Glow Up Era - Blog Posts

My goal for this week: fixing my procrastination.

Even though I know it's not fixable in a week I think, I am able to grow healthy routines and habits in a week that will be the support I need to stop!

Thank you sososos much for the tip lovely 💗💗🎀

How do I stop procrastinating getting my life together. I'm not sure if you understand what I mean....as in how do I stop procrastinating getting out of my comfor zone to do better

GUIDE TO DEALING WITH PROCRASTINATION

Procrastination is delaying a task because of fear or anxiety about doing it. If you frequently procrastinate, it may result from your current mindset. In this post, I will discuss the reasons behind procrastination and how to overcome it by getting started.

AVOIDANCE MINDSET

If you’ve been in their comfort zone for quite a long time, you may be familiar with this term. An avoidance mindset is when we focus more on preventing possible negative consequences, rather than pursuing positive outcomes. This leads to procrastination, avoiding risks or challenges and generally staying in their comfort zones to avoid discomfort and failure.

This mindset usually stems from a fear that is holding you back which is keeping you ‘safe’, which is why we feel discomfort when trying new things. Fear of failure, wasting time, rejection and change are a few common ones.

Doing self-reflection or quizzes are the most efficient way to identify your fears if you haven’t already. Challenge negative beliefs that cause that fear to grow. 

The recommended way to shift your mindset from an avoidance one to a growth mindset is by focusing on the benefits that you’ll get from it. E.g.

‘Exercising is too hard’ -> ‘I’ll feel good about myself after’

‘Studying is boring’ -> ‘I’ll be proud of myself after achieving high grades’

‘Meeting new people is scary’ -> ‘I can’t wait to have a new friend’

PRODUCTIVITY WITH PROCRASTINATION

BREAK TASKS INTO SMALLER CHUNKS, and if it seems too difficult, do it over a week/fortnight. When tasks are smaller, they seem simpler and easier, so we don’t feel the need to delay them. For example...

Deep clean my room -> Wipe down all surfaces & put new bedding OR Monday I’ll wipe down surfaces, then Wednesday I’ll put new bedding. 

 MAKE THE TASK SPECIFIC. If the task is vague, it can seem too daunting to start because we have no idea how to start. For example, instead of saying studying for my science test, say do 3 rounds of science flashcards. We know exactly what to do, so it doesn’t give reason for us to delay it.

HAVE A ROUTINE. Having a consistent daily routine helps us to stay on track because our brains love routines and familiar activities, and it pushes us further because our brains will feel discomfort if that routine is not done. 

However, if you are someone who procrastinates, avoid micromanaging your day. It can seem way too overwhelming, but even if you do it, it can lead to being burnt out. 

KEEP ORGANISED. Being in an environment which is constantly cluttered, or having no way to remember everything that goes in your life, will make you have a cluttered mind, A cluttered mind will influence your actions to also be out of place.

DEVELOP A GROWTH MINDSET. I do have a post on this which is linked on my masterlist. The whole idea of a growth mindset is to embrace the idea that failure further improves us, instead of setting us back.

HOW TO CREATE AN ENERGISING MORNING ROUTINE

WAKE UP EARLIER. Waking up early looks different for a lot of us, and i’m not going to reccomend waking up at 5am for a lot of us. Whatever time you wake up now, I would suggest waking up 30 minutes or so earlier and see how you feel. 

If you feel like you really need those 30 minutes to sleep, then use it sleeping. Whatever time makes you feel like you are at the best, is the perfect time for you. It does take some trial and error to find this time, but it’s worth it. 

Another thing, I generally wouldn’t suggest waking up past 10am. If you sleep in a little too much, you do become a bit sluggish during the first hours of your day, but whatever works for you. 

SUNLIGHT FIRST THING. Going outside, a hot girl walk or simply opening your windows to allow the sun to come in helps our body to become awake. Natural sunlight is a sign to our bodies that we need to start the day. 

This also promotes a healthy rise in cortisol to support our mood, focus and energy. This natural increase in cortisol helps with melatonin production in the evening, which improves the quality of your sleep.

Exposure to unnatural light can disrupt this rhythm, so it’s best to stay away from any devices and turn off of your lights before and after you wake up. Ideally, an hour after you wake up, should be spent device-free. (aside from alarms or setting habit tasks) 

NO PROCESSED, CAFFEINATED OR SUGARY FOODS, before you have a proper meal. When we eat these foods before a nutritious meal, it can lead to a spike in cortisol and blood sugar levels first thing in the morning, which leads to crashing in the afternoon after the spike goes down. 

When we eat after we wake up, it stabilises our blood sugar levels and replenishes ourselves after our fast. If need to be, meal prep the night before so you can have a quick and easy breakfast. As long as it properly fuels your body. 

GENTLE EXERCISES. You’ve just woken up, so you don’t want to rush your body into something too hardcore until you feel like you’re fully awake. Gentle exercises could mean stretching, a light walk or if you’re feeling a bit energised, pilates. 

SET INTENTIONS. Set the theme for how you want to feel at the start of the day, during and end. It doesn’t have to be something productive, but a feeling that you want to achieve and maximise and use that feeling in what you do. 

For ex. In the morning, I want to feel calm. During the day, I want to feel productive. At the end of the day, I want to feel accomplished. 

