re--laaaaaxer

art history phd student, and a book lover

[re--laaaaaxer]

2024: Daily Goals

This post is inspired by @nia-academia. This is to remind myself to keep my daily habits and goals simple but enough to keep the productivity going.

Productivity

Wake up early, go out for a walk to clear my head for the day, and start studying from 9am-5pm, then do some endurance exercises at 6pm. I've been doing these for the past 2 years, and it has worked so far for me.

Do some nighttime academic reading. Even for just half an hour.

Try to schedule and divide my time between drafting articles and writing for my thesis. I've been struggling with this the most.

Self-care

Get into the habit of journaling in the morning and night with the help of self-reflection prompts from Daily Stoic.

Practicing self-gratitude.

Listening to Seerah episodes on the podcast when I have free time.

Reading the Quran, one page a day. At the most two.

Health

Stretching for whenever my body tenses up when I'm stuck with my studies.

Drink enough water.

Go for more walks.

Sleep better.

[re--laaaaaxer]

09:07

I met up with my SV yesterday to turn in my fourth, fifth, or sixth drafts. I really don't know. I lost count at this point. On top of that, she requested that I draft up another manuscript for a new publication, which I was at a point where I was about to pull my hair out because I had just submitted one not too long ago. But she made a point that it's good to have as many publications as I can out there in the world for laypeople to read because honestly, people cannot appreciate enough Malay woodcarving in this country.

On top of that, I am currently writing chapters 5 and 6, which is insaaaane. Yeh, there has been quite a bit going on as of late, and I feel concerningly calm, but then again, I am literally on the cusp of finishing my thesis, so I cannot afford to lose my head. 😂

What about yourselves? Are you all well? Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you wallowing in the smallest but most beautiful indulgences when you have the time? Are you taking better care of yourself?

I sincerely hope so. If not, please remind yourself to please, do exactly that. Shooting some virtual yellow hearts for good measure if you need them. 💛💛💛

[re--laaaaaxer]

09:00

I’ve just returned from a much-needed one-week holiday, and honestly, I didn’t realise how burnt out I was until I finally hit pause. The week away was meant for me to decompress and reassess a few things in my life. It gave me space to reflect, and now I feel even more grateful for where I am.

Honestly, most of my trip was spent taking blissful siestas throughout the day — and they were simply glorious.

That said, I did manage to squeeze in some street photography, which I’ll share in my next post.

And how have you all lovelies been doing? Are you alright over there?

PS: I'm not the most tidy when I'm studying. My study space is usually messy, which I am completely fine with because that's how true the state of my mind is when I'm learning — all over the place and constantly in motion.

[re--laaaaaxer]

11:50

Yesterday was a struggle—a day that felt like a failure before it even began. I had mapped out my Monday with the best of intentions, envisioning a marathon of words pouring onto the page. My plan? To write and write and then write some more. But reality, as it often does, had other plans.

Instead of diving into my work, I barely dipped a toe in. I spent a measly 10 minutes at the keyboard, producing a pitiful four lines. After that, the hours seemed to melt away into a blur of meaningless tasks and distractions. Eight hours slipped through my fingers like sand, and not a single substantial word was added to my work.

It was as though a thick fog had settled over my mind, clouding every thought and stifling any sense of clarity. I couldn’t think straight, let alone write. By the end of the day, my mind was utterly spent—so exhausted that I could barely keep my eyes open when my sister tried to talk to me that evening. I fell asleep mid-conversation, worn out by a day that had yielded nothing but frustration.

Today, though, I’m choosing to be kinder to myself. I’ve realised that this journey, this academic pursuit, is bound to have its ups and downs. There will be days when the words flow effortlessly, and days when they don’t come at all. The days when I can’t write, can’t think, can’t find a solution, or even muster a glimmer of hope—they’re all part of the process.

So, I’m giving myself permission to breathe, to accept the ebb and flow, and to embrace both the good days and the not-so-good ones. After all, this is the path I’ve chosen, and every step, every stumble, is a step forward.

As much as this post sounds slightly melodramatic, it did feel like my day was severely unproductive. Hihi! I thought I'd add a bit of drama to the ever-so-mediocre day and the happenings surrounding it.

Btw, has anyone else ever felt this way? I’d love to hear your stories, too.

Have a good one, everybody!

[re--laaaaaxer]

10:10

The brain is mushed. I have a mushed brain. I've been waking up later than usual because little did I know that transcribing an audio interview can impoverish every single fibre of my being. So, I've been sleeping in, and I'm trying to tell myself to be kind and merciful towards myself because these past couple of months have been mentally gruelling.

But! I will say that seeing my Hector sleeping on my praying mat does melt my heart so I feel better now.

PS: How are you all? Are you drinking enough water and resting? 💛 

[re--laaaaaxer]

15:41

Currently, I am at a cafe and transcribing an audio interview that is almost three hours long. I love doing research and don't mind doing the grunt work, but I do not fancy transcribing because I recoil at listening to my own voice. I'm like, goodness, why do I sound like a ten-year-old.

