In the midst of a global pandemic, our physical health, social interactions, and financial/economic conditions have all been put under strain. Widespread lockdowns, intensive isolations, and limited interactions, which are currently being implemented, have served as a hindrance to them and consequently risk oneâs mental health and well being severely due to the accompanying stress it bears onto us. Adapting to these new and unprecedented circumstances seem difficult, and it may take a long time until we fully adjust to it. Hence, self-care is of the utmost importance for us to confidently and capably face these challenges. This calendar, SELFTember, acts as a guide for each and every one of us to practice self-care wherein it allots a certain easy-to-do activity at home for each day in the month of September. Through this, SELFTember aims to emotionally uplift our moods and emotions brought by the lockdown and its stress and socially reconnect with our family and friends, all while boosting our mental health and self-confidence.
The first time I bleached my hair was on my birthday last year, 2019. It was an ash gray color, and I loved the results and thought it fit me quite well. This became the start of my aspiration to have my hair colored in every possible way. But I should do it in moderation, or space them out, so as to not permanently damage my hair.
This year, I decided the color I want to try is purple! I asked my uncle, who has worked in a hair salon for a couple of years in the past, where we could buy some dye. Luckily, there was a shop nearby, and he went there as soon as time allowed (following safety protocols and measures, of course!)
The two rounds of bleaching I had to endure was, to say the least, painful. It felt really cold on my scalp, making it feel as if itâs throbbing. However, having experienced this last year, I knew what to expect. I think that mitigated the pain. Anyway, I was really eager to see the results.
It showed up pretty well, and I think my hair looked cute! My scalp was kind of sore for a day or two, but it was all worth it. I loved the way it turned out!
Doing stuff like this is part of experimenting with how you want to express yourself with your appearance; some people prefer colored hair, some people prefer their natural hair! Iâm still figuring out a lot about myself, and one of that is my style. Iâd like to think Iâm coming into my own.
More than that, it really is a big confidence boost! I like the way I look with purple hair; it appeared lilac at some points! This made me feel cute and good about myself. In a society that wants you to be as insecure as possible, and in a time that itâs so easy to punish yourself for every little thing, itâs important we do what we can to make ourselves feel good and comfortable in our own skin.
Huge thanks to my parents for allowing this to happen! HAHA
Day 29: List down 5 ways you can improve yourself.
Here is a list of things or areas that I think I need to improve myself at:
1. SLEEP!
I lack sleep because of requirements. To have a better mind, and more energy, get some sleep! It can also give me better mood, more calm, more work done, and better attitudes overall. Presently, I sleep for an average 4 hours each day... Terrible isnât it? It affects my learning, and my mood everyday. It is therefore, important that I do get more sleep when I can. It does not also help that I hallucinate when staying up at 4 AM.
2. Be a bit more organised.
Push myself to be more organised. Some things are still a mess. Papers everywhere, stationery scrambled around the table, files and others. Does not really help in concentration, nor does it help in allowing my mood to be satisfied with the environment. Might as well Marie Kondo the hell out of my station.
3. Be more confident in myself.
(stolen from 9GAG years ago)
While I may have redeemed myself by a lot in the past few years, it is not quite further enough. Dare to do more again. Dare to be ambitious. Dare to be audacious. Dare to be brave. Challenge myself again and again.
4. Focus.
Try my best to focus on one thing at a time, to get the task done faster and on time. Try hard to not get distracted by other things. Filter out the immediate and the unneeded.Â
5. Maybe start exercising and eat a bit more?
Aim to be fit and healthy. Admittedly, have not done a proper exercise scheme since Primary 4 (because NAPFA was required). Currently, I am very slightly underweight as well, because of this, I decided to eat a bit more to level my field and take myself out of the underweight category. Did not realise I was undereating until I had to take my weight for the records. As for exercise, quite shy to do something that may prompt a reaction from my family. Have to do exercise at some point. Perhaps, someday...
Sometimes we need inspiration. We need some sort of motivation to keep us moving forward. We need something fresh, or something to remind ourselves, we are more than this, or that we are more than what meets the eye. More capable than what we think we are capable of. That push is all we need, to unlock more story lines of our lives.
5. My Personal Notebooks of Ideas.
These notebooks give me a place to write or draw what is on my mind. It sets me free in thought. Whenever I need inspiration, or concluded a though, I would always look through, or note it down so I can read it later. Whether they be sketches of ideas in perhaps buildings, or maps; or lines of poetry or some form of literature. Like a mini-library for myself.
