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confusedlamp · 3 years

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Mental Health Strategies

I have dealt with various mental health BS (anxiety, depression, ADHD), and while I haven't gotten it all figured out, I have been dealing with it for well over a decade now. I figured I would make a list of coping mechanisms that have helped me and are worth trying out if you haven't already. None of these things are “magic” (just try this and your brain will be all fixed!), and obviously not applicable in all situations. I mostly learned these via therapy or from other people struggling with mental illness. This also may or may not be to help me have a list of things written down for when I forget.

Putting this below a keep reading thing because this got long FAST:

For depression funks:

-Find a small task you can complete. Wash a dish, throw clothes in the hamper, take out the trash, etc. Something small.

-Take a shower. And try changing clothes. Even if it's in to some pajamas. If you aren't up to showering, try washing your face and maybe wiping down with a wipe. But a change of clothes will still feel better.

-Eat something. Doesn't have to be "healthy." Some food, no matter what it is, is better than no food.

-Can you get outside? Doesn't have to be to excercise. Just sitting on the front steps for a few minutes in the sun.

-Doing something to take care of yourself. Can you brush your teeth? Have a glass of water? Brush your hair? Just pick one thing and so it.

-Plan something. See if you can get a friend to meet you to hang out (or zoom) or maybe for dinner. For yourself, maybe find a movie to go see (post pandemic). Preferably find something that has a set time.

For panics:

- Square breathing. Breathe in for 5, hold for 5, breath out for 5, hold for 5. Repeat.

-There are a ton of meditations on youtube. Search "5 minute meditation" and you'll find a ton of videos.

-After the initial panic is over try calling a friend. If you can't for some reason (sometimes it's 3 am or your friend isn't available), try finding some cat videos on youtube. I highly recommend Cole and Marmalade. Something light that will get your brain on something else.

For Executive Dysfunction:

-Remove steps to putting things away. For awhile in school, I would have a mess of papers that weren't organized or put away because I was trying to use a binder. As silly as it sounds, having to neatly align paper holes or got find a place to punch those holes, would prevent me from putting things away. So I switched to folders. Suddenly I stopped losing things and my papers were organized.

-Bullet journaling. Or rather, I just have a little notebook where I put all my to do lists, grocery lists, project planning, brainstorming, etc. I don't properly Bullet Journal (TM) but I keep all my lists in one spot and it helps.

-To do lists in general. Writing out steps to get something done. Cross things out when you finish them. You get a better sense of accomplishment.

-When executive dysfunction is preventing you from getting out of bed, break it down. Step one, sit up. Step 2, swing legs over side. Step 3 stand up.

-Same with any task. If it seems too overwhelming or you just can't bring yourself to do it, it might be because you are looking at all the steps and feeling it's too much. So just think about the first one.

-Alarms and reminders. I put everything on a calendar in my phone. Google Calendar allows you to set a reminder for events days, weeks, hours, and minutes ahead. You can also set alarms for things like "I know I need to leave at 3 for the appointment, so I am going to set an alarm for 2:45 to start getting ready." Do not rely on yourself to look at the clock. YOU WILL NOT LOOK AT THE CLOCK IN TIME.

-Set the dang alarm clock across the room. That way, you gotta get out of bed to turn it off. Once out of bed, go take any meds, or if you don’t have meds, go do a small morning task. Usually doing this small task is enough to get me awake enough to not get back into bed. If I do, well, at least I have taken my meds.

Sensory Issues:

- Fitted sweat pants and hiking pants. I can’t stand tight clothing, but I want to look presentable. Sweatpants that taper can still look decent. Travel pants or hiking pants (you can find these at places like REI), basically look like slacks but are made out of stretchy material. They also usually are made out of quick dry material which is nice.

-Fidget and sensory toys. I really like hedgehog rings which have these little spikes on them I can run my thumb over. Also the tangle. I have a tangle that has a rubber coating that has little bumps on it. What you end up liking might differ, but those are two of my favorite. Also, if anyone gives you shit about these, you can explain “it’s sorta like a stress ball, but instead you [whatever you do with this fidget toy].”

-Ear plugs. I wear these a lot because I have particular issues with sounds, especially certain ones. I prefer either silicone gummy ones or I like these that are “slim” because they don’t make my ears hurt. You can also get musician ear plugs that are made for musicians to protect their hearing, but still be able to hear tones and what is going on, for when sound is simply too load (also good for concerts).

For General ADHD things:

-Work somewhere different. This is a bit limited due to the pandemic currently, but just working at the kitchen table instead of your bedroom can help. In college, I used to go to the library to work. Just the idea that I was going to someplace specific to do a specific task, helped me actually get started.

-Promise yourself that you will work for 10 minutes. Set an alarm if needed. Usually just starting will make the task seem less intimidating. If 10 minutes is too much, do 5.

-Cardio. Get your self moving. This is good for a lot of things, but I highly recommend it for before you have to sit down to work on a task, like school work. I personally run, but if that’s not your thing dance, a class, walking, biking, etc. Just whatever you like.

-Time dependent things are good to get yourself going. Again, this is limited by the pandemic, but for normal times, can you meet a friend for breakfast? Can you schedule your appointment so you have to get to it before you start work? When I was in college, I used to go to morning gym classes before my first class of the day. This got me up and if I was 5 minutes late, it was better to do that for a gym class than a physics class. Bonus because it was exercise and I could focus better on the class.

-In classes, try to find a notes buddy or study group. That way, if you zoned out a moment, you can ask them for the notes from that section and vice versa. Also, meeting up with them is a great way to have a set time to study.

For General Anxiety/ Depression:

-This is going to sound cheesy as fuck, but: Make a list for what you are good at. Things you like about yourself. Things you have accomplished. They don’t have to be super deep, but can be. Do you like your nose? Can you paint your nails well? Are you good at understanding your cat? Are you good at writing? Drawing? Did you overcome a bad test and still manage to pass a class? If you have a friend or significant other that you are comfortable with, ask them to help maybe. Keep this list for when you feel like shit.

-Yoga. I’m sorry to put this on here because it seems like the most neurotypical advice, but. I honestly love this shit. If you haven’t given it a shot, there’s a reason why people like it. You don’t have to belong to a gym to try it. I highly recommend Yoga with Adrienne. She has some great beginner videos.

-Take breaks from social media and news as needed. Seriously. You are a single person and can’t fix everything. Do what you can (share the information, make a donation, join in mutual aid efforts, etc.) but doom scrolling and obsessing won’t help anyone. If you won’t do it for yourself, consider that burning yourself out will make you unable to help later on.

-Create things. They don’t have to be amazing. Crocheting, knitting, drawing, writing, etc. Having something that you can look at and be like “I made that” is really satisfying. Youtube has some great tutorials for pretty much anything. For drawing, I really like Proko. He has some great videos on drawing faces. But again: IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE GOOD.

General Resources/ Advice:

-If you are currently in college, most campuses will have groups for counseling and even limited one on one sessions. Usually, these counseling groups are free and the one on one sessions can help you find a counselor nearby.

-How to ADHD. Seriously I love this youtube channel. She goes over how ADHD affects the brain and has seriously helped me understand it better.

-The Trevor Project. For LGBTQ teens and youth. They have a hotline and many other resources.

-If what is stopping you from getting therapy is the idea that you are being dramatic/ are not that bad/ others have it worse: Go get therapy. What are we going to do, find the one person who has it the worst off than anyone and only they are allowed to feel bad and get help? Screw that. Get some help.

-Remember that there are good things in your future. Where ever you are in life, you have something positive in your future, even if you don’t know it yet. One day, there will be a moment when you look back on the dark times and be so glad you didn’t give up.

-Obligatory: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ (1-800-273-8255). This is national suicide prevention lifeline, for the US. They can help.

-https://www.crisistextline.org/ For when you don’t like phone calls, try texting instead. Has US, Canada, UK, and Ireland numbers.

#well there you go #my post #mental health #coping mechanisms #adhd #depression #anxiety #depression recovery #mental health resources #hope this helps someone #mental health strategies

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prettywordsyouleft · 3 years

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are you watching any dramas right now?

what's the weather like there? seriously the whole other side of the world, swapped weather thing is interesting to me.

how did you get into making bullet journals? would you do a masterclass on making them?

favorite Harry Potter character?

xx em and hana

Hello my lovelies! Thanks for leaving this message last week!

Actively I’m watching True Beauty and The Uncanny Counter. The latter isn’t one I would usually watch but I’m surprisingly enjoying it! Highly recommend if you’re okay with evil spirits and stuff. And of course, I highly recommend True Beauty!

