Hobbies

Hello Soul Family,

Sorry for the inconsistency with my posts, I've been doing online classes for the remainder of the semester. It has been quite an adjustment to my education and learning. Now that it is over, I will have more of a schedule. I know these times have been hard, but hopefully, we're all adjusting alright. For those working, I give you all credits to what you're doing because it takes a lot to go into work right now, and we're all a bit drained from the stress. Well, I hope all of you have found some hobbies to keep you busy at this time. I have picked up some old hobbies such as drawing and reading and even some new ones. I picked up some photography, and I started taking some classes to help improve my art. Now is the time to pick up hobbies and learn new ones while you have the time. Being creative keeps the brain young and active, which helps improve mental health. Before you decide to pick up a hobby, I would make a list of things you like and things you would want to try. Then from there, go out and try them and stick with the ones you enjoy. I hope you all find hobbies that you will enjoy, and I hope all of you stay in good health. 

The Little Things

Hello Soul Family,

How is everyone doing? I hope all of you are making the most out of your time at home and finding ways to keep yourself and mind at ease during this time. I figured I would share something small tonight with you guys to help keep a positive mindset and just send good vibes out there for those who need it. Life is full of so many beautiful things, and a majority of them are overlooked daily because we are so busy with our routines and forget to appreciate these small things. I'm here to tell you that once they are noticed, it really calms you so much and shows you to enjoy life a little more. For example, Sundays, I'm usually working all day and don't get to spend time with my family. So, I took the week off because I needed a couple days to regroup. I got to eat breakfast with my mother and do my morning yoga while enjoying a hot cup of tea. Once the sunset and the moon came out, I sat out in my backyard and soaked up the good vibes the moon was giving off and just looked at the stars with an apple-scented candle with tea. I got to slow down and breathe. This really helped me, so I encourage you all to take time out to appreciate the little things like your morning coffee and waking up after a full eight-hour night of sleep; doing so will help boost your mood and help you enjoy life.

Mental Breaks

Hello Soul Family,
During this time, I'm here to talk about the importance of mental breaks. I know most of us are at home "relaxing," but really, we aren't relaxed at all; our minds are still racing. So here I am telling you that if you are one of the essential workers such as myself, it is okay to take a day to yourself right now, especially. Trust me, your boss will understand. Your mental health is just as crucial as your physical health, so I'm going to talk about some benefits to taking a mental break. Now during these mental breaks, I know we can't completely shut off our brains or thoughts no matter how much we would like to some days; it is simply not possible. I will give some tips to slow down the mind aside from these benefits.
First, let's start with the benefits of taking a day to breathe. To figure out the benefits, let's start with the part of the brain you are giving a break; your prefrontal cortex. This part of your brain is known for doing all the goal-oriented thinking during our daily tasks. Aside from that, physically resting the body will help ease your mind and allow you to think more clearly, which allows for better productivity. One thing that I've always found that helps put my mind at ease is yoga. When I do yoga, I focus on my breath and how my body feels in the present. I usually also find that when I do this, I get answers because I'm allowing my mind to breathe in a sense.
Do you ever have those moments where you want to do something, but your brain is too fried to write that blog or edit that video? Well, mental breaks help with motivation. This time to give your mind the time to relax gives you the energy to do the things you love and get that last page done on your paper. Did you know mental breaks can also help maintain creativity? You're on the couch napping or chilling under a fuzzy blanket, and you have that moment where you're thinking, "That's a perfect idea," you have your downtime to thank for that. I can't even tell you how many moments I've had like that during times where I was half-asleep on my couch and too tired to grab my sketchbook or laptop. Well, if you're like me, maybe it's a good idea to keep your sketchbook, laptop, or notebook next to you when you're like that.
Now that we have talked about the benefits of taking a mental break let's talk about how to get the most out of your mental health day. First, I recommend eating a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so you're feeling pretty good instead of being sluggish, running off of 5 cups of coffee. I personally start my day with a glass of water or a cup of hot tea with my oatmeal. After that, I usually do a relaxing yoga session to calm my mind, but if you don't like yoga, you could always go for a walk to help put yourself at ease.  The one thing I don't often do is taking power naps, and personally, I recommend this for everyone. It is the best feeling when you wake up energized and ready to take on the world, well, that is the feeling after a power nap. Meditation is another thing many of us could use a bit of, considering it helps reduce stress and promotes good emotional health. This doesn't have to be lengthy, five minutes is all it takes. I know it sounds long, but in reality, once you start to ease your mind, you will find that it goes by quick. Lastly, tea. One of my favorite things in the whole world. Yes, drinking tea can help your mental health. The caffeine can help you be productive, but if you're like me and drink herbal tea, it can boost your mood. I usually find myself in a better mood when I'm sipping on a hot cup of moringa tea.
I hope quarantine is treating all of you well, and I hope you're all safe and healthy. Remember to take your vitamins, stay hydrated, and wash your hands. Let me know what topics you would like me to cover in the comments below.
Good night Soul Family :)
Mental Break Benefits deep dive      Meditation Benefits deep dive

