withlove-esme

[withlove-esme]

You take the girl out of the literature, not the literature out the girl.

[withlove-esme]

GLOW UP GUIDE FOR 2025⠀

READ: On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact. And considering that 2025 is precisely these many days away, why not start with our glow up plan already?

Physical Glow Up-

BODY

— 5-10K steps a day.

— 7-8 hours of sleep.

— workout everyday for 1 hr atleast- yoga/stretching/pilates/cardio. a workout may take one hour, but your mood will be boosted for the next 12 hours.

— posture training.

— sunlight exposure after waking up for at least 10 minutes.

NUTRITION

— 2-3 liters of water every day.

— no caffeine, pick green tea or matcha instead.

— avoid sugars as much as you can.

— high protein diet, pre and probiotics.

— more fruits and veggies (+ green smoothies if you like).

— no junk/processed food/trans fat.

— no eating after 8 pm.

SKINCARE

— be clear on your skin type (oily, dry, combination, sensitive).

— once you're clear, use these accordingly- cleanser, toner, targeted serum, eye cream, moisturizer, sunscreen (≥50 spf).

— keep your bedding clean as well.

— no picking of skin on your lips, cuticle etc.

— gua sha to help improve blood circulation and lessen toxins.

— cold therapy may take three to five minutes of being uncomfortable, but your energy levels will be boosted for the rest of the day.

— remove makeup before you go to bed.

BODY CARE

— shower every day.

— exfoliate 2x a week.

— use body lotion (shea butter/aloe vera gel/coconut oil).

HAIR CARE

— wash hair 2-3x a week

— oil your scalp 2x a week, at least 3 hours before shampoo.

— hair mask 1x per week.

— never brush wet hair.

— use silk pillow case.

HYGIENE

— brush your teeth 2x a day, clean tongue and the roof of the mouth daily.

— floss daily.

— cut your nails 1x a week, never remove the cuticles.

— glycolic acid under arm for odor and discoloration.

— never use soap on your coochie.

Mental Glow Up-

MINDSET

— set clear goals- define and breakdown your aspirations.

— start your mornings with positive affirmations.

— surround yourself with uplifting content and people.

— be shamelessly selfish to your career and mental health, remove anyone or anything that doesn't align with your priorities and wellbeing.

— boost your brain health by these 4 neuroscience tools:

difficult first: start your day with the most difficult task (cortisol and dopamine are high in the body meaning that your body/mind is primed to work).

rest your eyes: introduce a micro-pause after learning by resting/closing your eyes - will help retain information better.

tomorrow's worries: write tomorrow's to-do list before bed as it is proven to be effective in helping you fall asleep.

find time to play: engage in low-stake play. can be anything you find fun but where the outcome doesn't matter (induces neuroplasticity + reduces stress).

MIND

— meditation might take as low as ten minutes, but your focus will be improved for the rest of the day.

— no social media after waking up and at least an hour before bed.

— keep aside 1 hr of time to read daily! reading a new book may take five hours, but you will keep the knowledge forever.

— journaling, gratitude.

— digital detox once a week or for 12 hours.

— limit unnecessary screentime, unfollow or cut off people you don't want to see.

JOURNALING

— choose a regular time each day to journal, making it a part of your routine.

— find a quiet, comfortable place free from distractions. light a candle if you want.

— allow your thoughts to flow without censoring or editing.

— write about your feelings and emotions to understand them better. write about things you are thankful for to boost your mood. write about your short-term and long-term goals. identify what triggers certain emotions or reactions

— set a timer for 5-10 minutes and write continuously during that time.

— reflect on both positive experiences and challenges.

— make lists, journal your thoughts on these questions.

— journal at night to clear your mind before bedtime, because emotions and thoughts lose their power once we acknowledge them.

— a gratitude practice may take five minutes, but your mindset will be shifted for the rest of the day.

AFFIRMATIONS

— customise affirmations to your needs.

Personal Life-

WEEKLY TASKS

— initiate small changes: begin with small, manageable tasks such as making your bed or cleaning your room every sunday.

— celebrate your success: reward yourself when you achieve your goals or have a consistently productive week. consider treats like buying flowers for yourself or watching your favorite show.

DAILY WORK

— set achievable goals: establish realistic goals for the day, week, or month ahead.

— track your progress.

— organise your work space, declutter your shelves etc.

— embrace the power of lists: keep a list of tasks to be done and their deadlines. this way, you start each day with a clear plan. to make it visually appealing and motivating, consider using productivity apps like evernote, habit tracker, or notion.

PRODUCTIVITY TIPS

— wake up early.

— plan ahead everything, do scheduling. you can use:

google calendar / notion / tasks .

— if the task takes less than 2 minutes to finish, do it immediately.

— countdown rule, if you are procrastinating, count 1-2-3-4-5 and jump.

— start slow, don't rush and try to do everything at one time.

— follow a proper routine, use app locks based on screentime.

— pomodoro technique, 25 min work, and 5 min break.

— schedule longer break times as well e.g 30 min nap.

[withlove-esme]

Nobody is coming to save you. Get up.

[withlove-esme]

[withlove-esme]

October — time for a restart.

Nobody's perfect. But every cell in my body certainly yearns for perfection, and in the last 10 months, I've learned that it is kind of possible, in an intricate, complicated way. My goal in life is to be as educated as I can, and therefore, my definition of perfection consists of learning as many things as I can in the shortest amount of time. Is it easy? Definitely not, but I've managed to keep things on track so far. Learning and doing as many activities as I can may not be my favourite thing in the world, but it will pay off in the future, and that is something I need to keep in mind at all costs.

The problem is that I feel like I could be doing more — and even though I value the whole 'we all deserve to take life easy' discourse, I don't think it applies to this matter: it is never too much knowledge, so it doesn't matter how much I learn, I will always be capable of more. And I believe that to be some sort of self-love, providing ourselves with more of the things we love to do, I mean.

Nonetheless, all of this is nonsense if I don't put myself to work: I think I can do more, so how can I do more? That is the question that surfaces my brain every October. 'I need to do more. It's time to stop waiting and make things happen instead.'

So, my plan for this last 3 months of the year is:

Take as many online courses as I can

Read at least 10 more books

Learn more about art history (mostly Impressionism), feminism, and phylosphy

Get better at drawing

Drink tons of coffee

Work on my goals, daily.

Exercise more often

Memorize important historical events' dates.

If you've read until here, thank you so much for staying!! I will probably be sharing my progress and would also love to know your opinions in the comments! I wish you a lovely autumn, with lots of pumpkin lattes and old books — as it should be. ♡

Ps. Please vote!!

[withlove-esme]

Dear Reader, I married him. - Jane Eyre

And he makes me happy.

[withlove-esme]

[withlove-esme]

I want to run a book club so baaaddd

[withlove-esme]

[withlove-esme]

Life's way more difficult than an early morning — if you can't push yourself out of bed, how are you going to achieve the life of your dreams? Wake up girl, we have work to do!

[withlove-esme]

[withlove-esme]

[withlove-esme]

Sneak peek of a writing piece I'm currently working on!! ♡

[withlove-esme]

[withlove-esme]

[withlove-esme]

~ sunny days...~

[withlove-esme]

paris geller <3