Still watching Wok of Love and a couple of other dramas with the fam. I feel like we just need to all sit and binge watch to get these damn things done... but life is life and we’re all busy at different times hahaha!

The weather here today has been really windy? It’s summer, so normally we have a lot of hot days and wind isn’t uncommon. But it’s a strange day... overcast, wind, cold but also hot? We’re due for some rain soon. Actually had a lot of rain for summer. Which is good, but we’re all feeling a bit under the weather from the hot then cold changes. Climate change is definitely messing up the seasons and temperatures! There’s been a few fires because of the heat though. I hate them after the one that came way too close to our horses one time so I’m forever anxious with how dry everything is.

I got into bullet journalling by chance. I used to use a pre-dated journal but it wasn’t working. I didn’t have enough space to document down all my things I did in a day. There was never enough note-taking space and I’d have several notebooks to keep track of for work, horses, personal, etc. I was super obsessed with watching Happy Planner videos and stumbled across the Bullet Journal Method through one of them. I think we (best friend and I) started doing them in May 2017? Since then I’ve been hooked. I can put whatever I want into it, both creatively and productively and I know what works and what doesn’t. Also if I cannot be bothered one month, I didn’t just waste a whole bunch of pre-printed pages either. As for teaching... I dunno. I did create a Youtube channel for my bullet journalling over a year ago but I only had something like 4 subscribers lol. I just didn’t get out there... I love sharing my spreads and ideas though, so maybe one day. Never say never!

In Harry Potter, I loved the twins. The 5th book is my favourite, understandably XD

________________

My ask box is open for this week’s Chelle Chats!

#chellechats #pwyl; answered #soybeantree

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mostlysignssomeportents · 4 years

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Documentation Gathering, Sanitization, and Storage: an excerpt from "A Public Service"

[Yesterday, we published my review of Tim Schwartz's new guide for whistleblowers, A Public Service: Whistleblowing, Disclosure and Anonymity; today, I'm delighted to include this generous excerpt from Schwartz's book. Schwartz is an activist whom I've had the pleasure of working with and I'm delighted to help him get this book into the hands of the people who need to read it. -Cory]

Collection

As you collect documents and bring new information to light, be aware that you are in an escalating digital arms race. There will always be new ways that data forensics can identify you, or uncover information based on data that you inadvertently leave in your files, or data that is retained in logs noting who has accessed what files on what network. Recently it was discovered that noise from electrical grids can be used to quite accurately pinpoint when, and potentially where, an audio recording was made. The best way to win this war—or at least to avoid becoming collateral damage—is to work outside the standard methods and find partners who have experience.

Of course, the actual collection of documents has changed dramatically over the years. In 1969, Daniel Ellsberg systematically removed documents, including the Pentagon Papers, from the RAND Corporation in his briefcase, taking them to an advertising agency where he (sometimes with the help of his 13-year-old son) photocopied them, one page at a time. Though this took enormous courage and psychological stamina—and in 1969 all that copying was certainly time-consuming and undoubtedly tiresome—it was also technologically straightforward and relatively safe. As long as the guards didn’t stop and check his briefcase, and as long as no one saw him remove and return the reports, Ellsberg could duplicate the papers undetected.

If Ellsberg was trying to do the same thing in 2019 with physical documents, he would have to be sure there weren’t cameras looking over his shoulder. He would have to make sure that the documents themselves didn’t have watermarks that would lead back to him. And he would have to make sure that the copying method didn’t log his activity. If Ellsberg’s 21st-century counterpart were to take digital documents, there would be many more potential technological risks and traps to avoid along the way.

Take Notes

Before you start collecting documents or even trying to tell anyone about the wrongs you want to expose, start documenting what you see. Jesselyn Radack, who heads the Whistleblower and Source Protection Program at ExposeFacts and has worked with Thomas Drake and Edward Snowden, says the first step is to “just keep your own little record at home in a little notebook.” This should be a notebook where you methodically record everything pertinent to the wrongs you want to expose: everything that you see, everything that you hear, and everything that you say. Do this as often as you can, the same day that incidents occur. Note the time and date of each occurrence. Above all, your notes should always include any complaints you raise and to whom, as well as any retaliation against you for doing so.

This approach to notetaking played a critical role in the big Russian sports doping scandal in 2016. Grigory Rodchenkov, the whistleblower and former doctor of the Russian Olympic team, took incredibly detailed contemporaneous notes that became compelling evidence. The notes included Rodchenkov’s interactions with Russian coaches, officials, and athletes, such as how and when he provided performance-enhancing drugs to athletes, and how the doping was hidden from Olympic observers and their drug tests. Aside from all of these incriminating notes, as the New York Times reported, Rodchenkov also noted his daily activities details such as “6:30, I took a shower, had a smoke, got ready, had hot cereal and farmer’s cheese at breakfast.” These seemingly trivial details helped convince the judges to allow the journal to be considered credible evidence in the court case.

The technology you use to take notes can either help or hinder those who might seek to access and/or destroy any information you have, depending upon your situation. You can use a physical notebook, good old pen and paper, or notes on an anonymous laptop or tablet. But be sure to stay away from making entries at work or on your personal computer unless you are highly technically confident of your computer’s security.

“Documentation is very important,” says Debra Katz, founding partner of Katz, Marshall & Banks, LLP and the lawyer who represented Christine Blasey Ford when she was called to testify during the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. “We increasingly have people who show up with videotapes of harassment. I’ve had clients who’ve had their iPhone rolling as their employer, predictably, would come in and do back massages or make sexual remarks.” Logs of text messages on phones or even recordings of interactions can be crucial to demonstrating that harassment is taking place. Save logs of all of your conversations and interactions, because you never know how they might prove useful later on.

The text messages sent by Mike Isabella and partners to Chloe Caras (who was also represented by Debra Katz) were used as evidence in the lawsuit that eventually took down Mike Isabella Concepts restaurants for sexual harassment. If you are going to attempt to record interactions as evidence, be sure that you are aware of the relevant recording laws. In some states and countries, you must inform the other party that you are recording and you must obtain their consent to be recorded. These laws are collectively known as two-party consent laws. Do more research into your context before you start shooting video or recording audio as documentation. You don’t want your evidence thrown out of court. You don’t want to be sued for releasing the recording. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is a good place to learn more about two-party consent laws in the United States.

Recommended Collection Approach

In New York City in 1953, a newspaper boy was finishing his day, jingling his coins around, when he noticed that one nickel felt lighter than the rest. When he dropped the coin on the floor, it split open, revealing a tiny photograph with numbers. This turned out to be microfilm that was destined for Soviet spy Reino Hayhanen. In 1957, Hayhanen defected to the U.S., where he exposed the spycraft of the Soviets to the FBI. This included the use of microfilm and dead drops for communication. Though this example may seem far from the world of computers and smartphones, taking photos of documents with microfilm is much safer than taking the actual documents, in the same way taking a digital photo is safer than copying the digital document. In such a case, there is far less potential for a log of the interaction.

The current best way to gather information is by taking pictures of documents or computer screens using a pseudonymous digital device. This method effectively circumvents all of the normal digital surveillance systems that might come into play when you copy data off of a network or onto a USB stick (e.g., logs of the copying or digital watermarking). It also circumvents any logging software that may be installed on your computer. Company or government tracking software can record the actions of taking screenshots or other mouse and keyboard actions. Evidence from one of these loggers was used by the FBI against Terry Albury, an FBI field agent who was sent to jail for disclosing classified information to The Intercept. In an affidavit in support of the search warrant, the FBI cited a number of facts, including that Albury had “conducted cut and paste activity” while viewing one of the classified documents. This fact could only have been gathered by latent logging software installed on his computer or built into a viewing program. By skipping digital copying or screenshotting, and instead simply taking a picture of the computer screen, you can circumvent some of these monitoring systems. Of course, if you are logged in and have a document open, you should assume that there is a log of the access as well.

Keep these tips in mind:

Only use a pseudonymous device for taking photos; never use your personal or work device.

Use a small tablet with Wi-Fi turned off instead of a phone; this way there will be no location information stored as metadata in the photos.

Make sure the photos don’t have any identifying information in them; this could be your hand, your reflection on the computer screen, images of your office, or other identifying information or marks on your computer screen.

Be sure to check the images afterwards for any metadata or accidental information captured, and make sure to sanitize the images if necessary.

Audio and video recordings can potentially replace taking photos, but these types of files can be harder to sanitize.

Be sure there aren’t video cameras that could capture you in the act of taking photos.

Microdots

Do not trust printers. Color laser jet printers and copiers embed metadata in the documents that they print in the form of microdots, which are patterns of tiny yellow dots that are almost invisible to the naked eye. These dots encode information, similar to QR codes. This includes the printer’s serial number, the time and date, the network address, and potentially other information. This data can be used to pinpoint when and where documents were printed, and potentially by whom. If you want to find out more on the topic, research the terms “printer steganography” and “machine identification code.”

