Hey everyone!

I can't believe I'm saying it but we are only a few short weeks away from ending yet another year of college. I have truly not had a school year go by as fast as this years has gone. With that being said, I have had my fair share of moments these past few weeks where I feel more stressed than usual and itching for some time off. I wanted to come up with a few ways that would help us all destress during those weeks of tension and stress, and I hope you enjoy!

Tip #1: Start a Show

Alright, so I might be a bit subjective here, but I'm not someone who gets addicted to shows easily, so if you're one of those people who finds themselves falling in love with characters after the pilot episode then I might not recommend this to you. However, if you're like me then I highly recommend interrupting your hours of studying with a break spent watching either an episode of TV or youtube. I'm currently watching American Idol and am loving this season so far!

Tip #2: Settle Into Bed and Read

While I'm not an avid reader, I certainly know quite a few people who are and who swear by reading as a way to destress and unwind. I was recently suggested the book, "The Girls" and can easily say this book is going to be my go-to for the next few nights! Reading a book during times of stress, or even before bed, can help your body unwind and allows you to focus on one simple activity rather than have your thoughts racing all over the place. 

Tip #3: Play Around on Pinterest 

Maybe I'm hopping onto the bandwagon a little late here, but I have really been loving Pinterest lately. I find just mindlessly scrolling through the pictures to be relaxing and am confident that you will, too. Shameless plug here. 

Tip #4: Create a Mini-Oasis 

We all have our nightly routines, and if you think you don't then now is the perfect time to start one! For me, I always turn on my salt rock, light a few candles, and go through my skincare steps before bed. Once done, I finish up my homework and proceed to unwinding. I like to spray my room with the Auracacia "Pillow Potion" oil and follow up with wearing my vegan eye mask from La Aquarelle. It sounds extra, but this is another one of those pieces you need if you're seriously considering being sustainable, as it is naturally dyed (meaning your skin isn't going to absorb any nasty chemicals) and is filled with lavender to help you sleep better.  I love ending my days with these pieces because, once I'm laying down, I feel so much better and relaxed.

Tip #5: Listen to Relaxing Sounds

Kind of arbitrary, but hear me out on this one. If I'm really stressed, the kind of stress where I have an oncoming headache and can feel myself losing motivation, I put in my headphones and listen to sounds. Personally, I'm a fan of the sound of the beach, a thunderstorm, or just plain white noise. These sounds are perfect for creating a soothing ambiance in your environment and easily make me feel like I'm somewhere else. It sounds foolish, but whatever helps you is worth doing, and if you find that listening to the wind and rain helps soothe you, then by all means do it. 

There you have it! Those are my five tips on finding ways to ground yourself and relax. I wanted to give you some options that are less of me telling you to go to the gym and more of me being honest and real. Let me know in the comments if any of these tips helped you or if you unwind by doing something else! Let's all help each other through these last few weeks; you've got this!

Hey everyone,

I hope you all have a great holiday this past week. On my end, I was able to get caught up on some homework and, since watching Marie Kondo's "Tidying Up", I was even inspired to organize up bits of my dorm room. 

In doing all of this, I realized that I tend to place emphasis on things that either don't matter or are simply bad for the environment. I've shared a few of my goals for the new year on here before, but this time around I really want to take charge with controlling more of the things I carry with me and want to strive to be more sustainable. I have teamed up with some amazing companies and hope that you will be inspired by each of the brands I work with and aren't as afraid to be more sustainable in your own life! 

Sustainable Option #1: A (Cute) Reusable Cup

This was the first major change I made in my day-to-day life, and I honestly don't regret it at all. I am a huge fan of hydro flasks and when I saw the tumblr that Angie, shop owner of "Simply JLynn", made I knew I had to have it in my life. What I love about reusable cups is that they are portable, easy to customize, and, in some ways, more versatile than traditional cups. In some instances, stores will even give you a discount for using your own mug. For those times when you want to grab a quick cup of coffee but don't want to lug your heavy water bottle, I highly suggest buying a tumblr. The one I have is the personalized tumblr cup, viewable HERE, with initials in the rose gold color with the interlocking script. I can't stress enough how much I love this cup and how many compliments I have gotten with it around campus. For those of you more interested in hot drinks, HERE is a link to one of her mugs I am obsessed with!   