Helping Hand

Hello Soul Family,
How are all of you doing? I hope all of you are safe and healthy during these crazy times, going on in the world. I'm here to lend you all a helping hand in a sense and remind you that you aren't alone through all this crazy and stressful. We will all get through this together. We all just need a reliable support system full of loving people at this moment, especially now when all of us are at home. For some, it may be hard being at home because of issues going on at home, or they get too much in their own thoughts and have anxiety. I just so happen to be the kind of person where if I spend too much time at home, my anxiety starts to take control. It kind of gets the best of me, but lately, I started getting back into Christianity. I decided to give it a second chance with my boyfriend Joseph, who has also been along with me for the ride. We have been doing our bedtime prayers together and keeping the safety and health of our loved ones in our prayers. I think having faith in times like these is good because it keeps us going, and it brings people together in a time of need, which is precisely what I am trying to do here.
I understand it is good to stay updated with what is going on in the world with the current situation. Still, don't make the media your life right now because you won't find it to be useful right now. Find ways to make yourself happy that isn't spending money, considering most of us are out of jobs at the moment. Take this free time to focus on yourself and try new hobbies and find more about yourself. Who are you is the big question to ask yourself. Find out what makes you happy and what doesn't, and if you feel the need to do so, act upon those in a way that doesn't involve leaving your home or hurting yourself. Lately, I have found that I don't always need to use my tarot to get questions answered and that not all questions have a direct answer or an answer at all. I still enjoy using my crystals for boosting my mood and bringing balance to my body and mind. Now I'm trying to see where both of these aspects fit into my life and be my best self. Ultimately, it is my life, and I need to stop wearing a mask to please people.
Back on track now... I'm going to try my best to be the support system for those that don't have it during these times because nobody deserves to go through this alone. We are all a community here, and I hope all of you lift each other up in times of hardship. I love all of you, and I will keep your health and safety in my prayers.

Remember to Love Yourself

Hello Soul Family,

Tonight I am here to remind you about the importance of self-love. Self-love is vital to be truly happy, but many of us brush it off with the excuse of "I don't have the time for that." but in actuality you do, you just don't feel like making the time for it which ultimately leads us in a downward spiral. You always have time for yourself, it's your choice if you make the time for your needs and wants. In life, your happiness comes first, and I know it may sound selfish, but it's true. Nobody can make you happy, only you can do that for yourself. This is something I am still learning in my nineteen years of life. Being in toxic friendships that made my world crumble and being in past relationships that I thought made me happy when I was actually codependent on the person to bring me happiness. Well, now I've been learning how much of an amazing, kind, and compassionate person I am, and I can say that once you learn this, it makes loving someone else much better. There are many ways to show yourself some love, whether it be curling up under a blanket watching your favorite series on Netflix or going out to get a massage; they are both forms of self-love. Some ways of self-love that I practice are yoga, my morning pep talks as I look in the mirror, meditation, and making a list of all the things I love about myself. Remember that in some sense, you are like a plant; to grow, you need to show the plant love along with its needs for it to blossom.

Love Yourself :)

Plants

Hello Soul Family,

I'm back again with another post. Tonight's theme: plants. I'm pretty sure all of us have had at least one plant, had it die, and we told ourselves never again. Well, I used to be one of those people now I'm a proud plant mom of eight lovely plant babies. I will say plants are hard at first because you don't know the specific needs of the plant, but as you go along, it gets easier. The first plant I had was a cactus, and I somehow managed to kill that. As the year went by, I got better with my hobby of taking care of my plants, in fact, it is one of my favorite hobbies. I find this hobby very relaxing and mindful, and it helps me with my stress for the most part. When my plants get sick, though, forget that then I'm freaking out. I can proudly say that all of my plants are up to par with their health, even my orchid Ruby. I've been a plant mom for a little over a year now, and I will say my plant family is nowhere near complete. I will someday have my entire room filled with plants, and I will take care of all of them. Some plants that I have in mind that I would like to get would have to be a lotus bonsai, English ivy, a string of pearls, pothos, and a zz plant. Recommendations for those of you starting with plants I would say a snake plant is your best bet. My reason behind this is that it is a low maintenance plant that can tolerate low light. You only need to water this air-purifying plant once a month, and it can be placed in a corner that doesn't get much sun. Just make sure to give it an ice cube a two once a month, and you should be alright. Now, if you're a little more on the advanced side with plants, I would recommend looking at bonsai plants. These plants are very pleasing to the eye, but don't let that fool you; they need a bit more attention. They need to be trimmed, shaped, and watered once a week. The one bonsai that I own is my money tree. I have managed to keep it healthy for a few months now. I water it once a week with two ice cubes, and I keep it next to my window to make sure it gets proper lighting throughout the day while I'm at school. Overall, I would say that plants are an excellent way to brighten up your home. I hope you all have a fantastic night, and if you have plants, give them some love.