Regular and enhanced image of a printed page from an HP Color LaserJet 3700 showing yellow microdots. Photography by Florian Heise, Druckerchannel.de, in the public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Copying Digital Files

It is nearly impossible to copy files to a USB stick without leaving a trace, particularly if you are using log-in credentials at work or on a company device. Computers and networks are built to track and log file access, transfers, and printing. Do not try to make a digital transfer or to copy information onto a USB stick at work unless you can be positive that this process isn’t being logged somewhere. Use the Tails operating system, or a computer that is offline, when you copy data.

If you must copy digital files, be sure to collect all your information as anonymously as possible: use a shared computer at work (not your own). Do not use your own login credentials. Also, consider your physical location. It is best not to attempt this in your own office, for instance. Gathering information in the office will become even less viable as technology and employee surveillance software evolves.

Aside from the issues around copying digital files, some sensitive documents (particularly from government agencies) come with “phone home” beacons embedded in them or with digital rights management built in, making it impossible to view or print documents if you aren’t logged in. This could be a remote image or link embedded in a document, such that when you view the document, the image pings back to a server owned by the government or creator of the document. This allows the creator to see the IP address and potentially more information about you as a viewer. Microsoft files such as Word documents have been known to have “locating beacons” placed within them. PDFs may also include this type of beacon, though Adobe now tries to notify users before documents call a remote server. To combat this type of tracking, either convert a document to a safe format such as plain text with the command line, or view a document on a computer that is “air-gapped,” meaning that it is not connected to the internet. Make it impossible for your adversary to know you have the documents.

Uniqueness and Backflushing

If you are one of a limited number of individuals with access to the information you are releasing, then no matter how careful you are, it will be easy to trace you. This was the case with Reality Winner. In the criminal complaint filed against Winner, the FBI noted that only six individuals had accessed the document that was disclosed to The Intercept. When this document showed up on the website, the FBI had six individuals to start investigating, including Winner. Her unique trail quickly made her the most likely suspect. One way to combat uniqueness is by increasing the number of individuals who have access to a document before it is released.

Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, described a method that has been in use in D.C. for years: “backflushing.” Before disclosing a document, send it through official channels to as many legitimate places as possible. For example, include the document in a report and send the report to other departments. This makes it so others have the document as well, vastly reducing the uniqueness of your connection to the document. When you disclose the information later on, it will not be clear that you were in any way connected to it.

Another way to combat uniqueness is by gathering the data through a shared digital account, e.g., if someone else is logged into a computer and you copy a file while they are logged in, the document-gathering will be connected to them, not you. Of course, this should be done carefully and ethically, so as not to inadvertently cast blame on someone else. If possible, it’s better to hijack a shared network account. So consider how unique the connection between the information and your identity might be. There is protection to be gained by hiding in the crowd.

Theft and Misfiling

Corporations sometimes lash back at whistleblowers by filing criminal charges for theft of company property. So be aware that by taking documents off company property, you may open yourself up to a legal battle. This was one reason that SOC, a government security contractor, gave for firing Jennifer Glover, a security guard who had been sexually assaulted and harassed at work. Her termination letter stated that Glover had used her smartphone to take a photograph of the daily schedule, an act that they viewed as justifying her termination.

As an alternative to taking physical or digital documents, consider the misfiling technique. Hide copies of documents at work, either by misnaming digital files or by storing physical copies or USB sticks somewhere at work. In the future, you can “stumble upon” the copies, providing investigators with the information. They, not you, would then be removing property from company premises. The bottom line is that it might be helpful to have a backup copy of any important material stashed somewhere at work.

Sanitization

Sanitization is the process of removing, concealing, or cleaning up information in documents before you give them to someone else. Whether the documents you’re dealing with are physical or digital, images or videos, the same general process applies: you should overwrite, obscure, or remove any sensitive information. This process is ubiquitous the world over in redacting classified material to prepare it for release to the public. When attempting this, imagine that you are in a heist film: be meticulous, wear gloves, wipe down surfaces to remove fingerprints, and don’t leave anything that contains your DNA.

For those who are trying to disclose information, the process of sanitization is a little more complex, but there are two goals: 1) the removal of any information that could identify you, such as fingerprints, email addresses, or unique watermarks on documents; and 2) the removal of sensitive information that might harm someone else or have undue consequences if released, such as any company or government secrets or any personally identifiable information. This is where ethics and judgment come into play. Who would be harmed if this information were released? You don’t want to accidentally victimize (or revictimize) a colleague, accidentally reveal personal information that could compromise one’s reputation, or put a field agent in harm’s way.

To sanitize physical items with nonporous surfaces, such as USB sticks or hard drives, wipe them down with a cleaning product and towel. Paper documents and other porous surfaces are more difficult to sanitize. There are a number of techniques for attempting this, but most involve using an eraser and potentially a cornstarch mixture to remove any oils left by fingerprints. If you are providing someone with a device such as a hard drive, remove any serial numbers or identifying information that would make that product traceable, and of course, be sure to pay cash when buying any hardware that you might use. If you must provide physical documents, redact them first with a black marker or white-out and then photocopy them, providing a redacted copy instead of the original.

For digital documents, the process of sanitization can be broken down into two strategies: 1) redaction, the process of obfuscating information within a document; and 2) metadata removal, the process of deleting identifying traces from the document.

Text

Any text-based document (rich text files, DOC and DOCX formats, CSVs, Microsoft Excel files, PowerPoint files, Adobe InDesign files, etc.) should first be converted to a PDF. This can be done on most computers with either “print to PDF” or “export to PDF” functionality. The PDF should then be opened, and each page should be exported as an image and then redacted in image-editing software. Draw black boxes over areas of sensitive or identifying information in the images. Note: If you try to redact the documents from within the PDF, it will be done in layers, leaving the actual data underneath the black boxes. This will not technically remove the sensitive information. Similarly, it is important to use only image formats that do not include layers. If layers are included, someone can later remove the redaction layer and see the sensitive information underneath. JPG is a great image format to use, as it cannot save layers. After all of the images have been edited, they should be either recombined into a new PDF using a PDF viewer or given to someone as a set of images.

An alternative option is to use PDF Redact Tools, which automates those processes for you. It is currently available on Linux or macOS and comes bundled inside the Tails operating system.

Images

Images should be redacted just the same as text documents. Save them in a format without layers such as a JPG. Draw black boxes over any portions that need to be removed, then save them.

Video and Audio

Redaction of video and audio files can be a bit trickier, but the same basic process of obfuscating information applies. For videos, open them in a video editing program and either delete portions of the video or add black boxes over sensitive pieces. Then export the edited video. Audio files should be edited in an audio editor (Audacity is a good free choice), and portions of the recordings can be deleted or replaced with a standard sine wave tone (like a censorship bleep).

Remember, though, that there may be other information in audio and video recordings that isn’t obvious at first glance. Is there background noise or imagery that can be analyzed to determine the time and place it was taken? Are there reflections or other subtle pieces of data that could compromise you or someone else? Be very careful when it comes to audio and video, because so much information is contained in each file that it can be hard to think of every single thing that should be redacted.

Metadata Removal

Of course, if you are simply trying to get a video out, but trying to make it less obvious who it was shot by, removing the underlying capture information might be all that’s needed. This is where removing metadata comes into play.

Example of image meta data created by an iPhone

The image above is just a selection of the metadata produced by one photo taken with a smartphone. The metadata contains the model of the phone, the time it was taken, and possibly the location of the phone at the time of capture (if GPS location was enabled). This data needs to be removed if you are trying to make the photo, video, or any other type of file untraceable.

Before anything else, check the filename for anything that could identify you or your means of creating the image. If you have any doubt—rename it.

All digital files inherently contain some distinct information that identifies them: filename, creation date and time, last modified date and time, and file size. Some digital file formats contain even more information. Microsoft Word documents, for example, are known for automatically saving additional metadata, such as the authors who worked on the document and the names and locations of the computers where the file was saved. Unfortunately, with these documents and particularly with proprietary file formats, it might be difficult or near-impossible to remove all pieces of metadata. Instead, convert proprietary formats to simple open-source formats that have consistent metadata formatting.

Some file formats use standard data wrappers to store metadata, such as EXIF (exchangeable image file format) or XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform). These are used for almost all image formats and PDFs. By converting other documents into these formats, it becomes much easier to delete metadata and know that it is really gone.

