My End-Of-Year Goals

If I could describe 2018 in one word it would be: busy. It seems like every aspect of my life has been chaotic at some point this year. That’s not to say that this year has been horrible, if anything it’s been the complete opposite, but even some really positive changes have felt overwhelming at times. I’m getting to a point in my work life and in my personal life that I finally am starting to feel settled. I also feel like this time of year is generally a reflective and a slower-paced one, which I want to make the most of seeing as this year has flown by. In the spirit of holding myself accountable, I wanted to write this blog post to keep myself in check for the last couple of months in 2018 and really make the effort to take care of myself.

Exercise -  I know its incredibly clichéd to make exercising more a goal, however I’ve always been an active person, but between work and moving, my fitness levels have gone down significantly. I’m not looking to lose weight or make any drastic change in my body, because I still do a good job taking care of myself by eating well, etc. However, I do know for a fact that exercising and just being active in general always has a positive effect on my mental health, as it does for most people. I’m not going to do a complete 180, and start going to the gym five times a week, however I want to start implementing smaller bouts of exercise that don’t necessarily feel like exercise just to ease myself into it. Things like taking walks and doing yoga are so easy to do and don’t require spending money, which is definitely a great jumping off point for those of us who have fallen of the fitness bandwagon.

Schedule, Schedule, Schedule - Being very Type A means that I love and crave structure, and to be completely honest, for the last year and a half I really haven’t had much structure. My life has been in a state of flux for the better part of the last year, and while I’m not at all afraid of change (and luckily so many changes in my life have been for the better), it has added to my anxiety and stress levels to not have any sort of routine. I realized over the past year, while I’ve been out of school that a big reason why I was so productive in college is because almost my entire life was scheduled out. I love using my planner to keep track of editorial deadlines I’ve set for myself and keep track of important dates but I don’t really use it for my hour-by-hour schedule. For me, I do far better when I write something down on a physical piece of paper, versus putting something in my Google calendar, and I want to start planning my days off from work far more so that I’m held accountable to do things such as exercise, write, etc.

Spending Conscious Time Alone ~ I am a introvert through and through, in that, being around a lot of people drains my energy levels severely. That’s not to say that I’m a hermit, and if anything I have learned this year, more than any other, that sometimes when I am feeling my most introverted and wanting to withdraw is precisely the time to reach out to others and surround myself with people I love. However, with the holidays coming up and being in a job that is very social, I need to take more time by myself that is both productive and restorative. I have a tendency, as I’m sure a lot of us do, to spend any and all alone time on the couch watching Netflix and maybe doing a face mask on a Sunday night. While those lazy couch moments are nice and definitely necessary sometimes, they aren’t the most restorative ways to spend time alone. Things like reading, doing yin yoga, or going on a long walk with your headphones in listening to your favorite music or podcast, feel far better in the long run than lying on the couch for hours on end. Finding the balance between over-exerting yourself in our busy day-to-day lives and being completely complacent and checked-out is not necessarily easy and something that I am constantly reminding myself of and want to get better at.

Things I'm Looking Forward To This Autumn

If you couldn’t tell by now, I’m incredibly excited for the upcoming change of seasons.There are, of course, all the really clichéd things about autumn that I’m beyond excited for like going to a pumpkin patch, drinking cider, and crisp weather, but more than anything I’m excited about the mental shift that I always have during fall. I just feel so much more in my element from September to November, way more than I do during the summer. I always feel as though the fall and winter are my most productive times of the year because I can really hunker down and get shit done.

Higher Productivity ~ As I’ve mentioned before, I am always so much more productive during the autumn. Part of it has to do with the fact that I have spent the better part of my life in school and my brain is so used to being on vacation mode during summer and being ready to get down to business come September. My productivity is also hugely effected by the weather; whenever it is sunny, my productivity goes completely out the window, mostly because I feel inclined to be outside and soak up some Vitamin D. However, when it’s cold and gloomy, I am far more inclined to put my head down and get to work. I also have a lot of seasonally-based content that I am planning for the fall and winter, especially focused around outfits and fashion, which I am so much more excited about than summer-based content.

