Tag: lockdown

advice, Self Growth

What Truly Makes You Happy?

mindbeautysimplicity

A sequential glide of a pen. The musical sound of fingers tapping one key after the other. Thoughts racing as the words spill out on the page. To me, this is paradise.

I have a book recommendation for you all. The Path Made Clear by Oprah Winfrey. I stumbled upon this book a few years ago & it changed my perspective on life. We humans feel almost guilty when feeling lost or not knowing which path is the correct one to take. You’ll get recommendations from all sides & although advice can be helpful, I find the best way to really find your way is to soul search & dive deep into what makes you, you.

Take ownership of your strengths, your short comings, what you’ve loved in the past & what you love now. Truly ask yourself, “What Makes Me Happy?”

You know what makes me happy?

Writing.

Looking back, my whole life I’ve loved the craft. I would keep journals of my thoughts, hopes & dreams for so many years.

I wrote short stories at 7 years old. I made children’s books out of construction paper & sold them to my neighbors. My one neighbor still has one of my “books” to this day.

As a little girl, I wanted to be like Harriet from Harriet the Spy & write down everything. As I got older, I dreamed of becoming a journalist & tv reporter. I was nosy, loved drama & always wanted to find out the scoop on everything. Every chance I took whether it was for fun or my high school newspaper, I was always writing. But unfortunately, like many of us do, I listened too hard to other people.

They would tell me newspapers were a dying bread & you can’t make lots of money doing that. Or they would tell me journalists were too saturated & I wouldn’t be unique enough. I became hard on myself, not thinking I would be good enough. So I changed my path.

And the path I chose isn’t terrible. I’m still proud of my accomplishments. It’s just funny how writing always seems to come back to my life in some form. My Nana used to call me the future Barbara Walters. 😊

Since I listened to others more than myself, I spent my college years learning about the human mind & personalities. Although I found it interesting, I always felt like something was off. One semester I decided to take one writing course, & ended up being referred to the college newspaper the following semester.

And guess what? I loved it!

Clearly, I’ve been oblivious to my calling. I brush it off as something I can do well, I guess? But always went with plans b, c & d.

It wasn’t until I read this passage in Oprah’s book that everything just clicked. It was in that moment I was like “yes, this is me.”

When it comes to your life, you have to find what makes you light up. Sure, I’m not saying you won’t find a career that pays bills well. Or maybe you like doing something as merely a hobby. I believe people can have multiple paths.

It’s so very important to not lose your passions. Passions are what make us stand out from the crowd. And although people might not see the vision, as long as you do, that’s all that should matter.

Take yourself back to when you were really young & people would ask you, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Before society tainted your outlook on the world, what was it?

Yes I dreamed of being a journalist. But I also wanted to be an artist, a teacher for a while & an actress.

Clearly, I have a very creative soul. And I try to engage those traits through other ways. No, I may not have an abundance of acrylic paint & paint brushes, but I do have makeup brushes & I find my makeup routine to be an art in itself. I also love decorating the house & design in general.

These are the attributes that make me who I am. And I wouldn’t give that up for anything. As long as you enrich yourself in activities that feed the soul, happiness can be just around the corner.

My path led me to writing once again this year through blogging. The combination of sheer boredom [especially during stay at home order] & having the time, I decided why not write? I remember laying awake at night & wondering what I would do to fill my time. And the idea came to me like a freight train. I’ve considered it in the past but my insecurities always seemed to bite me in the ass. “What would people think?” “I’ll be made fun of.”

I don’t know if it’s my age or what, but I just don’t care what people think of me anymore. If it makes me happy, I’m going to do it.

And so, I shall write. I shall write until my hands are sore, because it’s one of the things I love.

And sure, I may not be the next Barbara Walters. But I’m B, & I think she’s pretty cool.

– B 🌿💕

🥰
organization

10 Post-Lockdown Items To Declutter Today

mindbeautysimplicity

I’ve survived lockdown & still powering through what is left of this pandemic. But as a result, my home has become a dumping ground of miscellaneous assortments of “survival tactics” & activities that helped battle the boredom of stay at home orders & quarantines. Now, I am ready for a clean slate & ready to be rid of most reminders of this traumatic experience. Here are 10 Post-Lockdown Items To Declutter Today:

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  1. Puzzles: These items became all the rage in the beginning of the pandemic. My bf & I rushed to Target to purchase an array of puzzles some being as large as 1,500 pieces. It’s funny what cabin fever will do to a person. But now, I am sick of puzzles & plan to not do anymore until I’m like 60.