To actually remove metadata from an image, a PDF, or a video file, open it with its corresponding editing software and look for options such as “Properties,” “Inspector,” or “Document Inspector.” This should open up a dialog with a list of all of the metadata fields and entries. Delete them all. You will also want to research format-specific metadata removal methods for specific file types. Audio and video files, such as MP3s or MP4s, for example, can have proprietary ID3 tags embedded within them—such as PRIV frames—that make it near impossible to know if they have been sanitized.

Alternatively, a number of applications can scrub metadata from particular file formats. Several applications can remove EXIF data from images, but the Android application “EZ UnEXIF Free (EXIF Remover)” is especially useful for those communicating via an anonymous smartphone or tablet. This application removes all EXIF data, including geolocation, from photos taken with an Android device.

The Metadata Anonymisation Toolkit (MAT) provides a simple interface for stripping metadata from a number of formats, including PNG, JPEG, PDF, MP3, and Microsoft Office Document formats. MAT comes installed on Tails. However, MAT currently hasn’t been updated since January 2016, essentially making it abandonware. Fortunately, MAT2, the replacement for MAT, is under active development and currently in beta. This is a great tool that can be used to sanitize a variety of files, but please check on its current development status online before using it.

Storage

Be cautious about where you store documentation. Never store documentation at work, unless you are following the misfiling method mentioned previously. You may feel that your desk or office is a safe space, but it isn’t. You can consider storing documents at home, but this is an obvious choice for all concerned. In many cases, those who are trying to disclose information have had their houses ransacked and searched by their adversaries, both legally and illegally. If a subpoena is filed, information in your home will not be protected.

A good strategy is to either store documents outside your home or office or give a backup copy of what you will be revealing to a trusted person for safekeeping. Daniel Ellsberg gave a copy of a classified nuclear study to his brother, who hid the documents under a large gas stove in a garbage dump. Unfortunately, while this protected them for a while, the documents were ultimately destroyed by water damage, and Ellsberg spent years trying to reconstitute the information they contained. Instead of your brother, choose a lawyer. In the United States, information stored with your attorney may be protected from search and seizure through attorney-client privilege. Of course, there are exceptions to this, which was the case in the raid on the office of President Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen. If investigators can make the case that attorney-client privilege is being used “in furtherance of a contemplated or ongoing crime or fraud,” then they will be able to search a lawyer’s office under the crime-fraud exception.

All digital documentation should be stored on either encrypted USB drives or on an encrypted pseudonymous device, such as an encrypted tablet or a Tails USB drive. Documents should never be stored in the cloud or on a personal computer or device.

https://boingboing.net/2020/01/09/documentation-gathering-sanit.html

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rpoli3 · 4 years

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There are a lot of apps out there to help with anxiety, depression, or mental health in general. A lot of these apps are like journals or they track your mood. These are things you can easily do in a notebook or a bullet journal, but apps normally track the patterns for you as well.

Calm isn’t necessarily one of those kinds of apps that is a journal or tracks your mood. It’s just as it sounds – calm.

What Calm can do

Okay, I kind of lied earlier. Calm does track your mood. I forgot it did that because I don’t use Calm for that. But, if you want, you can check-in with Calm. You can choose a mood and write about what’s going on and why you feel the way you do. However, you do need an account to do this.

There’s a free version of Calm and a paid version of it. I have the free version and it does just what I need it to do for now.

Calm has yoga and meditation as well as breathing exercises. There are also soothing music and bedtime stories. Most of this you need the paid version for. Which is why, eventually, I’ll probably pay for the app. For now, I mainly use the two free things I can: the breathing exercises and the scenes.

Breathing

Calm has a cool part of the app where it’ll guide you through a breathing session. You can choose how long you want to breathe for and it’ll show a bubble that will enlarge and tell you when to breathe in, then shrink and tell you when to breathe out. It’ll also ring a small charm when you’re supposed to begin breathing in or out if you need to sit and close your eyes for a couple of minutes.

I’ll admit, I haven’t used this feature too often. I sometimes forget it’s there so I get too wrapped up in something else to think about it. But it’s a good idea and it’s definitely helpful to have something to guide you through breathing exercises depending on what you need it for.

Scenes

This is what I mainly use the Calm app for. I use it when I work sometimes, when I read, when I’m doing a Sudoku puzzle or something, or just when I need to lie down for a few minutes, close my eyes, and relax.

These scenes create sounds on a loop such as rain on leaves, thunderstorms, a fireplace, ocean waves, and so much more.

The best part about this is that you can play the scenes with the app closed. So I typically have it on in the background on my iPad when I’m reading a book from the Kindle app.

I love the Calm app

I’ve had this app for years. I can’t even remember how I came across it or what made me want to download it in the first place. I use it all the time though and I won’t go back.

Calm is a great app for whenever you need to relax for a minute or an hour or longer. I highly recommend it to help with your mental health or just to have. I hope the get the paid version soon so I can talk about it even more.

Take care of yourself.

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How I Use the Calm App [Mental Health Monday] There are a lot of apps out there to help with anxiety, depression, or mental health in general.

#mental health apps #mental health awareness #mental health matters #mental health monday #mental-health

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emmastudies · 5 years

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any tips on sticking to a schedule at home/outside of school? xx

Hey! Here are a few things that could help:

decide where you’ll schedule - this is totally your choice!! It could be in a spare notebook, a bullet journal, a word document or my Tumblrs printables (or Etsy printables)! This particular set is probably my most useful, but I have lots of to what you might need! You might already have your own way - by time blocking in Google Calendar - so it is completely what works for you!

figure out what you’re wanting to schedule - are you plotting out a study schedule, a weekly plan, etc? For studying, it might be easiest to plot out the things you need to study so you can put certain topics at specific times. For weekly planning, figure out things that are set in stone and make sure you’re plotting out when you have time. It is also useful to know what is taking priority and set that at a time when you’re more awake/can focus the most.

use little things to help plan better - try to colour code the areas of your life such as studying, school/uni, your job, social life, etc. Being able to see things all at once can help you determine the free time you have to do other tasks. Having the ability to refer to it should help you stay on top and not stressed over it!

set a review day to organise your schedule - set yourself a day to review and plan out each week. I would recommend Sundays! On this day, look at the past week and see what you accomplished and what you didn’t. This can help see where your productivity lacks and what you can change. Then move on to planning out what is up coming during the week.

put it somewhere visible - if you can see your schedule and be reminded of it every day, you’re more likely to implement it into your daily life. I’d suggest putting it near your bed or on your desk.

try to avoid scheduling a lot of stuff at once - it can be highly demoralising if you’re getting behind or not completing tasks. Try to set a couple of priorities for that day and not a million different things. For this, I’d probably schedule a time rather than a task! I’d recommend having actions list that you refer to during your time periods. With the ‘actions’ list, you need to assess what is the next move when you begin. Decide whether you can do it straight away. If it is under 2 minutes, do it there and then. If not, you can defer it or delegate it. If someone else has to do it, make sure you send it to them and organise all that. If not, defer it to either a specific time in your calendar or a specific day.

tell yourself you’ll follow it - if you tell yourself to go check the schedule in the morning, take note of it and follow it, you’ll be more likely to see it through. Make a real point of adding it into your life. Either telling your friends/family to ask you about it (or even getting them to do one with you), setting reminders on your phone to see how you’re progressing, and finding some gratification if you complete it. Believe you can, and you will!!!

use your school/college timetable - during exam periods, we get time off at home so it’s easy to be unproductive. I’ve found sticking to my routine (early morning, classes each day, break times) actually really helpful. I don’t need to do any additional planning but can just follow my normal timetable. It’s also very handy when it comes to doing more than one subject a day. Additionally, it gives you structure so you can start at 9am and maybe finish around 3-4pm giving you the evening to relax.

structure your breaks - another thing is it’s very easy to end up having a break that lasts ages! I’d maybe recommend avoid doing something that is likely to suck you in - unless you have good willpower (eg. Watching a show). Perhaps do something that isn’t as easy to just let time fly! I also find it really useful to note down what I was doing, what I’m thinking and what needs to be done after the break before I leave my study area. When I come back I can refer to that and not feel lost or unfocused!

Hope this helps! x

#answered #q

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itslikethatfrenchthing · 4 years

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059: 5 Of The Most Productive Things To Do As A Business Owner

Today’s talking point:

We are diving into the final step of the Busy To Boss Blueprint For Goal Setting: Step Number Seven, Implementing Advanced Productivity Strategies. This last step in the blueprint is definitely going to help you win and achieve everything that you want for your business and your life.

I am going to outline the top five most productive things to do as a business owner, which are really going to help you optimise the concepts that we've discussed so far in the Busy To Boss Blueprint For Goal Setting series.

