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Things that improved my life

I have changed a lot in my life during the last two years or so. Some changes were really small and easy and some required a lot of time and effort. I decided to make a list of some of these things that you can use to improve your life too!:

🌺 Mental health

Accepting the way my body looks -It’s a hard thing to do ad I’m not entirely there yet but I got better at it and it does make a difference

Therapy

Finding what calms me down -This one is pretty important for me because sometimes I can’t handle my anxiety. Finding what calms me down and makes me feel safe made my life a lot easier

Bullet journal

Finding my own style in fashion and make up

Routines -Big fan of morning routines to be exact

Specific music playlists -Simply having a happy playlist for your morning or a playlist that’s a confidence boost for the times you’re nervous make a huge difference!

Finding new ways to be creative -Like this blog (aaayy)

🌺 Physical health and appearance

Eating fruits and vegetables every single day -If you don’t feel like changing your entire diet (you could eat healthy tho…), this is a smaller change that goes a long way

Drinking at least 4 glasses of water every day -I think you heard this too many time for me to explain it again

Staying active -Move your body. You don’t have to work out every day or at all in fact. Just take the stairs instead of the escalator next time. Go for a walk or stretch in the morning.

Fixed sleep schedule

Dying my hair my dream colour

Not using headphones too often

Turning off all eclectronics before bedtime

Herbal teas

Reducing caffeine -I allow myself two cups of tea every day. I don’t drink coffee.

🌺 What helped me grow as a person

Reading more books -I read at least 10 pages every day. Now that it’s summer break I read 60 pages.

Being opened to criticism -I asked my friends what should I change and I let down my guard

Book How to be a Bawse by Lilly Singh -This book made a HUGE impact on my life

Being more social -This was a huge step out of my comfort zone but talking to more people made me realise that I can be funny and interesting which was a huge boost to my confidence.

Accepting other people -I was SO JUDGY! You have no idea. All I needed to know was that the person has a music taste I don’t agree with and oh boy they had an issue with me. Good thing I realised that it was so wrong.

Watching lifestyle youtube channels

Role models

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This is incredibly helpful!

How to take a study break that works

Working on homework assignments and studying for tests takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication from us students. It’s really important to make sure you take proper study breaks that help you maintain top study performance.
I’ve seen many people take a study break and watch something on the TV for 30 minutes and going back to work even more tired that they were before. Many students aren’t sure how to take an effective study break that actually helps increase focus, reduce stress and help them retain information better. I’ve come up with different study break ideas, divided by length, that hopefully will help you have better study sessions in the future and avoid a burnout. But before, let’s take a look at what you shouldn’t be doing.

What not to do:

1. Take one long study break. It’s very hard to start working and it’s even harder to go back to it after a very long break. It’s of course important to take breaks so it’s way better if you take short but regular breaks throughout your study session. The pomodoro technique is great for this purpose: you work for 25 minutes with no distractions and then you take a 5 minute break. After the five minutes are up, you do another “pomodoro”. After 4 “pomodoros” (2 hours of work), take a longer break of 10-15 minutes. Repeat until you’ve finished all your work.

2. Sit still for hours. Staying sitting still for hours is not good for you and for your posture (trust me on this, I have bad back problems from sitting too long when I was a child). Use your short 5 minutes breaks to stretch a little, to take a walk in your garden or neighbourhood, do a quick workout or simply walk to your kitchen to get a glass of water. Just get moving.

3. Study at random hours. Finding yourself with 10 chapters to study for the day after at 11p.m. is definitely not good for your mental health and for your sleep schedule. Because of this, you might try to do everything at once, without a break with the result of not retaining any useful information and going to sleep at 2a.m. Try to set a study schedule and stick to it, one that allows you to finish work at least at 8:30 p.m. This way your study sessions will be more relaxed and you can allow yourself to take breaks and get a decent amount of sleep.

4. Don’t start watching 5 or 10 minutes of a TV show because you’ll be too tempted to just finish the whole episode and then you’ll watch another one afterwards! Also, for the same reason, don’t start reading a chapter of a book or playing video games.

5. Don’t check social medias!

What to do instead:

1. Eat a small snack 2. Refill your water bottle 3. Clean your study area 4. Listen to one or two of your favourite songs 5. As mentioned before, do a quick workout

Some study break ideas:

Short break (5 minutes, between “pomodoros”)

Get some fresh air. Either in your garden, porch, balcony or simply by a window.

