for motivation

I was really struggling this week. Working way too hard, skipping breaks and meals, not staying hydrated, not showering, not taking my meds. it was bad. even at the busiest times, self-care is so so important. if I needed help, then I’m probably not the only one. all of these lil ideas are small and relatively easy and I highly doing something nice for yourself, even if it’s not on the list. hope you all have a wonderful day/week/year. 

(my personal favourites in bold)

drink some cold water

wash your hands and face with cool water

make some tea

get a blanket and snuggle it around you

snuggle an animal/stuffed animal

buy your favorite candy from the gas station

close your eyes and listen to your fav song on repeat for 10 mins

put on some throwback jams (high school musical, mamma mia, 90s, u do u) and dance around ur room in ur undies 

make a calming playlist

call a friend/relative just to say hi and hear someone else’s voice

rewatch cute/funny/happy clips from ur fav tv show/band/movie on youtube

put on a skirt and twirl (yes boys/agenders/trans u can do this too)

scribble really hard with black pen on a blank page and scream

look at the sky/moon/sunset/sunrise/stars

write

watch kitten/puppy/small animal live streams on youtube

go outside, even if its just by ur front door, and take some deep breaths

eat something - fruit, veggies are best

change ur contacts/clean ur glasses if you wear those

change your underwear

if u can’t get urself to shower, wash off w a damp washcloth/baby wipe

put on a cute/comfy outfit that makes you feel good about urself

dont put eye makeup on so you can rub your eyes & they wont feel heavy

stretch, do some yoga or meditate

get a breathing/meditation app and use it (headspace is gr8)

take a nap

go to bed before 11 pm

brush your teeth

turn off bright harsh lights and use smaller, warmer lamps

unplug. give your eyes/brain a break from screens for a half hour

get one of those pet/family apps/games and care for someone else for a change

find cool people on tumblr and send them anonymous compliments (that you actually think are true - spread love)

find a quote, write it/print it nicely and stick it on ur wall

watch a new movie

boil some cinnamon sticks/vanilla bean for 5 mins so ur house smells pretty. if in ur room, use essential oil drops or candles

make your bed

vacuum 

wipe down ur desk w some disinfectant

clean something - a backpack, small area, fluff ur pillow, put away one shirt

do your makeup all pretty and nice just because/dress up just because

research into your dream job/vacation/city/whatever

open up pages/canva/photshop/etc and make something just for fun

build a fort and crawl under it

find an easy diy and do it/ be proud of ur creative genius

make a list of things that make you happy. stick it somewhere you’ll see it all the time

print a picture of someone/thing that’s pissing u off and throw things at it (tape it to a dart board if u have one)

reread a book that makes you happy

clip your nails, clean the dirt from under them

send some good old fashioned snail mail to someone u like just for fun

take some selfies if you’re feelin it (see #40)

fuzzy socks. enough said. 

make yourself a fancy meal/cocktail/coffee/tea latte/drink/whatevs

open ur window or put on a fan/air purifier. get some air circulating

draw, even if u think u suck. 

reach out to kids help phone (canada) or a suicide hotline if you need to talk to someone about more serious matters. you deserve help and care and support. (message me if you need resources)

donate to a local animal shelter (if u have the means obviously)

go for a walk/run/bike ride

put on a face mask

take a bubble path

shave ur legs and moisturize

moisturize 

bake some cookies

go on spotify/youtube and find some new music you love

make a really fun upbeat playlist for next time u get the aux cord

scroll through some wholesome or funny meme accounts. whatever you’re in the mood for. 

take some cool pictures of whatever you want

change up your room in any small ( or big) way that you can

teach urself a new skill on youtube (simple like a hair style, or complicated like an instrument, whatever u want)

sign up to volunteer at a library/homeless shelter/soup kitchen/retirement home/daycare center/etc. help those who need it. be giving. 

put on sad music and cry. let ur mascara run. be dramatic. let it out.

put rock music on and stomp and scream throw (soft) things. let it out. 

teach urself the words to a fast rap song thats cool right now so you can impress ur friends/classmates/family

print off some kid colouring pages and dont stay inside the lines

brush your hair, take it out of a ponytail if its been like that for a while, or put it up if its down and in ur way

diy a hair mask (coconut oil) and do that

exfoliate ur whole body and feel like a whole new person

clear out ur phone/laptop. delete old messages, numbers of people u dont like/hang out with, get rid of photos of shitty friends, apps u dont use, etc

find cards against humanity online (or if u have it use the cards) and play with urself - make funny matches just because

empty a drawer (or multiple) and fold ur stuff neatly

do something that will make u sweat (gym, dance, clean) then take a nice shower

take a second to listen to ur body. unclench muscles that are clenched, fix ur poster, massage/stretch tight areas

move to a different area of the house for a little while. clear ur head. 

go out, anywhere. window shop, go to a coffee shop/library and work. people watch if ur broke. 

update your planner

make Pinterest board/real life vision of things that make you happy for when in this situation again

find a youtuber you like and watch their videos

lie on the floor, listen to music and do nothing for a while

give yourself a pep talk in the mirror and then stand like superman for a few mins. sounds silly but it works. its called powerposing. look it up. 

repeating this bc important: hydrate!!!

start a new tv show

order something online so u have something to look forward to

go sit with a family member and keep them company. u dont have to talk to them. 

the app ‘trump dump’ will make u feel better about the current us political situation

read happy news: find stories of students doing something cool, women kicking ass, men being amazing, whatever. bonus points if this inspires u

sort your garbage from recycling and help the environment

smile at people you see just because. smiling is good and nice. 

look at old pictures of u and ur fav people

go through old yearbooks and take a second to appreciate how far you’ve come

go to a park and watch kids play. remember what it’s like to be young. realize you are still young. go on the swings and go as high as u can

play in a sandbox just because u still can

Here are some tips that will make your school year a lot more easier when it comes to organisation,studying and it might help you when its time for exams!