Step seven includes the most productive things to do as a business owner. This is where we optimise this entire blueprint. Once you've mastered the first six steps, this is where we become a real boss.

The Busy To Boss Blueprint Steps:

#1 | Defining your goals

This is the foundation of the blueprint and identifying your goals is really really important.

#2 | Quarterly reverse engineering system

This is where your goals are broken down into quarterly checkpoints.

#3 | Choose your habits

We've talked about habits on this show before and your habits will essentially form the structure of your day, leading to increased productivity, energy and clarity.

#4 | Create your ideal routines

Specifically your ideal week, ideal evening routine and ideal morning routine. This section is all about optimising your most precious hours of the day.

#5 | Implement basic productivity strategies

These will be implemented in various forms, but will all be strategically connected to your goals.

#6 | Track your progress

This is what it says on the tin where you measure, monitor and manage your projects and goals.

#7 | Implement advanced productivity strategies

Now we're going to dive into step seven of the Busy To Boss Blueprint For Goal Setting series and I am going to outline the top five productivity strategies that are designed to work with and optimise the concepts that you have learnt over this series.

If you are curious about diving deeper into this world, these tools and strategies, and you want to learn more about implementing The Busy to Boss Blueprint For Goal Setting, get your name on the Busy To Boss Academy Waitlist to see how you can experience all of this for yourself with my support.

Are you ready to get into step number seven? Let's go.

IMPLEMENTING ADVANCED PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGIES

Assuming that you have a great handle on your own morning routine, your productivity system and your healthy habits, these strategies can really supplement your work and enhance your progress.

These are more advanced strategies, which is why they're optimising everything you've learnt so far. These techniques will work best for you when you are already in a productive flow - and you simply just want to get even better.

Throughout my journey of going from busy to boss and enhancing my productivity, I have found these five strategies to be just what I needed to take my progress to the next level. They are just icing on the cake, the most productive things to do.

Now, although I personally love each of these strategies, and have implemented them, I don't want you to feel obligated to adopt them all. I know it might be tempting to want to dive in headfirst, but just hold off on overwhelming yourself right now because there's plenty of time for that later.

#1| Schedule Time For Thinking

You become what you think about. Your thoughts define everything. What we think about determines our actions, our goals, our attitudes, and our ultimate achievements.

In the beginning of my own personal development journey, I discovered one of the greatest or most obvious strategies in existence. It has honestly transformed not only how I think, but also what I choose to think about. That simple strategy is to schedule time just for thinking. This is one of the most productive things to do.

It seems so obvious because it sounds just like brainstorming. But it's so much more than that, and I'm going to talk you through how you can do this.

How to make the most of this strategy,

Schedule a focused block of time, isolate yourself, bring your favourite notebook, whiteboard, journal, printing paper, and ask yourself one very important life question.

Write that question at the top of your writing space, and then spend up to an hour brainstorming and recording as many answers to this question as you can.

The key with this is to ask yourself tough questions, especially ones that are regarding your current goals. Because what you will soon discover is that your breakthroughs are imminent.

The more often you give your brain the space to think about tough problems, the more creative and amazing you will be. So really schedule at least a few thinking sessions per week to optimise the strategy. I personally do this every single morning; I do it for about 15 minutes and I write down whatever thoughts come into my mind. It is honestly the best possible way to start my day.

I truly think that of all the advanced strategies, this one trumps them all. If you schedule consistent time for thinking, I promise that you will undoubtedly find a way to achieve whatever you set your mind to.

#2| Music for the Mind

Number two is all about music and specifically, music for designed focus. I used to spend many hours every day attempting to work. Whether or not I actually get anything done during my day has a lot to do with how well I cut out distractions and focus on what matters.

One strategy that has revolutionised how I get work done is listening to music that is designed for my brain. I use Spotify and specifically I use two playlists:

Brain Food

Chill Tracks

When it comes to music and focus in general, I cannot explain the science and you are very lucky that I am not even going to try! But the positive and productive effects are really easy to notice. I get into a flow state, get into the zone and within a few minutes the music fades away, and I am purely laser focused in on my work.

This music is designed to help you focus. It's designed to help you reduce distractions, improve your attention span, and learn considerably more while you work. So I really find that it's best to use music like this when you're reading, writing, studying, or doing hardcore mental activity. When there are no lyrics, it's so easy to forget about the music and think about the task at hand, even though you still have something going on in the background.

Music is such a powerful force on your attention and finding your ideal music is important if you repeatedly want to achieve your ideal workflow.

#3| Uplevel your Workspace

Standing desks. There are ways around this, let me just say because I actually don't have a standing desk. So, being more physically active is 100% the name of the game when it comes to increased energy productivity and better health.

One of my all time favourite strategies for just those reasons is either using a standing desk or standing at a desk somewhere. It honestly makes such a difference in your productivity, your posture, your digestion, your energy, your attitude, and your willingness to keep working long after you normally would have stopped.

And just in general, it's so incredibly important to incorporate standing, walking or more movement throughout your normal work day to prevent a whole load of health problems that accompany when you are just sitting.

So if you are used to sitting at a desk for eight hours a day, using some of that time to stand even if it's just at your kitchen counter, which is what I usually do, it can dramatically improve your health and how much you get done. It’s one of the most productive things to do.

So you have two options to get a standing desk up and running.

You can buy one

Or you build one

I highly recommend you build your first desk with materials that you have available already, so you won't have to spend any money. Experiment with this and see the benefits of it for yourself before you invest in anything. I stand at my kitchen counter and use some old stacks of magazines or textbooks. I even do that on my current desk sometimes.

Once you've committed to a standing desk, if you find that yet you want to use this full-time moving forward, then you can either buy a model or you can custom build your own to suit your needs.

Adjusting to a standing desk can take a week or two depending on your current fitness level and I wouldn't recommend you stand for all hours of the day. Alternate between sitting and standing every hour. It's also important just to make sure you're incorporating other fitness activities to help strengthen your back and your core as you make this transition.

#4| Build your Vision

Just as a reminder, vision boards are a physical display. Things that you want usually hung on the wall with pictures of houses, cars, inspirational quotes or other similar items that are cut out from magazines. So essentially, this is quite an old school model of envisioning your life by idealising the end result.

This method doesn't really work. Don't get me wrong, it's great to begin with. But there's a lot more to it then that - visualisation is only the first step and without a strategy, it gets you nowhere.

I recommend you start with this old school method if you haven't already to help you gain clarity over what you are trying to achieve. Then advance to the new vision board which is a representation of your journey. This vision board focuses on the processes and the work that leads to the end results and the outcomes that you want.

For example, if you want to run a marathon, your vision board could include an image of running at sunrise. Or if you want to publish your first book, you could have an image of writing in a coffee shop. The main thing is that we want to focus on the process that is going to get us there.

The best vision boards answer the question: how will I get to my goal?

This new vision board where you outline your journey, uses pictures, images, quotes, and very practical reminders of what you will be doing all the way to get to your goal. It's that simple. All you need to do to create your vision board is:

Focus exclusively on your current quarterly objectives

Write detailed descriptions of the process to achieve each goal

Find images, quotes or inspirational content that directly reflect a few of the key steps in each action plan

Revisit your vision board at least once a quarter and then update it as needed. With a well thought out plan in place, your vision board can act as an incredible reminder to keep you focused and more importantly, to keep you focused. Again, one of the most productive things to do.

#5| Go Upside Down

This may be the most bizarre strategy in this group. And I personally haven't practiced this one yet, but I have heard so many wonderful things about it: inversion. So inversion, or hanging upside down, can actually improve your health and help you get more done.

Dr. Robert Lockhart, who is an Australian Physician, has been practicing inversion on a daily basis for more than 40 years. The goal behind inversion is to reverse the effects of gravity. So gravitational forces are hard on the body and when you reverse gravity, you relieve incredible amounts of pressure and disrupt your normal rhythms, which carries with it benefits that you cannot get with any other exercise.

The benefits from this also include:

Significant reduction in back pain,

Less stress

Better brain functioning with an increased flow of blood to your head, which helps productivity

Improved leg and core strength

Better joint health

Improved flexibility

Better posture

Clearer skin, reduced wrinkles, and more.

Inversion is not a miracle cure for everyone. There are a few potential drawbacks including the fact that hanging upside down can be hard on your joints. It does take a while to get used to. It can be dangerous to practice this alone. And if you want to use equipment for this, it is a little bulky and difficult to store.

Now like I said, I haven't practiced this. I know some people have. I'm actually on a mission at the moment to be able to do a handstand, once I get there, then maybe I might be able to practice it.