Listen to a couple of songs you really like. Get up and dance.

Do a short yoga or stretching routine.

Drink one or two glasses of water.

Wash your face with cold water.

Brush your hair.

Tidy your desk.

Make some hot tea, milk with honey or a hot chocolate.

Medium break (anything between 10 and 30 minutes)

Make yourself lunch, dinner or a snack, depending on the time of the day.

Workout.

Go for a run or a walk outside.

Call a friend or relative.

Vacuum your room.

Change your sheets.

Watch a YouTube video about something productive and motivating.

Watch a TedTalk.

Practice some sudokus or crosswords

Check your mail box

Journal your thoughts

Long break (40 minutes to an hour long)

Do some meal prep.

Cut up vegetables and freeze them for later use.

Start a new drawing or do anything creative

Konmari your wardrobe or desk drawers.

I hope this helps,

Mia, xx

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THIS IS THE CUTEST!

Self Care SOS - Part 3/3

Part 1

Part 2

I made this zine in 2019, but it seems like a good time to release it. If you enjoyed this comic, you can get a version that you can print at home through gumroad. Also includes a French translation by Raphael Isla

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This is incredibly helpful! Especially when you lack motivation and keep on procrastinating, refering to this post would surely help you stay productive.

042420

As most people are working and studying from home right now, I wanted to share some concrete, implementable ways you can help yourself feel better. Though I believe productivity and quantity of work done (or lack thereof) doesn’t/shouldn’t translate into your self-worth and how you view yourself, when you get work done, you actually do feel better in your own body. 

By the way, it’s the first time I’m formatting a tips/guide post like this, so I apologize that I couldn’t be more concise.

I’ve spoken to a licensed professional counsellor as well as to some professionals who have been working from home for a long time, and some of the advice above is from them. I’m also sharing from my own experience as someone who used to be very productive and an (ex-)overachiever, and still attach a lot of my self-worth to grades and other tangible accomplishments. I hope these slides can help you. In case it’s hard to read, I’ve included it (reworded) in text form if you’d like to read more. 

Keep reading

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Here are some study tips!

1. Plan your study time: you can learn better and remember better if you organize your study materials

Sort your tasks from what is most important and urgent, to least important and not urgent.

Start with your long-term task then narrow it down to your short-term task

Assign X amount of time in studying for a certain subject

2. Quizlet for memorization: I’ve never found using flashcard useful, using Quizlet is more effective and less time-consuming.

You can play those Quizlet memorization games

Make flashcards for difficult subject’s concepts

Make sure you can actually recall what you learnt

3. Summarize ideas: after studying each section, you should write 1-2 sentences per idea

Make sure to include key words

Try to explain what you just learnt

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Want to get clearer skin? This post would surely help you!

1. ALWAYS wear SPF

Using SPF 30+ is highly recommended, especially if you live in a hot, sunny area. SPF would protect you from harmful UV rays, thus reducing sun damage and marks.

2. Moisturize!

If drinking water is not enough, moisturizing your skin TWICE a day would benefit your skin and prevent wrinkles.

3. Invest in a cleansing brush

Using a cleansing brush such as Clarisonic would help you remove dirt and buildups more effectively than just using your hands and cleansers. 

4. Do weekly face masks

It is recommended to use face masks twice a week. You can switch up different types of masks each time to rejuvenate your skin. My favorite is this Aqua Capsule Mask.

5. Drink a cup of green tea everyday

Drink a cup before you go to bed, or right in the morning. Green tea is great for your skin as it helps prevent aging and sun damage.

6. Exfoliate weekly

Exfoliating at least once a week is a great way to remove dead skins and buildups that can cause acne. It is important to note that the maximum amount of time you should exfoliate is twice a week, as over-exfoliating can cause damage to your skin and age it. My favorite product is Klair’s sugar scrub along with it’s deep cleansing oil. 

7. Wash your face twice a week

You should’ve been doing this already. Wash your face in the morning and night with your cleanser and you’re good to go!

8. Use vitamin C serum

Vitamin C is beneficial for your skin as it hydrates, reduce wrinkles, redness and hyper-pigmentation! I use Klair’s vitamin C serum.

9. Wash your pillowcase monthly

This is extremely important because having a dirty pillowcase would still give you acne despite you following all those steps.