*Organisation Tips*

Make to-do lists. Prepare your to-do list the night before. In doing so, you will know exactly what tasks you have to accomplish the next day.

Pack your bag the night before and ensure that you have everything you need for the following day.

Write the date next to any notes you take and title them so they are easy to identify. Putting page numbers on your notes is a good way to keep track of them.

Check your to-do list daily and cross off completed tasks.

Make sure your notes are complete. If you have incomplete notes it will be hard for you to learn from them when you are studying.

When you know you’ll have an upcoming exam,test,event or anything you must prepare for to attend, record it in your planner straight away. Don’t wait for later, you might forget it. 

Break up your study time. Work out how many study hours you will need and schedule the study time in your planner accordingly.

Set certain times of the day for studying,homework and other school-related activities and stick to it.

Work on the most important assignments with the closest deadlines and set aside time to work on longer-term projects.

Divide big assignments into smaller, more workable tasks.

Focus on the goals you’ve set for yourself and follow them up.

Never allow the work to build up. Always try to stay on top of everything and keep ahead of deadlines.

Use a wall calendar for each term. List all projects and exam dates for each subject as well as any other important commitments you have.

Label desk drawers with their contents.

*Study Tips*

Ask for copies of past exam papers. It’s always good to find out what kind of questions are included in exams and the best way to do this is to look through old exam papers.

The key to learning something well is repetition; the more time you go over the material the better chance you have of storing it permanently. 

Explain your work to others. Find someone who doesn’t understand the topic and teach it to them. This will help you to get it clear in your head. If you are unable to explain something clearly then more study is required.

Take short breaks during your study time. Eat nutritious food that helps your brain to focus and make sure you drink plenty of water.

Attend all review classes whenever possible.

Study in a well lit place with no distractions and have all the things you will need ready, such as paper, pens or a calculator. 

Create your own study aids to help you. Create an outline from your notes of the main points or create a timeline of important dates. Make up your own flash cards or quiz and have someone test you.

Study more difficult subjects first and do the easier, more fun ones after.

If there is anything you are unsure of ask your teacher for guidance. 

Set yourself a goal. Know what you want to accomplish before you begin to study.

Discuss topics with other students and arrange study groups to help each other.

Challenge yourself. A task thought of as too hard can slow you down. The same task thought of as a challenge can spur you on.

Time spent working on understanding issues saves time because you will then know what you are doing.

Find a study method that suits you. Make notes,use diagrams,flow charts and mind maps. Experiment and find what works for you.

Use any spare time you have to rewrite your notes and summarise your work.

*Exam/Tests Tips*

Read over the entire test and calculate how much time you will spend on each question.

Read the instructions carefully and make sure you understand what you have to do before you attempt to do it.

Answer questions directly. If you get stuck on a question, move on to the next one and come back to it later.

Leave time at the end to look over your work. Make sure you have answered every question and check your mistakes.

Eliminate obvious false answers first when doing multiple choice questions.

Good handwriting is essential. Train yourself to write quickly and neatly.

Don’t leave studying to the last minute. Cramming can cause you to panic and leave you too tired to think clearly the next day.

Read all assigned material well in advance of the exam date.

Over learn material for you exams. Continue to study past the point at which you think you know it well.

Always read the instructions and answer easy questions first.

Ensure your grammar, punctuation and spelling are correct. You may receive lower marks if your answer is poorly written or grammatically incorrect.

*Reading Tips*

Know what your purpose is for reading. How do you need to use this information? What do you expect to learn from reading this document?

Try skimming over the document first to get a sense of the general theme before you read it in more detail.

Make sure you understand what you are reading. If something doesn’t make sense then re-read it from where you became confused.

It may be helpful to read the words out loud or to form a picture in your mind of what you are reading to gain a deeper understanding.

Authors often include context clues to the meaning of words. The clue usually appears in the sentence or paragraph in which the word occurs.

*Listening Tips*

Listen out for key phrases from the teacher such as “this is important”, “you need to know this” and “it is essential”. 

Don’t confuse listening with hearing. Listening is an active activity, you must be thinking in order to listen.

Think about the reason why you are listening and set yourself a goal.This will help you focus on important information.

Today I…

Day 6 [6.2.17]: Doodle

9 nov. 2017; 85/100 days of productivity

december 7, 2017 — tfw u have a lot of holiday-themed stationery and not a lot of time to use it

another tv show entry on my journal! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ //