~**~ Pinterest Inspirations ~**~

03/24/2025

I updated my semester planner over the weekend and am ready to refocus my time and energy to finish my 4th semester in this program.

I was caught up with time-sensitive tasks and reworking my planner again for most of today, but I promised my accountability buddy that I would work on my thesis at least a little. I need to remind myself that:

It is never too late to start a task; it is never a failure to revise a plan.

I can't say for sure that I come back stronger each time. But I know I come back wiser and more rested with every setback.

Completed

✅ Scheduled medical appointment (finally!)

✅ Read all school emails and replied

✅ Updated semester planner for the next 1.5 weeks (for 2 group projects)

✅ Updated calendar to work on group projects and thesis

✅ Wrote a personal article

✅ Therapy session

✅ Did laundry

✅ Find PPT slide for group project

Thesis Tasks

✅ Updated thesis writing schedule for this week

✅ Review advisor's feedback on thesis draft

✅ Made 1 correction (I skimmed through an article for this so I'm calling it a win)

Today's study concluded at 1:24am.

Study Music 🎧:

"The House of Wind | Magical Night Under the Starts with ACOTAR Spring Court Ambience" - Prythian on YouTube

Day 1 End

I'm so proud of myself!

I actually did some thesis writing tonight. It took me a little bit to start, but I think I have a clearer direction now that I know it is just small blocks that build up my entire paragraph, and then making up a section.

Tracking my progress is nice. Thanks for this space!

3/1/2025 Day 1

I feel like yesterday wasn't that bad, so today should start pretty well too... Guess I was wrong / not as accurate as thought about my own behaviors.

I ended up waking up and checking social media, and it sent me down a spiral of starting this new online novel about werewolves and fated mates. They know me too well lol.

Now it's past 3pm and I have a long list of to-dos, combined with what I didn't get to yesterday. Will this kind of life ever end? Will I ever decide to not push away what I need to do right now and enjoy the instant gratification that causes me long-term despair?

~**~ Pinterest Inspirations ~**~

Found this on Pinterest to remind me that:

Consistency > Overthinking

Even if I am writing my papers 1 hour a day, I am going to get them done instead of continuously overthinking and avoiding my work, which produces zero results. Not that I have to work without breaks and rest. I just need to start somewhere, anywhere.

Everything will work out eventually 🩵

04/10/2025

Quick update before I crash... I slept at 3:30am yesterday cause I started binge-reading the latest chapters of Ex-Love Review. It's sooooo gooood. So it's now 2am and I just finished filing my taxes 🙃

Completed

✅ Shower! ✅ See clients ✅ Advisory meeting ✅ A long walk with my dog 💖 ✅ Play A Little to the Left ✅ Light dinner ✅ FILE TAXES (Yes I finally did it and ahead of the deadline too!!)

To-Dos

⏹️ Clinic notes x4 ⏹️ Clinic report results x1 ⏹️ Thesis writing (I probably should start this again before I get too busy over the weekend...)

I cannot physically keep my eyes open. Ok, good night 😴

I like this post! It reaffirmed some things I've learned in the past =)

Two things I would modify from the first two bullet points under the first point are:

Be authentic: Don't fake it if you're feeling not OK, sad, or other negative emotions. You don't need to fully explain yourself (it's a privilege for the people who care about you and you trust). But don't hide your true self and put on a mask just because you don't want to scare people away. Life has its ups and downs. The right people for you are going to understand that we have our feelings and it's OK.

Understand what you needs and communicate your needs: I learned this from my therapy training. There are times we want to vent, to scream, to cry, to talk about our problems with someone else. If you have experienced people pulling away because you're talking about your problem or "complaining," it might not be because you shouldn't talk about your problems and just go figure it out yourself. It might be due to the people you talk to do not know what you need and they want to handle your problem based on their own way. They could also have low energy when you share with them and they do not have extra energy to share your pain. If you want to vent, ask the person you want to talk with if they have the time and energy for you to vent about what is going on. And if you cannot find someone to vent to and you know you need someone to give you a safe and non-judgmental space to talk, it is always an option to see a therapist and see if it is what you need.