10. Use jade roller

Jade Rollers can be found anywhere, it helps reduce inflammation as it improves the blood circulation in your face, as well as encouraging lymphatic drainage which detoxifies your skin. 

11. Try out detox water

Detoxifying is essential in getting rid of all the harmful toxins in your body. You make one at home by following a recipe, this is one is my favorite. 

12. Layer your products from the thinnest to thickest

This is essential in helping your skin absorb the products. You should start off from toner - serum - eye cream - moisturizer - spot treatments. 

13. Use non-foaming cleansers

Foaming cleansers do more harm to your skins than good. Non-foaming cleansers won’t strip your skins of it’s natural oil. I use Cetaphil! 

14. Use spot treatments

These are essential in removing those pesky pimples or acnes you have. I recommend using Mario Badescu’s drying lotion. 

15. Start getting facial treatments

The best way in achieving radiant skin is getting a facial appointment. Nothing you can do at home can replace professional care.

16. Drink lots of water

You may have heard this hundreds of time, but hydration is the key for glowing, radiant skin and better health!

17. Use face mists

You may get sweaty along the day, using a face mist would help restore your skin and make you feel better overall. I’ve been using Mario Badescu’s rosewater facial spray. 

18. Use vitamin E masks

It is a great combination with your vitamin C serum as the mask would with preventing UV damage. I’ve been using Klair’s Vitamin E Mask.

19. Always remove your makeup

But don’t use makeup wipes. It is better for your skin to use an oil cleanser instead as makeup wipes tends to strip your skin of its natural oil.

20. Get enough sleep

Like they said, you need your beauty sleep. A good 8 hours of sleep is enough to improve your skin!

21. Reduce junk foods

What you eat plays a big role in your skin. If you eat junk food, your skin would be junk as well. I’ve noticed how better my skin got once I stopped eating greasy foods.

22. Take your vitamins

If you’re a picky eater like me, I tend to avoid eating my greens, which is why I take vitamin supplements to help me get those missing vitamins. Vitamin A, C, D and E are crucial!

23. Know your diet

While I was using all products that can possibly help cure my acne, I’ve been eating foods that causes acne as well. It varies from person to person, personally, I noticed that whenever I drink cheap coffee, artificial sugar or eat spicy noodles - I tend to get a massive breakout.

24. Pat your products

I found that gently patting your products onto your skin is more effective. I’ve stopped using cotton pads for my toner and used my palm instead, this is the same for my serum where I lightly pat around my face until my skin got supple.

25. Use curology

This is a last resort. I’ve been trying everything and I still have breakouts. Once I started using curology, my skin instantly got better!

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Creativity

🎭 Learn a language - on Duolingo, Skillshare, or Online Class

🎭 Paint a large portrait - you can experiment with any art style!

🎭 Learn how to play an instrument - the piano, guitar, or any instrument you have lying around at home

🎭 Learn how to cook/bake - you can do this for you and your family.

🎭 Make a YouTube video - it could be a daily vlog, tutorials, commentary or any video of your interest!

Action

🎾 Try the 100 day challenge - this you can focus on any part of your body such as your glutes, core, legs or arms.

🎾 Try HIIT workout - this high intensity interval training should be done twice a week along with resistance training. 

🎾 Do Pilates - you can follow workout videos from YouTube such as Blogilates, Chloe Ting, Alexis Ren or Sanne Vander. They all have great workouts!

🎾 Try out yoga - you can always follow YouTube videos!

🎾 Play sports - you can try out badminton, ping pong , basketball or any sports you can try out at home.

Service

🧵 Start an online fundraiser - you can stream, post videos or sell products and all profit will go to charity.

🧵 Write reviews - now is the chance to binge watch movies, shows or read a book, and you can always write a review about it.

🧵 Teach any skills online - start a stream, or an online class and you can teach people how to do things.

🧵 Create a how-to tip and post it online - you can post it on WikiHow or any social media

🧵 Write thank-you cards for local hospital staffs

Combinations

🌠 Make a workout video and post it on social media (creativity, action and service)

🌠 Start a podcast (creativity and service) - you can talk about any topics and provide tips to your audience.

🌠 Design a poster to raise awareness about Covid-19 (creativity and service)

🌠Choreograph a dance routine (creativity and action) - choreograph a dance to your favorite song and you can also include a tutorial for service.

🌠 Make a blog! (creativity and service) There’s a lot in your mind at times like these, why not make a blog as a creative medium?