SHORT TO-DO LISTS! To-do lists that are more than 3 major tasks usually are unmanageable. While you can break down those 3 major tasks, try to avoid having more than 3 major tasks. 

If you do have more than 3, consider moving them into a different date if its not urgent or cutting that task completely if its not urgent and unimportant. How you assess the urgency and importance of your tasks is up to you, as you know what productivity means to you. 

Remember the basics as well, such as hydration, mindfullness, and at least one fun activity in the morning. Thank you so much for the support, even while I was a bit inactive <3

Hello Everyone! So I have been getting some very useful beauty grooming tips from other dolly girls that I follow on tumblr and it inspired me to make my own post series with a similar premise but more budget, mentally ill & neurodivergent friendly, or as a future reference 4 people who might not have the means to do these things at the moment. With that out the way onto the post! ♡

Basic Hygiene

First things first if your the person who can't take daily showers, or you have hormonal issues that make you stink even when you do take daily showers, then the shower routine that you have & the type of products you use are very important as it can be the difference between you smelling bad the same day or day after, versus you smelling good for 2-3 days without you having 2 do much. 4 the mentally ill I highly recommend that you ease yourself into this routine very slowly so that it doesn't feel draining

First soap wash, this can be with any soap but preferably a unsented hormonal friendly one, a natural/prebiotic soap bar, or unscented baby soap, you ideally want this first step done with a soap bar. The first places you want to wash before anything else are your neck, the outside of your crotch area (not the inside), your armpits, and your butt (don't go in the butthole) then your going to rinse all of that off and do it again, then with your choice of scented soap wash your legs, arms, & body. The goal is to hit all of the critical smell points that stink the most twice so that the smell of the scented soap stays.

The next step is to use any form of exfoliation that you have 2 get rid of some of your dead skin, a sugar scrub, exfoliation gloves or African sponge is recommended, you can also dry brush your body before your shower as these are all forms of gentle exfoliation to get rid of some build-up, after this you rinse all the dead skin off, if you don't have time or energy 4 this then remember 2 exfoliate your feet, ankles, neck, elbows, & knees as these are the most noticeable places 4 dead skin, and only exfoliate 2 to 3 times a week or it can cause skin dryness.

This next step is more optional but I do recommend it as it makes the shower last much longer; body hair removal, instead of getting a razor & using that 2 shave I recommend a hair removal cream (I love to use the magic hair removal brand, yes the one 4 beards, it has a lot of pre-made cream options & powder options that you can turn into paste that you can use especially if you have kinky/coily hair & it has ingredients that prevent ingrown hairs, bumps & keeps the hair off with time, the last time I used the powder (which is a bit messy, thus the pre-made cream recommendation) for my legs & armpit hair & that shave lasted for nearly 2 months) if your not doing a full body shave then target your crotch & armpits as those sweat the most.

This next step is also optional but if you don't want to lotion yourself when you get out the shower you can use a whipped body cream that you rinse off in the shower.

Now onto hair washing! This step is an important one, now what your gonna do first is wet your hair a bit & use a pre-poo for your hair to detangle it, (and a hot oil treatment before you wash it out in the shower a few times a week if you want hair growth) if you have dandruff or scalp psoriasis use this step to gently scrape off the flakes from your scalp. After your done detailing with the pre-poo your going to wash it out & start using your shampoo as you normally would, I highly recommend getting those scalp massagers people use while washing their hair, especially if you have dandruff or psoriasis, just make sure not to scrape of scab your scalp to rough. After you thoroughly rinse the shampoo off your gonna use your conditioner, let it sit for 3-15 minutes if you can & thoroughly rinse it out, or you can hop out of the shower & use a leave-in conditioner. If you can get a hair perfume to make your hair smell good or just use a good smelling conditioner.

Next step if you chose not to use the whipped body butter in the shower is to use the body moisturizer that you have, if you live in a hotter area or feel lotion, oil, or Shea butter is too sticky 4 you I recommend moisturizing body milk, do this from the neck down to your feet. After this you wanna use witch hazel on our armpits & outside crotch area (it helps with hormonal smells, hormonal balance, & sweat) then use your perfume of choice in the following areas; your neck, your ankles, behind your ears, your elbows, your knees, & your wrist . Then use a matching or complimenting body mist all over your body from the neck down. An optional but nice smelling touch would be to add both solid & spray perfume to this routine

After your done with your shower, brush your teeth and tongue & swish your mouth with mouthwash to make your breath smell fresh, then with a neutral oil to help whiten your teeth.

Now we can move on to the face, keep the routine 4 this short & sweet, think like 2 to 5 steps for the whole routine, for example; wet your face with lukewarm water, wash your face with whatever face wash you have, rinse the soap off your face with lukewarm water, then rinse your face with cold water to close up your pores faster, after that spray a facial toner on your face, then use the gua sha method to work in your face moisturizer all throughout your face, A lot of people recommend you wash your face once a day (specifically at night) but other people wash their face twice a day, do what is best 4 you & your schedule. After this exfoliate your lips with a sugar scrub. A warm damp rag or your toothbrush. then moisturize your lips, you can use a chapstick, lip mask, Vaseline, whatever works best 4 you.

Okie that's all 4 now! I hope this is helpful for anybody who comes across it! And thanks 4 reading♡