change.

[loveridden1999]

what should i do to make my life less miserable? is there any simple, easy, and non expensive way to do it?

i don't think i can give you a proper answer that will suddenly change your life, i am still learning how to cope with everything life has offered me so take everything i say with a grain of salt. what do you think makes your life miserable? how much of it is within your control? what can you do to change them? what are some long term goals that might make your life more happier and more worthy living for you? what easier habits can you inculcate to get there? and while you figure all of these out always remember there will always be times when things don't go the way you want them to, and there are times when everything feels so hopeless and you'll have to let those feelings pass and accept them at face value to be able to fully get over them.

what simple things should you do to make life less miserable? this might sound soo generic but looking forward to things!! not brooding over past mistakes, constantly reminding your brain to stop when you notice yourself fear mongering over the slightest of things, small interactions with people around you, reaching out to your friends, music, art, books, treating yourself with good food from your favourite restaurants once in a while, walking in parks, call with people you miss, getting yourself enough sleep (trust me it's so so so important), building small healthy habits, to not expect your life to suddenly change overnight but also hold onto to hope that it will and to work towards it!! journal too, if you can and if it helps you. try not to give so much meaning to everyday and how much you own, what you could've been and definitely try to stay away from instagram specially as much as you can that app is designed to make you feel like you don't have enough, don't do enough and are miserable no matter what. idk i think life does feel like a perfomance a lot so try to focus on littler things, love them and find little joys in everyday and pray everything works out, i don't know i am only 21 so.

[lindasophie]

"Perfect" Night Routine

I find a good night routine can greatly enhance the day and the one to come. However, toxic versions are often shown on social media, which put even more pressure on me personally. So I would like to say here first that it is only tips that can improve your night routine. I also do not implement all of them and think that everyone has to look for themselfs what suits them best and must find their personal routine.

1. Drink a cup of tea

Calming teas: Calming teas consist of naturally calming herbs which help you to rest better in the evening and fall asleep faster. A further advantage of calming teas is that, unlike other sleeping pills or sedatives, they are completely natural Alkaline teas: Alkaline teas are supposed to help with balancing our acid-alkaline balance.The alkaline herbs contained in the tea help neutralize excessive acidity in the body and help flush out toxins and waste products. Ginger teas: Ginger tea in the evening is considered a weight loss tea because it has a metabolism boosting effect. A cup of ginger tea is therefore supposed to kick-start our metabolism overnight and thus help us lose weight. However, ginger tea has a diuretic effect and could therefore cause you to have to go to the toilet more often at night. In addition, it has a warming and anti-inflammatory effect and is therefore particularly popular for colds, coughs and colds, for example. Fruit teas: If you're not looking for an alkaline, metabolism-boosting or calming tea, but simply a tea that tastes good and won't keep you up at night, you can also reach for a simple fruit tea. Unlike the others, this one does not have any special effect, but it still lets you fall asleep normally at night.

Tea is generally considered a healthy drink but it is important that you choose a caffeine-free tea in the evening to save you from long sleepless nights.

2. Journal

Regular journalling helps to better understand and categorize thoughts and feelings. It promotes the focus on one's own self, one's own self-reflection, and on top of that stimulates the ability to concentrate. It can be used as a self-help or complementary therapy aid. It also strengthens our mind when we write down fears or stressful experiences. Writing helps us to pause to regain our inner stability and to leave your worries behind so that we can fall asleep more quickly. but even if it is not about worries but only about the events of the day, it is helpful because you take time for yourself without your phone to reflect on the day.

3. One hour without phone

Your phone emits blue light that inhibits the production of melatonin, which controls your sleep-wake cycle. A melatonin deficiency can cause sleep disorders and fatigue. A disturbed sleep-wake rhythm can make everyday life more difficult and reduce the quality of life. In addition, you get so many sensory impressions through scrolling that you first have to think about. So if you use your phone right before you go to sleep, you can expect to be awake for a while. Logically, you also lose time while scrolling that you could spend sleeping, which makes you more tired and less focused the next day. So it's best to stay away from your phone an hour before you go to sleep and set it to "do not disturb" or silent. because even if you don't use it, notifications will interrupt your deep sleep.

[4dkellysworld]

Honest self-reflections

After much self-reflection, I've realized that being on here has now become an activity of ego indulgence in some ways. I started @4dbarbie-archive initially to sort & organise all of Ada's content in a way I liked as well as learn & make sense of her teachings, which creating the 4dbarbie remix posts have been most pivotal in. Then there were some thoughts I wanted to share and I created this blog and shared some of my experiences and thoughts with my writings and journal entries. I came here with some objectives and accomplished that; it was most rewarding and enlightening.

