How To Love Yourself (Mentally)

 Hi everyone, I am sure most of you agree that 20s is the age where you went through growth and a lot of self discoveries. Throughout my 20s, I've seen many versions of myself. I was naive, insecure and gullible. Then I was betrayed and felt like I was my own victim in my life. Eventually, now I've witnessed myself bloom and feel happier than ever. Since I am now getting closer to 30 years young, these are the lessons of Self Love that I've learnt the hard way in my 20s.

1. Stop being toxic to yourself

It is easier to say than do but stop comparing your life to other people's. What people show on social media is only a fraction of their life. Everyone has their own problems that they never have to share. You are living your life in your own pace and that's okay. You do you, you have control of you own life.

2. Don't give a fuck about what other people think.

If they don't know you personally, then don't take what they say personally. It doesn't matter what you do, people always have something to say about you. Live your life according to the value that you abide by and you will feel a lot more peaceful in life. Sometimes people's opinions matter, but if they already made you question yourself negatively, then you should question their presence in your life.

3. Choose your circle of friends wisely.

I am not going to repeat this but your circle of friends define who you are and what you will be. If you are in a very supportive circle,  sooner or later you will be influenced by their positivity. Be friends with people who prioritize you and will support you to grow out of your comfort zone. If you already sensed some red flags and dramas from your friendship, run , darling , RUN!! Life is already so problematic, so stop being friends with a drama queen.

4. Find new hobby (ies)

I have been trying a lot of new activities since covid until now, from reading, golfing, tennis, baking, embroidery, watercolor painting, acrylic painting, lego building, cycling to weight lifting. Figuring out your hobby is a journey that takes time, effort and money. It is totally okay if you haven't found what you loved yet. It is never too late to start something, keep that in mind. Once you figure out what your hobby is, you will know where to escape if you need a me time. 

5. Daily affirmations

A good friend of mine once told me that one of the foolproof ways to boost your self esteem is to say good things about yourself in front of the mirror every single morning before you start your day. Believe it or not, with the affirmations, your mind will be programmed to think positively throughout the day. Bonus? Confidence and an even higher self esteem. Thank me later.

Bye, readers!

How To Love Yourself (Physically)

Hi everyone, since I've been more conscious about my health this past six months, I am going to share what I discover about myself throughout my journey of loving my own body (physically). OK here it is : 

1. Prioritize active lifestyle.
   I cannot stress this enough but moving your body is very important for your body's overall balance. If you live in a housing complex, perfect! You can always walk every morning or evening just to get your body moving. If you don't like walking, you can always subscribe a gym membership and join their free classes. If your body has already adapted to working out, then you can start doing cardio, weight lifting or pilates. 
2. Listen to your body.
   I used to overwork my body when I first started going to the gym. From living a sedentary lifestyle to lifting weights for 4-5 days a week. People had been complimenting my discipline and I've never felt this proud of myself. But soon enough my body started to give me signs that it was screaming for help. My hormones were imbalance and I started having random cravings for days that I ended up gaining more fats than muscles. My period cycle became irregular and I knew for sure something was wrong with me. After doing some research, I realized that I had been stressing my body so much within a short period of time. Now, I decide to tone down my exercise routines and stick with 3 days of strength trainings in a week followed by 15 minutes inclined cardio walk.
3. Sleep and wake up at the same time every single day.
   In my case, I try my best to sleep at 11 PM and wake up at 7AM (even on Sunday) . If you are the type of person who always have insomnia like I was, you need to find ways so your body will relax before you sleep. I spray eucalyptus essence on my pillow and take magnesium capsules almost every night and voila, it is one of the best remedy for my body to relax before I sleep. 
4. Prepare your own food. 
   If you don't have time, you can always prepare your meal ahead of time. For me, I always have whole wheat bread ready on my freezer so I can always pop it in my toaster every morning. Switch your store-bought nut butter to a homemade one, trust me, this will change your eating habits. I almost never order food online cause you never know how much salt and sugar they put. If you don't know the correct composition of your plate, that is okay. First thing to do is to eat home-cooked food 80% of the time, and eat more proteins than carbs. 

Alright, these are four tips that I have in mind for you. Next blog will be "How to love your self (mentally)". 

See you on the next chapter, readers!

October Dumps

October this year has been one of my favorite months.

1. First Penang trip with my family and my boyfriend. We had an internal purpose of going there which I couldn't spill yet, but the short getaway was so much fun.
   We tried a restaurant at Angsana Hotel which turned out to be way better than our expectation! All the food that we tasted were chef kiss! Plus, the atmosphere was pleasantly romantic. 10/10 for the food, but the location is too far away from the city. Not sure if I'll come back, though.
   
   

   

   Cold sashimi with ice cream, seafood risotto, lamb shank

   
   

   

   Avocado crisp, complimentary bread, chocolate lava cake (damn good!)

   
   
2. Made some homemade meals that made me feel proud of myself. Fun fact, one of my favorite foods is Greek Yogurt! 
   
   

   

   Period craving : huge bowl of yogurt and almond butter. 

   
   

   

   Tuna aglio olio, tastes just as good as the Kitchenette's

   
   

   

   Kale, mango and banana smoothie bowl. So good and refreshing!

   
   

   

   Decided to cut carbs for my breakfast and focus on real food instead

   
   
   

   

   Greek Yogurt Bowl

   
   

   

   Sourdough, greek yogurt, avocado spread, blueberry and almond butter

   
   
   
   

   

   Avocado and egg on wholewheat toast

   
   
3. My boyfriend's sister had her seventeenth birthday on October so she decided to choose Halloween as the theme. We were all having so much fun! All her friends dressed up in a very festive costume. I loved how casual the event was and everyone was definitely enjoying the night. 
   
   

   

   Decided to become a devil. Love my make up here!

   
   

   

   My boyfriend was literally wearing sweater and trench coat on a 35 degree weather. Poor him and no one even knew who he dressed up as.
   
   

   
   
4. Halloween Party with the girl friends. We basically booked an entire room for karaoke but ended up only using the room as a photoshoot studio. LOL. No one even had strength to sing anymore after two hours of taking pictures.
   
   

   

   Cat woman, Barbie and Angel

   
   

   

   Cat woman, Black swan, and Lara Croft

   
   

   

   Snow white, Charlie Chaplin, Barbie, Black Swan, Geisha, Vampire, Lara Croft
   Angel, Lara Croft, Cat Woman, Fallen Angel

   
   
5. The Office Halloween Event! Okay, this was my first time hosting a small event in my office . Honestly, I didn't expect it but everyone totally nailed the dress code! One even rented out a Geisha costume. We had some chocolate and snacks prepared. The event ended with everyone telling a short horror story.
   
   

   

   Maleficent, Chinese ghost, Mask Queen, Hit and Run Victim

   
   

   

   Naruto woman, Cat woman, Hermione Granger, Geisha

   
   

   

   Valak and Gendurowo

   
   

   

   A random girl from The House of Slytherin

   
   
6. My high school friend is finally getting married! I had to bring James along with me cause no one was taking care of him at home. I love my friend's make-up and cheongsam, totally suits her! Hope she has a happy marriage with her husband! 
   
   
   
   
   
7. My best friend's birthday. Black swan is slayinggg! Kath is such an amazing person. She's caring, loving and a good listener as well. We definitely have different personalities and upbringings but with her, I could share almost anything, from deep conversations to superficial nonsense. Let's wish her a wonderful year full of health, joy and happiness.