Indoor Plant Ideas

Meditation

Hello Soul Family,

It's me again. Tonight I am here with a topic that a majority of you probably heard of, meditation. Meditation is something I do or try to do every day. This small habit that I have formed has really impacted my life for the better. Before I started adding meditation to my routine, I was a ball of anxiety. Every day used to be a mess, and I would worry about everything much more than I should, and it was taking a toll on my health. My skin was covered in acne, I had consistent migraines, and I was in a constant state of anxiety. This was when I decided to change my routine. I already knew about meditation and had done it before, but never really stuck with it because I kept telling myself that I don't have the time for it. Fast forward to 2019, and that is when I decided this time would be different; I would stick to it. I started doing meditation for ten minutes every morning, and ever since, my well-being has never been better. Meditation has been proven to have many benefits for your health. A few benefits that meditation has, it can help reduce anxiety, promote emotional health, increased awareness, and can improve sleep. Stress reduction is the number one reason why people meditate. Meditation reduces the hormones that are released from stress, such as cortisol. The cortisol being released into the body causes inflammation, depression, anxiety, increases your blood pressure, and can contribute to fatigue and cloudy thinking. Meditation has been proven to reduce that which can help with emotional health and physical health overall. During meditation, we also become more aware of our thoughts and surroundings. This helps us gain a stronger sense of self and how we can relate to others. So I think we can all agree that meditation is an excellent way to help positively reduce stress. Whether it is for two minutes or twenty minutes of meditation, it all has beneficial outcomes for your health as a whole. I hope you all have a good night and try setting aside a few minutes to meditate because, in your life, your health comes first.

Benefits of Meditation

Routines

Hello Soul Family,

I'm back with another topic that is not just interesting, but essential now that school is right around the corner. Tonight's theme is routines. Yes, routines may seem dull at first, but they are very crucial for a pathway to success. In one of the books I'm reading right now called "Atomic Habits," the author James Clear states that success is based on systems, not just goals. This is something that I can agree on one hundred percent; indeed, success is based on methods and purposes. Now, routines are like systems to help you improve by 1% each day. Yes, I know one percent may not be that much, but if you increase by one percent each day for a year, you will be thirty-seven times better than who you were when you started out, according to James Clear. The routine most people have is a morning routine. I can say from experience having a morning routine sets the mood for the rest of my day and will help start my day off right. I always make sure to make my bed as soon as I get up in the morning, this ensures that if I don't finish all of my morning routines that I have a little something done; it makes me feel like I won a mini trophy. Start off small and work your way up with your routines, and don't be hard on yourself if you miss a day; just hop back into it the next day. With routines start with maybe 3 or 4 habits that are must-haves then, add more personal ones that you think you need. With me, my morning ritual used to be breakfast, brushing my teeth, then running out the door to catch the bus. Fast forward a few years, and now I added meditation and gratitude journaling in the morning to help boost my mood before I really start my day. This has also helped me boost my confidence, and how I see myself, not overnight, of course, it took a matter of time, but it has helped a bunch. I encourage all of you to go out there and start your own daily routine; however, it may be, but make sure it is only lifting you up because you are enough!

