social media – Page 2 – Mind Beauty Simplicity

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

Uncategorized

Why Replacing Your Screen Time With Reading Is Good For You

July 20, 2022July 20, 2022 mindbeautysimplicity

One of my new found rediscovered hobbies is reading. I’ve always been a bookworm to some extent, but as I got older social media became the new thing & I felt like I didn’t have time for it anymore. I wanted to start this detox series with the topic of reading because I’ve discovered, you CAN make time for it – you just have to switch up your priorities. Reading has become my escape & way to find peace within this chaotic world. I read over five books a month now, share my reading wrap ups monthly [ here’s last’s months ] & even share amateur reviews on Instagram. Here’s Why Replacing Your Screen Time With Reading is Good For You:

You Stop The Habit of Mindless Scrolling

So many days wasted scrolling for hours on TikTok or Instagram – for what? To see a photo of someone’s sandwich? Another group photo of an event you weren’t invited to? Or better yet, just comparing someone else’s “perfect” feed to your own life. Instead, I make the conscious effort to put down the phone during those leisure moments & pick up a book [ or Kindle] instead. Stop getting so caught up in other people’s lives & escape to those fantasy stories or learn something new during that time. Even I discovered how much time you really have within a day. Now, instead of saying I scrolled through my news feed for four hours, I can say I read half a book.

You Become Smarter

It’s a scientific fact, reading makes you smarter. You can better comprehend your surroundings, you improve your interpersonal skills, you gain a sense of imagination, make better decisions both emotionally & rationally, improves your vocabulary, & even helps you reflect. I personally, love to read both fiction & nonfiction novels for this very reason. Although I love escaping to imaginary worlds, I also like improving myself with self help or learning a new task. There is endless knowledge within a bookshelf.

You Become More Creative

Tying in the imagination aspect to reading, this also helps those creative juices flow. Anytime I’m in a creative slump or having writers block – I’ll pick up a book to read. And most of the time, reading just a few chapters helps ignite that creativity for my own work once again. Reading books encourages inspiration & sometimes we need a little help within that department.

You Stop Comparing Your Life To Others

There are so many ways to distract the mind from comparing yourself to other people. Reading has been my favorite hobby to halt those bad habits. Who has time to worry about what other people are doing when you have beautiful stories to read about?

You Find Yourself Through The Stories

A bit cheesy but so true [ especially if you are one to annotate your books ]. I’ve found quotes to be so relatable to my personal struggles or experiences & sometimes other people’s words just explain your feelings far better than you ever could. Not only do certain lines resonate with me, but certain genres & storylines become a sense of my personality. We all have likes & dislikes when it comes to our TBR choices. I find myself leaning towards psychological thrillers, ghost stories & fantasies. But I also find comfort in the occasional romance. I had someone tell me, “you can tell a lot about a person by what they choose to read.” And I guess there is truth to that – unless you are like me & pick a lot of hyped bookstagram ones. But I think it’s a vulnerable thing to see what words people find beautiful.

You Become Happier

Rediscovering reading has made childhood Bee quite happy. It’s like a long lost love return to your life – at least for me. In this phase of healing, I try & find little moments & hobbies that bring a sense of joy to my days. And reading has been that saving grace. Even my husband notices this change in me & actually loves hearing me talk about books I’ve read & entices me with date nights to Barnes & Noble some. We even find ourselves reading on the couch together in pure silence just basking in the comfort of one another.

I shall leave you with my favorite quote by George R.R. Martin that pretty much sums up my feelings of books & it’s “I have lived a thousand lives and I’ve loved a thousand loves. I’ve walked on distant worlds and seen the end of time. Because I read.”

-B

Lifestyle, Minimalism, Minimalism

10 Things You Can Do Besides Scrolling Through Social Media

January 31, 2022March 18, 2022 mindbeautysimplicity

One of my ultimate goals for this year, that I mentioned in my Mindsets To Leave Behind This Year post, is to be online less often. As a blogger, it’s easier said than done where most of the behind the scenes work with promoting comes from social media. But with the help of scheduling tweets & Instagram posts ahead of time, I’ve been able to be more intentional with my time & allow myself a break from the digital world. This idea of being online less often came to me when I was reminiscing of my childhood. I’m a part of the generation that had the best of both worlds – a life without internet & a life with the internet. I still remember the days it would take me 20 minutes to watch a 2 minute Youtube video thanks to good old dial up. But the one thing of my childhood that sticks ot is the fact I played outside far more often than any kids do now. And so, I thought although social media & the internet are huge parts to our lives, it’s nice to unplug once in a while. Here are 10 Things You Can Do Besides Scrolling Social Media

Read A Book

My TBR list for this year is so long! I plan to do a What I Read in 2022 at the end of the year because reading as become a huge part of my life. It’s a great way to shut off the world & be at peace for a little while. I’m trying to read at least two books a month – one fiction & one “self improvement” or motivational book. I feel like the more I read, the more growth I have. I gain new perspectives & a sense of clarity that helps me tackle obligations.

Listen To a Podcast

My favorite podcast at the moment is Mood by Lauren Elizabeth. She focuses on self growth, self care & our moods [ hence the name ]. I find her so motivating & inspiring. And listening to podcasts are quite relaxing while I’m running errands, taking walks or biking & cleaning.

Get Moving

Whether it’s just a walk around the neighborhood, a yoga practice or a hard core workout – getting active is always a healthy habit to establish in our daily routines. I find so much clarity during these sessions even if it’s only a 20 minute walk outside. Taking in your surroundings & the sounds of nature really ground ourselves & literally bring us back to Earth.

Get Lunch With a Friend

Put your phones away & be as engaged as possible during these outings. Nothing bothers me more than two people sitting at a table just scrolling through their phones & not giving a crap about their company. We need to learn to be more present especially when we specifically plan get togethers. These moments are a perfect excuse to unplug, let that call go to voicemail or read that text later. Having true conversation where we actively listen to each other is a habit we all need to relearn. This will allow you to strengthen said relationships & create amazing memories.

Write A Blog Post

This is obviously directed to my fellow writers, but writing is rather therapeutic whether it be for your site or just for recreation. When we write, we reflect on our thoughts & dreams which ultimately help us grow. If blog posts aren’t your thing, you can start a gratitude journal or a manifestation journal. Not only is it a form of self care, it’s also interesting to read the passages back later on to see how you’ve changed.

Have a Game Night

I love playing board games & having a game night with a group of friends or family. Some of my favorite games include Cards Against Humanity, Monopoly, Scategories, & classic card games. This kind of goes back to childhood roots of those non-technology days.

Listen to Music & Dance Around

When I was a teenager, I had this blue stereo system with CD racks on both sides on my bedroom dresser. As an activity, I would blast The Backstreet Boys or Britney Spears, dance around my room & even jump up & down on my bed with my hands up in the air trying to touch the ceiling. As a dancer in high school – I would practice all the time on routines & choreography. As an adult now – I wish I did this more often because it truly boosted my mood back in the day. Ever since we started wedding planning, my fiance & I have even spent the evenings practicing our first dance together.

Start a Home Project

The pandemic actually turned us into home improvement connoisseurs. We became the biggest homebodies & I don’t know if it’s just because decorating your own home is a lot of fun or quarantine made us notice every problem in the house. I will say – painting or putting together furniture is quite satisfying. We even renovated our backyard which caused us to be outdoors a lot more often. Yay, Vitamin D! And when you see people or they visit your home – it’s fun to tell them about our home projects & the end results.

Learn Something New

Not to sound like a cliche – but knowledge is power. Even I’ve considered going back for grad school because I honestly miss learning. I think we can learn new things every day though – through reading, listening to podcasts or watching a how to Youtube video. Just getting out & experiencing life without starring at a screen can allow you to gain so much knowledge.

Clean The House

I personally love cleaning the house, organizing & decluttering. There’s something so motivating about this routine. Not only this but a clean home can truly spark creative & productive inspiration. Anytime I’m feeling overwhelmed or stressed even, I will clean. Do a load of laundry, organize your closet, vacuum or even scrub some dishes. A clean home makes me feel like I’ve earned some downtime or self care.