Anyway, I hope you guys are doing alright over there and are doing much better than I am. 🏵️

Remember to hydrate and rest when needed.

[re--laaaaaxer]

13:20

I'm currently away for research. I've managed to interview two people so far, and I can't say much but I'm quite happy with the in-depth knowledge I've been receiving. There's more that needs to be learned so, I'm just pacing. And I will keep pacing until the end of the finish line.

Right now, I'm surrounded by trees, misty mountains, and birds chirping and tweeting like it's Our Planet. I've only been away for a few days and I really miss my cat.

Usually, when I'm away, he'd succumb to doing these weird antics with my little sister. And I have photos to prove it.

My sister sent me these photos last night; the second is my favourite so far. It looks like he's high on mushrooms but really, he was just falling asleep. Silly cat, you. 🙄

[re--laaaaaxer]

21:42

I am pushing the last bit of effort on a Friday night before I can unwind this weekend. It occurred to me this evening that I had been putting off my manuscript, which I was supposed to revise a week ago, and it is due in two weeks. Silly me.

No rest for the wicked, so let's push, push, push!

If you have something you need to work on on a Friday night, you got this okeh. Sending you lots of love and lots of motivation from this side! 🫶

[re--laaaaaxer]

At the rate I am going right now, I am about 65% in with my thesis progress. Maybe? Or not; I'm really trying my hardest here. It has been stressful recently. I met with my supervisor a couple of weeks ago, and she told me that I could actually finish my thesis and send it ALL in, like everything, from chapter 1 to chapter 6, by this coming December. If that doesn't scream out stressed-out-of-my-mind from peer pressure and anxiety, I don't know what does.

And so, I'm currently jammed in. My head is a bit scrambled, but a little notetaking and a 4-second slow inhale, holding it in and exhaling, will do the trick. All hope is not yet lost. If you ask me, it was never lost in the first place. With the right kind of determination, you only need to know where to find it at the right time and place.

We can do this, guys. Seriously, we can do it. ✊

[re--laaaaaxer]

I've always wanted a funky retro study setup, and this keyboard really does it for me. It was a gift from my sister, so this post will be a simple shoutout.

Thank you for being an amazing human bean. You're just the best for always putting up with my perpetual BS. HIHI. I love you!

I love how thocky the keys are, though! HNGHHHHH!

On an unrelated note, how are you all, my lovelies? I hope your side is much greener and wonderful than mine.

PS: Do you think you like my gif on the screen? The show is just one of my favourite animes, and I'm so excited for the trilogies to come out! 😭

[mudwisard]

my trick for getting through grad school is learning to navigate the quadrants with all their nuances

[re--laaaaaxer]

"You call me a misanthrope because I avoid society. You err; I love society. Yet, in order not to hate people, I must avoid their company."

—Caspar David Friedrich

[re--laaaaaxer]

I can't decide between writing my thesis and reading articles today, but I do have a bunch of articles to read this week.

PS: I included my repainted version of André Derain's 1905 painting of "Mountains at Collioure" I did 2 weeks ago. I was so happy with how it turned out because I had no expectations and was purely enjoying myself.

[re--laaaaaxer]

I feel like there’s a theme here. 🏵️💛🌻🟡

[re--laaaaaxer]

Lately, I've been daydreaming about Japan, and this song really hits the chord right. This is also my current study song that puts me in a lighter mood.

Have a listen to it and enjoy, my darlings!

[teapot-studies]

Random writing tips that my history professor just told during class that are actually helpful

Download all your sources or print them so you can turn off your wifi

Give your phone to someone

Just. WRITE. Writing is analysing, you’ll get more ideas as you write. It doesn’t need to be perfect, for now you can just blurt out words and ideas randomly. You can fix it later.

Create a skeleton/structure before writing.

Stop before you get exhausted. It’s best to stop writing when you still have some energy and inspiration left, this will also motivate you to get started again next time.

Make a to do list

Work in bite sizes. Even if it’s not much, as long as you put some ideas on paper or do some editing.

Simple language =/= boring language, simple language = clear language.

Own your words. If they are not your words, state this clearly in the text, not just in the footnotes.

STOP BEFORE YOU GET EXHAUSTED. Listing it again because it’s easily one of the best tips a teacher has ever given me.

[problematicprocrastinator]

Hey, stop scrolling for a moment. Let this be your rest stop. If you’re feeling down or anxious today, come and sit in the garden with me for a while. It’s beautiful weather, the sun is shining and the birds are singing. I’ve got my book to read, you can read too if you would like, I’ve got so many shelves for you to choose from. Or I could read to you. Or if you want, you can just sit, let the sunlight wash over you. There is so much peace in this moment. I’ll get you a drink and when it gets really warm I’ll go and get us ice cream. Just remember that you’re safe here and you can always come back.

[re--laaaaaxer]

Thank you. I kinda teared up reading this. 💛