Twin Flames

Hello Soul Family,

Here I am with an exciting topic tonight, which I am sure a few of you have heard at least once. Twin Flames, yeah, I am sure many of us are still a bit confused about what they are and what makes them different from a soul mate. Well, in this blog, I am going to tell you what a twin flame is, how they are different from a soul mate, and my experience with this topic. First of all, twin flames are, in theory, two people that share the same soul but are split into two different bodies. This person isn't supposed to be your perfect match, but instead, they are your ideal mirror. This can make some aspects of the relationship shared with them seem like a rollercoaster full of highs and lows. These twin flame relationships can have a run and chase pattern to them. Like one day, you might be the one sending all the texts or calls, and then the next day, the roles are switched. In a sense, they complete us on a much deeper scale than soul mates do. Now that you know what a twin flame is, let's hop into the differences between a twin flame and a soul mate. We all have many different soul mates, but only one twin flame. These soul mates come into our lives to show us lessons we need to learn to grow. While on the other hand, you only have one twin flame that grows alongside you. Okay, now that I have told you a bit about what a twin flame is and what the difference between a twin flame and a soul mate is, I will tell my twin flame story. So the start of my twin flame story goes back to the year 2010, back when I was in my 5th-grade year, on my first day of middle school. I had just started playing chess at the time and thought I was pretty good, so when I saw this guy playing a game of chess, I decided it was my turn to play. Initially, I walked up to him and asked to play against him in a game of chess, and he said yes. This connection was an instant friendship, like a spark. At the time I had no idea that it would turn into something so beautiful years down the line, I just thought I made a friend. Now, fast forward to September of 2015, I'm fifteen in 10th-grade, and I see a familiar face in my gym class. I had a gut feeling that it was the boy I hadn't seen since the fifth grade, and I was right, it was the same boy. I found it pretty amazing! After five years of practically not being in contact at all, we were able to pick up right where we had left off as if it never happened. In a matter of days, we exchanged numbers and started talking as if we were best friends. We hung out all the time in gym class and poked fun at each other a bit, but as the year came to a close, so was his 12th-grade year, he was moving on to adulthood while I was still trying to figure out trig. So we always had each other's numbers, but we didn't talk for some time. Almost two years went by until we came together again. I was going through some rough patches with the guy I was dating at the time and a friend of mine being really ill, and he was in a rough patch at the time as well. A couple months go by now; it's early July of 2018; at this point, mister ex-boyfriend and I are no longer together, and my twin flame was making sure I was okay. The two of us hung out all summer, just telling each other everything, and to both of our surprise, we started dating in September that same year. I will say this, by no means is a twin flame relationship going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time. It's like a rollercoaster. There are ups as well as downs, but if it is meant to be, I know that they will always bounce back into the relationship still full of love. I can say genuinely, though, that from my experience meeting my twin has been the best thing that has happened. So, go out there and embrace who you are because maybe you will meet your twin flame.

More About Twin Flames

Small Victories Matter Too

Hello Soul Family,
Today I am going to talk about the small victories. The small victories are just as important as the significant victories, and that is something a majority of us tend to forget. That is something I am learning to appreciate more of, especially when it comes to my goals, whether those goals are for the year or that very day. It is essential to celebrate the little things. Choosing to drink the water over that sugary soda or waking up a couple minutes earlier to eat breakfast instead of going to work on an empty stomach are some examples. These are very significant and should be celebrated with something positive, so it is remembered as something positive. Each small step forward towards improvement deserves to be celebrated in one way or another. Some ways to celebrate may seem a bit quirky and weird, but I can guarantee you might laugh a little bit when you do them. With me, how I celebrate completing my morning is by either giving myself a big hug or I play a song I am in the mood to listen to and dance around a bit. How I celebrate completing my evening is quite simple, I curl up under my blankets, and maybe I have a nice cup of chamomile tea with a book. Even if you have to force this affirmative action the first couple of times, it will eventually become second nature. The routine you are trying to build will become a habit. I encourage you to try a couple different ways to celebrate the small things in life; not only will it help you with your goals, but it will help you look at life with a glass half full attitude.
Don't forget to celebrate the little victories too

2020 and Goals

Hello Soul Family,

It's me again. Here I am with another blog on this chilly January evening. I'm pretty sure we all have goals we would love to set in the new year, or even for the decade. Me personally, I like to start small and make goals for the year, then I take those goals and break it down into a plan for each month of the year when I do my bullet journal pages for that month. In my bullet journal for January, I set all of my goals for the year 2020 to set the mood for me. I have quite a few goals already written down, and I'm sure that there will be more goals added to that list as January goes on. I won't list all of my goals because then this might get a bit lengthy and wordy, but I will name a few that I would like to accomplish. The main ones are straightforward, and I feel I can definitely accomplish them with the right mindset. First, I want to travel to new places. You know that goal fifty states before you're fifty? Well, that is something on my bucket list of life. Secondly, I want to grow more not only as a person but spiritually as well. I'm going about doing so in learning more about who I am and spending some quality time with myself. I will say it does take time, and by no means is it secure. Still, the path of self-discovery is exciting, and truthfully at the end of the day, the only person who is there for you is yourself. Next, I want to show more compassion. This is something I am really pushing for because we need more compassionate people out there in the world. Yes, I understand it is easier to throw hate, but I know you're better than that, and it's better that you put good karma out there. Lastly, I want to make 2020 more adventurous than in 2019. My plan on going about that is simple... I am going to step out of my comfort zone, be authentic, and honestly, I'm going to wing it. You never know what hand life will give you, so you just have to wing it, and that is what I do best. I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year.