Sustainable Switch #2: Aromatherapy Candles

Believe it or not, many scented candles contain ingredients that release tons of harmful chemicals into our air; some of which end up ingested into our bodies. To name a few, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and lead are all popular chemicals that have harmful side effects (Source: Molekule Blog) to our environment. In my search for new ways to care for myself, I wanted to find more natural, safer ways to clean the air around me and through this found that candles with a soy wax are healthier for the air and your body (because, hello, you're not inhaling those gross toxins!). Even more, companies are beginning to employ essential oils and even crystals into their candles. Using essential oils, rather than unnatural scents, are overall safer for you and also help to create a more enjoyable experience. Now when it comes to crystal candles, I'm no expert by any means, but I do know that many people believe in the power of crystals and their properties. Whether you do or don't, the nice thing is that companies like The Divine Femme include an informational sheet on the crystals and oils in their candles, ensuring you learn a little something with each purchase. Even better, companies like The Divine Femme are entirely self-supported, meaning each purchase goes directly into helping support a small business. What's better than supporting small businesses rather than large corporations? 

Sustainable Switch #3: Laundry Dryer Balls

Now, in the spirit of sustainability I wanted to share with you my new holy-grail: dryer balls. Rather than spend my money on dryer sheets that I'm likely going to use once and just toss, I have decided to invest into dryer balls. They come in various forms, ranging from wool to plastic, and can be reused for years. Depending on which you try, you might find that they reduce static, help speed up drying time, and are safer for your clothes. I personally use two dryer balls from target, but have not used them enough to say if I've noticed a difference. HERE is a link to view the most popular one on Amazon, where you can learn more about the benefits to switching to dryer balls. 

How are you making strides to being more sustainable? While only three, I hope this post inspired you to make switches to the things you drink out of, wash your clothes with, and even decorate your space with. Next week I hope to tackle clothing, and how I am choosing to be more sustainable in my fashion choices! This hasn't been easy, but it has certainly been eye opening! 

Until next time, 

Hi everyone,

Having a consistent self-care routine is a must for anyone studying abroad, and in today's post I wanted to share with you all how I've been staying sane while abroad. It's required some patience on my end, but I know that without following this strict routine that I would likely be stressed out and looking a hot mess. Without further ado, here is how a typical day of self-care (abroad) looks like:

What is critical is having a solid, daily routine. Every morning I wake up at the same time, 6am, and immediately wash my face. I may not want to, but I know that its something I need to do to wake myself up and get started on my day. The farther into this semester I get the harder it seems to be to pull myself out of bed, but once I'm through washing I already feel better. 

After washing my face I slip my feet into my slippers and make my way to my desk, where I spend the next hour watching news, reality tv, and even some of my favorite youtubers (Was anyone else obsessed with Shane Dawson's series?). This relaxes me but also preps me for the day. It's an integral part of my morning because I give myself that much-needed time to unwind and decompress before hitting the ground running. 

The rest of the day is spent in class and out and about in the city. However, the latter part of my self-care comes in the form of my nightly routine. I know, I talk about this a lot, but I truly believe that this nightly routine has left me less stressed and more relaxed. 

After my shower I spend some time lounging in my silk robe and doing anything from nose sheets to applying serum. After waking up early and spending all day out and about, taking an hour out of my day to care for my face makes all the difference. I end my night by wearing an eye mask with a cooling pack inside, which helps my eyes de-puff and also allows the products on my face to absorb better. Trust me, nothing keeps my under-eye bags away like some good eye cream and a cooling eye mask!

If you're someone not into skincare, here are three other ways I prioritize self-care in my life:

1.  Take time to treat myself. I love bargaining, and I like to treat myself every so often with a trip to AP Plaza, where I got my silk robe. 