Have a wonderful day, lovely humans 🩵

how to build bridges and make meaningful connections ❀•°❀

for the girlies who want more than just superficial relationships

1. be the kind of energy that people want to stay around

be light, not draining. bring warmth, humor, and softness where you can. I always try to smile at people when I talk to them or see them, and people notice how I'm happy to hang out with them. just bringing a positive energy immediately draws people towards you.

try not to complain. everybody has struggles, and while venting can feel natural, it can also quietly drain the energy from conversations and people listening. personally, I struggle with this too. but, when we constantly focus on what's wrong, we unknowingly push people away. no one wants to feel like every conversation is a weight to carry.

instead, try adding something lighter or more meaningful. instead of saying, "I'm so stressed," try "this week is super busy, but I'm making time for a break soon." it's not about pretending that life's perfect, but being mindful of the energy you bring to a space.

show up with consistency. make plans for lunch and actually show up. remember small things that they say in conversations. it's always the greatest feeling when someone remembers that I had an important performance or difficult test and then ask me about it afterwards.

2. connect through conversation

make eye contact. it's uncomfortable, I get it. but, when you look someone in the eye while they're talking to you, it makes you look 1) more engaged about what they're saying, and 2) more genuinely appreciative of their presence. practice doing it little by little every day, and soon, it will become like second-nature.

share stories, not just facts. I think that conversations come alive with small stories with details that make moments memorable. for example, instead of just saying “I had a phone as a kid because I was on the soccer team” (fact), i added layers: “I got a phone because I went to soccer matches as a kid! I was terrible at soccer, but I helped the team by tricking opponents into thinking I’d get the ball. basically, I was a glorified decoy” (story). true story, by the way.

3. acknowledge them, even if you are not actively hanging out.

greet them by name. when you see them while walking, make an effort to remember their name and say hi. I feel that greetings come off as much more genuine when I address them personally.

if you don't know their name, still make an effort to smile and wave. I would still appreciate it if someone takes the time to acknowledge me, even for a little moment, because it shows that they care.

4. embrace compliments and connection

take compliments. I'll be the first to admit, I struggle with this too. but, isn't it a bit awkward when you give someone a compliment and they instantly deflect it with "oh but I look so ugly today like my hair is whack and my eyeliner is uneven" (calling myself out...)? instead, I think it's best to thank them genuinely for noticing you, even if you don't fully agree with their compliment. receive it with gratitude, not self-criticism. it's not about actually being perfect, but appreciating the kindness behind their words.

compliment them back, and be observant about it. you could just say, "you look amazing too" (though that's still nice). but, the next step could be noticing something specific, like their earrings or the way they carry themselves. or, share what you actually admire about them, like their kindness or determination. it's about making your compliment feel personal and thoughtful.

if you admire someone, tell them. it only sounds fake if you make it fake.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

remember, real connections are built on authenticity and kindness. it's not about being perfect. it's about being genuine, showing up, and appreciating the people around you. now, you just have a few more tools on how to make these connections and be the friend that you would appreciate in your own life.

thank you for reading all the way through as always. wishing everybody all the good things in the world and a blessed rest of your day <3

sending lots of love, q's playlist

03/17/2025

Proud of myself!

I started working on school stuff again after everything that's been going on. It was nerve-wracking at first, having to go through a lot of emails and reply to some from weeks ago. BUT... I got through them all!

Completed Tasks:

✅ Read (and organized) my school emails

✅ Research team meeting

✅ Review weekly task list

✅ Eat

✅ Take care of my dog

✅ Therapy session

✅ Finish 1 exam

✅ Added article summaries to class notes

What a relief! Now I can hop on Xbox to play with my partner and enjoy my dinner!!

Day 2 End

Wow... what a day.

I'm finally calling it and getting ready for bed (maybe quietly read a couple chapters of my new fated lovers book on my phone).

I feel like I did quite a bit but also not writing enough to meet my schedule. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Am I overestimating how much I can do each day or week to meet my goal at the end of the semester? I really hope not. I really need to finish this thesis proposal so I am not behind (also not having to pay for another semester of thesis credits...) Money is definitely on the line.

My hope is that I can start tracking my wins and knowing that it will be ok in the end.

Some motivation to start today =)

Even when you're tired, remember why you started.

Reflection: Everyone is broken in some way. Why is being broken so bad?