Hanging upside down is a bizarre way to spend your time but it could become my new favourite way to spend my time. Look at it as a healthy habit and consider combining this with all the habits at the same time like meditation or affirmations or listening to a great podcast. So, all in all, there's actually a lot you can do, just hanging around.

And that’s a wrap of the most productive things to do as a business owner! Let me know in the comments which one of these you’re going to try first.

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lytra-art-blog · 5 years

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Cute asian stationery (from The Scriptorium)♡

Hello everybody ♡ I'm lytra from Instagram and a few days ago I received some stationery products from the online shop thescriptorium that I used to create this illustration. I had so much fun coloring her hair with this new technique that I've always wanted to try! I highly suggest you going to check out their shop (and on their social media pages you can also see the logo and the character that I created for them)

The pen I used is the Cosmic gel pen. It has a 0.35mm tip and I think that it's the perfect measure to do lineart and ink with precision! It's a gel pen (my favorite type) and the ink is very smooth and dries pretty quickly (and the handle is adorable!!)

For the moon in the background I used the Cosmic sticky notes! They are perfect for collecting ideas and thougts in an original and ~ aesthetic way! They are very well made and stick well onto the paper!

The paper clips are the Teardrops paperclips (gold) and I think that they are perfect to give an extra touch to the pages of a bullet journal and a sketchbook too! Personally, I am always full of loose papers, and these elegant paper clips are perfect for keeping them tidy (and they are soo much nicer than normal paper clips)

I also used the Washi tapes color boxes in the blue color. The 4-piece box is perfect for playing with more shades of colors (I had a lot of fun using all of them)! Their design is quite simple, they're thin and they have a good coverage! If you want to add more details you can also draw on them since they easly absorb gel inks (both white and black). I used them to cover the hair of my girl, but they are also perfect for decorating notebooks and diaries!

In conclusion I highly recommend going to check @thescriptorium shop, it's full of other pretty and lovely stationery products at a very cheap price!! The staff is really nice and kind and I got along well with them!

In particular I want to recommend the washi tape set, it's perfect for those who loves drawing and for adding a colour touch at your journals and sketchbooks!

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witchesdelphinium · 6 years

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Constructing an altar and Book of Shadows [for low-key or budget purposes]

Hallo~ I contemplated posting this since I'm new to this whole witchy blogging, but I've been doing this for about three years and after scrolling through some posts, I figured why not. Keep in mind my methods and wording are molded around the way my mind works. Alright, this blog has one purpose and one purpose only. If you're like me, you're probably still living with your parents or something like that and aren't particularly keen on letting your craft be known. Now, I've seen a lot of how hiding your practice looks bad for our community, and honestly, I agree because keeping secrets about who you are and what you do will only build barriers between you and those you care for, but as my family has strict rules against anything non-Christian in my household, I'm forced to keep my craft to myself as much as I'm against doing so. However, that never stops me and I sure hope it doesn't stop you. Or, you could very well be a beginner or on some sort of budget for these kinds of projects, but that's probably why you're here, isn't it? Let's begin:

this is also kind of unedited so bear with me

Constructing an altar:

This part always proved a little more on the difficult side since I set up my altar on my desk which is in blatant view and looks suspicious when crowded. I don't have a Tarot deck or runes or incense or herbs or anything like that, which I've noticed are extremely common items in any practice, but I just don't have them. So I make do. The basic items put up on an altar normally stay along the lines of candles, crystals, a representation of your God or Goddess, jars or vials for keeping things, essential oils, etc. Since I tried and am still trying to remain hidden in my practice, I use as many common items around the house as substitutes for things I don't have while still looking completely inconspicuous. But I'll admit, I do push that boundary sometimes because I'm horrible at not looking suspicious when I'm trying. But also, I have no job so I can't buy myself things so beggars can't be choosers, right? So let's begin:

Candles:

Why is this sideways? You can never have too many candles but at the same time, that's a lie. Having many candles looks suspicious and lighting them all at once is a definite bad idea, especially if there's multiple. I have about five I believe, and having them burn at the same time produces the most amazing smell, but also a lot of smoke. I've picked up candles from around my house, I ask for them for birthdays and other gift-giving holidays, and I'm hardly ever disappointed. I've found a package of 20 tealight candles for around $7 in my local Target, but it really depends on where you go.

Storage:

sideways? Reused kitchen jars are my best friend. A lot of the jars I use are washed out jelly jars or decorative jars I've found in my garage or at Hobby Lobby which I should note is a store that is so incredibly useful for these kinds of things. You can collect rainwater or anything useful to you and seal them away but jars are also good for keeping elixirs and other things like that.

Representatives:

Ok, so this is a turtle, yes. A tortoise more specifically. The God it portrays is Mercury (Hermes) who is represented by the tortoise. So, I collect ceramic turtles from places around the world so finding one to use wasn't hard for me. I also pour candle wax into a seashell so that I can carve animals or names or faces into the wax after it's cooled and it works just as well, as long as the God or Goddess is represented in some way.

Items from around the house:

I'm a hoarder, that much is for sure. I use an old ashtray to hold certain crystals and little pots to keep random things that may be useful.

Kitchen spices! I'm not sure about you, but my family keeps an entire spice cabinet. I'm notorious for stealing the sage and burning the powder.

Every anniversary, my father brings home flowers to my mother and when they die, I peel away the dead petals and store them in a glass bowl. Burning them and throwing the leaves into the flame is said to bring good luck in some practices but it's rare that I do since it symbolizes other, darker meanings if the intent is there.

I also use a lot of jewelry that has been blessed and anointed with oil, especially pieces that hold charms of trees or moons, anything like that. Olive oil is an excellent substitute for anointment oil. Your God or Goddess will understand and will not punish you for replacing things you do not have with things that you do. It is a means of trying and showing the effort and your intentions are clear.

Extra:

I have a dagger. Except it's not a dagger. Originally, it was actually a letter opener and now I use it to work with candle wax since the blade is slanted in such a way and to carve sigils into the face of candles. It sometimes serves a purpose as an athame but other than that, it mainly is used for candle work.

Substitute Tarot decks can be created. My first makeshift deck was made from a deck of regular playing cards and notecards and it worked in a pinch. It's not exactly the most convenient or anything, but it works if it's desperately needed. Note: I don't recommend this method unless absolutely necessary.

Always open a window while and after working with smoke!!!

I do suggest getting a nice plate or dish or something to place offerings on if that's part of your practice, plus you can use the dish for other purposes.

Crystals aren't hard to locate if you know where to look. I was lucky enough to collect tons of raw quartz growing up and managed to keep them through the years. Quartz is one of those crystals that can replace anything no matter the purpose because it's just great for any type of energy. I suggest looking into certain stores or places because I've managed to find crystals everywhere, i.e. Spencer's, 2nd and Charles, roadsides, etc. I also use rocks and seashells which definitely aren't hard to find.

Your altar is a sacred place for your practice. I'm sure you've heard the phrase 'your body is a temple'. Treat your altar like that as well, respect it and the things you use it for.

When making a Book of Shadows:

Never underestimate the power of witchblr. Like ever. There's so much information and so many helpful people, honestly, it's one of the least toxic parts of Tumblr. That's probably how you happened upon this post actually.

Do everything how you want it. There are multiple methods, multiple ways to design the book, and it can be as pretty as you want. If you want to draw and make the book cute, go for it as long as you can still use it with ease. If you want to keep it strict and such, go for it. You are the master of your book and it will be your very best friend so it needs to be fit to your standards. If you want to write as you go, that's fine, if you want to plan it first then write, that's just as ok. It's your book, go crazy. Don't let anyone tell you how to make your book, it's yours for a reason.

On that note, it needs to be useful. Don't make it so glamorous that you're afraid to mess it up so you never use it. The whole purpose of making one is to be used for your craft.

Don't stress! You'll have multiple books because you grow and mature and your preferences change. I've had at least two so far and my most recent isn't even a book, it's a bloody binder. I've gotten over the need to be perfect and have cute little books and have just stocked up on a binder. It looks ordinary and fits well in my backpack so I can carry it to and from school without much suspicion from my parents and teachers.

Please!! Don't spend a lot of money on fancy blank journals!!! Unless you have the absolute skill and precision to work with a blank journal, I highly advise against it, especially if making even a small error will upset you. Recycling old books or using notebooks you have at your house is a lot easier and since they aren't as nice, making mistakes isn't that big of a deal. Binders also work, spirals, blank cookbooks if you really feel like it, anything will work as long as you're willing to work with it.

