Tag: Mind Beauty Simplicity

self care

10 Self Care Tips To Combat The Winter Blues

mindbeautysimplicity

Snow is pretty. And I love cozying up in my most comfy sweater & drinking warm beverages. But I’ll admit – the winter season can be rather dull with the shorter / darker days. Not to mention the cold weather has enticed me to hibernate until spring. To make the winter season less depressing, I’ve come up with 10 self care ways to combat those winter blues. They are not extraordinary tips & are probably ones you’ve read before – but I personally find these activities & routines to be very helpful during these cold months. And I hope it inspires you to add a few of these to your own routines.

📌 for later

add ambience & light in & outside your home

After the holidays, people tend to take down their holiday decor whether it’s outdoor lights or your Christmas tree [ if you celebrate ]. I’m not saying you need to keep the holly jolly atmosphere up until March – but I suggest you maybe string some white neutral lights around your apartment, bedroom or home to brighten your surroundings. I’ve noticed during those cold dark nights in the winter, when I have string lights or the fireplace going, I find myself more at ease. Another suggestion would be to simply open your blinds throughout the day & bring in that natural light when you can. And although we may want to save money on our electric bills, it’s important to keep your lights on if you are going about your home. Sitting in the dark can dampen your mood & can actually affect your circadian rhythm.

get outdoors & explore nature

I know what your thinking – it’s too cold to go for walks. But I say, bundle up & get moving even if it’s a few minutes a day. Getting outdoors & breathing in that fresh air is so good for our health. It provides us with a sense of clarity & can actually make us more productive when we return to our usual tasks. I personally love taking walks around the neighborhood or go window shopping at local towns during the winter. And if it’s snowing, at least we have pretty views to admire. When we do get the chance to visit the mountains during this season, I love hiking the local parks & taking in the iced over waterfalls & trudging in the snow.

escape in a good book

When you are looking to relax & shut your mind off I highly recommend getting lost in a book. As you may know, I have became an avid reader once again & love prioritizing a few hours in my evenings to reading a few chapters. Some of my favorite genres to have that proper escapism is fantasy or thrillers. If you are looking for some book recommendations, check out my favorite books & series of 2022.

take a warm shower or bath

For me, I’ve became a shower girl. Some of it has to do with the fact I found a giant spider in my tub a few months ago & I’m still not over it. But I digress. I love taking warm [ borderline hot] showers in the evenings. Sometimes I will literally sit on the floor of the shower & let the water fall on me. The warm water helps me get sleepy & for obvious reasons, warms me up from the frigid temperatures. On nights or weekends I’m able to, I enjoy doing a full self care routine with hair masks, exfoliation, shaving & using a nice smelling body wash. It sounds simple but I always feel so rejuvenated once I’m super clean.

declutter your space

Are we even surprised I mentioned this? I think a good decluttering session is always a good idea especially in winter when we are in our homes more often. When our space is organized chances are it will brighten our moods in the process. Go through your clothing, toiletries & even miscellaneous items. And if you are looking for decluttering inspiration in all areas of your life, browse through my entire decluttering section on the blog.

play videos games or old school board games

If you are looking for a fun activity to do with friends, your significant other or family – board games are a fun way to spend your time. I love going / hosting game nights especially in the winter. We tend to order takeout & just catch up as well. Video games are also a great way to occupy your time whether alone or connected with friends. It’s a great way to connect with friends from a distance. During the pandemic especially, we loved playing Fall Guys & Animal Crossing. I’ve even considered re-purchasing The Sims as it was a favorite of mine back in the day. These activities are nice ways to unwind & relax after long days.

start a blog or get to writing

This is a rather specific idea & one that has been a great hobby. I think if you are looking for a way to express yourself creativity or feel connected to other fellow writers, starting a blog is a wonderful option. I started my blog during the pandemic in 2020. I have always had a passion for writing & I love how blogging allows creative freedom. It’s a wonderful outlet for those who are interested. If you don’t necessarily want to write publicly, you can always opt to start a journal of some kind. For instance, I kept a gratitude journal in the past & it was a fun way to practice positive psychology & develop more grateful outlook of life. Especially if the winter season brings on seasonal depression or a general sadness for whatever reason – writing down your thoughts & getting them out of your head is a healthy form of expression.

deep clean your home

Cleaning your home isn’t just a spring time routine. I think the winter time is a great season to really cleanse your home & organize it. Not only does a clean home improves your mood, it can also be a healthy & productive distraction when you are having an off day or have a lot on your mind. And since we are in our homes a lot more during the colder months, we tend to analyze & take in our surroundings a lot harder.

