On leading a more productive life.

Image Credits: Pinterest

Good Sunday morning my dears! :) It's such a beautiful day today, and I sure hope everyone's enjoying this long Easter weekend. Whether or not you're at church or simply spending time lazing out at home, it's a beautiful day here on my side of the world and I'm feeling splendid :) 

I've finally started exercising again, I'm proud to say I accomplished my fitness goals for this week! :) Maybe its the adrenaline or the hormones, but I'd like to thank the exercise for my mood as well. I don't think I've felt this energised and happy in a long while. 

I was inspired to write this post today because being productive is something I lack in my life. I'm sure I'm not the only one here who succumbs to procastination, but procastinating is really something I major in. It's an art form in itself, and requires the least effort to succeed in. Yet this very art form is something that should be rid of in its entirety, although I suppose a very mild case of it won't bring too much harm. My case on the other hand is severe because I'm able to procastinate for weeks on end. Let's use some of my make-up posts that have been saved in drafts for weeks now. *waves frantic hands up in the air*. So, though I may not be the most reliable person to produce tips on leading a more productive life, I thought I'd share some things I've tried in the past and am hoping to inculcate now to put me back on track: 

1) Keep your area neat and tidy.

This may seem like the most mundane yet it is also the most important thing to do. I'm not a very neat person, and when I'm at my worst there's hardly space on the floor to walk around! I'm not proud of this, and the clutter makes me frantic and uneasy. Very often you'll hear people say they need to clear their rooms before attempting work, and this is for the very reason that the clutter around you represents that in your head! I've been keeping my room neat and tidy, and I have found that it has helped me tremendously as it makes me more energetic to do something. It's not easy to keep spaces clean, but with a little effort you'll thank yourself for sure in the long run! 

2) Integrate at least a half hour of exercise each day.

Let's not deny that it is no easy feat to get our butts off the chairs to head out for a run/exercise. Did you know though that exercise doesn't necessarily involve leaving the house and sweating profusely? Besides, there are several videos you could search for on YouTube to work out at home! I personally love Yoga, and my go-to YouTuber is Adriene. She has tons of videos to choose from, and I work out on these videos even after having gone to the gym! Plus, yoga is relaxing and you'll feel so much calmer after :) I also like Cassey and Sean, their videos are all simple to do and hardly require equipment of any sort. Let's not forget apps you can download like the Nike Training App, it's free and is super useful to do at home :)

3) Plan out your day.

To-do lists are definitely one way of keeping yourself on track for the day and week ahead, but I personally prefer writing out a schedule for the day. Use a vision board, or a wall in your room and fill it up with sticky-notes to let yourself know what you plan to do throughout the day. I find that doing this helps me better in organising my time for the day. This way, not only do I have a to-do list, but I know how much time I'm planning to spend on each activity and how much time I'll have to do other things. You'll be surprised at how much you can plan (and not squeeze!) if you write out a detailed plan.

4) Have a routine.

Just like an exercise schedule, it's important to keep a routine. What this means is what you do in the morning when you wake to when you fall asleep at night. Undeniably, being more productive means waking up bright and early in the morning. Set yourself a time to wake each day, and perhaps a different one during the weekends (there's nothing wrong with a little sleep in during the weekends ;)). What do you do each morning when you wake? Prepare yourself some tea? Take a shower? I know I always feel productive when I have a routine. I always start my day with a shower and some tea, and then end it off with a candle before I go to sleep. Having this routine keeps me more in check with my life and I know I have complete control over it. 

5) Constantly fill your mind with positive vibes.

There will be good, but there will also be bad days. During days like these all you want to do is cuddle under the covers and hide yourself from the rest of the world. For some, it takes a day to get over but for others like myself, this may spiral for several days and weeks sometimes. I've found that keeping myself around positive words of affirmations and vibes have been vital in the process of stripping my covers away and getting out of bed. I can't say I'm an expert in this area at this current moment, but it's something I'm still grasping to master. Instagram is definitely a wonderful place to start, follow pages that are filled with bright colours and happy quotes and vibes. They're great to look at to keep yourself going during the darkest times. 

All in all, leading a productive life is something I know we all aspire to do. Even so, sometimes procastinating and taking a day off is important to unwind too. I know some of the tips shared here may be borderline excessive, but I do hope you understand that it's not meant to be followed strictly. Either ways, may you be filled with happy positive vibes, and I hope this post has helped you albeit slightly :)

Do you have any other tips on leading a more productive life? What are your thoughts? Do share, I'd love to know! :)

xx. 

5.5 hours cycling under the Sun.

In an attempt to fully soak in the Sun and good weather before things got gloomy, my friends and I decided to spend our day cycling last Sunday. It was a good decision for sure, the weather was perfect for a day out and about especially since we had two full days of downpour prior.

We rented our bikes from Rentabike at Federation Square. We paid $35 for a full day of bike rental. I'd definitely recommend it, the price is reasonable, the bikes are good and its $35 of a whole day of fun and exploration. Who wouldn't want that?