4. Portrait of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II.
This was a portrait I did for Art. I am not entirely good in drawing itself, so I did not expect it to be good, but alas... This was the time I pushed myself to do things which I would not normally do. I managed to muster enough will to dare to do an audacious piece. While it may not be exactly perfect, it remains a reminder for myself that I can do more if i just give that extra power.
3. Several World Leaders.
I keep portraits of several world leaders to give me ideas and inspiration for what may come. They give me ideas in my personal works and 'projects' on how to solve issues to our country. Ideas which may help shape futures. Especially, because I am studying HUMSS, and will take HUMSS-related courses in the future. Their stares are like watchful eyes that guide you to the paths. They also provide me with inspiration to reach for the stars.
2. Short Letters from a 'Good Friend'.
This friend's words, I hold dear close to my heart. This friend's words gave me more reason to do better, to be better, and to make things better. This person gave me motivation and reason to excel after my own metaphorical collapse. This person gave me the push that allowed me to regain some form of confidence, as well as the push needed to succeedingly conclude my Junior High School years.
(Last part is redacted for obvious reasons)
1. My Best and Closest Friends.
(image removed)
My small group of best and closest friends 'gifted' me a foundation which I could use to stand on my own. Providing me with comfort and a relative peace to which I could go to. The inspiration that I personally could draw from them is our filial bonds. They made me love and care without derry. Moreover, they gave me the will to try to take on the future of what I want to do. Giving me more reasons to push forward, and to sacrifice my life for others.
Light as a featherÂ
White as a cloud
Soft like a marshmallow
That's what you are!
Stuffed toys have always been a subject of joy for me. As a child, we had this shelf mounted on the wall solely for the purpose of housing my brothers and I's stuffed toys (most of which were mine). Time passed and I grew up. The plushies of my childhood were either given away to younger family members or sold in garage sales to make room for things that were more important and needed. Last year though, for my birthday, one of my brother's gifted me with a Panpan plushy from Miniso! You could say that was the trigger for my quest to collect all the three bears from the cartoon show, We Bare Bears. Not more than two months later (and some help from my other brother and a friend), I had all three of them. Despite Panpan being the first one I got, Ice Bear has always been my favorite among the three whether in character or as a plushy. He's the softest one of the bunch and he's the one I always have close to me.
Yes, it's another filtered picture of Ice Bear wearing my glasses.Â
At last. At long last! I now have a NEW GAAAAMMEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*notices those who are reading this*
*Ehermm*
Exchanging gifts with the people your are close, especially those whom you love and cherish, is really special and heartwarming, donât you think?
There is this sense of gratitude and joy, and even excitement attached to giving and receiving gifts that may warm your heart and boost your self-confidence.
And what better way to fulfill both of them than to, well, gift yourself? I know it may sound far-fetched, but honestly, itâs very delightful and exciting, having full control of what you are to give and knowledge of who you are to gift as this is you boosting and warming yourself.Â
This Send Love Saturday, that is exactly what I did as I bought and gave myself a new Nintendo Switch game. A game that has a reputation of being well-loved and is being sold at a reasonable price. That game is none other than Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remastered.
Originally released as Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 separably on the Playstation 2 on July 19, 2001, and March 13, 2003, respectively, the game Iâve bought and gifted myself is the HD Remastered Edition for the Nintendo Switch that was released on May 12 2016 which contains HD Remasters of both games and compiles them into one compilation along with other related titles.
This game is actually the first ever Final Fantasy game I owned as though Iâve known about the franchise and seen videos of people playing other games in the franchise, My gaming experience was for the most part, limited by the different gaming consoles and devices that I own such as the PSP, XBOX 360, 3DS, and most recently, the Switch and the different games that are playable in such devices and those that I can afford.
But thanks to this, I can now finally experience the world of Final Fantasy while also rewarding myself for all the work and effort I had undertaken this whole pandemic period. But since there are still more school stuff I have to do, playing it will just have to wait unfortunately. But, overall, Iâm very excited for what Iâm about to put myself into while playing this.
Hereâs a GIF of me inserting the game into my collection of Nintendo Switch games. Guess you can say itâs now a fine addition to my collection.
The best way to relieve stress is throughe eating.
