𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖 ❤︎'s 남준

As an 11th grade student that aims to get into med school, I've tried a bunch of different study methods for every subject and also given my very own tips to many people. But one I always give — since it's the easiest out there — is to pay attention to every single one of the classes / subjects you have at school.

Let's take biology as our example.

Many biology textbooks have long, complex sentences with different meanings all at once. To be able to understand everything talked about, you are required to have a certain level of knowledge of the language — be it your native language or a foreign one (since a lot of colleges, at least in Europe, have classes in different languages). So, you must not only participate and study in biology class to achieve a good grade, but also in your native language class, English, Spanish, French, German or whatever foreign language your school provides you with.

As a Greek myself, we also have ancient Greek classes in school. Believe it or not, studying for ancient Greek actually helps you understand the language and the way it functions better. Studying ancient greek actually helped me a lot to understand the meaning of certain words and spell them correctly. And it also helped me to understand complex sentences, too. By breaking down big sentences into smaller ones, I was able to understand different topics in biology a lot easier.

The way our living space is kept can actually heavily impact our mental state and emotions in general. below I will list some tips to help you clean your room or any other part of your living space, because I know first hand how hard it can be!!

♡ start small. pick one segment of your room to clean, or just one task! a good example of a task you could pick would to be to pick up any trash off of the floor. you can then rest for the rest of the day!

♡ postpone the hobby you want to do until after you do the task/clean the segment of the room!

♡ don't force yourself beyond what you can handle. this will not only cause burnout but might cause you to feel stressed! you can't clean all of it in one day, and that's okay ^_^

♡ listen to motivating/up-beat music while cleaning!

♡ make piles. for example, make a dirty clothes pile, a pile of things you actually want in your room, and a pile of things you don't want in your room

♡ if you get too overwhelmed or exhausted, take a break. depending on you as a person, shorter or longer periods of time may work better, but don't be ashamed to take a break in general!

♡ talk to a friend while cleaning! this can be over the phone or in person. it's actually quite motivating

I hope this helps!!

Foreword:

Summer gives us the great opportunity to focus on ourselves and change small things that we don't like in our routine. The chance given to us to reorganize our lives during holidays is something that a lot of people don't understand and / or choose to ignore.

Changes in lifestyle:

Summer gives you the peace you need to criticise the things you don't like in your routine or lifestyle and find ways to change them. Maybe you want to focus more on self care? Maybe you want to be more organised for school or work? Maybe you want to quit a bad habit? Summer is your time to shine!

• Selfcare:

Selfcare can be many things. From skincare and workouts, to learning more about yourself and developing a skill. It changes accordingly to one's preferences and view of success and self love. With the developments in technology, we now have access to research about different types of selfcare that suit us.

Skincare : When it comes to skincare, it is different for everyone. What may work for one, may not work for the other. It is wise that we search about our skin type, ingredients of products that we can or cannot use and products we can afford and easily find. DO NOT FALL FOR EVERYTHING YOU SEE ONLINE. Something that worked wonders for someone, may not work for you, simply because of the ingredients that it has in, because your skin type doesn't match the person's on the video or because you may have an allergic reaction you probably didn't even know about! Taking advice from certain professionals, such as dermatologists is also recommended if you want to ensure a safe outcome.

Bodycare : Body care is not only about staying fit, although that is a great part of it! Body care is also about taking proper care of your body, using products to keep your skin healthy and avoid risks of skin cancer, consuming foods with the required nutrients and, of course, resting whenever your body tells you to. Summer is a season connected with relaxation, which is what our body needs after a year of hard work. It is important to take care of your body. Just like a car needs both the engine, the driver, the outer parts and fuel to work, our body needs strong organs, a healthy mind and healthy food to function. Maybe there is some extra weight you must lose or gain? Maybe you lack a certain vitamin? Maybe you have intense muscle pain? Summer is the time to make the decision and help yourself. Get advice from a doctor, a professional dietitian or a gym instructor. Do not push yourself towards extreme measures presented by the media. While you can find useful things online, like simple diets or workout plans to follow, it is important to remember that not everything is suitable for everyone! What works for someone else, might cause you discomfort and, in worse cases, healthy issues!