2. Masks: *PSA – don’t get rid of all your masks just yet* I’m talking about ones with ugly patterns or ones that are damaged. I don’t know about you, but I have managed to create a collection of 30 different cloth masks all ranging from holiday themed, solid colors & even ones that match certain outfits. For one person, this is way too much. Clean them up & donate them. I personally have been loving the cloth ones by Kitsch. They are super comfortable, washable & come in such cute patterns as well.

3. Hobby Supplies: I’m sure a lot of us picked up a few new hobbies during quarantine whether it was painting, drawing, cross stitch or gardening. And some of you may keep it up but if you aren’t & over the phase, this is the time to donate those types of items. Don’t let your fantasy self get in the way of your future self.

4. Streaming Services: We watched a lot of tv during quarantine & with that caused us to purchase quite a few streaming services. This is a great time to decide if you really need all of them & if there are some you can let go of. I know I’m going to be spending more time outdoors this summer anyway.

5. Extra Cleaning Products / Hand Sanitizer: I think a lot of us bought cleaning supplies in bulk this past year. I love to keep my home clean, but I felt like I owned way too much. So, I decided to donate some of the extra supplies to shelters & the goodwill. You’ll feel good giving back to the community.

6. Books: I did a lot of reading during quarantine. More than I would usually do if I’m being completely honest. And I’m someone who hates to keep a book once I’ve read it. I’m not a re-reader. So, I collected a stack & sent them over to my local library & donated others. I’m actually thinking of getting a kindle since it would take up less space. Should I bite the bullet & buy one?

7. Joggers / Other Clothing: I went on an online shopping spree multiple of times during stay at home order. Specifically, I went after the Stars Above Joggers from Target. And can you believe I own like 10 pair now? That’s not very minimalistic of me, is it? This is a great time to go through your closet & donate any clothing you plan to never wear again. Make room for those cute outfits for when we can travel & have proper social gatherings instead.

8. Bulk Food Supplies: My grocery list became 10x larger during stay at home order. And with that, our pantry is still filled to the brim. Now, a lot of it we do plan to still eat but unfortunately some items went bad or just won’t be eaten in a reasonable time. To save space in your kitchen & to spread kindness, why not donate some supplies to homeless shelters or to friends & family. I think a lot of us can attest to over purchasing this past year. We were in survival mode though, so don’t get down on yourself. Just know it may be time to clean out those shelves & fridge.

9. Unrealistic Expectations: Not only should we declutter physical belongings, but also certain mindsets we had for ourselves. Don’t feel in a rush to get back to a more normal life. Yes, we are itching for that normalcy & to reach certain goals we had for ourselves before this all happened. But don’t get down on yourself if you just aren’t quite there yet. We’ve been through a lot. We’ve been in survival mode as I said. We need to be kind to ourselves more than ever.

10. Past Self: Along with shifting our mindsets, we also need to let go of the parts of ourselves from the pandemic that won’t serve us for this bright future. We are constantly changing & growing as individuals. There is no need to accept anything that you feel needs to be thrown to the curb. For instance, I want to leave behind the notion of always putting others before myself. This isn’t necessarily pandemic related, but I went through a lot of reflection during this time & I realized I can be a people pleaser. And there are some moments where I’ve needed to put my own self care above anything else. I want to go into the future with this new mantra.

What’s something you wish to declutter & change as you go into this post-lockdown era?

-B

Health, Self Growth

10 Ways To Stay Stress Free

mindbeautysimplicity

I think we all can relate 2020 has been a stressful year. All of us have become superheros in our own rights wearing more than just our usual hat & juggling responsibilities like we are professional circus clowns. Some of us are in lockdown for the second time, having to bare the boredom that is being stuck between the same four walls of our homes. How do we manage such a lifestyle change? Today, I’m here to discuss the ways to find peace during the uncertainty & keep our stress levels to a minimum.

Drop A Plastic Ball

Now, I can’t take full credit on this suggestion. But I was blown away by this one so I had to share. Youtuber, Allison Anderson discussed the idea that we as humans are constantly juggling both plastic & glass balls. Most of the time we are unable to handle the weight of both types. We tend to focus our attention to the plastic ones which are daily tasks, responsibilities or deadlines. But we must not let the weight of those hinder the glass ones. What do the glass balls represent? Your mental health of course. We don’t ever want our mental health to suffer or our glass ball to drop. Unfortunately, I think we all have had moments where we have let this happen. And that’s when our stress levels go through the roof. So, to prevent this, we must let a plastic ball drop instead. Stop filling your calendar with too many obligations when you know you won’t be able to handle it all. It’s ok to say no. Have a sense of balance with your life. Protect your mental wellbeing.

