#micro journal

[nodramalamacorn]

Micro art journaling in my handmade leather journal (3x3 inches)

[myjourneyapp]

Creating A Relaxing Space For Increased Productivity

Does the physical environment of your workspace stress you out? Maybe your work area is excessively untidy, or your associates are too noisy; Perhaps your manager is continuously looking over your shoulder, or you can't stand the florescent lights. Whatever the cause, there's a decent possibility it's influencing your state of mind and productivity. 

You probably know at least one friend who’s read “The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo, and wonder if it is really that amazing and life changing.

It is.

Susan Kousek, a Certified Professional Organiser (CPO), says that “Our productivity is impacted by our level of organisation, ...Disorganisation bothers most people and causes stress. The clutter of disorganisation drags many workers down.”

Having a simple and relaxed space helps you to focus, and minimises the stress of having too much paper clutter or distractions that keeps you from being productive at work. 

Here are some tips on creating a relaxing space for a stress-free environment: 

Add Personal Touches

If your workspace stresses you out, try adding some personal items to your desk, cubicle, or office. Be it photographs of loved ones, an inspirational quote, a decorative item that has a special meaning to you, or even a book. 

Clean and Organise the Workspace

As mentioned above, it is difficult to focus when your desk is filled with clutters. Get an organisation system in place, and keep things neat and tidy. Dorothy Spira, the community expert at Evernote says that a messy desk or office results in lost ideas and documents, interrupted workflow, and reduced productivity.

If you’re having trouble deciding what should stay what what should go, ask yourself a series of questions, such as:

“Does this item have a purpose?” “Do I use it on a daily basis?”

“Am I keeping this because I need it, or because I might need it? If I need it, when?”

Do you remember that this was here? Clutter exists because our brain tricks us into thinking that everything is important. Ask yourself these questions, and you should know what to do with it, even if you don’t like the answer. 

Play Some Music

Put some upbeat music on to kickstart your day, or relaxing tunes to help you concentrate on a busy day. This Workday Zen Playlist by Spotify is a great one to listen to.

Incorporate Relaxation Exercises

If you’re allowed to, take a couple of minutes at least once a day to do some stretching, meditation, or go for a walk for some fresh air. Being cooped up in the office can drain you mentally. Breathing in some fresh air can help you to clear your head and put some thoughts into perspective, which can help to spark creativity!

Add Plants

Flowers are soothing, both visually and aromatically. If you don’t have green fingers, try getting a succulent or cactus, which requires less attention. The lemon balm plant is great as well, as it can survive in direct sunlight or shaded areas. Lemon Balm has been studied for its reported mood-boosting abilities. The pleasant smell of lemon that this plant releases is enough to make you feel better throughout the day, according to a study by Ohio State University.

Use a Diffuser, Candle, or Essential Oil 

Treat yourself to a spa-like environment or make your workspace feel more like home by having a diffuser on the desk. Some diffusers come in aesthetically pleasing glass jars, and choosing a favourite scent can help to make you feel better throughout the day. 

Go the extra mile to burn a candle, or massage a drop or two of essential oil on pressure points like your temples or wrists during the day to relieve tension and uplift your spirits. 

Calming scents like Lavender, Rosemary, or Jasmine can fight physical exhaustion, headaches and mental fatigue. Peppermint or Lemon are great refreshing and invigorating scents as well. 

Extra: Keep a Journal!

Journaling is a form of therapy that can raise self-esteem and make you feel happier overall. Expressive writing can also bring healing — emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Dr. Pennebaker, author of Writing to Heal has seen improved immune function in participants of writing exercises. 

Stress often comes from emotional blockages, and overthinking. Journaling increases your emotional intelligence, as it helps you process your emotions and increases your self-awareness. This internal familiarity becomes a bridge of empathy, you’ll better intuit and understand what others are experiencing. 

Journey is a cross-platform private digital journaling app that can help you to do just that. It’s completely private, and even the backup to your Google Drive is hidden and encrypted! Use it as a diary to jot down your daily thoughts and vent your frustrations, keep a gratitude journal, track your fitness and health, or much more! 

Journey is available to download and use for free on Android, iOS, Chrome, and Web; and paid on Mac, Windows. 

[pascalforget]

Micro Journal - machine à écrire

Le Micro Journal est un joli petit appareil avec un petit écran. Il ressemble à un jouet ! Pourtant, c’est un outil de travail sérieux qui permet de ne faire qu’une seule chose : écrire sans distraction. Un WriterDeck abordable qu’on jumelle avec son clavier préféré pour commencer dans le roman qu’on a toujours voulu écrire, prendre des notes ou pour rédiger son journal intime. Continue reading…

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[imkeepingitprivatenow]

February

[shannontlkearns]

New Creative Endeavors

I've really been enjoying trying out new creative endeavors lately: This Tumblr has been a fun space to answer people's questions, think a bit more visually about the work I do, micro journal, etc. 

I'm also enjoying putting some videos up on YouTube. Writing has always been my go to form of communication. Recording videos is a whole new ballgame as I try to do them in one take and without memorizing. It forces me to think in a different way, to be clear in my communication, to work on some of my annoying vocal tics and more. 

I'm really hoping that creating several series of videos for the church will be an effective way to communicate our vision and mission to more people. I'm excited about the possibilities even as I am a bit overwhelmed at the video learning curve!

I've learned so much in the past couple of years by trial and error and I'm really enjoying being able to share those lessons with other folks to hopefully speed up their process and make it easier. 

Yay internet!

[shannontlkearns]

The End of a Long Road

Today was a quiet day. I stayed up way too late last night finished "The Tower" by Simon Toyne. It was the final book in his trilogy and I loved it. The kind of religious thriller that just makes me happy. But after staying up too late reading I slept in today, did most of my studying, and then did some chores. Ran to the grocery store, etc.

Came home to find a letter in the mail saying that my divorce has finally been granted. I got married about eight years ago to someone I was deeply in love with. But we were also young and entering into some really stressful and pivotal years of life. When I realized I was trans* and needed to transition that was kind of the last straw in a long line of straws. 

We've now been apart for longer than we were together, but we hadn't finalized things. We had gotten married in Canada and Civil Unioned in New Jersey and then we both moved out of the state to states that didn't recognize same gender marriage. Then, suddenly, Minnesota did and we were "married" again. 

So now things are finally final. I feel a huge sense of relief. This has been hanging over my head, a final thread of connection, a lack of closure. And now, finally, I can exhale and know that we are really, truly done. 

I'm thankful we were able to file the papers ourselves and that I had enough money to pay my share of the court costs. And mostly I am thankful that I can close that chapter for good.