Minset : As a Greek myself, I quote daily that a healthy body comes with a healthy mind. There are many people who are easily influenced by their surroundings, be it in a positive or negative way. The best thing you can do is focus on yourself. But remember to never reach the point of egoism. There is a thin line between loving yourself and worshiping yourself. Loving yourself comes with being able to accept love from others, while worshipping yourself comes with antisocial personality disorders and many mental illnesses. One way to achieve self love is to learn more about yourself. The best way to do so is by journaling. And I don't mean those aesthetic journals you see online. A journal isn't about putting a bunch of stickers and tags on paper and calling it a day. Yes, there are pages that will have such stuff, but a journal should focus on you. Personally, I write in my journal about things I like, things I want to change or goals. Small things that help me learn more about myself. When writing, we are engrossed in the feeling of being alone, which also comes with honesty. Your truer feelings are the ones you write by yourself. For your mindset, you can also take advice from life coaches and therapists. It is not a shame to seek a professional to help you improve your mental health. It takes great strength to admit to yourself that you need someone to talk to and I truly admire the ones who do it!

Screen time : To lower your screen time is also a way of self care. High screen time can affect both our mental and physical health, leading to mood swings, sleep deprivation and avoidance of hygiene. All the time spent on social media daily should and could be used to do something that would actually be beneficial for us. That, again, defers amongst people. Some prefer reading, some participate in sports, some draw, some cook. What matters is that a high screen time prevents us from finding time for ourselves, spending time doing a hobby and developing skills which we may already have, but never knew.

• Organization

Organization is also something that many try to achieve in order to have stability and more peaceful surroundings. Sometimes that comes by cleaning our space. Now, as it's summer and we are mostly at home, it is important to clean our space regularly in order to ensure comfort. Personally, I deep clean my room once every month, while I clean it once every week to keep dust away and my stuff organised.

Organisation, though, may also come by having a stable routine. Mornings are the main factor that affects our days. The way your day starts, is how it continues. So, by starting the morning early, doing something for yourself, be it taking a warm bath, going for a run or a walk with your pet or by making a healthy breakfast, it gives your brain the signal that what will follow will be just as good. Find and practice a routine that suits you, your goals and your free time.

For similar content, or motivation, you can check out my Tiktok profile

(disclaimer:: this has nothing to do with the professions talked about in real life. It is for the sake of the theory. Don't take offense <3)

The diamond theory:

The diamond theory tells the story of a little girl that was given a diamond by her father. Her father had informed her that the diamond costs 2 million golden coins before sending her off to the village to sell it.

The first stop was the bakery. The little girl walked in, showing the beautiful stone to the baker. When the baker asked "How much does the diamond cost?", the little girl held up two fingers. "Only two coins?" The baker exclaimed and immediately went to give the coins to the little girl. But her, knowing its worth, passed on the deal.

The next stop was the antique store. The little girl walked in, showing the owner of the store the beautiful gem in her hands. When the owner asked "How much does the diamond cost?", the little girl put up her two fingers. "Two thousand coins?" The owner asked "That is a little too much." He said, unwilling to pay for the diamond. The girl once again left in search of someone to buy her diamond.

Her last stop was the jewellery store. The little girl walked in, showing the jeweler the diamond in her hands. When the jeweler asked "How much does the diamond cost?", the little girl once again put up her two fingers. "Two million golden coins!" The jeweler exclaimed. He immediately went to give the little girl the money with excitement. The little girl had finally found someone who knew the diamonds worth.

Now, I want you to think of yourself as that diamond. I want you to be sure of your self worth and to make it a rule inside your head that others should know it, too. And that requires making sacrifices for yourself. There are people out there who will treat you horrible and then go on to tell you that this is what you are worth, people who will make you settle for the bare minimum and make sure you actually believe that this is the best you can get.

"He texts me good morning!" "He asked me if I ate!" This is the bare minimum he has to be doing in order to maintain a relationship, whether it is a romantic one or a friendship. Do not settle just for it. Don't take the deal that the baker (as mentioned in the story) offered. Set your standards high and live by them. And having standards is not a selfish act, my love. It is an act of self respect. Respect yourself and be sure of your worth.

The other type of person you may come across in real life, is the antique store owner. This person is someone who will realize that you are worth more than they are willing to give and will immediately let go. Do not stay chasing that person because they are not worth it. Just like the girl in the story, when someone isn't willing to "pay" your worth, to treat you as you are worthy, walk away. One of my favorite quotes that suits this part of the theory very well is:: “ I don't chase, I replace. ” Don't chase the people who are trying to escape you when you show them your self worth. Simply walk away from them and find the ones that will be willing to give you the attention, affection, love and respect you deserve.