It's only been a week and a half since I first created @4dbarbie-archive and just over a week since I created this blog (feels a lot longer though lol) but now I feel like I ended up becoming too involved in this community and my ego feels a bit addicted & attached and almost obligated to continue being involved in order to help others out. This is counterintuitive to the journey of self-realization; the opposite of letting go of identity/thoughts/ego/externals in order to realize Self. It's hard to completely detach from all that while being on here.

I have really enjoyed my time here and am grateful for the experience but now I've realised it has become more of an obstacle on my path to self-realization. Of course, I'm sure others are able to continue being on this platform in a healthy way while still progressing on their own journey and not attach identity to it but personally for myself, it would be easier & better to step away for a bit and take time to just be in silence and focus inwards on Self.

To help others, I want to first know my Self completely. As Nisargadatta Maharaj said, you need not know to be, but you must be to know. To know is to be. Meaning you do not need to read a ton of information about non-dualism to realize your Self, it is not necessary at all and at some point after you have gained adequate understanding, it is just feeding the mind and ego. You need to experience your Self in order to truly know who you are. This is something that no amount of reading will accomplish (if only!!) because our Self is beyond the mind and not something that can be truly understood through words and intellect alone (which are just concepts). At some point, you just have to dive right in and do it yourself, and going all in is sometimes the best way to do it instead of having one foot in and the other foot out. This is something that success stories have all taught me and I want to thank all who shared their experiences, it most definitely does teach things that theory alone cannot. 🤍

As Lester Levenson said "If anyone of us could stop thinking right now and remain that way, he would be an unlimited Being from this moment on. It really is that simple, though not necessarily an easy accomplishment." Session 4: Happiness of The Keys to Ultimate Freedom

This is not goodbye but more of a see you later. This blog will remain up but I will be taking a pause from Tumblr to let go and go within. How long? However long it takes. I have no expectations or idea on that nor do I care. Though when I do come back (whenever that may be), I hope to see many more success stories of others who have also gone within, realized their true Self and are experiencing beautiful dreams. 🩷

It's going to be a bit hard to go cold turkey cos there is some attachment to this community so I might linger for a bit but again I know this is my ego and mind grasping on and I want to let go of this (the quote "Let go of your earthly tether" from Legend of Korra comes to mind and I love that). I know Ada would agree with what I'm doing too.

Special shout out to @adadisciple for creating her blog as a hub for all of 4dbarbie students to come together and share their experiences! Without your blog (and the anons!), I could not have had some of the realizations I have now so thank you! And it was nice working with you as a team at times over the past week to answer some asks. Don't forget to take care of yourself and don't sacrifice your own personal journey for the sake of your blog! And this goes for the other ND blogs too! You guys are all amazing.

Take care, everyone! Do what's best for you first and remember that this is all just a dream. There is no "must" in anything. It's all just a dream so make it beautiful 😌

May we all realize our Self.

--- Kelly out ♡

[araminthe]

Saturday, 10th of August / Samedi 10 août 2024

────୨ৎ────

Sleep: still bad, from 4am to 12am

Health: Ate healthy food, very very little sugar. But I was busy so I couldn't eat when I wanted, I was so hungry (thanks cousin for giving me a meal at 11pm)

Work / Focus: only 30mins today, revised for my driving license before being interrupted by people

Today's description: Had peace and took care of my own matters until 4pm. Had to eat with family and the guests. Then my family is going to a store so I go with them. I buy a puzzle of a 1000 pieces there. I'm so excited for the puzzle.

I also buy a notebook but why does it smell so damn bad. It smells so bad, I threw some deodorant and perfume on it but the good smell was canceled by the bad smell. It smells this bad. Dammit.

Then, I spend some time at home, too much family is at home (includes the guests) so I can't work.

Then, 9pm, my sister is going away, so I go out to say goodbye, then take a walk outside my neighborhood with my cousin who lives a minute away.

Night comes quickly and we're still outside talking (we're right in front of our houses si it's safe).

Then to keep talking, I go to her home, and she says let's go eat, so we eat in the kitchen while talking, (it's my second actual meal of the day, thanks for feeding me (╥﹏╥) )

At midnight my bro comes to walk me home, even though we live a few minutes away, we never know, better be safe (that's a typical women's life, the world can be scary sometimes).

He also just got back from spending the night at my other cousin's place.

Then we just talk to one another and laugh until 1am.

I go to my room and my 12y old sis is still awake.

I wanted to journal for just a bit but then it's 3am and I just finished the journal I had been using for 5 months.

So now its 3:35 and I'll go to sleep very quickly.