My first book was made from a composition notebook and I went the whole nine yards on that sucker, coloring in it, tearing out a page if I made a mistake, going complete detail freak on it. My second was made in an actual recycled book. I painted the pages with this acrylic primer called gesso because I figured if the pages were already messy, the fear of making mistakes would disappear. I have unfortunately lost that book from a move but it was a big accomplishment for me. And my current book is pages of loose notebook paper divided by mismatched dividers in this old, black binder that's partially held together by duct tape. It's easy to use and is strangely organized in its own messy way and it's very near and dear to me.

Compile a list of stuff you would think to be good to write down and as you do research, you'll find other things. Moon phases, rituals, the Sabbats, herbs, crystals, your deity, chakras, spells, divination, maybe a place to write your dreams or practice drawing sigils, etc.

I jumped headfirst into this life, completely submerged myself in information that hardly made sense at the time and its been a long, hard journey to discover who I am in my Craft and why it called to me in the first place. Making my first book was a riot and I will never forget it, but if you're a beginner and you're lost on how to do this, I need you to take a step back and breathe. Visualize where you stand in this, why are you here? What does this path lead you to and what does this practice mean to you? What do you hope to gain from this? Where does your intention lie? Take a moment to think about it, reach down deep inside yourself and put forth all your fears and desires, become vulnerable and honest with yourself for just a moment. When you have the answers to these questions, write them down. Make it the first page of your book so you know where to start your research. Your answers may change over time as you discover yourself and that's perfectly alright. For now, you have a least some idea of where you are and where you want to go. Hold onto that and be confident in yourself. Learn from the experiences you have and grow from them.

I wish you the best of luck, my friends.

#wicca #wiccan #witchblr #wtiches #grimoire #book of shadows #witch tip #baby witch #witchy #witch altar #magick #delphi's advice #budget witchcraft #pagan

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ugh-supersoldiers · 7 years

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Muses

MASTERLIST

Characters: Steve Rogers x reader

Summary: You were what you could easily call an insomniac, but lucky for you there’s a cute coffee shop in your neighborhood that stays open all night. On any other night, you’d be the only one in the place, sipping contently at a latte and writing in your journal, but what happens when a handsome super soldier with a sketchbook draws himself in the picture?

Warnings: Fluff, cuteness overload, bad editting (sorrrrryyy)

Words: 2681

A/N: This was an adoooorable request by @xxred-vengeancexx. I hope this was what you were looking for darling, enjoy xo

Also I’m a sucker for rainy atmospheres so I used a bunch of indie music for inspiration. Like Gregory Alan Isakov and David Gray. Totally recommend you guys listen them!

You hated sleep, mainly because sleep hated you. You’d always consider yourself lucky if you got a couple of hours during the night. Sometimes you’d wake up at an ungodly hour of the morning, unable to fall asleep again. You’d tried sleeping pills, going for walks, even a stint of meditation, but nothing worked. So, you discovered the all hours coffee shop that resided only about a block from your house and went there almost every night - or well, morning.

When you woke this time, you glanced over at your clock to see that it was 5 am, which in your eyes was a surprisingly late start. Instantly, your mind went to coffee. More specifically, your mind went to the caramel latte that was calling your name at the coffee house.

You flung the covers off of yourself, stripping down from your pajamas and tossing on a pair of leggings and a yellow shirt that was a good four sizes to big.

Whatever, you thought, not like I’m gonna see anyone I know.

You pulled a pair of boots on and grabbed your phone, shoving it in your purse with your journal and pen and plugged in your headphones so you could began listening to a new indie album you’d just downloaded, figuring you could at least drown out the rain with it. You unhooked the umbrella hanging by your coat and swung the door of your house open, opening up the umbrella and beginning your jaunt to the coffee house.

You hummed along with your music while you tried to keep dry as the subtle rain slowly turned into a downpour. You didn’t really mind all too much, rain had always been calming for you.

When you reached the familiar coffee shop, your heart soared. You wrapped your fingers around the cold metal door handle and pulled it open with a broad smile on your face.

The sound of the little bell at the top of the door rang into the dimly lit shop as you pulled your headphones out, listening to the ambient musical selection of the shop instead.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

Your head snapped up as you closed your umbrella to see the face of the usual night worker at the place, whose name you hadn’t learned yet, but given your ever growing frequency in visits, you imagined you would soon.

“Nice to see you again.” You smiled warmly at her.

“Usual?” She asked you, turning back to get a cup to steam the milk with for your latte.

“Please.” You replied, delighted that she knew your order.

“Take a seat and I’ll bring it out to you.”

“I can pay now if you’d like.”

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart, this one’s on me.”

You were touched by her kindness and thanked her before taking a seat in one of the booths, taking out your journal and writing down more ideas for the new novel you so desperately dreamed of writing.

Within minutes, your latte arrived, with caramel drizzle just how you liked it.

“Thank you so much.” You said with a grin.

“Y’know, I see you in here almost every morning and I still don’t know your name.” She said before walking away.

“(Y/N).” You said, dropping the pen from your grasp to shake her hand.

“Mary.” She said, sharing your smile.

Mary walked back to behind the counter and left you to work feverishly between sips of latte. Your pen scratched against the paper of your notebook with a fury, jotting down every idea for every supporting character that you dreamed up in your head.

You loved coming up with little narratives like this, but for some reason you were drawing a complete blank on the main plot. Writer’s block was unusual for you, highly unusual.

You fiddled with the sugar packet that someone had left on the table from likely hours earlier, idly trying to conjure someone up in your head, but nothing came to you. You were so lost in thought that you barely even heard the door chime.

No one ever came in this early unless it was you, and you could see the surprise in Mary’s face when a man enters the shop, taking off his wet leather jacket and resting it over his arm.

“Hi there.” Mary said as a greeting.

“Morning.” He replied.

“What can I get ch’a?”

“Just some coffee would be great.”

“Gotta love a classic.” Mary laughed.

“Y’know, I get that a lot.” The man replied, his back facing you as Mary got him a mug and poured him his coffee. He quickly paid with a 5, telling her to keep the change, which she was very clearly impressed with.

You turned your focus back to your nonexistent plot, that was beginning to frustrate you more than anything else. You could’ve sworn steam was going to come out of your ears until you heard someone clear their throat from beside you.

You glanced upwards to the left to see the man that had just ordered coffee standing at the edge of the remaining booth seat. You, like almost every other human being, would recognize Captain America anywhere, and you were certain that this was him.

“May I?’ He asked quietly.

“‘Course.” You replied, gesturing for him to sit.

He set his cream colour coffee mug down on the table, placing a notebook similar to yours and a pen next to it. He rested his wet jacket over the banister behind his seat and sat down across from you.

You stared at your journal, pretending to flip through the pages to distract yourself from Steve Rogers who was directly in front of you at 5 am on a Saturday morning in your favourite coffee shop.

“Y’know,” You broke the silence after a few moments, “People nowadays usually don’t choose to sit so close to the only other person in a coffee house.”

He glanced up at you with a picture perfect smile, “Call me old fashioned.”

“That much I gathered.”

You smirked back at him and dropped your eyes down to your journal again, rereading the same sentence over and over again, absorbing absolutely none of the information that you’d scribbled down in chicken scratch.

You aimlessly reached out and grabbed your mug, taking a larger sip than normal. You could feel your face flushing a shade a pink at the result of his presence.

The sound of his pencil scratching against his notebook in long strokes brought your attention to what he was doing. Unlike you and your dot jots, it appeared that he was drawing something.

You become fascinated by the way that he focused on his work, completely absorbed in what he was doing. You tried to peer over the edges of the notebook in an attempt to catch a glimpse of what he was drawing.

“You know, you could just ask to see.”

You turned an even darker shade of red.

“Didn’t want to pry.” You shrugged, trying to play it off.

“So you thought snooping was less invasive?” You could hear him laugh a bit under his breath.

“It would’ve been less invasive had you not caught me.” You tried to suppress a giggle, once again diverting your eyes to your notebook.

He continued drawing, the dull sound of his pencil against paper filled your ears again. You found a strange comfort in his presence, you admired the way he sipped his coffee as you tried to sneak glances at him without him catching you again.

You sort of felt like you were in the company of a celebrity, but at the same time, there was the air of calmness that Steve Rogers brought - very literally - to the table, and you enjoyed it immensely.

“Do you have a name?” He asked as he sketched.

“Who’s prying now?” You laughed, beginning to doodle in the corner of your marked up page.

“Is asking for your name too personal?” He looked up at your from his work, reaching for his coffee and taking a sip.

“What, Captain America doesn’t like a little uncertainty? There’s magic in the mystery, you know.”

He closed his notebook and rested his pen on top, you mirrored his actions.

“So you won’t give me a name?”

“Nope.”

You weren’t sure exactly why you were playing the game that you were, you just knew that the amused smile on his face made you want to keep at it.

“What if I guess it?”

“That’s against the rules.”

