life.in.progress

Hello stranger! Glad you found me and I hope you get what you need from here (encouragement, inspiration, rant, etc.). If you don't find my content interesting, I hope you picked up some good vibes and have a wonderful day =)

Original Idea:

My initial idea for this blr was to keep track of my master's thesis writing progress. Unfortunately, within a week, I got injured in a car accident over the holidays and things are no longer the same.

Updated Content:

I decided today that this blr will now be a mesh of things. I will continue to post about my thesis writing progress while adding other studying stuff here (i.e., a studyblr). I will also talk about things I do in a psychology PhD program in the US (i.e., a phdblr). The part that I am most excited about to start posting here is my reflections and inspirations! I pick up on a lot of meaning and wisdom from daily life so I hope to share this with y'all and maybe help others who are struggling like me 🩵 (maybe I can call it a growthblr?) A random idea that popped up is to use this as my 2025 vision board! I have been having a hard time creating an entire vision board at the beginning of the year, so maybe this would be a place where I can add pictures and quotes that inspire me and lead me toward a new direction and be in flow this year =) (so exciting!!)

A Little About Me:

Nice to meet you, lovely humans! I am a PhD student in psychology, in my 20s, a dog mom, an astrology/tarot lover (I'm a ♉ sun), a couch potato during breaks, in my healing/spiritual journey, and have ADHD/depression.

I'm usually a private person, but I love sharing my inspirations and wisdom with others =) I hope that this will be a safe and non-judgmental space for all of us, and to be authentic while respecting each other.

Given that I am in a psychology program and I see clients, I do not plan to post anything identifiable here, including my real name. That means that unless you know me irl, you will not know the people I mentioned in this blr. If you have concerns about identifiable information of your own or someone you know being posted here, I strongly encourage you to reach out using the "AMA" button on this blr so I can correct my mistake.

Disclaimer: There is a chance that I will not consistently write here. If I have not been active for over a month, I might take longer to respond to posts and AMAs. That is just the nature of my life rn.

Today is my birthday 🩵

It feels weird getting one year older. I'm not even sure if there is a difference because I aged one more year. But actually I don't feel that great today, I thought I would. I worked so hard to get a break today and this weekend, but I can't help but think about the remaining task - my weekly thesis draft that I didn't get to do this week. I tried, but I was exhausted by the end of this week just trying to finish all my papers for class this semester. I know I deserve to treat myself but then I feel bad that I haven't done that one thing to treat myself =/

Today is also raining all day here, so it sucks not being able to be in the sun and go out as planned. I was hoping to visit a nearby public library to check out some romance books and enjoy the summer by reading. My partner wanted to do a picnic after work as well. But at this rate of raining, I'm not sure if we can even do that.

Good morning 🌞 I tried a new routine today and I love how I feel right now! Well, I didn't really change that much of my morning routine. I just decided to not cook and eat breakfast for an hour before I wrapped up my thesis work, which, to be honest, was motivating because I am starving right now and I finished revising my paragraphs in 1 hour (right?!!). I think I just saw that it was almost 1pm by the time I was able to cook breakfast, and I didn't want to drag on my day, feeling like I have my thesis dangling in front of me. So it was a BIG WIN!!! (if you haven't followed my progress so far, thesis tasks are the ones I procrastinate with the most lol)

Mood right now:

Completed

✅ Yoga ✅ Walk my dog ✅ Thesis revise paragraphs (guess I ate the frog this morning hehe) ✅ Breakfast ✅ Case study paper: do research (1 hour) ✅ Case study paper: writing (3 hours lol) ✅ Video review paper: read instructions ✅ Dinner ✅ Watch Love and Leashes (it's so good and very consensual!!)

To-Dos

⏹️ Shower (another reward!! most likely going to do this after the movie~)

Coming back to my studyblr after a few days of MIA =) Even though I haven't been logging my progress, I have actually been working hard! I think it's just that when I do work at school, I don't think about tracking, and it actually saves me time because I have Notion and an Excel sheet to track my progress anyway. I'm so ready to finish everything by 5/1 (next Wednesday) and wrap up the semester!!!