Taking care of youself is truly important, but in prder to accomplish this fully, you also have to take care of your family. This is why I decided to cook for them. Since I am the youngest in the family, I donât usually get assigned in hard chores like cooking and such. I usually only eating and prepare the table. So, again this is quite the experience, considering the fact that I am pretty much scared of boiling oil.
I decided to cook spicy honey garlic chicken for my family and I gues it was quite the sucess.
here are the ingerdients...
I did bake the chicken for a while since I was scaree of frying them but eventually ended up frying themđ
and here is the outcome. I didnât get a picture of them eating it, but they sure liked it.
I learned from here the pleasure of providing for others that you love. I enjoyed the time that I tooked to cook for them and to look ag their happy faces. I also realize that it was also a kind of excercise too since I was tired after I finished cooking. Overall, I enjoyed it and I recommend it for others to try:)
Day 24: Create a playlist and send it to your friends
Naomi
Online classes takes up a lot of our energy even if weâre just at home. Oftentimes, we find ourselves without motivation and strength to complete our schoolworks. This is where music comes in. Itâs such a powerful tool which can help lift the mood of weary students like us.
For Turn It Up Thursday, I created a playlist for my friends. I made sure to include the catchiest and most upbeat songs to help energise them after a hard dayâs work, or maybe even during study sessions! It includes a total of 25 songs, with both English pop and KPOP songs. Though the playlist is currently quite short, I have already sent it to several of my friends who would hopefully add more of their favourite songs for the whole squad to enjoy.
Day 23: List down 5 things you are proud of yourself for.
With online learning taking a strain on our minds and perhaps casting a cloud of doubt above our heads about ourselves. For this day, I wrote the things I am proud of myself for, to remind myself that I have come a long way from a shy and unremarkable, then hurtful and tortured person, to someone better than the previous iterations past.Â
1. For transforming myself.Â
I was once a shy person. I was once a tortured person. I was once a hurtful person. Yes. I have neared to being a bully, along with lowering marks. It was before and during the final year of Junior High that I realised that I needed to do something. As a sort of âlast hurrahâ. I realised that I needed to do better. It was during the last two years of it that I slowly transformed, to open somewhat. Acquiring new good friends as such. To be better, and to show others that I will not fizzle out in the winter.Â
2. For regaining confidence.Â
The same period I slowly regained confidence in my abilities. It started when one push me to a competition as a substitute, earning myself a place. That was my first time to actually win something substantial. All my life, I have always truly doubted my abilities, and my possibilities, but because of his push, I renewed my lost optimism, and gave me a âcan-doâ spirit. Allowing me to thrust through the remaining years better than the last 2 years before it.Â
3. For having a small group of good friends.Â
Being an introvert, I value a smaller tight-knit group of friends. Friends that will always have your back; even secrets we reveal to each other. Earning their trust and friendship has come a long way.Â
4. For being headstrong.Â
The same person that pushed me forward, told me to always be strong as well. No matter how bad it may be, or how terrible the foreseeable future is, to always keep going forward. Just like how Churchill said, to keep walking even in the depths of hell. Making him proud time and time again with the progress I am making, as well as weathering out the storm.Â
5. For being who I am today.Â
The same personâs words telling me that he is proud, tells me that I myself have something to be proud of. I used to think that I have nothing. For all the same reasons he addressed to me, and for helping me find myself. I have come along way.Â
Materials weâve been taught to read as children as sources of both information and entertainment. As technology advances in our society, many have turned towards the use of electronic books and materials. Despite this, nothing can beat the experience of writing a printed book, whether paperback or hardbound.
The pleasant smell and considerably coarse feel of the paper under your fingertips as you turn the page time after time to continue reading the words that beckon for you to read. Itâs truly quite an experience.
Richelle
As an elementary schooler, I was influenced by my eldest brother into reading one of his science fiction novels. The only introduction I had of that bookâs universe was the pretty inaccurate representations shown in the movie of the first book. That didnât really stop me though. My brother and I love to have conversations about the books weâve read and he really urged me on in reading the second book of the series.
That was around six or seven years ago now. Iâm not going to lie, I may have strayed away from reading physical books around my ninth grade year but that doesnât mean I canât get back into it.
United as One is the seventh book of the Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore, the very same series of the very first sci-fi book I borrowed from my brother. (We have all the books now by the way, including the first two books of the sequel series, Legacies Reborn, and one of the books from the side series of the original, The Lost Files). Itâs in this book that the war against the Loric people (specifically the Garde) and the Mogadorians comes to a close. After a very long journey, itâs all finally going to come to an end⌠but at what cost?