A Staycation ~ I haven’t been on a proper break all summer long and I really haven’t had more than a few days here and there to really switch off. Luckily, I have a family stay-cation planned later in October, which I am so excited about, especially because it’s going to be exactly what I need before the insanity of the holiday season begins. A bunch of my family is going to Monterey, which is a place very near and dear to me, for a long weekend and I’m so excited to be around my favorite people and just relax. It’s not going to be like some luxury vacation in Europe, but I would take family time over some extravagant vacation any day. It’ll be so nice to get away from San Francisco and my day-to-day routine for just a few days.

Evenings In with Friends ~ With the days getting shorter and shorter, I feel less inclined to go out with friends after work for drinks and instead opt for more casual evenings in just drinking wine at someone’s apartment. It just so happens that a lot of my friends either just have moved or are about to move, so everyone is very much in the nesting mindset and want to spend time at home. I’ve already had so many fun nights just hanging out with friends in our own apartments, and there’s something about it that just feels so adult and grown-up. As much as I will always love a good dive bar, there’s something about hanging out with your friends at your home that always feels so much nicer and more relaxed than going out.

Halloween & Thanksgiving ~ One of the major reasons why I love autumn so much is because my favorite holidays fall during the season, namely Halloween and Thanksgiving. They’ve been my favorite holidays for as long as I can remember, and I think that’s mainly because my family has always had very solid traditions around both days. My parent’s neighborhood always is packed with Trick-or-Treaters, and one of the best things about Halloween is seeing all of the decorations on the surrounding houses and giving out candy to all the adorable little kids dressed up in their costumes! I’m also incredibly excited for Thanksgiving this year for two reasons. First off, my friends and I have planned to do our first Friendsgiving, which will hopefully the first of many! Secondly, Brad and I are going to be spending Thanksgiving with his family this year, which I am very excited for! We spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family last year, and it will be so nice to get to visit more with his family over the holidays this year!

My Month in Film | August 2018

What a month August was! Between settling in to our apartment fully, Outside Lands, and work, it felt like this month went by in the blink of an eye, but I’m honestly so excited for September. So much of this month was taken up by work, however there were so many moments of seriously relaxation in between. Because our apartment is finally all settled for the most part, Brad and I didn’t have to spend any of our free time this month building furniture or unpacking boxes, which was so nice. We’ve really gotten to know our neighborhood even more and have developed more of a routine, which, for someone who is a major creature of habit, has been exceedingly comforting! As great as this last month was, I am completely ready to fully move into autumn, as I feel like I am always a unmotivated and distracted during the summertime and I’m so ready to work on this blog even more in the coming months!

Podcasts I've Been Loving At The Moment

I've always really liked podcasts, but during the last couple of months I've gotten really into podcasts. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I commute via public transportation now and I try to go on as many walks as possible on my days off. I've also found myself in a rut with music lately, so podcasts have been a nice placeholder for when I would normally be blasting music. 

Couples Therapy ~ Easily one of my favorite podcasts ever is Couples Therapy, which is done by Candice and Casey Neistat. In the podcast, Candice and Casey discuss their marriage, parenthood, and mental health. I have watched Casey's YouTube videos prior to listening to this podcast, however the podcast definitely shows a far more personal side to him and his relationship with his wife . I love this podcast because it portrays relationships in such a real and relatable way that is both cringey at times (because of how relatable their issues are) and genuinely funny. I also really appreciate how candid Candice is when she discusses her mental health and her journey in therapy, as its a topic I feel very passionate about but all-too-often is not discussed in mainstream media. 

My Favorite Murder ~ If you like true crime and haven't listened to My Favorite Murder then I'm going to assume you've been living under a rock for the past couple of years. It's definitely a more comedic take on true crime than a more investigative-type podcast like the ever-popular Serial. This podcast definitely includes a lot of improvisation chat between Karen and Georgia, which is normally very entertaining, but the actual content of the true crime stories they discuss are also really interesting and their humor adds a bit of levity to an otherwise morbid subject. SSDGM!

Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness ~ If you have ever watched the new version of Queer Eye on Netflix, you will have experienced the wonderfulness that is Jonathan Van Ness. While he covers the grooming and self-care section on Queer Eye, on his podcast he covers a wide range of topics from religion to history to current events. Jonathan brings in an expert from the field he is curious about and discusses in easy-to-understand terms otherwise complicated topics. This one's definitely a nice one to listen to if you want to get your fix of current events but want something a bit more fun and lively to listen to. 

Hashtag Authentic ~ This one's for all you creatives out there. This podcast is hosted by Sarah Tasker of the instagram account Me and Orla. Sarah has a lot of wisdom to share when it comes to the world of social media and creative jobs in general, but she also brings in a variety of hosts who also specialize in . It's definitely a career-related podcast that is meant to give you a kick up the rear if you're feeling a bit unmotivated, but it's also approachable enough that if you're just starting to venture into the creative world you won't feel overwhelmed.

My Day Off Routine

I don't have a normal 9-5 job and with that comes some downsides and some upshots in terms of my schedule. Coming from a very flexible schedule in college (I had three day weekends every single weekend for almost my entire college career), adjusting to a busy, often-changing, and weekend-working schedule was difficult to say the least. While I haven't completely nailed how to spend my days off productively, I've come up with more of a routine that leaves me feeling more productive, yet well-rested on my days away from work. I've definitely learned to love having the odd weekday off, because they allow to me to focus on errands and other side projects that I just would not have the attention span for on the weekends when I feel far more inclined to be sociable. For the purposes of this blog post, I'm going to be talking about my days off that fall on the weekdays, because if and when I do have weekends off, there is almost no routine to those sorts of days. 

Morning

I am definitely an early riser and am the type of person that if they sleep past 9am feels like half of the day has already been wasted. I also know myself and my work habits well-enough to know that my most productive times are in the wee hours of the morning. I try to wake up by 7am at the very latest, but I aim to wake up at 6:30am most days. I pretty much get up and make breakfast and a cup of tea straight away, mainly because I have a really hard time thinking or being productive without a bit of fuel to get me started. While I have my breakfast cooking I'll wash my face and do my skincare routine. While I'm eating my breakfast I will tick off some of more admin-like tasks such as email and I will also take some of this time to browse through social media, especially Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram, to get some inspiration for the day and get my creative juices flowing. Around 8am I will make a to-do list of all the tasks I want to get accomplished for the day. I love making lists and it's one of the best things I can do for myself to keep myself on track and away from procrastinating. After the to-do list writing, I will slap on a bit of makeup. Some days I choose to go bare-faced, however I always feel like making a small effort in getting dressed and putting on a minimal amount of makeup always helps me to feel motivated and like I'm working even though I am at home. I will also try to, at the very least, begin writing a blog post before noon.

Afternoon

The afternoon is by far my least productive time. There's something about the sun being at its high point during the day that makes me feel extremely distracted and I often will find myself falling down a black hole of YouTube videos by about 1pm if I'm not too careful. Whenever I'm starting to feel my morning motivation trail off, which is usually around 12:30-2pm I will close my laptop and take a lunch break. I also take the afternoon to either get outside and go for a walk or do some yoga, which I haven't been great at doing lately but am trying to get into again. I find that doing some sort of exercise helps me to get my mind back into work mode and it also helps to not make me feel like I'm just sat at my desk all day long without a substantial break. Luckily, because our new place is close to Golden Gate park and the heart of the Inner Sunset, there are plenty of destinations to walk to during my mid-day break. Because I'm usually not at my most productive during the afternoon, I also take this time to read blogs that I love, add to my content schedule/ideas section in my notebook, and take blog photos since the lighting is usually at its best. 

Evening

Evenings are usually a time of wrapping up any loose ends that I might have left during the daytime. I usually have found my creative groove again by about 4pm and will finish up any writing or photo editing that needs to be done. If I have the next day off I will also take the time to make a to-do list for what I want to accomplish for the next day. I try to wrap up the day around 6pm since my boyfriend is usually home by 5:30 and I try to use the later evening to cook and just relax so my days off aren't totally dedicated to work.