(I swear I want to sleep early, but why am I always so busy until very late. I definitely need to make some changes 😭)

At least I don't overuse my phone, I improved on that and I can focus on my work when I want to, so it's a big positive point

(I only use it to talk with friends and write on Tumblr, I stopped scrolling, thus stopped destroying my brain, I feel my brain capacities coming back, but for that to definitely work, I need to sleep correctly)

I also eat healthily and do not overeat.

I guess I can't change eveything at once, it will have to be one thing at a time.

So next is, making more time for work through the day and improving my sleeping habits

Anyway, good night, sleep well and on time (don't take my example)

Bisou bisou, peace and love for y'all.

[aphroditestearsofjoy]

#𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 - Week 1

Although I am (extremely) new to the self improvement community on tumblr. I have seen the #𝟏𝟎𝟎𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 challenge from @dreamdolldiary come by a few times amoung self improvement creators. Because of my curiosity, I have finally read the challenge and I immediately knew that this was the ideal challenge for me to start my self improvement journey! The "goal" of this challenge is to start with holding yourself accounteble and to build healthy habits.

So these were my first few weeks of attempting following this "challenge". And it went absolutely horrible, but I learned a lot from it.

The first 2 days of this challenge I felt very confident and good. But I completely broke down after that. I completely ignored this challenge for the next 2 weeks, because I wanted to focus on school. But because of that I forgot myself and selfcare, after that it didn't take long to stop having motivation for school too. Around this time of year I almost always get a little 'winterdip', but this year it was so massive that I stayed home the past week because I could not find the energy to move or do anything. I was probally already overworked when I started this challenge and expected way too much from myself.

What I'm going to do is analyse the situaltion, break the causes in small parts and find solutions for my problems. I will end this post with a plan for "week 2".

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 "𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐩"

☙ 𝟏. My biggest problem is that I value my results over my wellbeing. But because of that I feel so horrible that I am also not able to preform well. And that involves slowly into a burn-out.

What I will do is prioritise my goals my physical, mental & emtional goals. While slowly adding more other goals to work on. To help balance schoolwork & my wellbeing. I will make an overview the schoolwork that needs to be done weekly. Then I will decide what to do from that list when planning out my day, I will plan my studying sessions based off the time that I have to study that day. When I don't have the time to finish, I will let it go and do it another day. I will try to do as much work as possible on school days, but what I can't get done in that time, I will make in the weekend.

☙ 𝟐. I have the tendency to stress over the smallest thing, but I will nog give myself the space and time to process those. In my night/ evening routine I will add 10 minutes of non-stop writing. That way I can get my feeling out and if I notice that someting is really bothering me, I will take time for it the upcomming day.

☙ 𝟑. I will make time for a self care day. Saturday, after I return from work, I will make a nice lunch and drink for myself, read, take a bath and do fun things! (Like a mini movienight).

☙ 𝟒. Learn to let go! I have the ability to make myself so incredibly, by simply not leting go of the thing that do not serve me. I carry other people's trouble's, other people's expectations and lot's of other thingsI have no influence on. But even the things I have influence on, will not get better when I worry about it.

To let go, I must acknowledge what is bothering me and that stressing over it won't help me. Writing out my problem may help with this.

𝐌𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤

☙ The main focus for week 2 will be my physica, mental and emotional gaols:

♡ Physical I follow my weekly work out-plan. I eat healthy. I use my skincare consistantly. I go to bed before 10 pm.

♡ Mental I make time for self love. I plan out my day and follow my plan. I journal daily.

♡ Emotional I do the things that bring me happiness and fulfillment. I write the things that bother me down. I allow myself to feel my emotions fully.

I will accomplice these goals by panning my days around them.

☙ I want to go on a nature walk upcomming week. ☙ I plan out all the work i am supposed to do. ☙ I am productive in school. ☙ I start following my morning & night routines. ☙ I read when I'm bored.

Thank you sososo much for checking in with me, lovelies! ⚝☁ I hopefully see you next week! If you have any tips and/ or encouregement, pease do share. Bye bye ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ♡

[jess-abides]

Vacation body thoughts below the cut (I should really just journal lol)

The last time I went on vacation in April, I was the biggest I’ve ever been. I wore my bikinis and was trying really hard to rock with body neutrality and tbh I was in a decent place with it. But I was super uncomfortable on the plane, and it was probably the most unpleasant travel experience that I can remember.

While I was on that trip, I started wanting to exercise…like idk why but I remember thinking “I want to start doing squats when I get home” lol and I got on the peloton the day after I got home and rode every day for like 2-3 weeks while I convinced my trainer friend to coach me after I realized he offered virtual sessions. I don’t know what changed, but something flipped basically overnight - when we first got started, I told my trainer “I’m really good at starting over, but I really want this to be the last time” and tbh it still feels like it could be.

