Affirmation: Life Is Going To Get Better From Here.

Reflection: Everyone is broken in some way. Why is being broken so bad?

03/30/2025

Started the day with a nice breakfast and an episode of Earl and Fairy =). Now, let's get down to business ~

Anime atm 😍: Earl and Fairy

Completed

✅ Breakfast

✅ Watch anime

✅ Check school emails

✅ Pay bills

✅ Buy A Little to The Left bundle 💖

✅ Rewatch Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

✅ Group project 1 paper (2 hours)

✅ Dinner

✅ Thesis (2 hours) - I did it 😭

✅ Play A Little to The Left

✅ Group project 2 paper (30 mins)

To-Dos

NONE!

[Ended at 1:30am] I can't believe I actually worked on everything I said I would do today. This is the first time this has ever happened 😭. I am so proud of myself! Even though not everything got finished, I think this is a good start. I am building trust in myself to be able to work consistently.

Thank you for y'all's support. Thank you for reading about my progress. This has been the most helpful thing I've done so far to get myself back on track. Thank you x100000000000 🩵

Some motivation to start today =)

Even when you're tired, remember why you started.

Another super cool post for keepsake 🩵

I’m always getting stressed out by things happening so here are some resources I find helpful

Music

I don’t know about you but I find piano music are really relaxing and soothing

Piano music playlist

Peaceful piano Spotify playlist by @spotify

Piano background music Spotify playlist

Rainy sounds

Burning fireplace sounds

Wave sounds

Videos, movies, dramas

Buzzfeed Celeb

Food

Buzzfeed Worth It Season [1/2/3/4/5]

Movies

Free movies/tv

Marvel movies masterpost by @girlintoomanyfandoms

Classic chick flicks by @jamescookjr

Cinemasins

Studytubes

Studytubes by @memorisu

AmandaRachLee

Cheyenne Barton (@studyrose )

Music

The Voice Kids [Australia/Germany]

Video games

Buzzfeed Multiplayer (eg. Until Dawn, Dead by daylight, Cooking Mama)

True crimes and supernatural

Buzzfeed unsolved

Comedies (old but gold)

Friends

Mind your language

Bewitched

Dr Ken suggested by @akydemics

Exercise

Fitness & health for student by @abby-studies-art

Deep breathing exercises

Sleep

Guide to sleep by @educatier

Tips for balancing sleep & education by @brbimstudying

The perfect night sleep by @paintitbright

How to go to bed early and actually fall asleep

Night routine and sleeping tips

Tips and tricks for getting enough sleep by @candydsgn

Meditation

Meditation and focus by @studyquill

Put a thought in the star

Treat yourself

Simple ways to treat yourself by @anitastudy

Guide to treating yourself by @pennyfynotes

25 No/Low cost self care acts by @gaygirlhustle

Water

How to drink more water ft printables

Hydration masterpost

Breaks

Use the pomodoro method where you study for 25 minutes and rest for 5 minutes to allow your brain to re-energise itself.

Take a break

Types of study breaks by @samsstudygram

Tips for getting better rest by @overstudies

9 things to do on a study break by @studyzine

Study break ideas by @gomedorgohome

What to do during a study break by @emmastudies

Things i do when taking a study break by @produitivity

Meals

Study break snacks by @gentlysoft

15 food to ease your study life by @studybowie

Easy recipes for students by @aestudier

Broke college kid masterpost by @dumplinghead-usagi

Bullet journal

Start a bullet journal

Apps

Apps that help me destress by @gracelearns

Forest

Overdrive

Positivity

My positivity tag

@chibird

@cwote

@lovelysuggestions

A website that compliments you

Who is the cutest

Quizzes

Buzzfeed quizzes

Pottermore quizzes

Others

Learn coding

All you need for high school

Math help and advice

How to take notes

Mental health masterpost

Ace your essays

Ace your exams

How to be productive

Free printables masterpost

Stationery masterlist by @architstudy

Other masterposts

Selfcare masterpost

Day 4

On days like this, I feel like I'm stepping backward, unwinding all the hard work I've put forward in the past few days. It hasn't even been a week yet...

My dog has been whining right before I go to bed to be taken out. Having presentations and essays back-to-back for my classes. Group projects are due soon. Spring break is in a few days. My thesis work is ongoing but not where I need it to be. - Things just aren't right.

I want to feel excited again. I want to feel alive again. I want to be free.

When I got home from school today, I laid down on the couch and started reading a webnovel. I ended up napping for two hours, and then realize that I still need to make food and it'll be time for bed. But I still have my daily assignments I need to get done, and my notes, and my thesis, and... My mind is going in a spiral but my body is moving like a turtle. All I want to do is read my webnovel and escape my stressful reality at the moment.