Write Your Thoughts Down on Paper

Have you ever had those moments where your mind is racing a mile a minute & you can’t get any of those thoughts straight? Sit down, take out a piece of paper & start writing. There is seriously something powerful about writing thoughts down on paper. It’s like once those thoughts are etched in ink, they are free from the overthinking mind. I think venting is a great way to get those feelings out. And there is something beautiful & private about having such a moment with yourself. I myself don’t always hold onto my venting pages. I usually just shred them right after. But you can always look back on your thoughts a few days later & see if you feel the same way. Usually you don’t have the same perspective. The idea of writing down your thoughts on paper is taking your internal feelings & releasing them externally. And with that, you should feel lighter.

Ask yourself, “will this matter in the future?”

This question has saved me from hours of overthinking. Most situations, solve themselves pretty quickly. And even when they are heavier topics, such as grief, even those become better with time. But for the majority of daily tasks & responsibilities, worrying about the outcome is wasted energy on your part. Things will play out when they should & how they should. Sometimes we have no control whatsoever. Once you except this notion, you’ll become more at peace.

Take a Moment for Yourself

Mental health & self care are one in the same. And I’m constantly talking about its importance. Especially during this time, we MUST put ourselves first. I don’t care how busy you may be. Put down the laptop, put the baby in their crib, let the kids do their thing, let your significant other play video games & take time for yourself! Run a warm bath, exfoliate your skin, put on a face mask, paint your nails or apply a leave in conditioner. These all sound like superficial things, but I’m telling you, when you feel good on the outside you will be able to handle whatever life throws at you. My favorite me time activity during these cold months is curling up with some hot chocolate & a good book.

Change Your Scenery

If you are in lockdown again, this might seem difficult, but I’m telling you it’s not. If I feel like I’m spending too much time in the living room, typing away, I’ll sit down on a different chair in my blogging office or at the kitchen table. If I’m really bored of being at home, I’ll drive around & hit up the Starbucks drive thru. Sometimes I’ll just drive around different neighborhoods & listen to music. Another great idea is to take a walk in your neighborhood. Fresh air is so crucial. And if the temperature is dropping, just do what I do & put on a bubble coat that goes down to your feet. I also have been decorating our house for Christmas already. It makes me feel happier & brighter during these cold dark nights.

Bury Your Social Media Apps

I read about this tip as well & thought it was genius. I’ve already discussed the importance of decluttering your digital space but I never thought about this idea. To help use your apps more intentionally, hide them in the back of your folders on your phone. As someone who constantly checks Twitter & news outlets for updates about this virus mess, it can all become too much sometimes. Another suggestion is to not keep the social media app on your phone at all. Only allow yourself to check those platforms via desktop.

Let Go of What is Unnecessary

Like the concept of plastic and glass balls, sometimes you need to let go of some things completely. Whether it’s toxic people, work environment or social media platforms, there are times where you need to clean house. And before the new year I always like to clean up a few things to start fresh. I’ll be sure to discuss these topics closer to the new year.

Do A Bit of Cleaning

I know not everyone is as much of a clean freak like me, but I’ve always managed my stress by occupying my mind through organizing my room or cleaning around the house. I use it as a form of distraction & then get a clean house out of it. Win win for me. Also, when my space is clean, I feel less stressed out anyway.

Have a Heart to Heart

I know when you keep things bottled up it makes situations feel worse. It’s important to have people in your life you can go to for advice or simply someone to listen. People can provide other perspectives on problems that you may not have thought about. And sometimes talking things out just makes it seem easier. But always be choosy of who you confide in & choose someone you trust wholeheartedly. I know this year has felt pretty isolating. I feel for those who live alone. But luckily we have technology to help us feel more connected. Plan a zoom date or get together, text a friend, play Among Us or Fall Guys with someone. Even message a follower / “online” friend. Reading other people’s blogs & connecting with you all on social media has been a blessing during these times. It has made the rest of this year better.

Focus on a Brighter Future

I honestly feel like a better tomorrow will never come with the year we’ve had. But you have to remember, generations before us have gone through some tough times as well & they made it through. Start thinking about future plans & ideas. Where do you want to travel to next once things are better? Go back to the writing tip & start manifesting your dream life. Although it seems like this virus is with us for longer than we wanted, it brightens my heart when I see people getting married still, buying homes, adopting pets or even starting new careers & continuing education. Focus on those stories & moments. Those are the resilient ones. But at the same time, if you are feeling down & unmotivated, don’t beat yourself up for feeling this way. Your emotions are valid. Treat yourself with care. We will all get through this.

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-B