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MY QUARANTINED SELF CARE ROUTINE

Morning

🥑 Skin care: cleanser - toner - jade roller - serum - moisturizer - sunscreen

🥑 Breakfast: I usually eat any food that I find + a cup of coffee

🥑 Sunshine: Activating that vitamin D is the key, so I try to just stand under the sunlight for a few minutes just to get those UV rays.

🥑 Work: I try continue doing my projects and school work during this time as that’s when I feel the most motivated and energized

Afternoon

🥑 Lunch: Usually I would eat anything for lunch + vitamin C drinks

🥑 Continuing work: If I don’t feel lazy, I would continue working, especially when I have the need to get things done that day

🥑 Gaming/Chilling: As soon as I felt like I did what I need to do, I tend to go play The Sims 4 or Minecraft, or I would be watching YouTube videos.

Evening

🥑 Working out: As soon as it’s around 4-5 pm, I start working out, I’ve been following this playlist and so far it’s really effective in burning all those fats.

🥑Shower: It’s a pretty short shower. Just body wash and shampoo and I’m done! Another tip is to moisturize in the shower, it’s more effective because of the humidity!

🥑 Dinner: Again, I don’t have a diet so I would pretty much eat anything for dinner + some fruits and a lot of water!

Night

🥑 Skin care: After brushing my teeth, I would use curology cleanser w/ clarisonic brush - toner - curology serum - eye cream - curology moisturizer - spot treatments. Curology is the key to clearing my skin!

🥑 Cleaning: The paranoia is real. Thanks to my handy alcohol spray, I’ve been wiping all surfaces, phone and laptop in my room just for extra safety measure.

🥑 Chilling: I would make a cup of green tea before I go to bed, then I would just chill by watching TV, playing games or texting my friends. While doing that, I also try to incorporate some leg workouts on bed.

🥑 Getting ready for bed: What I’ve been doing lately is spray pillow mist, it’s so soothing and calming that I can easily fall asleep. I would also drink a lot of water beforehand. And I’ll find a good video to listen to while I sleep - I cannot sleep without watching anything!

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Want clear healthy skin? This post is the ultimate guide!

Beauty Care/Skin Care

Disclaimer: I am not here to tell you that you HAVE to do these things, this is what I personally do. I am a licensed cosmetologist but I am not personally giving your hair, skin, and nails this advice.

What can we do:

Face mask, hair mask, shave, nails, exfoliate, dermarolling, dermaplaning, and cleaning makeup brushes.

Why should we do it:

Cleaning Makeup Brushes: helps the brush stay soft but more importantly it prevents bacteria from spreading on to your face

Face Mask: can help hydrate skin, remove excess oils, and help the appearance of pores

Hair Mask: helps strengthen and repair hair by boosting elasticity and preventing hair damage before it happens

Shaving: to be hairless?

Nails: there is actually no benefit of trimming cuticles besides it looks nice

Exfoliating: cleans and unclogs pores which help prevent acne breakouts and removes dead skin

Dermarolling: rebuilds collagen fibers beneath your skin and induces elasticity production. Best for skin with acne, acne scars, or dark marks

Dermaplaning: by using a sharp butter blade (surgical stainless steel blade) it can remove up to 3 weeks of dead skin, it is more extreme than exfoliating

How often should we do it:

Cleaning Makeup Brushes: every 2 weeks, depending on the brush and how often you use it, it can be once a week

Face Mask: depending on skin type 1 to 3 times a week

Hair Mask: depending on hair type once a week

Shaving: personally I only shave once maybe twice a week BUT in the summer it is close to every day. I have gone months without shaving it is totally up to you

Nails: just a polish once a week, for cuticles can be every 2 to 3 weeks sometimes 4 weeks

Exfoliating: 2 or 3 times a week for face and body

Dermarolling: if needle size if .2 or .25mm can be used every day to every other day, .5mm once every 3 weeks, and .75mm once every 4 weeks

Dermaplaning: every 3 to 4 weeks

My New and Improved Schedule:

Monday: face mask+clean makeup brushes

Tuesday: exfoliate

Wednesday: dermaroll+face mask

Thursday: shave+exfoliate legs and face

Friday: face mask+nails

Saturday: exfoliate

Sunday: hair mask and when needed dermaplan

Everyday:

Mornings: wash your face and tone if you’re in a hurry then just tone, moisturize+sunblock(you need to do it year round!) 