Today's mood:

Completed

✅ Yoga ✅ Walk my dog ✅ Breakfast ✅ Read To Love Your Enemy ✅ Thesis bullet points (3 hours!) ✅ Play A Little To The Left (?) ✅ Dinner ✅ Read more manga (hehe) ✅ Case study paper (1 hour)

To-Dos

⏹️ Video review paper ⏹️ Thesis revise paragraphs ⏹️ Shower

I was gone for 4 days straight cause I was out of town to celebrate a birthday. I actually did a lot of work on my clinic report during these 4 days and now I'm mostly exhausted and trying to finish everything left of the semester.

I still plan to be here and track my progress, I think I just need some time to adjust to my regular schedule again so I am not burning myself out even more.

Another day, another log ✨ It actually feels nice to have this check-in every day to see how I'm doing mentally and academically. Still not sleeping a lot this week because I call this month the "finals month" of PhD... Have a lot to finish, still have new tasks that get added each week, and I'm not even sure how many full days I have to take a break from it all after this month and in summer =/ Not the best situation, but at least I still get to do some things I like in the meantime 🩵

Current mindset:

Completed

✅ School ✅ Case presentation (woohoo!) ✅ Part-time job ✅ See clients ✅ Get an oil change for my car! ✅ Get gas for weekend traveling ✅ Phone call with partner ✅ Client plan ✅ Phone call with a friend ✅ Watch Everyone Loves Me ✅ Dinner ✅ Clinic notes x2

To-Dos

⏹️ Clinic report - results 6 part 2 ⏹️ Clinic report - results 7 ⏹️ Clinic report - results 8 or Thesis - bullet points ⏹️ Shower?

Today, I think I tapped into hyperfocus mode because (1) I only slept for 4 hours, and this is what happens sometimes when I'm sleep-deprived, and (2) my period just started, so I'm getting some energy back? I still need more evidence to support this claim haha.

I am very grateful today because even though my follow-up appointment with my doctor was basically unnecessary (I think she Googled my diagnosis and gave me recommendations from online...), I had an overall good day. I was on time for my 9am class (after a few weeks of being late). I attended all my classes. I got food for this week. I tried to get my oil changed, but the shop was busy, and somehow the staff miraculously offered to change my oil for free because they overestimated their workflow (thank you, Universe!!!). I ended up going to do my car inspection today, which worked out. And I was on the phone with my partner for a couple hours while he shopped, and somehow I felt included and valued. It feels good to be loved and supported by the people around me and the Universe 🩵

Completed

✅ School ✅ Doctor's appointment ✅ Part-time job (didn't do my full shift today so I'll have to work more hours tmr...) ✅ Car inspection ✅ Renew car registration ✅ Phone call with partner ✅ Case presentation - part 2 (1.5 hours) ✅ Walk my dog ✅ Dinner ✅ Watch Everyone Loves Me ✅ Case presentation - final (0.5 hours) ✅ Clinic report - result 3 (0.5 hours) ✅ Clinic report - result 4 (0.25 hours) ✅ Clinic report - result 5 (0.25 hours) ✅ Sleep by 12:30am?

To-Dos

I switched out a task and finished 2 small ones instead! 🎉

A new day, a new plan. Trying to stay optimistic and ground myself with inner peace today. I'm not sure what will happen in the future, so all I can do is to take one step at a time and focus on today =)

Completed

✅ Walk my dog ✅ Yoga ✅ Breakfast ✅ Inspirational videos (they're helpful to give me hope and motivation 💖) ✅ Pay bills ✅ Thesis: revise 1 section (took me 3 hours in total to add citations and draft an email to my advisor lol; but it's DONE!) ✅ Group project 2: find presentation slide template ✅ Therapy ✅ Dinner ✅ Play Xbox with partner ✅ Case presentation: background information ✅ Shower (gonna go shower now~)