We made a pitstop at HortusXSevenSeeds Cafe along the way to grab a cup of coffee. I personally love Seven Seeds Coffee, and have been to this particular establishment along Docklands only once with a friend prior. It was a good pitstop and definitely a good wake-up since I was pretty sleepy that morning.

Panda on a tree

Iced Mocha, YUMMY

The journey to williamstown took longer than we expected, but that was because we spent about an hour or so frolicking around our pitstops. We stopped several times along the way to soak in the scenery and take photos while we were at it. I had just purchased new lenses for my camera, and I was really stoked to give it a whirl while we were out. I am so in love with it!! Actually am really excited to take it out for more photo taking journeys. Still playing around with my camera and understanding it a little better, so do bear if the photos aren't exactly professional! Am definitely hoping to fine-tune it in future :)

The journey back took us a mere 1.5 hours and we had 30minutes to spare before returning our bikes. All in all it was a great and fulfilling day, and I definitely plan on going back in future to cycle around Melbourne again. Came back home with tan lines, and there's nothing better than feeling flushed from a good day out under the sun. I love winter, but I'm definitely going to miss good weather like this.

Till next time,
xx.

All photos taken and edited by me.

What it's like living with eczema.

Image Credits: Google Images, Edited By: Me

1) You've tried on pretty much every moisturising cream in the market. 
And no, we're not talking about brands like Clinique or Chanel. We're talking about dermatological moisturisers like QV, Dermaveen & Physiogel to name a few. You've tried numerous products recommended by your dermatologists, and can pretty much state confidently whether or not it's worked for you. You've also developed a keen sense of touch and smell in detecting whether or not you're sensitive to a product. Too fruity, sure to break out or the consistency is too sticky, it's uncomfortable for me.

2) You've ingested so much steroids in your body you wonder why athletes risk their lives taking it in.
One down side of having eczema - especially serious cases - is that you're bound to have been prescribed steroids to lessen the infected area. The sad truth is that these steroids are hella effective. A small application goes a long way and it's pretty much your holy grail for those days your skin just decides to break out. Well... until you realise how much toxins your body's just taken in.

3) Scabs and dry skin don't frighten you.
In fact, you may have just developed a fetish of wanting to remove scabs you see on others. Does this make you weird? Possibly. But you should seek comfort in the fact that dermatologist Dr Sandra Lee has close to a million subscribers on her channel right now, so you're not alone ;)

4) Water is your best friend.
When it comes to having dry skin, water is essential in your diet. Drinking helps to keep your skin moisturised and is a better solution than the moisturising creams available. Drink enough to stay hydrated, but it won't hurt to add in a few ml each day. Give it a try and see what a difference it makes :) I've also blogged about my experience drinking 3l of water every day, you can read more about it here.

5) Cold showers are the best showers.
Showering with hot water is the worst decision a person with eczema could possibly make. For the longest time, I loved taking hot showers. I'm a morning person and so taking a cold shower in the morning was brutal. It wasn't until I watched a show and received advice to take cold showers with my condition. I've changed things up and needless to say, it's helped me tremendously and my skin has never been better. In fact, I actually recall scratching and putting my skin under boiling water. Perfect when you're itchy, but hell once you leave and see the damage you've done.

6) You pretty much are an expert in spelling.
The number of times I've felt a huge wave of satisfaction simply from being able to spell e-c-z-e-m-a properly would be enough to earn me an all expense trip around the world. You're pretty much an expert in spelling from the numerous times you've had to let a doctor or a nurse know your medical history. You're also the first to correct if someone spelt it as e-X-z-e-m-a. It's pretty much a cool club if you can spell it right.

7) You are more acceptive of defects/conditions you see in others, even if they aren't eczema related.
Now this point of course doesn't only apply to people with eczema, but I personally find myself to be less judgmental of people with other conditions. "Abnormal" defects or things that may be considered gross by some don't deter you.

8) At the end of the day though, no matter how troublesome eczema may be, you've learnt to appreciate and own it. 
I've had eczema all my life, and though it is nowhere near to the condition it was in when I was a teenager (let's just say people wouldn't touch my skin without flinching from the texture), I'm appreciative for it. It's taught me a great deal of things, from discipline, self-awareness and even management of money. Overall, it's been a journey and though I still have high hopes of being rid of it completely, till then I'll still have to remain religious and careful in how I take care of myself.


Does anyone out there have eczema too? These are some of the things I've learnt and experienced as someone who has it but I'd love to know your thoughts on them too :)
xx

Birthday weekend

Despite the tumult that is my life, I was able to take the weekend off and invest some time being happy. Celebrated my 23rd on the 13th, and it's odd because I feel like a 30 year old in the body of a 23 year old. 

Headed down to the Moonlight Cinema last Saturday to catch Zootopia. We arrived ten minutes before showtime, and the entire area was pretty much filled up. We managed to get a spot at the far corner in the back, and it wasn't too bad at all :) A nice place to go on a date, and I'd recommend it for couples. 