Nights: wash your face and take makeup off (no excuses!) tone+moisturize, I also add vitamin E oil and eye cream but not necessary 

Brush your teeth, floss, and use mouthwash

Wash your hand often! Use lotion to prevent dry hands. 

Put deodorant and perfume on.

DRINK YOUR WATER.

DO NOT touch your face (especially if you don’t wash your hands) 

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This is EVERYTHING! I would surely start incorporating that into my routine

Things I live by

Hygiene 🌿Brush teeth 2x day  🌿Deodorant every day - you don’t wanna smell nasty during the day 🌿Shower every other day - you can shower every day but for me showering is a struggle due to my mental illness so I only do every other day (if I can) 🌿Sundays are self care days - face masks, nail care, chill music, watching movies and stuff to relax before the new week comes 🌿Shave every other week - esp. now that summer is coming

Exercise 🌿Monday - leg day 🌿Wednesday - back, stomach and chest day 🌿Friday - biceps and triceps 🌿Cardio - 15-20 min 3x a week 🌿Small 10 min weekend workout

Face 🌿Evening skincare - cleanser, micellar water and night cream 🌿Morning skincare - micellar water and day cream 🌿Eyebrow tweeze every other week 🌿Exfoliate once a week - during sunday pamper 🌿Lipbalm - every day as much as needed

Academia 🌿Homework - actually do it, lol. do it as soon as you get home so you free up your evening 🌿Start assignments early - diamonds are made under pressure, but good grades aren’t 🌿Participate in class - the teacher won’t know how smart you are unless you say something 🌿Take notes - you ain’t gonna remember shit, girl, just take the damn notes 🌿Keep up with your languages pls - if you have learnt/are learning another language(s) please review them or you’re gonna forget

Inner beauty 🌿Be kind - i’m not saying change your whole demeanour to become the kindest person ever, but be kind where you can, life is tough for all of us 🌿Help - if you can, then help. if not, refer to someone who can 🌿Walk with your head high - this is gonna boost your confidence 🌿Eye contact - it makes you look more sincere and into the conversation 🌿Smile - to strangers, to friends, to the cashier, to the dog, just smile 🌿Be true to yourself - speak your honest opinions, don’t be fake and don’t lie, just be you 🌿Love yourself - this will be hard, but when you love yourself, life will automatically become 100x better 🌿Trust in God 🌿Be humble - but still rejoice in your victories 🌿Don’t care about other people - don’t let them stop you from doing things you want to do, it’s your life, not theirs 🌿Face your problems - have courage, ignoring it till it goes away does not always work 🌿Redefine success - success doesn’t have to be “got all A’s on my exam”, it can also be things like “got outside today”, “didn’t skip school even though my anxiety wanted me to” or something else 🌿Don’t apologize too much - it’s a nasty habit to say sorry for everything, things that aren’t even your fault. also don’t apologize for saying no, your priorities, loving someone and telling the truth.

Sleeping pattern 🌿Sleep at same time every night - for me this is 23.00, this is the time i need to fall asleep so i’ll actually be in bed by 22.30 🌿Wake at the same time every morning - 6.00 for me 🌿No electronics 30 min before bed - use this time for skin care and getting things ready for the next day 🌿Change your alarm tones once a month - it’s so easy to sleep through them when you get used to their sound 🌿Don’t snooze! - if this is a real struggle for you, like it is for me, try an app where there is no snooze function 🌿Listen to subliminals - i listen to subliminals but you don’t need to obvs. 🌿Make your bed 

Misc 🌿Take care of how you dress - a bomb/comfortable outfit that you love can make or break your day 🌿Clean your room - it’ll make the rest of your day much better, trust me 🌿Change your bedsheets regularly - even if you can only muster up the energy to do it once every three months 🌿Work towards your goals - whether it be getting A on that exam, or getting that dream job. break it down into smaller parts and work towards it. 🌿It’s okay to fall apart sometimes - life is a bitch, and sometimes it overwhelms us so much we want to fall apart. that’s okay. take a small break from life, breathe and then reboot. you can do this. 🌿Mental illness is a bitch - and recovery and getting help is scary. but, even if you don’t get professional help, because not everyone is ready for that, at least have someone you can talk to when things gets so rough. please.  🌿That special occasion is now - don’t save things for special occasions, because a special thing can make any occasion special (quote tumblr) 🌿Not everything needs an explanation - you want that tattoo? get it, it doesn’t need a significant meaning. you want to shave your head? do it, who cares if there’s a why. 🌿Spontaneity is great! - do things just because you can 🌿Don’t wait for summer to have that great life - summer is great, and many times we glamorize it “summer is going to be the best this year, i can’t wait”. make your daily life the best, and every week will feel like summer. 🌿Winter is a bummer - seasonal affective disorder is a legit thing. winter can be so depressing in the dark and the cold. try to find the beauty in it anyways.  🌿Don’t judge someone because they sin differently than you

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THIS IS LITERALLY A GUIDE TO A GLOW UP!