And lastly, the jeweler. This is the type of person you should be looking for. Just like in the story, the jeweler is someone who will know of your worth, who will recognize that you will not be settling down for any less than you are worth and will do and give whatever they need to in order to have you in their life.

I know it is hard to move on from people like the baker or people like the antique store owner. I have been in that position and it took me months to find the strength to look at myself in the mirror and say "hey! I do deserve better. I should be walking away from that person." But you know what? As much as it hurts you, as attached as you are to that person, walking away is always the best choice. The world is huge and there are people out there who are willing to treat you like you deserve to be treated.

If you know your worth, other people will know it, too. And you should show them, in order for them to know. Because, like in the story, when they don't have a clear answer, they misunderstand. And how to know your self worth? Start by knowing yourself.

One thing that helped me learn more about myself is journaling. Although I don't journal daily like many do, I journal when I learn something new about myself. It can be something really simple, such as my favorite colours, my favorite songs or my favorite flowers. But even those small things tell you something about yourself. Start journaling. It will change your whole day.

Another thing you can do is start seeing things in yourself that you would like in someone else. For example, the one thing I like about myself and I love to see in others is the fact that I am responsible. Another one is my curly hair. Just small things like that could boost your confidence immediately. Every time you look at yourself in the mirror, find one or two small things that you like. And if you can't find anything, stare at your reflection until you do.

I hope this method helps some of you as much as it helps me. Please, feel free to leave a comment or a request if you have any questions or something specific you would like to see on this page. I love y'all just the way you are. 🩷

Reading a classic romance novel

A warm cup of tea or coffee in the morning

Laughing with friends

Listening to a song that makes you feel goosebumps

Rewatching the first episode of your favorite show

Stretching and doing pilates during the early morning hours

Doing your skincare

The smell of your favorite food

Watching the raindrops running down the window

Watching your favorite artists on live

Singing in the shower

The warmth of the room after walking in the cold

Fuzzy blankets

Soft fabrics

Foreword:

I know that one thing most of us struggle with is staying away from our phones. We all want to be productive, but never seem to get enough of social media. But is social media really that entertaining? I think we've all found ourselves scrolling and thinking "this is so boring", and yet, we kept on scrolling for another hour or two! There are many things we can do instead of being on our phones all day. We just have to find the one that excites us!

What to do instead of being on social media

1. Start a journal:: write your ideas, your goals, your wish lists, your favorite artists and albums, book reviews, thoughts.

2. Take up a new hobby:: Everyone has something they always wanted to try, but felt like they never had the time to. Well, now, you do have the time! Be it yoga, badminton, crocheting, singing, reading, you can never start too late!

3. Organize your closet:: "I have nothing to wear" we all exclaim once or twice a week. But did we ever think about all the clothes piling up on the bottom of our closet? Some may be the perfect piece you were looking for to create that outfit you saw on Pinterest! Or maybe it was about time you donated or gave away some pieces you never wear!

4. Clean your room:: Oh, darling, I am not talking about changing bedsheets and organizing your pens and notebooks. Take off that poster that you don't like, dust off the selves, recycle all the unwanted paper you have laying around, give that fantasy novel to your little cousin, throw away the empty water bottles. Deep clean everything.

5. Go on a walk:: There is always a moment in my day during which I just think "I wish I could go on a walk right now". And guess what? I can! Take your headphones, put on your favorite podcast or playlist, grab a water bottle and go on a small walk.

6. Do your chores:: Yes, I know that it is tiring and boring, but think of the gratification you'll get after looking at the clean dishes in your cabinet and smelling the freshly washed laundry.

7. Take an everything shower:: Honestly, when I have nothing better to do, taking a shower is the first thing that comes to mind. Just some light music in the background, your favorite scented candle and maybe a bath bomb, too? Just the thought makes me feel more relaxed.

8. Try out a new recipe:: There are so many simple recipes on TikTok that you can try out! Every time we are home alone, me and my brother insist on trying at least one! This one is my personal favorite –>

9. Make a new playlist or organize an old one:: As someone who listens to music all day, I really need organized playlists. Take out that song you always skip and add that one song that makes your daydream. Maybe delete that playlist you had dedicated to your old crush or the one you made when you were trying to find out your ideal music taste!