enjoy a winter activity

Sometimes if we are ones to dislike the cold weather, it’s important to consider a different perspective & find ways to enjoy it. There are tons of fun winter activities to choose from including iceskating, skiing or tubing, weekend escape to a cabin [ bonus points if it snows] or shopping around town [ which isn’t winter specific].

book a warmer destination

If you are someone who really dislikes the winter weather, why not just book a trip to a warmer climate? I’m sure there are places you would love to visit & I think this time of year it’s a great time to take some time off, get a tan & soak up that sunshine. I few places I would love to visit at some point is The Caribbean, Greece or California again.

The key to combat the winter blues is to find simple [ or somewhat extravagant] ways to make it better. Outside the travel suggestion, a lot of these are rather easy ways to incorporate in our routines. And to those who absolutely thrive in the winter season, definitely comment down below some of your suggestions.

Stay warm!

-B

blogging, Lifestyle

My 2023 Blogging Goals | Mind Beauty Simplicity

mindbeautysimplicity

Hello everyone! It feels good to be back typing away on my laptop. I decided to take a slight posting break during the holidays to spend time with family & friends. I’m excited to announce I have renewed Mind Beauty Simplicity for another 2 years which means tons of content coming your way! If I’m being completely honest, I was debating on letting go of the blog because the blogging world isn’t quite the same as it was when I started this site in 2020. The pandemic allowed a lot of us to forgo our usual routines & views were up. But I decided blogging has been around for many years & it’s always evolving. I shouldn’t let changes in analytics get me down. My love for writing & creating remains so for now, I’m not going anywhere.

In typical new years fashion, I wanted to start with a blog post discussing my blogging goals for this year & possibly share a few life goals as well. I find reinventing yourself & your blog to be so important & I felt like as I’m nearing my 3rd year of blogging, it was time to make a few changes.

Digital Declutters

During the month of December, I cleaned up my desktop & blogging files & let go of pins & documents I was no longer using. I wanted to clear some space & make room for new content. I also decided to focus my attention on a select few of social media platforms including Twitter , Goodreads & Pinterest. I have came to the conclusion that these specific platforms are the most helpful overall. I don’t need to stress over algorithms & simply focus on sharing my writing. I think some platforms prioritize video & photos while as a writer, I want people to focus on my words. It doesn’t mean I won’t ever venture to other platforms later [ because there is creative growth within those]. I just find myself needing to take a step back & downsize how much energy & time I place on the internet. So, to keep up with my updates & posts – be sure you are following me on Twitter & Pinterest. And if you are a book lover like me, my Goodreads shares what I’m reading in real time.

Consistency

I hope to post at least once a week on the blog, but I’m also allowing myself needed breaks as I see fit. I believe in the concept of balance. I don’t want creative burn out to get the best of me. And I want to be sharing my best work. I don’t want to be posting just to post. So, to combat that – I want to share more guest posts & collaborations this year. So, if you are a blogger reading this & are interested in working with me, feel free to message me on social media. I’ve discovered daily post challenges like Blogtober or Blogmas aren’t for me. Instead, I like to still share festive content. Just not every single day for a month.

Views & Subscribers

I do hope to reach over 10k subscribers on my blog. Currently I’m sitting at close to 8k email / wordpress followers combined. And I would love to see my views increase slightly. But I also realize there are times in the year that are more popular than others. So, I don’t read into it too hard. I also like to see what my audience enjoys reading. Most of the time my intentional living & decluttering posts get the most attention. But I love that there are some of you who really enjoy my book content & reading wrap ups as well. Although my niche is very minimalistic living – I also love that I’ve been able to expand on topics of self growth, health & general lifestyle as well. It makes brainstorming content more fun!

Being More Authentic

I’ve struggled with authenticity some on the blog because I am hesitant to share too many personal details with my readers. But I do feel like there are times where certain topics like grief, marriage & other milestones to be very enlightening to some. So, I want to find ways I can be helpful with those discussions without being to specifically personal. I do have a few slightly more vulnerable topic ideas for this year so get excited!