Glow up tips/ideas

Here’s my little guide how to glow up in your life:

First, get your life together:

Organise and clean your home -Having clean home will make you feel better and lighter and therefore you will be more positive.

Have a life admin day -Write down all the stuff that needs to be done, all the appointments you need to get and everything that needs to be fixed. Then schedule in a day every month or every two weeks when you tick off these thing off your list.

Do your damn laundry

Create routines -They can be long and strict or short and very opened

Fight procrastination in all the ways you can

Take your mediaction and have regular health check ups

Now it’s time for mental health:

Make sure you eat and drink water regularly

Get a therapist if you feel like you need/want one

Practise your hobbies or find new ones

Listen to your favourite music

Meditate

Create a happy atmosphere for yourself -Buy plants and flowers, let your favourite music play in the background, let in as much ligh as you can.

Warm beverages

Be as positive as you can

Try to complain less

Don’t talk shit about people, especially not behind their back -You spread negative energy and hurt yourself in the process.

Say nice things to people, compliment them as much as you can -Being nice to poeple will affect your own mood for the better.

Talk about what you love, not what you hate

Get enough fresh air.

Glow up your mind!:

Read more books -Does not matter the genre

Watch movies and series

Learn new language -Even if it’s just a few words

Watch documents

Talk to people smarter than you

Try learning random fact every day

Find a new hobby

Think of ways to make your life better and help your surrounding -Minimalism? Zero waste? Vegetarian? It depends on you.

Find a new friend

Help people

And lastly the physical glow up:

Find out how much sleep you need and stick to it -Usually 8 hours are the norm

Play around with make up -You will fail and it might look wonky from the beginning. And maybe you won’t even like it. I want you to experiment.

Make sure to go make-up-less sometimes if you wear it often

Drink water -It won’t magically clear your skin completely but it will get better.

Wash your face in the morning and in the evening, but no soap if possible

Use as little skin products as you can -Sometimes less is more.

Lip balm

Eat vegetables every day -Every. single. day. It’s the best thing I have ever done for myself.

Eat oatmeal -It did wonders for my hair.

Stretch regularly

Exercise -Find something you have fun doing and do it as often as possible.

Avoid food with too much grease and sugar -You can have it but try to reduce it.

Prepare your outfit the night before -It gives you time to think about what you’ll wear and it’s nice to have it ready in the morning.

Get clothes you feel good and confident in

Get your dream hair colour! -Get crazy if you want

Learn to be comfortable with your body

Don’t shower every day -I know, I know… but listen… It’s actually much healthier for your skin to shower every other day and wash your hair even less. Plus it saves a lot of water.

Get a perfume -Have a scent

Get enough sun -You don’t have to be tan but getting sun on your skin is very healthy and it’s visible in other ways than tan.

Smile and spread joy

If you’re happy, show it -It’s contagious

Remember that beauty comes from within. That is why I put these tips in that order.

I hope I helped and have a great year!

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I’ve struggled a lot with social anxiety at school, I feel like nobody likes me. This podcast would surely be helpful.

When social anxiety, fear, and loneliness keep you from doing what you want to do

Social anxiety and feeling awkward in social situations is more normal than you might think. Not everyone is a gregarious extrovert that can start a conversation with anyone. If you’re dealing with social anxiety, fear of judgment from others, or loneliness, and you feel like you’re not living life to the fullest, this episode may be what gets you through the challenges.

Get the SAFE Empowerment System for Social and Generalized Anxiety at quietbegins.com

Another episode of The Overwhelmed Brain personal growth show

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Another great self-care tips that can be incorporated into your everyday routine!