Iâm currently only a few chapters into the book (even after the many years that have passed since I bought the book for my brother) but I honestly canât wait to read through it.
âNever lose faith in yourself, and never lose hope; remember, even when this world throws its worst and then turns its back, there is still always hope.â
â Pittacus Lore, The Power of Six
also here, have some doggo tryna lick the book while I was tryna take a picture of it.
Simon
While some may prefer fiction books like novels and short stories, Iâm the type of guy that prefers to read non-fiction books. Heck, majority of the books in my book collection are non-fiction ones as Iâm pretty much more inclined to whatâs real in literary works, except for drama, TV, video, and film works though. Thus, the thing I decided to read is something pretty unconventional if I may say. None other than âConstitution Of The Republic Of The Philippines with Questions and Answersâ. Yeah, you heard me. A law book, about the 1987 Constitution a.k.a the FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF THE LAND/COUNTRY.
The copy that I had was one I bought a year ago a year ago and though I havenât finished it yet (Iâm still in Article VII btw), I can honestly say that I am both impressed and fascinated by it while also a bit worried in a sense that this is what we, as a nation, should strive to be & follow at all times; and worried that in light of recent events & issues plaguing the Philippines, it is being ignored and violated. But despite all of that, my whole reading experience is honestly something reinvigorating for me as it really boosts my pride and confidence as a Filipino citizen, gives me a much deeper understanding of our nation and identity, and turns on my interest in the countryâs political, legal, social, and economic affairs (though my main source is usually the news and other stuff such as school but whatever).Â
Overall, every Filipino should at least know/read and try to understand the Constitution as not only is it the fundamental law of the land to which everything and everyone is legally subjected to and protected by (i.e. The Bill of Rights), but also it is something that brings forth oneâs love for his/her nation and henceforth, value and uphold it throughout his/her life. Besides, its one of those things that embodies our ideals, values, principles, interests, and culture as Filipinos after all.
Day 21: List down five good things that happened to you today
Richelle
Sometimes, in life, I end up looking for good things so far out of reach. I look straight ahead so often that I often forget to look around me.
It is for this reason that for today's activity of writing down five good things that happened to me, I'm going to list down the simpler things. Things that are often taken for granted.
1. I woke up today
Every time I pray, this is one of the things I always thank God for first. Some people end up going to bed and not waking up anymore in the morning so to wake up every morning is something I am very grateful for.
2. I had my family with me today
In addition to my growing list of fears on this blog, I am also afraid of waking up alone one day. To be able to come down from my room and see my family already bustling about is a blessing (though, I'd rarely admit that to them out loud).
3. I got to talk to my friends and socialize, even if it's merely on the internet
I miss my friends greatly. Not being able to talk to them face to face, hug them, laugh with them, and all that stuff isn't a great experience (or lack of experience I suppose). Though we talk to each other everyday (whether it be just an exchange of a few words or full-blown conversations), every small chat is worth so much especially since it reassures me that they're at least doing well during the quarantine.
4. I can still see
Another thing to add to my publicly listed fears (lol), not being able to see bother me a lot (I really don't like getting blindfolded, for example). Being a person with already bad eyesight, the fact that said eyesight is slowly, slowly getting worse, becoming blind is a big fear. (Yes, itâs a picture of my plushy wearing my glasses).
5. I GOT TO WATCH HAMILTON AGAIN
In all honesty, Iâm not even sure if Iâm happy about watching again (thatâs a complete lie, no matter how much this play makes me cry, I will always love Hamilton). I was originally planning to watch it again to look deeper into the finer details of the play but I may or may not have been too swept up in my emotions to actually pay close attention (lol).
You know what they say, âtidy home, tidy mind.â In this case, itâs only my desk that Iâm organising, not my entire house, but it would still be a big help! Online classes require us to sit in front of our laptops for hours a day. On top of that, we spend much more time on our desks to do homeworks and assignments. With that said, it is important that our workspaces remain clean so that our minds can remain focused on our tasks. Though itâs a factor that is often overlooked, keeping an organised space can actually help relieve stress by allowing us to breathe easier while working.