Moonlight Cinema

I know it looks really bright here, but this picture has been exposed. Also, the sky was reddish that night (maybe a sign of the gang fight that broke out in the city that night?) and it wasn't as dark as it usually would have been. This worked in our favour though, because it felt really early even though it was already 11pm.

Fireworks from the Moomba festival

The movie went on a short intermission from the fireworks display from Moomba. It was seriously such an enchanting evening :)

On the day of my birthday, I pretty much had nothing planned. I just wanted to spend the day in lazing around before going out for dinner. My housemate suggested we go cycling and so we did. I'm really glad she dragged me out of the house, it was such a lovely day and such perfect weather to be cycling in.

We rented our bikes from this place at Federation Square and cycled for two hours. Rental was $20 for two hours, and i personally thought it wasn't too bad. This was however my first form of physical exercise over five months, so I was desperately trying hard to keep up with myself. My quads are pretty much all jelly at this point...

In the evening we headed to Veggie Bar for a simple dinner. The food at veggie bar was.... O.M.G. I LOVED IT. I seriously applaud vegetarians who can whip up a solid meal. I mean... mock meat is legit meat. Taste wise, I can't tell the difference sometimes! I love vegetarian meals, they're so filling if served properly and needless to say we had a satisfying dinner. We originally had plans to grab dessert after but we were too stuffed to even think about it. 

HUGE portion of fries. SO WORTH IT.

<3

I don't always express my true feelings to people, but I was sincerely grateful on my birthday. Birthday cards were read with tears streaming down my face, and in that moment I have never been more thankful for the people I've been blessed with. I'm the harshest critic when it comes to my own self, but sometimes I need to know that it's okay to have problems and not be perfect. 

I'm 23 but I'm still very lost. 

23 but still going through life a step at a time.

23 and still an undergraduate.

23 and still learning to accept my flaws.

Even so, I'm 23 but I'm still excited and hopeful for my future and all there is to come for me. I've definitely loved myself a little bit more the past few months, something that hasn't come from the validation of others. 

So... I'm 23. Where to now? 

xx.

The past four months.

I've stopped taking photos as often as I used to, and I really do regret not doing so. I've stopped using Instagram for the longest time, I hardly browse through the app as often as I did before. Social media in general was toxic for a while, and I needed to detach myself from what everyone else was up to and it proved to be a very good relief during the time I needed to catch a breath and recover from my own life. But with this catharsis came my lack of enthusiasm in capturing the little moments that made me happy, and it makes me sad that I won't be able to look back at those memories in the future. Anyway, here are some photos from the little things I was up to the past four months:

Taken during the break whilst at work. Work was the only constant that made me genuinely happy when I was back at home.

So much love for this wonderful human being <3

Yo-Chi: An Appetite for Life a Yogurt a Day.

Summer in Melbourne hasn't been treating me so well...

Yep, that's about all that I've captured the past four months. I'll make more effort to capture the happy moments this time round. It's always the little things that you can look back into...

Sigh. Photos are just wonderful aren't they? They're so much more than a 2-Dimensional image. One look and you're reminded about pretty much everything you went through that day.

Till next time,
xx.

Go the distance

If you haven't already watched Disney's Hercules (the movie), then I highly recommend it. I remember watching this movie as a toddler and not understanding or liking it because of Hades and the underworld. Recently I found myself chancing upon a video performed by a choir of a Disney medley that included the song "I won't say (I'm in love)". One thing led to another and I found myself buying the DVD on iTunes to watch. I've developed a deeper appreciation for the movie and the soundtrack ever since.

I'm going to be honest, it wasn't easy coming back here to write a post. Especially after having been gone for so long. How was I going to start my post after having been inactive all this while? Do I provide an explanation? Do I pretend nothing's happened and carry on? Do I owe an explanation as to what's happened?

The truth is, I've been going through a lot of personal (for the lack of a better explanation) problems recently. Whilst I know that we each go through our own set of problems, I can safely say that this is the lowest that I've ever found myself to be in. Failure, disappointment, worthlessness, stress... just to name a few of the emotions that I've been going through.

It hasn't been an easy journey, and it isn't one that I'll delve into anytime soon. Perhaps someday in the future when I've overcome this obstacle and become successful. When time has healed the wound that is so deep I'm almost numb to the pain no matter how much further it digs in.

... this is where Hercules comes in. Perhaps it's because it was that time of the month, or perhaps it's because I sympathised with Hercules. For what it's worth, this movie and the moral behind it moved me to tears. For the past few weeks, 'Go the Distance' has been on repeat. A reminder to myself to continue dreaming, that my hero's welcome is waiting for me out there someday.

So until my next proper post, I just wanted to wish anyone who's reading this right now the best of luck for the future that lies ahead. Don't let the obstacles you're going through dampen your spirits for a brighter future ahead. It's an uphill slope, but don't you lose hope.

Image Credits: Pinterest

Till then, with lots of love and strength from me to you,
xx.