💜💗💜💗💜

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I honestly needed this alot. DP is really stressful and difficult so a few tips on dealing with bad grades is always helpful.

you’ve gotten a bad grade. the assignment you turned in was not as good as you expected. the exam just went awful. we all know the feeling when this happens. but i’m here to help you!! don’t stress my friend everything will be okay

first of all: it’s okay!!!!!! everybody fails sometimes! i know it feels awful because you worked your ass off and now this happens. what’s important is that you don’t give up. academic success is not everything, so don’t beat yourself up too much. (also like there’s so much wrong with this system, but that’s a topic for another time)

- ̗̀ right after  ̖́-

give yourself some time to be sad, angry, frustrated, etc. talk to someone or journal your thoughts down and just get everything out. (it would be best to talk someone who isn’t in the same situation, so instead of maybe making your classmate uncomfortable, talk to somebody who will listen and give emotional support)

nobody excepts you to go right back to studying. in fact it would be better to get your mind off of things and distract yourself a bit. do something you love and relax a little.

but! don’t forget to pick yourself up again and take the next step:

- ̗̀ mindset  ̖́-

put your “failing“ into perspective. how bad is it really? is it the end of the world (no it isn’t). do you only think it’s a bad grade because you keep comparing yourself to your classmates?

don’t!!!!! compare!!!! yourself to others!!! focus on yourself. you don’t know all the other things your classmates may struggle with and your academic performance does not determine your self-worth. so what you didn’t do that good? there are so many other great things about you, believe me mwah

- ̗̀ identify the cause  ̖́-

what was the cause you didn’t do as well you expected?

did you study the wrong things? or did you study them the wrong way? were the concepts just way to complicated and you didn’t understand them?

did you panic while taking the exam?

didn’t pay attention in class?

did you not start early enough?

is your teacher just awful™?

whatever the reason try to identify it and find a solution. try to apply it the next time. but remember that there is not always a cause, sometimes things are just like they are. if that seems to be the case, just remember that it’s probably not your fault and try to continue doing your best.

- ̗̀ solutions  ̖́-

ha you thought you have to figure out the solution all by yourself. but i’m here to (hopefully) help you.

don’t be afraid to talk to your teacher/prof! most of the time they want to see you succeed, so maybe there is something you could do to improve the grade or you could try to tackle the issue you have/had.

find a study method that suits you and make it a routine. there’re so many helpful posts on here (just search up “study tips”) so there is to 100% something that works for you.

study schedule? some people do better with one, some don’t. with one, you can exactly plan out when and what to study for the upcoming tests, so you’ll be able to improve your grade. also, try to plan in when you’re going to revise hard topics again or the ones you didn’t understand if there were any.

do your homework and assignments! they help so much with improving your grade and the teacher/prof sees that you’re willing to make an effort.

join a study group or visit a tutor. they are a great way to find help and make you remember that you’re not alone and that there’s a solution to everything.

be a pro at exam taking. i’ll maybe do a separate post on that because there is so much i could say, but the most important thing is: be positive. give yourself a pep talk and don’t stress. you got this.

okay, that’s everything i have to say! i hope i could help u a bit <3 remember: you got this!!

[extraquartz]

It may sound simple. However, doing all these would truly make you feel better.

🌿✨🥧☕️✍🏻things to do while isolated. ✍🏻☕️🥧✨🌿

clean. take the time to tidy and scrub your home, and get to those things you’ve been neglecting (like the floor. or is that just me?)

self care. make a face/hair mask, drink something you enjoy, paint your nails, do a puzzle, etc. just take some time for yourself.

try a new recipe. use up ingredients close to expiry to avoid waste!

start a project. build that birdhouse you’ve been thinking about, or start that big painting you didn’t have time for previously. learn to play a new song.

exercise. youtube is your friend for bodyweight fitness, yoga, and workout routines. or just dance your heart out.

make a change. wanting to start rising earlier or cutting back in caffeine? perfect time to readjust and reevaluate your structure.

reconnect. skype that old friend you’ve been thinking about. send some memes to your mutuals online. do those ask games and challenges.

learn. make progress on a language or teach yourself how to code. listen to insightful audiobooks and stimulate your brain.

stay safe, smart, and hygienic!

[extraquartz]

Nothing to do under quarantine?

I made this playlist for me, and everyone who’s interested, to follow. It’s pretty short (lasts for an hour or so). I start by the hardest workout to the easiest, and so far it’s pretty effective as I can go through the entire playlist. 

I’ve been working out for 3 weeks so far, and I can see myself getting that body goals from this workout! It’s pretty hard, not going to lie, but it’s worth it.