I haven’t missed a single planned/scheduled workout since the day I got back from that trip, and I’ve enjoyed the process so much more this time around because it came from a place of actually just wanting to exercise (as opposed to my typical pattern of ‘hate self > must be smaller > deserve punishment > must eat less and move more’).

I also very intentionally did not diet at all, because I still have to work very hard at not spiraling when I try to ~get healthy~ and I am sick to death of dieting and burning out and being afraid of food and the scale.

So I decided to just focus on the one thing I was excited about, which was getting stronger. Which naturally led me to make some different food choices based on what my body was craving (and plenty of well-intentioned bullying from my coach when I wasn’t eating enough). I’ve just been having so much fun getting stronger that it started to feel like a shame not to at least try to get enough protein to actually let my muscles recover and grow.

So I headed off on this vacation 30 pounds lighter than the last, inches gone from my waist, hips, thighs, wedged comfortably into the middle seat between two strangers and not silently apologizing for my existence. Happier, stronger, more confident. A little nervous to get out of my routine, tbh, but I could also really tell my body could use a break.

And, for once, not at all worried about my diet or whether I’d gain weight; knowing I’ve been learning to trust myself and basically eating whatever I wanted anyway. I enjoyed good seafood and good ice cream, but never felt like I needed to over-indulge or overcompensate for indulging. I went for long walks on the beach because I wanted to, and sat on the porch when I decided I’d rather do that instead.

Out of sheer curiosity, I weighed myself this afternoon (something I would never have done in the past - early morning only, iykyk). And wouldn’t you know it? I weigh the same as the day I left. The number itself isn’t the victory - I would have been fine with being up a few because bodies will be bodies, and I guess that’s really what I’m proud of!

And I’m looking forward to being back on my bullshit tomorrow morning and seeing how this break plays out in my workouts this week. After I sleep A LOT tonight 😌

[1ndonlyhawa]

Summer Glow Up Guide

Summer vacations have started for most people, meaning it's the perfect time to start working on yourself, adopt new habits and improve your health. You guys asked me for a glow-up guide, so here we go! <3

Eating healthier, let's be real; we all know that the first step to a healthy glow is a healthy diet. Try adding some smoothies, proteins (like yogurt, chicken, tofu...), and healthy fats (avocados, nuts...) to your meals.

Skincare. Now is the perfect time to try some new products! My favorite brands are The Ordinary, La Roche Posay, Pixi, Lancome, and Neutrogena.

Meditation, 5-10 minutes in the morning, is enough; it helps you to focus, calm down and be mindful. You can find guided meditation videos on youtube.

New Hairstyle, get a new haircut, and try some new styles! (inspo on my Pinterest)

Journaling, I started journaling not too long ago and love it! It helps me plan my day and get things out of my mind.

Haircare, get a trim, and say bye to your split ends! you can also try some new products; I personally like Lush and Olaplex. (let me know if you want a long hair guide <3)

Practise your make-up skills! Something that helped me improve was practising right before I shower, so I can just wash it off!

Deep cleaning rooms, vacuum, clean your windows, empty your trash, and so on...

Get a manicure, I'm personally a long acrylics type of girl, but even if that's not your thing, a simple manicure makes a HUGE difference. Clean nails are a must!!

Drinking more, I probably don't have to tell you that, lol.

Self-tan contour, not having to wear make-up is such a flex so let's just fake that make-up-less beauty by contouring with self-tanner ;)

New outfits that fit, it's time to get some new stuff that makes you feel beautiful and confident!

Exercising and getting toned feels awesome! try some youtube workouts; my favourites are from Daisy Keech, she's so sweet <3

New jewellery, get some cute signature pieces; you can also look for some unique pieces while on vacation and keep them as memories.

Fresh Instagram feed, go and take some pictures! You can look for inspiration on my Pinterest; I have a board called 'Pictures to recreate' that might be helpful!

Find a signature scent; this is something fun you can do with your friends! Go to Sephora and just try perfumes until you find one that fits you.

Sleep schedule, even though it's tempting to stay up late, now is the perfect time to fix your sleep schedule.

Go out every day, go for a walk, listen to a podcast, take some pictures, you know it...

Read more; it really calms your mind and helps you relax.

Facemasks, I do face masks at least twice a week

Be nicer

Down below I also listed some 'Challenge Days' that you can try when you don't have anything planned and don't want to waste your day!