I'm going to muster the little strength that I still have to complete the essentials for tomorrow, and then call it a night. Maybe it is a day of necessary rest today.

04/01/2025

Today, I witnessed my growth. The same things no longer trigger the same reaction as I have learned to take a deep breath and trust in the process. I feel more in tune with myself, even though I did not get enough sleep the night before and the school day was long. Today feels like something finally shifted to the right direction, and I can hear my inner guidance clearly again. Today has been great so far =)

I think this is mostly thanks to my oracle card telling me to take "a day of silence." I haven't been alone with myself without music for a long time. I used to have evenings after work when I would unwind with chores and give myself time to process and express my inner thoughts. But grad school and living situations made it difficult. I didn't know how out of tune I have been with myself until I finally turned my thoughts and attention inwards today. It has been a wonderful experience so far. Awkward but meaningful.

Completed

✅ Group project 1 presentation 🎉

✅ School

✅ Part-time job

✅ Watch Kaichou wa Maid-Sama!

✅ Break time + nap

✅ Call my parents

✅ Dinner

✅ Watch Earl and Fairy

✅ Read and reply to school emails

✅ Group project 2 paper (1.5 hours)

To-Dos

Finished but I'm not too satisfied because I didn't get to finish more of the project paper than I had wanted. Guess it'll just need to happen tomorrow.

Trying to take it easy and not be so hard on myself today 🩵

Transitions are hard...

Like I know I got diagnosed last year with ADHD, but I haven't felt like this in so long? Seriously, I don't know how I've functioned so well in college, and now in PhD, my brain is starting to give up on me.

I wish my school or someone had taught me how to use a neurodivergent brain growing up. Maybe it would be less difficult right now.

It feels like I make a plan, and then the next thing I know, my brain chooses not to follow it cause it's not exciting enough. I wish I could just work 4 hours a day and then rest and recharge using the remaining time. I know this is impossible with my current workload and commitment, but I can't wait for that day to come when I can create my schedule and I don't have to worry about not having enough income each month.

Good luck my pals who are also neurodivergent ~

Does anyone else use Notion to take notes and stay organized?

I thought I'd list a few tips of making Notion more fun to use as you study/journal! And perhaps some of it is already SUPER obvious so I'm sorry if this list ends up being useless🥹💗.

I'll be using a mock-garden journal template to point out the tips!

1. Add emojis to your database titles—or to everything!

Add emojis to everything! It can honestly make it more fun to look at, even the calendar above looks cuter (double click to zoom in)!

But if that is a little overwhelming, but you still want to use emojis in a “quaint” way, you can make your database title a series of emojis. Like below!

I clicked the three dots, then clicked “edit database title.” I chose three tulips just to keep it on my garden-theme. So cute! 🌷🌷🌷

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2. Utilize the calculate button—in case you didn't know how to!

Maybe you already new this but I struggled to figure this out at some point lol! At the very bottom of a table right after the "+ New page" row, if you hover you'll see the "calculate" row.

When you want to add/average/whatever just click the "More options"! Yay, math!

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3. Solid colors as covers (from Unsplash) are very relaxing!

This one is super simple. I find that sometimes a solid cover for gallery pages is really nice to look at.

So I’m prone to typing specific shades I’m looking for into the Unsplash menu:

What I do is, I click a page, go to 'change cover' and choose Unspalsh. Then type in something like “pastel green” or “baby pink”. If the options aren’t enough, you can go directly to unsplash.com and find a free one! Example below of lovely solid colors!

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4. Easily change card sizes to adjust your galleries aesthetic

You can easily change card size to a just the aesthetic of your galleries ! Go to the little three dots at the top of your gallery (shown above), click layout, then card size! Now you can choose between S, M, L!

Bonus tip: if you go to ‘card preview,’' still under layout, you can choose what will be displayed on the front of your cards.

In the above example, I chose ‘page content’ 'cuz all the bullet points and todo lists looked so neat! Hehe! But you can choose 'page cover' if you have a fun image/color.

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Ands that’s all my loves! Let me know what you think in the comments! <3

If you like the look of these template snapshots and you coincidentally need to organize your garden project or any other project that fits the vibe (hehe), you can get it for free! I'll pop the link to it in the comments!

I hope this is helpful-ish!

HUGS!

Anastasia

~**~ Pinterest Inspirations ~**~

I have been overwhelmed lately with everything I realize I need to finish by the end of the semester, which is in 7 weeks. Sadly, my birthday is within the next 7 weeks, and I would hate to be stressed out on my birthday weekend. I was in a similar spot last year having to finish preparing for a presentation the night before my birthday. I wish it would've been different. And I so do not wish this fate upon myself again this year.