Specific Goals For The Blog

Reach 10k followers on Twitter [ I’m currently at 6k ] by the end of the year

Hit 5k monthly views on Pinterest & gain 1k followers [ I’ve neglected that platform for a while ]

Gain more of a following on my Goodreads & share more book content on the blog

Life Goals for 2023

move into a new home

adopt a golden retriever puppy

get back into a workout routine / yoga

travel out of the country [ Europe ]

travel more in general [ other states, local towns etc ] experiences > things

Most importantly, I want to keep blogging fun! I’m excited to share even more content on intentional living, books & everything in between. I’m so grateful for my loyal readers & connecting with other creative souls. Here’s to another successful blogging year! Let me know in the comments your blogging / life goals.

-B

advice, Lifestyle

2 Years Blogging | Now What?

mindbeautysimplicity

It actually blows my mind I’ve been blogging for 2 years now. What started as a quarantine based hobby because I was “bored in the house & in the house bored” for way too long; has turned into something far more than that. I’m surprised I finally got the nerve to just start a blog in the first place because I can’t tell you how many people have said “blogging is so saturated!” “Blogging was cool in like, 2007 & now it’s dead.” I’m glad I didn’t listen to those naysayers because creating Mind Beauty Simplicity has been one of my best decisions.

Life Lately…

When I started this blog, I had just moved in with my “than boyfriend” & now, I finally get to call him my husband in my posts, which is exciting. Time really flies by. This past year has been both a busy & tragic one. Blogging was my saving grace when my dad was really sick & on hospice last summer. There were so many times I thought I should just quit but for me, writing was & still is my healthy distraction. And when he finally passed, I put all my sadness into Blogtober & posted daily for an entire month. I immersed myself into this passion for my own mental health. And than, I jumped right into wedding planning when he passed because in my mind, I thought this form of distraction would be good. Although I felt my entire life had stopped, I was forcing it to keep going. And now that the wedding is over, we are just enjoying married life. For me, it’s been a “self care summer” where I’m finally putting myself first & healing properly for once. Although I thought these forms of distraction were good at the time, I quickly learned my grief still remains & I need to heal. So, I’ve been prioritizing a more slow summer. Allowing myself rest, getting lost in good books & figuring out what it is I want to do moving forward.

What’s Next For Me?

I’ve been seeing a lot of bloggers ask this same question & talking about how blogging was a lot easier in the height of a pandemic. Now that things are slowly getting back to normal, people are becoming too busy & the love for blogging isn’t quite what it used to be. I myself, have pondered such thoughts. I have less motivation to sit down & write. And when I do, I don’t feel satisfied with the results. Some of this could be due to the fact I’m in a season of healing & needing a break. And also because I’m wanting to place more energy on a career outside of blogging. I’d much rather keep blogging as a side passion & something I like to escape to when I’m feeling stressed. I don’t want blogging to be the reason for said stress, you know? And lately, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed creatively. One thing I have learned with my blogging journey is how breaks are really important. I know I still want to keep blogging. I enjoy connecting with you all & sharing my perspectives on intentional living & everything in between. I do think, I need to change a few things though moving forward. Focusing on quality over quantity is a good start. I also need to let go of the pressure of needing to look perfect online. I think I want to take a step back from social media & only post when I truly want to instead of burning myself out trying to keep up with a forever changing algorithm.

You Might Also Like: Taking My Power Back: How A Break From Writing Rejuvenated My Soul

What Has Already Changed

My blogging journey has been all over the place. I started posting 3x a week & strictly intentional living content for a good year. My narrowed niche quickly expanded to a general lifestyle blog, still focusing on a less is more mindset. As my following grew, I realized my audience didn’t have a specific preference to what I wrote about. Even my Instagram has changed from posting about my daily declutters to a full blown bookstagram as of late. It just goes to show, you are allowed to change things up & so what if it’s completely different from your original plan? Instagram, for instance has been a frustrating platform. I’ve taken breaks all together & contemplated not using it at all for blogging. But lately, I’ve been reading a lot [ as it’s a form of self care ] & I’ve decided to share that interest on Instagram with the book community. And it’s been going really well. I no longer feel overwhelmed by the platform & it’s actually really fun to make reels & post on there.

The thing I hold onto with blogging is the connections I’ve made. It was really nice during such isolating times in the beginning. And now, it’s a nice escape from reality sometimes. I’m not sure what the rest of the year will be like in terms of blogging, but I hope to keep finding the joy in it all. Just because I may cut back on posting or shift into other platforms [ like writing a book ] , what I want to remain constant is the connections I’ve made along the way. That is what I am truly grateful for. Thank you for 2 successful years of blogging & sharing my life.

-B