Tag: Tips

HOW I PRIORITIZE Friendships

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

When I was writing my monthly top priorities, I realized that I didn’t have space for ‘friends’ on my list. This is something I’ve become aware of towards the end of July. With me starting to do partnerships and collaborations again, school starting back up, and trying to build my TikTok, it wasn’t until I made that list that I realized how little I truly have time for friends right now. Which is okay! Throughout life, there will always be ebbs and flows with your priorities, and while friends were a top priority throughout my early twenties, things have changed. That’s not to say I don’t love and value my friendships because I do. It’s just what I’m able to give my full attention to right now, and honestly, a lot of my friends feel the same.

Whether you’re in a stage where friendships are hard to prioritize OR you’re feeling like you want to prioritize them more, here are my thoughts.

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Quality over quantity

I’ve always been someone with a small circle of friends. I’d much rather have a tight-knit crew of people vs. being acquaintances with everyone – it’s always been quality over quantity for me. This works best for my personality and for maintaining relationships since I know that even if I go a while without talking to a friend, the relationships are strong enough to last.

I know it might feel like you need to be friends with everyone, especially in your 20s, but you don’t. If you feel stressed about keeping up with too many people, think about the friends that make you feel the best. Who does it feel natural with? Forced? Positive or negative? Who can you sit with 1:1 on the couch without an agenda? Who do you trust? Who do you feel like you’re performing for?

Make people feel special in your way

People that don’t know me well are always surprised to find out that I’m a thoughtful person. I know I have a hard exterior and an IDGAF attitude but I’ll always make time to send a friend something for her birthday or when they’re pregnant or whatever. Even if I don’t talk to that person daily or haven’t seen them in a year, it’s my way of letting them know I’m thinking about them.

I’m not saying you need to buy your friends gifts to prioritize them, but those thoughtful acts come naturally to me, so I act on them. Just like we have those friends who are amazing at checking in or planning things, I’m the friend to buy you a cute birthday present LOL. Find the love language that you like to give and then shower your friends with it.

Schedule in-person time

I’m the worst at texting. I honestly hate it – same with phone calls. It’s not personal, and luckily my friends know this about me, but it comes down to the fact that I’d always rather hang out with someone in person vs. catch up over the phone. I’m much more present and a better friend when I have quality time with friends in person so I try to make that happen when possible. This is harder with friends who live far away but scheduling girl trips once a year or even meeting a friend for lunch keeps the friendship going for me.

Be there for the important things

In this stage of life, I might not be able to make every get-together or whatever, but I’m always there for the important things.

Don’t stress if you don’t see your friends for every celebration but don’t miss the important things. You’ll know what those are. It is different for everyone.

Be honest

Another reason I have fewer friends is that I can be honest with them and vice versa. I’d always rather have someone say ‘Hey, I love you but I’m super busy right now with work and I can’t make it’ vs. stringing me along with bullsh*t excuses.

Be real with people and if they’re your true friends, they’ll understand.

Are you in a friend’s stage of life? If not, how do you still prioritize them?

A “Quiet Life” Mindset Is the Key to Romanticizing Your Life–Here’s How to Practice It

Published on by Lee1 Comment

First, there was quiet quitting, then came quiet luxury. The next iteration of the “quiet” trend taking over TikTok is the quiet life. As the antidote to the hustle culture, the quiet life embodies slowing down and romanticizing the simple things in your every day. What’s not to love? According to the 83.2 million views of #quietlife, absolutely nothing. Ahead, I give the rundown of what the quiet life looks like and how to live it effortlessly (“effortlessly” being the operative word). Your first order of business? Ditch the go-go-go routine in favor of hygge vibes and small moments of pleasure. 

What is the “Quiet Life?”

Whether it’s a TikTok of a calming morning routine, low-key activities like journaling, knitting, and cuddling your pet, or a quiet evening spent solo and sans phone that you’ve come across on your FYP, the “quiet life” centers around taking it slow AF and savoring the present. There are no packed to-do lists or schedules with back-to-back meetings and plans to keep up. The quiet life encourages getting off the hamster wheel of life and letting go of the pressure to always be doing something or achieving more. Instead, insert the warm, fuzzy feel and embrace doing less, reconnecting with yourself, and hitting reset.

As hard or uncomfortable as it may be to shut off social expectations, distractions (we all could use a dopamine detox), and your mind, settling into a quiet life can do your mind and body some good. According to Psychology Today, slowing down lowers stress and blood pressure, enhances decision-making and other cognitive functions, and restores emotional equilibrium. “In allowing ourselves to experience the present–rather than rushing toward the future–we become more attentive to what is happening around and within us, and to savor it,” wrote Susan Avery Stewart, Ph.D. What’s more, a study published in Brain Structure and Function found that two hours of silence each day could foster the growth of new cells in the hippocampus (good for improved memory, emotional regulation, and learning ability).

https://www.tiktok.com/@easy1uvrs/video/7219166928705801514?q=quiet%20life&t=1690593196468

How to Live It

Add “quiet” practices to your life instead of replacing routines

There’s no right or wrong way to practice the quiet life, and it doesn’t mean always saying “no” to the more stimulating pleasures of life such as happy hour, social media, or TV. Instead, it means striking the right balance between your favorite quiet life pastimes and unplugging that works for you. Translation: Intersperse responding to emails, Netflix binges, and scrolling with taking a stroll, going on a date with yourself to your local coffee shop, or entering your cottage-core era (think: painting, baking, and flower-picking). 