Another year, a better me.

It's time to change how I handle my schoolwork and life in general. No more hiding away or being frozen in place. I have to keep my eyes open no matter what comes my way and see it for what it is - a challenge I have been trained to overcome. It just gets a little scary when everything gets thrown at you at the same time.

I like this post! It reaffirmed some things I've learned in the past =)

Two things I would modify from the first two bullet points under the first point are:

Be authentic: Don't fake it if you're feeling not OK, sad, or other negative emotions. You don't need to fully explain yourself (it's a privilege for the people who care about you and you trust). But don't hide your true self and put on a mask just because you don't want to scare people away. Life has its ups and downs. The right people for you are going to understand that we have our feelings and it's OK.

Understand what you needs and communicate your needs: I learned this from my therapy training. There are times we want to vent, to scream, to cry, to talk about our problems with someone else. If you have experienced people pulling away because you're talking about your problem or "complaining," it might not be because you shouldn't talk about your problems and just go figure it out yourself. It might be due to the people you talk to do not know what you need and they want to handle your problem based on their own way. They could also have low energy when you share with them and they do not have extra energy to share your pain. If you want to vent, ask the person you want to talk with if they have the time and energy for you to vent about what is going on. And if you cannot find someone to vent to and you know you need someone to give you a safe and non-judgmental space to talk, it is always an option to see a therapist and see if it is what you need.

Have a wonderful day, lovely humans 🩵

how to build bridges and make meaningful connections ❀•°❀

for the girlies who want more than just superficial relationships

1. be the kind of energy that people want to stay around

be light, not draining. bring warmth, humor, and softness where you can. I always try to smile at people when I talk to them or see them, and people notice how I'm happy to hang out with them. just bringing a positive energy immediately draws people towards you.

try not to complain. everybody has struggles, and while venting can feel natural, it can also quietly drain the energy from conversations and people listening. personally, I struggle with this too. but, when we constantly focus on what's wrong, we unknowingly push people away. no one wants to feel like every conversation is a weight to carry.

instead, try adding something lighter or more meaningful. instead of saying, "I'm so stressed," try "this week is super busy, but I'm making time for a break soon." it's not about pretending that life's perfect, but being mindful of the energy you bring to a space.

show up with consistency. make plans for lunch and actually show up. remember small things that they say in conversations. it's always the greatest feeling when someone remembers that I had an important performance or difficult test and then ask me about it afterwards.

2. connect through conversation

make eye contact. it's uncomfortable, I get it. but, when you look someone in the eye while they're talking to you, it makes you look 1) more engaged about what they're saying, and 2) more genuinely appreciative of their presence. practice doing it little by little every day, and soon, it will become like second-nature.

share stories, not just facts. I think that conversations come alive with small stories with details that make moments memorable. for example, instead of just saying “I had a phone as a kid because I was on the soccer team” (fact), i added layers: “I got a phone because I went to soccer matches as a kid! I was terrible at soccer, but I helped the team by tricking opponents into thinking I’d get the ball. basically, I was a glorified decoy” (story). true story, by the way.

3. acknowledge them, even if you are not actively hanging out.

greet them by name. when you see them while walking, make an effort to remember their name and say hi. I feel that greetings come off as much more genuine when I address them personally.

if you don't know their name, still make an effort to smile and wave. I would still appreciate it if someone takes the time to acknowledge me, even for a little moment, because it shows that they care.

4. embrace compliments and connection

take compliments. I'll be the first to admit, I struggle with this too. but, isn't it a bit awkward when you give someone a compliment and they instantly deflect it with "oh but I look so ugly today like my hair is whack and my eyeliner is uneven" (calling myself out...)? instead, I think it's best to thank them genuinely for noticing you, even if you don't fully agree with their compliment. receive it with gratitude, not self-criticism. it's not about actually being perfect, but appreciating the kindness behind their words.

compliment them back, and be observant about it. you could just say, "you look amazing too" (though that's still nice). but, the next step could be noticing something specific, like their earrings or the way they carry themselves. or, share what you actually admire about them, like their kindness or determination. it's about making your compliment feel personal and thoughtful.

if you admire someone, tell them. it only sounds fake if you make it fake.

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remember, real connections are built on authenticity and kindness. it's not about being perfect. it's about being genuine, showing up, and appreciating the people around you. now, you just have a few more tools on how to make these connections and be the friend that you would appreciate in your own life.

thank you for reading all the way through as always. wishing everybody all the good things in the world and a blessed rest of your day <3

sending lots of love, q's playlist