•┈••✦ Self-care-day  ✦••┈•

meditate + exercise

bubble bath

exfoliate

shave (if you like)

hair care

skincare (morning + evening)

try the self-tan contour

get your nails done

lotion

healthy meals

don't skip breakfast (My favourite meal!)

read Something

call a friend

go on a walk + listen to music or a podcast

track your water intake

go to sleep early

•┈••✦ Deep clean day ✦••┈•

throw away everything that doesn't fit you anymore

throw away old makeup (IT CAN EXPIRE)

change your bed sheets

vacuumed the floor

clean your windows

clean every surface

empty your trash

re-organize your closet

do your laundry

clean all your shoes

delete all the apps you don't use

clean your camera roll

get a carpet cleaner and clean your carpets

wash all your pillowcases

[alyssa-johaan]

2025 Q1 recap: finding joy in new things, saying no more often and embracing slowness

There truly is no stopping time, and even more so as we get older and become more caught up in balancing life, personal goals, work, and everything in between. Just like that, we've made it to the end of Q1 of the year - which is wild, but at the same time, not surprising.

Let's talk and recap a few things from the last three months, starting with:

1. Finding Joy in New Things:

Very often, I find myself reflecting on what makes me happy outside of work - what else excites me or stimulates a part of my brain that nothing else can. This brings me back to a topic I once discussed here about "hobbies." At one point, I associated hobbies with big, tangible things, only to realise that at the end of the day, a hobby can be anything you want as long as it brings you contentment.

For me, my hobbies have always revolved around staying creative and being very online-focused. For example, curating boards on Pinterest, editing videos, and reading blogs. But early this year, I made it a point to try new things because I also wanted an outlet beyond the digital world.

A few things I’ve grown to love: cooking and trying new recipes. I find joy in planning our weekly lunch and dinner meals at home and being more mindful of my ingredients. My favorite "solo time" of the day is my breakfast routine - something I never skip, even on busy days. I'll make either yogurt bowls or oats, a good glass of iced latte, and in that moment, I truly feel at peace. This is part of my daily routine, and while it may seem mundane to some, I believe it’s all about finding beauty in the ordinary. I hope you are able to find that in your small or big routines too.

Another thing I have grown to love is body movement - finding different ways to move within my own means and capacity. This is a topic I rarely share online because I find it very personal, and I believe that staying active and healthy looks different for everyone. I admire and stay inspired by so many of my friends on Instagram and TikTok who have their own ways of keeping active, and I love how unique it is for each person.

For me, I think I have found a pace I feel comfortable with when it comes to running. If anything, I challenge myself with small milestones here and there. Running may not be for everyone, nor is it something I enjoy doing every day, but when I do, I love the feeling of owning the moment. For that brief time, it feels like it is just you and the world so I get it why people enjoy to run.

Here’s a list of other non-digital things I enjoy, in case you need some inspiration too:

Journaling

Vacuuming my home/tidying up my space

Decluttering things I no longer need or use

Scrapbooking

Making homemade syrups for coffee

Making homemade granola

2. Saying "No" More Often:

Oh, the beauty of saying no. If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to say no more often. But at the same time, I don’t think she would have listened. Maybe I wouldn’t appreciate the impact of saying "no" as much as I do today, so thank you to my younger self for all of that.

If you struggle with this, trust me when I say that saying no is a powerful self-practice. It preserves your energy, helps create boundaries, and allows you to better align your focus on what truly matters.

While it’s easy to feel the fear of missing out "fomo", I’ve learned that by saying no, you become more present in the spaces you are meant to be in. If something isn’t for you, the fear of missing out is often just a fleeting thought and soon after, you'll forget about it.

By saying no, you also recognize your personal growth, and this is my favorite part. It’s empowering because it allows you to create space for more meaningful experiences.

3. Embracing Slowness:

The way I wouldn’t have appreciated this when I was younger, but now it’s everything I want to embrace. Slowness isn’t about being unproductive - it’s about allowing yourself to recharge, reset, and take things one step at a time.

While everything may seem like a priority right now, there is always a way to navigate it. This is something I often stress when advising my friends: recognise what’s important today, recognise what’s important for tomorrow or the day after, and work toward it progressively. Allowing yourself to rest and reset is one of the most productive practices you can give yourself.

Embracing slowness looks different for everyone, but here are some things I do that help me appreciate it more:

Waking up extra early so I can take my time making breakfast and coffee

Avoiding the rush of getting ready by planning my outfits the night before

Scrolling through Pinterest, where my feed is curated to my liking - this is one of my go-to escapes

Watching YouTube vlogs or listening to a favourite playlist while cooking, so I feel accompanied during that time

Here’s to more growth for you, me, and everything in between.