To-Dos

⏹️ Clinic report results 3 ⏹️ Clinic report results 4

I have quite a bit to finish today, but I am hopeful. At least there are also some things to look forward to 😊

Tapped out the past 2 days because depression is hitting me and I think I'm having pms. It feels really difficult to do anything when the end of the semester hits. Like there are so many tasks and assignments I need to get done, and I don't even have more time to do all of them. Ugh... why is life hard sometimes? Thankfully, I pushed myself to reach out to my friends and partner. I feel better today =)

Not sure if this happens to people or not, but I find myself starting something that gives me instant dopamine when I'm the most stressed/overwhelmed. Like this Friday, I told myself I needed a day to relax, and I ended up starting this 24-episode cdrama and y'all I'm on the last episode today... I'm so committed when the thing makes me happy and gets me hooked.

Anyway, I hope to continue updating my progress so I don't just give up. Thanks for giving me a space to feel supported and safe (even in the not-so-great times) 🩵

Completed

✅ Walk my dog ✅ Yoga (Haven't done it since the accident and it actually felt nice) ✅ Breakfast ✅ Watch Perfect and Casual (Such a simple and cute contract to love story! Definitely a rewatch when I need something wholesome and heartwarming💖) ✅ Clinic notes x4 ✅ Discussion post

To-Dos

⏹️ Thesis: revise section paragraphs ⏹️ Clinic report results x2 (hopefully I can get through more if I have the energy)

Let's trust that I will get through another day feeling at peace, relieved, and proud of myself 🩵

Quick update before I crash... I slept at 3:30am yesterday cause I started binge-reading the latest chapters of Ex-Love Review. It's sooooo gooood. So it's now 2am and I just finished filing my taxes 🙃

Completed

✅ Shower! ✅ See clients ✅ Advisory meeting ✅ A long walk with my dog 💖 ✅ Play A Little to the Left ✅ Light dinner ✅ FILE TAXES (Yes I finally did it and ahead of the deadline too!!)

To-Dos

⏹️ Clinic notes x4 ⏹️ Clinic report results x1 ⏹️ Thesis writing (I probably should start this again before I get too busy over the weekend...)

Started reading this Webtoon called "Ex-Love Review" and I couldn't stop until I can find the latest chapters. So I'm just gonna finish one task and head to bed...

Completed

✅ School ✅ Part-time job ✅ Phone call with partner ✅ Quiz ✅ Dinner ✅ Read Ex-Love Review ✅ Clinic report results x2 (finished in 30 mins?? Amazing!!)

To-Dos

⏹️ Shower (I'm gonna shower in the morning, I promise 🤞🏻)

Starting my studying at home at 10:32pm... It's ok, I'm just going to do my best until I let myself start getting ready to go to bed in an hour. I will need the sleep, and I cannot wait to rest because I have worked hard lately =)

Completed

✅ School ✅ Staff meeting (1.5 hours...) ✅ Part-time job ✅ Nap (2 hours 😮‍💨) ✅ Dinner/snack ✅ Clinic document (so proud! I've been procrastinating on this since Feb lol)

To-Dos

⏹️ Clinic report results 1 ⏹️ Clinic report results 2 ⏹️ Shower (I'll consider this in the morning 😅)

Kinda still feeling frustrated that my professor docked points because I have been getting to class late, but I literally have accommodations for that. I hope it's just that he forgot. I'll need to talk to him about it, and I'm not enthusiastic about it...

I don't know what it is. But I'm getting sick and tired of complaining. If you do that, that's fine; just don't tell me unless I am mentally relaxed or I ask you how you're doing. No offense to people who use venting to express their emotions in a healthy and productive way (I mean, I do that occasionally too). I just can't take it when I'm also getting stressed out and overwhelmed. It's more from childhood socialization so I am actively keeping myself in check for not judging over talking down on people who do that.