Why I stopped writing...

When I stopped allowing myself to truly feel my emotions is when I stopped writing. I've never liked to open up to people because I felt like a burden, so I held everything in and journaled. I would pour my soul onto paper night after night and feel so refreshed. No emotion, no event, no conversation was left unchronicled. 

Over the years I've had my journals read by people close to me (both accidentally and on purpose) and used against me. That created an anxiety towards something that once helped to rid me of my anxiety. Even recently I would collect journals but rarely write because I was afraid that someone would read them. I was afraid they would judge me or react to my emotions negatively.

I'm done.

No more anxiety. No more fear. No more withholding. No more writers block. No more caring-what-someone-may-think-IF-they-ever-saw it.  

Writing is for me. Writing keeps me (mostly) sane. Writing is what I love and crave. 

So I will write. 

I will write and write and write until my fingers fall off or I fill up all of my journals and can't find anymore. I won't be anxious and I won't hold back. This is my life. If you want me to write nice things about you then act accordingly. 

If anyone else has been feeling this way, even if your outlet isn't writing, don't stop! Express yourself. Write, draw, paint, sing, dance, do sudoku or take photographs. Whatever you love to do to relieve stress, DO IT! 

How do you relieve your stress? Comment below and let me know.

~Tea

Monday Motivation: Start your week off right!

With my first semester of Grad school finally finished I am so excited to get back to this blog and what better way than talking about one of my favorite days!

Monday is one of my favorite days because it brings a new week with endless possibilities. Monday means 7 whole days to advance yourself and your life/career. Anything negative that happened last week, leave it there. Think of Monday as a fresh start. If you tried something new last week and it didn't work out, try something else this week. Have you been waiting to start a new hobby (or get back to an old hobby)? No better day than Monday to implement new changes.

Here are some of the things I do to start my week off with a bang:

1. To Do Lists

I am a chronic list maker. I makes lists for everything and the gratification from crossing things off of my list and watching it dwindle down is the best.

2. Daily Websites I check:

The Muse- I go here for career advice, resume tips, interview tips, everything career related.

LinkedIn- LinkedIn is to adults what Facebook is to adolescents. If you don't have one, MAKE ONE!

Huffington Post- I like to keep abreast on the daily happenings in the world. This app is everything.

Twitter- Of course I have to check my social media also. Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, all of it.

Blackboard- As an online student this is essential to check...multiple times a day.

3. Plan my Book(s) of the Week:

I am getting back into the habit of reading daily. As a child I used to read so much that once my mom grounded me by taking away all of my books and forcing me to go outside You would have thought she killed my puppy by the hissy fit I threw (like the typical 13 year old that I was Smh) . Fast forward to now and I have a huge collection of books waiting to be read. Pictured above are what I am currently reading and also my Nook in case I want to indulge in an e-book.

4. Check Important Dates:

I like to make sure I have all of the important dates for the week written down and posted somewhere that I can see . I may even post it in several places if I know I have a particularly hectic week coming up.

5. Tidy up:

I am a firm believer that an uncluttered space = an uncluttered mind. Sunday night or Monday when I get off of work I take a few moments to tidy each room in my apartment. It doesn't have to be scrubbed clean but I just make sure that everything is in it's rightful place. During the week I try to tidy up nightly before I go to bed. If it's gets messy again, OH WELL! I do my best but nobody is perfect so I don't let it discourage me. If I'm working late on homework I may forgo tidying up until the next morning.

Mindset determines mood. When I used to loathe Mondays it would always start my week off on the wrong foot. Once I started embracing the new week and all that it has to offer things changed. Perhaps writing everything down and planning it all out also helped but who knows. Moral to this blog: Mondays Are Awesome!

Comment below and tell me what you love about the start to a new week.

  ~ Tea