Working On Myself, By Myself, For Myself

Accept that exercise needs to be a non-negotiable part of your life.

Eat sufficient protein at every meal. Not because it’s currently a buzzword, but because you should have always been doing that and need to keep it up even when a new food group inevitably trends.

Walk whenever you can. Calls, errands, waiting, etc.

You deserve proper rest even if you didn’t get everything done.

Keep healthy staples on autopilot and easily accessible. Things that don’t need to be cooked, 5 minute meals, snacks you can toss in your bag, etc.

Water before and after caffeine.

Ten minutes of movement beats zero.

Batch cook once, eat well all week. If not full meals then whatever key ingredients you can.

Protect your mornings from chaos. Let them be as absolutely slow as your responsibilities allow it to be.

Train for health, strength, and longevity as your top priority. You don’t have to strive for a specific visual outcome.

Stretch, even if it’s while you wait for your pot of water to boil or are letting the bathtub fill up.

Limit liquid calories.

Create a simple, repeatable routine.

Book checkups before there’s a problem.

You’re not at the gym to punish your body. You’re there to romance it.

Working out is not about shrinking yourself. It’s about stepping into your hot, strong, glowy energy. Period.

So if you're currently in your “I’ll just do Pilates at home and pray for results” era, babe... this one's for you.

get a gua sha!! not expensive at all and made such a difference in my face shape and carving out my cheek bones and jawline. there’s lots of good tutorials on tiktok or youtube!

tea in the morning/night! there’s so many teas to help with different things but my favorite’s are spearmint tea for clearing skin and green tea for reducing bloating.

ice your face! helps SO much with de-puffing and closing up your pores! dipping your face in a bowl with ice water can reduce inflammation, help with acne and reduce oily skin!

make sure to get enough sleep! It’s so easy to stay up scrolling on tumblr until the sun comes up but getting enough sleep is so important mentally and physically!

find a skincare routine that works for you and remember too much skincare can be bad for your skin! my skin was breaking out the worst when i was using a bunch of skincare and It’s cleared so much since i simplified my routine.

use a lash/brow serum! my favorite brand is grande lash and it’s a little pricey but using castor oil works as well and it’s super affordable.

going on walks! I’ve never been a fan of intense exercises and I’m a chronic bed rotter but putting on my favorite hot girl playlist and strutting on the treadmill/sidewalk is genuinely so fun!

rosemary oil for hair growth! my holy grail of hair growth products along with a scalp massager. my whole life my hair grew so slow and since using rosemary oil i have to trim my bangs twice a month sometimes!

i cannot stress this one enough..wear what YOU want! don’t let new trends or judgment from others stop you from embracing your true style. we look our best when we feel most confident!

I turn 23 this year - here's some things I wish I could go back in time and tell my 15-16 year old self. 🤍

Whatever you do, please don't neglect yourself. Do not skip washing your face and brushing your teeth some mornings. I know there was some days where you'd rather stay in bed and not face the world, I get it. But you matter so much more than you think. You deserve to exist and experience all the joys this world has to offer. You deserve to feel energized and loved. So please take just a small moment to care for your body. It'll be your home for however long you're on this earth. It deserves to be cared for.

Make physical activity a habit. Even if it's just as simple as walking up and down your street, taking 10 minutes to do a few jumping jacks or light yoga, just make it a habit to move. You will feel so accomplished, energized and confident.

Girl, get that license! Just get it out the way, pleaseee. Not only will being able to drive open so many doors for you, but you won't have to stress about it in your twenties. You will feel so much more independent and just overall proud of yourself.

Add, don't subtract. Instead of trying to make drastic, super unrealistic changes to your diet and trying to cut everything off in one day, try adding more fruits and veggies to every plate. Or choosing the lower cal option of something you were really craving and use smaller plates/bowls. It's all about balance. But also, if you did have a "bad food day," don't beat yourself up like it was the end of the world. You can always try again.

And lastly, log tf out and turn that phone off. Social media was fun growing up, but it also became an unhealthy cycle of comparison. I'd pick myself apart over every little thing I saw on my feed, and it would wreck my mental health. I still struggle til this day, but I wish I could tell my younger self: those people weren’t perfect—so why was I making my whole identity chasing perfection? Your worth isn’t tied to your body, health, money, or where you live. Be your own best friend. I'd tell her to compare yourself only to who you were yesterday. To choose compassion over self-criticism.

Today, April 9th, marks 100 days since I've deleted the last social media app I used for doomscrolling. It was Instagram, I had TikTok deleted a while ago and didnt use other social medias.

I still use Instagram on my browser at times, to check up on things I'm passionate about, but I have not once doomscrolled even on YouTube shorts which I still use and have access to.

Has my life changed?

Yes – slightly – but it has.

· I have much more free time now, obviously

· I now use social media on browsers, and I use it with intent rather than to escape reality

· I read way more, I've already read the amount of books I read last year, and its only the start of April

· I changed useless social media to apps like Pinterest or Tumblr, which I use for growth rather than entertainment

· I've started new hobbies, such as writing, and overall focused more on things I enjoy — piano, history, art, walking

· I'm not behind on trends or slang. I think this is what most people fear, but theres no need to. Sure, I dont know the latest drama between this and that influencer, but do I really need to? And if I did, I could just ask or find out myself, no ones stopping me

· I started being more comfortable with discipline. I redownloaded the apps mutiple times, because it was simply too hard, but one day I sucked it up and held back my urges. I rarely do that.

Thats all for now, thank you for reading ♡

If you're like me, and you cannot wait to combine the studyblr, wonyoungism and it girl communities to make the best cocktail on planet Earth, welcome to my blog! Make yourself comfortable!

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Organisation = peace

Get yourself a planner, stick in all your to-do lists, make a vision board cover, write in everything you need to remember, want to think about or must complete. Or, get a Notion, make it aesthetic and build the habit of opening it every day. Use lots of light, blush pinks and pastel greens, make a colour-code and treat yourself to highlighters in your favourite colour combos. The better of an overview you have of your life, the less anxiety and stress the unknown brings you. Protect your peace.

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Take time to rest

Make some matcha, reapply lip gloss, tidy your desk, let your hair down. Do some stretching or sit in the sun for some vitamin D. Put on classical music and write in your diary, decorate with pink highlighter and gold gel-pen stars. Make your timetable on Canva in your favourite aesthetic. Jog or jump rope to get your heart rate up, feel energised and refreshed.

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Atmosphere

Light that vanilla-scented candle, get yourself a warm drink and some almonds, or grapes, or cookies. Put on some pink noise or soft instrumentals. Let the sunlight in. Put on a study with me, or a cute pomodoro timer on Youtube. Lay out your work and pens neatly.

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Do your absolute best

Listen in class, make pretty notes. Sit up straight, ask and answer questions. Girl, just do your assignments the day they are assigned. Keep a spotless homework record. Use pink flashcards, do your past papers, write practice essays about things and stories you love. Keep your head up high, even if your grades don't match your standards. Keep improving and growing.

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Why?

• What you eat

• Who you spend your time with

• How you treat your body

• What you read

• What you listen to

• Who you follow

• What you think about

• How you invest in yourself