Pictured above and below is my desk. Previously, this was cluttered with extra pieces of paper and chargers. Now, it has only my essentials for school: pens, notebooks, laptop, file organiser, and a reminders board, along with a picture of baby Naomi with her mom for inspiration. In the coming days, Iâll surely feel better as I am now free from unnecessary distractions while working.
Growing up, my parents took on most of the household chores. Whenever Iâd ask to do it, theyâd tell me to focus on studying instead. Now that Iâm basically an adult, can manage my time better, and aware that my parents are getting older day by day, I can take more responsibility at home. This includes doing several chores for them. It is one way of showing gratitude and love for my family, which we all could use more of especially now that weâre in the middle of a nationwide health emergency.
Okay, I have to admit. I am the type that would usually just sit on the table and prefer to ear than to cook or bake. This is why this time is really different. It came to me as a challenge but the happiness that I felt when I succeeded in baking was really something else. On that day I baked a banana and chocolate chip bread that my mom loves to order everytime it is available in stores. So first I got the ingredients: butter, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, mashed banana, egg, vanilla extract, and choco chips.
I first mixed the wet and dry ingredients and it became like this. I also prepared the parchment paper already.
After that, I mized them altogether and in to the oven it goes!
I waited for about 35-40 minutes at 190 degrees and it became like this.
One thing I would regret though, is that I accidentally bought white choco chips rather than the dark ones so it didnât look as aesthetically pleasing but the taste was wonderful. It wasnât too sweet nor too bland and my mom enjoyed it!
Okay, okay. I'm calming down. Sorry, I just really love my music.
Today's task was to jam out to some of my favorite songs.
Now, just so you know, my definition of jamming is either screeching out lyrics of my favorite songs (this is especially true when listening to Hamilton) or playing it on my keyboard when I'm home. Also, just to say, I am not exaggerating when I say screech. My friends and family are witnesses to that.
On the note of friends, my close friends, without a doubt, know that I play the keyboard in church during services. Picking up on that, there's this one that I really love. It just has this impact when you listen to it. Not to mention the musicality of the song. This song is Hope Will Rise by Warr Acres. And, surprise, surprise, it's the song that I decided to jam out to. Oh, and I added a bit of the chorus of Our God by Chris Tomlin at the end of the song.
Pardon me for the mistakes in the video (I'm definitely out of practice) but here you go! Iâm listening to the song with earphones while playing so its easier to hear the audio of the soundtrack.
Exercise brings many benefits to the body. By staying active, we can burn those extra fats and increase self confidence by becoming fit. We can also use it to take our mind off the things that stress us out. On top of these, exercise stimulates the release of endorphins - known as the âhappy hormone.â We donât just stay healthy physically, but mentally as well.
We donât have to go to the gym for exercise. We can use whatever tools we have at home, or even get suggestions and guides from the internet. For Day 16, I did some basic stretching, along with typical exercises such as squats and jumping jacks following a youtube video. I also borrowed my momâs dumbbells to help tone my arms. Since I wasnât very physically active during the quarantine, I couldnât do more strenuous exercises. But the most important thing was that I tried to get back on track with my physical health, and had lots of fun while doing so!
Shoutout to my dog who was always in the background while I was exercising
âImagine a beautiful channel of white light, streaming down from the heavens towards the crown of your head.âÂ
Simon
For this weekâs Choose Yourself Tuesday, I decided to do a self, spontaneous, and semi-religious meditation session and I got to say, the experience itself was both breathtaking, unique, and enlightening. Not only was it relaxing and relieving but also spiritual (just as what it foundationally is) and informative as I certainly felt like I was talking to this inner spiritual voice inside my head that basically gave me words of wisdom which were takeaways from some points in my life. And after experiencing it, I can honestly say that I felt more confident, alive, connected, and inspired than ever and my whole life and mental well-being have been changed and given a renewed sense of purpose.
Overall, no matter what feeling youâre experiencing right now, from what walk of life you come from, or what belief system/moral principles you align yourself with, meditation is a really helpful, relaxing, and boosting activity and it can really serve as a coping mechanism for stress through deep reflection and enlightenment leading one into a special & life-changing. It changed my life indeed, so maybe it can also change yours.
[P.S. I would like to thank my Grade 7 & 10 TLE teacher, Mrs. Loreto Paragas, for giving me the inspiration to some of the lines used in my meditation session, specifically the quote as seen above the description. It was really helpful and so spiritual whenever I think, hear, and remember these lines.]