2. Drinking enough water. This is extremely important and I've found that by using different methods (games, different bottles, or even using tea sometimes to supplement water) I am able to trick myself into drinking more each day

3. Walking at least ten thousands steps each day, not so I can hit my daily goal but so that I can donate the steps on WeChat to a charity of choice. 

What do you think? Let me know down below what self care tricks you practiced while abroad! 

Until next time,

Hi everyone!

In the past year I think we can all attest to the growing number of men and women who talk about self love and self care. It's not a new concept, but as far as trends go, it's not exactly one that has been in the books for a while.

I'll be the first to admit that when I first heard about self love that I was skeptical. The whole "take care of yourself first" started to irk me after I saw a couple dozen posts about it. Truth be told, the saying, "No one can love you until you love yourself" is a complete lie and I don't find any credibility in it. 

However

Self care, not "poems" of self love, but true to the core self care, is not a fad and is something I have grown to believe in and find legitimacy in. Let me give you a few examples of why self care isn't a fad, and with that, some reasons why they are healthy habits to have. 

#1: Work up a healthy sweat

You've heard me go on and on about my workout routines and how I swear my weights, but have you considered the benefits of even just walking? Many times when exercise gets brought up in conversation, our anxiety peaks and our breathing begins to quicken. Working up a healthy sweat would be completing exercises like: walking during your lunch break outside, doing squats to your favorite song before a shower, or even practicing slow, steady breathing before bed. Don't automatically assume that working out needs to involve high intensity training, working out could simply mean taking your dog for a walk around the neighborhood! 

#2: Treat your skin now and thank yourself later

Skin care is so important, and if taking 30 minutes out of your day to work on your skin isn't exactly inviting, take a look at the different benefits of skin care. My favorite way to wind down at night is to spend time cleansing, moisturizing, and rolling my face. Now, I'm sure you were following until I said 'rolling', right? Well, my current obsession, with amazing health benefits are jade rollers. Jade rollers help promote circulation, help de-puff the face, help reduce wrinkles, help reduce acne, and, if you believe in crystals, the stone jade helps to draw out negative impurities and balance ones qi.  

#3: Write, write, write

Writing, along with consistent reading, is a great habit to have. In the time I have spent blogging, writing has helped me develop a voice and expand my vocabulary. It requires I use more creative words, rather than repeat them, and forces me to take an opinion. Ever read an article where the author simply goes, "I dunno, but what do you think?" No! Writing is a skill you will need to utilize for the rest of your life, so why not take 10 minutes out of your day to grow as a writer?

I hope you enjoyed these three self care tips. Exercising is a very common way to treat yourself, skin care is my preferred method, and writing is something I enjoy doing as a hobby. Tell me, what are your ways you take care of yourself? 

Hey everyone,

Today I wanted to elaborate on my post from yesterday, "How Summer Break Recharged Me". 

I made a point to say how I would rather work during the mornings rather than the evening, and I'm sure, to some, this was quite the juxtaposition. Why would I, if I'm not a morning person, prefer working in the mornings and not enjoy sleeping in?

The answer is simple, but long enough to where I wanted to elaborate on why I believe I function better that way.

Short answer is because I value my time in the day. Easy, right?

Long answer is because I cannot stand to not be up and at 'em by a certain time in the morning. A typical morning for me means that I have to be awake by 8, anything later and I feel like I'm missing out on my day or what I could be doing. I may not be your typical "night owl", but I'll be damned if I don't take advantage of every hour I'm given for that day.

It's how I've always been and I don't ever see that changing about me. For class I would rather have the 8am than the 3pm, and the same goes for work. Some days it's hard, like really hard, to wake up but the mornings go by so much faster than the afternoon, in my opinion. Anyone else agree with me here?

Regardless, I'm not saying that by any means do I like being more prone to early morning rising, but I am saying that I feel much more impactful and effective by waking up and starting my day before noon. 

Do you find yourself more productive in the mornings or the evening? Let me know your thoughts down below!