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Identify what boundaries you need to set

Not sure where to start? Self-reflect on why the quiet life is appealing to you. Are you riddled with anxiety? Do you feel the need to go harder, better, faster? Are you in the habit of multitasking—whether it be eating with the TV on, listening to a podcast while walking, or posting threads as you prepare dinner? Then, decide what boundaries you want to set. Maybe that looks like having a meal out on your balcony and leaving your phone inside or taking a break from social media on the weekends and filling the time you’d otherwise be doom-scrolling with a chill hobby like reading or developing your green thumb. Whatever floats your boat, lean into and romanticize it. 

Be more mindful in your everyday

If there’s one main takeaway from living a quiet life, it’s being more mindful of your actions, sensations, thoughts, and feelings. The best part? When we are mindful, we become the drivers of our own lives. Instead of just going through the motions (hi, hustle culture), we are intentional in our decision-making and can fully appreciate the gentle moments.

The Green Flags of GHOSTING

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

By now, most of us are familiar with the concept of ghosting (breadcrumbing, orbiting, and all the various other terms used to describe the unique torture that is modern dating), either through personal experience or horror stories told by our single friends. 

Ghosting can be a pretty sh*tty thing to do to someone. It often leaves the ghostie feeling confused and spending way too much mental bandwidth trying to decode why the person ghosted them. The ghoster, on the other hand, gets to peace out without any confrontation, conflict, or uncomfy-ness.

However, there are a few exceptions to the rule. In some instances, ghosting is okay—maybe even recommended.

We get into it below.

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The green flags of ghosting:

1. If you’re concerned for your safety. If you feel like your emotional, physical, or mental safety is at risk, you do not owe anything to the person making you feel that way. Protect yourself. 

2. When they don’t respect your boundaries. This includes things like continuing to send you messages when you’ve told them you’re not interested.

3. If something just doesn’t feel right. Trust your instincts. If they make you feel uneasy or if something feels off, it’s okay to cut off contact with no explanation.

4. Three words: unsolicited dick pics. Consent is key, and that’s that on that.

5. If you feel like they are trying to manipulate and/or control you. If they send you messages that in any way resemble Jonah Hill’s, please feel free to ghost.

6. If you think you’re being catfished. Need we say more?

7. If they’ve been inconsistent with their communication. If the conversation seems like it’s not going anywhere, like an IRL date, save yourself the time and energy. 

Margot Robbie Dropped Her Latest Wellness Routine in a New Interview

Published on by Lee1 Comment

It’s a Barbie world and we’re just living in it, or at least we can pretend to live out our childhood dreams thanks to Margot Robbie (who didn’t want to live in Barbie’s Dreamhouse?!). ICYMI, Robbie is bringing the iconic Mattel doll to life in the much-anticipated Barbie movie. As Barbie, she can fly down the stairs and walk on water, but behind the plastic-fantastic, jet-setting lifestyle, pink ‘fits, and glam, the actress keeps it real–albeit rigorous at times–with her IRL wellness routine. Keep reading for the lowdown on Margot Robbie’s workout and nutrition preferences. Hint: Her sweat sessions include Hot Skatin’ Barbie energy (think: neon rollerblades, leotard, bike shorts, visor, protective gear, and all). 

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Before we dive in, remember that a celebrity’s wellness routine is likely very different from any of ours; they have money and resources to make a healthy lifestyle feel easier, and pressures such as looking a certain way for a movie role. But celebrity or not, all of our wellness routines should look different because everybody is different, and “healthy” means something different to everyone. Take anything that interests or inspires you from this A-List movie star’s wellness routine, and leave whatever doesn’t.

Her Fitness Routine

Barbie’s famous gams aren’t going to tone themselves—Robbie put in the (hard) work to transform into the life-size figurine, and the movie’s trailers and BTS pics are proof. Her workout MO? Rollerblading. That’s right, it’s not just on screen that Robbie takes to the streets in her skates. According to her interview with Vogue, she likes to lace up even in her real life (she “hates to break”–she’s that hardcore). ICYWW, she took up roller-skating after her ice-skating stint as Tonya Harding in I, Tonya. To prove my point, she even conducted her Vogue interview while rollerblading. Before you knock the nostalgic activity, consider this: Based on a study by the University of Massachusetts, roller-skating causes less than 50% of the impact shock to your joints than running does, making it a low-impact cardio workout you don’t want to sleep on.

Aside from skating, Robbie doesn’t shy away from weights, namely intense leg and butt workouts (think: back squats, front squats, leg presses, and deadlifts). She further proves she’s a badass by finishing off her weight-lifting sessions with a jog, jumping rope, jump squats, and mountain climbers. Then, there are her upper body and core workouts that include military presses, push-ups, planks-to-push-ups, pull-ups, and chest presses. As demanding as her workout routine is, Robbie gives her body breaks by alternating between the gym and lighter “activity” days such as Pilates, and ballet. 

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 Nutrition

Robbie’s idea of balance carries into how she nourishes her body, making sure there’s room for all foods–including indulgences–in her diet. She admittedly “can’t just have a salad every day and half a glass of wine every second day.” To drive the point home, Robbie continued her conversation with Vogue between bites of avocado toast, grilled Halloumi cheese, and Australian-​​style bacon (extra crispy), and they hit up her favorite ice cream shop, Salt & Straw, post-rollerblading. If you can’t tell already, she has a sweet tooth and knows it’s OK to indulge it. “Chocolate, waffles, and fries are the main food groups that make up my diet,” she expressed to Emirates Woman.

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However, a typical day of eating when she’s preparing for a role might look like porridge and a green smoothie for breakfast, tuna steak and sweet potato for lunch, and lemon chicken and brown rice for dinner. In her every day, Robbie has a major sweet tooth and knows foods you love are part of a balanced diet, but she prioritizes protein-rich meals when prepping for roles like Barbe.