“What rules?” He laughed as he took another sip of his coffee.

“The rules that I made.” You stated.

He shook his head at you and laughed again, a quiet sound that made your heart flutter. Steve Rogers must’ve been the most handsome man you’d ever met in cafe at 5 am. Realistically, he was the only man you’d ever met like this, but even if you’d met others, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.

“You’re an artist?” You inquired, nodding at the black book next to his hand.

“An amateur at best.”

“They say you’re always your worst critic.” You replied, “Makes sense why I hate all of my works.”

“You draw?” He asked.

“I’m a writer,” You said, “One who can’t sleep and who sucks at coming up with plot arcs.”

“I’d say sorry that you can’t get some shut eye, but if you managed to have a normal sleep schedule that means I would’ve missed out on the mystery.” He said.

“Ah, we couldn’t have that.”

A slow song began to beat steadily in the background of the shop and you closed your eyes, enjoying the scent of fresh coffee grounds that filled your nose in combination with the beautiful melody.

“I love this song.” You remarked.

“Never heard it before.” Steve said, “It’s pretty though.”

“One of my friends had her first dance at her wedding to this song.” You told him.

He hummed in reply, “Seems like it would make a nice song for a dance.”

“Oh, it was.”

“Was it your first dance song too?”

You opened your eyes to see a glint of mischievousness in his eyes.

“Well,” You said, holding up your left hand to display your ringless fingers, “Typically a wedding takes two people. I am but one.”

“What a shame, I’m sure someone would really love to have someone like you.”

It struck you that Steve Rogers was flirting with you, and your face flushed yet again. You looked back down at your drink to try and camouflage your blush, but you knew he’d already noticed.

“Perhaps.” You said.

“Well, it would be a shame to waste the song.” He stood up from the seat and extended his hand for you to take, “May I have this dance?”

Your eyes went wide at his question. No one had really ever asked you to dance before, especially not in a deserted coffee house.

“I don’t bite.” He urged.

You nodded your head and took his hand, allowing him to lead you onto the empty floor as thunder and lightning rumbled outside.

You rested your arm around his neck, his around your waist, and your free hands joined together. You enjoyed the feeling of his warm body so close to yours, it relaxed you and helped to heat your cold frame from the cold outside.

He swayed you back and forth gently to the beat, humming along to the tune of the song when he picked up on it. You closed your eyes and took in the sound of his voice, that you were already enamored with.

You could hear his heart beating and the sound of his breath and you let yourself fall victim of the reverie like state you were in. It felt like a dream, like you would wake up at any moment and discover that none of it ever happened. Too good to be true, how else would you describe slow dancing with someone like this?

He spun you outwards, and pulled you back in again, holding you just a little tighter than before, your faces inches a part. You couldn’t explain why he had this effect on you, all you could do was try to keep your knees from buckling.

“(Y/N).” You croaked out when the song came to a finish, “My name is (Y/N).”

Steve smiled down at you, “It’s nice to meet you, (Y/N).”

He lead you back to your booth by the hand, allowing you to sit back down on your side and begin drinking your latte again.

Without another word, he began sketching again in his notebook. You couldn’t look away from him, lost in watching the way his eyes darted along the page as he worked. He met your eyes and smiled at your embarrassment.

“I should get going.” He said with a sigh, wishing that he could sit there and talk to you more about absolutely anything.

You looked slightly disappointed, but nodded your head with a sad smile.

“I suppose, if the world needs saving, you’re the man to do it.” You said with a grin.

He finished up his drawing and placed it on the seat next to him, tearing the page out.

“I enjoyed this.” He said.

“I did too.” You admitted.

“You know,” He began as he stood from his seat and shrugged his jacket back on, “I think I have an idea for that story of yours.”

“Oh, really?” You asked, crossing your arms over your chest.

“How about you write about a man who has one of the worst sleeps of his life and finds a place to get a cup of coffee where he meets the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.”

You couldn’t help but beam at his words. You opened your journal again, flipping it to a new page to take notes.

“Continue.” You urged.

“He sits across from her, and she’s captivating but stubborn as hell, definitely a feisty one. So he asks her to dance, and she tells him her name and it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard.”

“Uh huh.” You said, scratching down absolute nonsense due to your shaking hand.

“What do you think he should do next?” He asked.

“Well, I think he should know that she’s sort of enamored with him,” As you said this, you watched his cheeks turn pink, “And that she comes in here around this time almost every morning, so if he ever wanted to see her again, he should come back tomorrow.”

Steve’s smile was the best thing you’d ever seen in your life, you couldn’t help but return it.

“Well, it was wonderful meeting you.” He said.

“I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.” You replied.

He bent down to press a kiss to your cheek, “Count on it.”

You heard his footsteps echo away from you, and the bell ring again when the door opened, the sound of the heavy rain rushing outside entered the cafe.

You laughed to yourself and shook your head, processing what had just happened.

Deciding to get going yourself, you closed your notebook and threw it in your purse. Finishing the last sweet sip of your latte, you tried to slow the beating of your heart. No one had ever effected you quite like Steve Rogers had.

You stood up and grabbed your bag and umbrella, and walking towards the entrance, but something stopped you. Resting on the seat where Steve had been sitting was a piece of paper, face down.

You furrowed your brow, reaching forward to grab it. You turned it over to see a drawing. Your heart nearly stopped, it was a detailed sketch of your face with a few words scribbled above it.

“(Y/N), my muse.”

You folded the paper neatly and placed it gently in your purse as you exited the cafe and started your jaunt back home, unable to wipe the smile off of your face from the chance encounter you’d had with one very inspiring artist whom you’d see again the very next morning.

#steve x reader #captain america #mcu #marvel #bucky x reader #bucky barnes #fanfic

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eruditekid · 7 years

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I figured since people are beginning to go back to school and because I was just a freshman last year, I’d share some tips that would have helped me through my year or some tips that I’ve received from other people! Below are a list of organized tips on classes, studying, socializing, self care, and more for any high school freshman, but can also apply to high school students in general! Hopefully this helps others, and if you have any extra questions I don’t mind answering them!

SCHOOL & CLASSES

Talk to your teachers! You don’t have to follow them on Instagram and be best friends with them, but at least introduce yourself or talk to them a little bit. It’ll be easier to ask for help, make being in class more fun, and it’s always nice in case you need a letter of recommendation from them in the future. Even a simple “have a good day!” is a nice gesture.

Make a friend/contact in every class! It’s nice to have someone to talk to in the class, whether it be on a friendly basis or just a “hey, I have a question on the homework” basis. If you get their contact info, it’s great to communicate about any assignment and in case you miss a day of class, you’ll be able to get some info on that as well.

The coursework will be harder. For me at least, the high school courseload was a lot more than middle school. Expect to have to work harder for grades and that maybe you won’t hit the mark you were aiming for. But you’ll be okay. If you face any failures, it’s okay to cry and be upset, but pick yourself back up, examine your mistakes, and start a new.

Sign up for honors and AP classes ASAP! Only if you know your mental health and schedule can handle it. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the hardest classes if you know you can’t make time to study for them or if you know that there will be a mental toll. Failing an honors class isn’t worth it and you shouldn’t place an AP class above yourself. However, I believe that taking harder classes is something to show for college and it’s nice to challenge yourself.

Ask questions! Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’ll regret it in the long run, and no, it’s not a stupid question. I’d rather be extra-clarified on a topic than be left in the dark to my detriment. If you have a question on homework, make sure to bring it up with the teacher the following day!

Participate in class. You may not want to at first, but raising your hand to answer questions or be active in a debate will benefit you in the long run. Plus, your teachers will notice you. (Especially if participation is a grade, like in a language class.)

Sit in the front of class! You’re not the teacher’s pet, you’re not some “try hard,” you’re getting your damn education. Sitting in the front will allow you to focus more on the task at hand, and you won’t be as full of distractions as you would be. Plus, if you’re at a height disadvantage, you don’t have to stretch your neck to impossible angles to see the board.

Take classes you’ll actually enjoy. Don’t take art just because you think it’ll be easy even though you hate it. Find alternatives, talk to your guidance counselor, and try to switch out of classes you know you won’t enjoy. (On the other hand, try something new! Interested in theater, but never taken a class? Take it! You may learn some things!)

NOTES, STUDYING & ORGANIZATION

Do your homework as soon as possible! The best time to do it is when you get home. Your homework isn’t just a grade, it’s to help you understand the topics in class. If you know you’ll be busy later, don’t be afraid to do your homework at lunch or any other available time. It’s better to get it out of the way so you can enjoy the rest of your day! Also, don’t copy it from others, it won’t help you in the long run.

Make group chats with people in your class(es). I did this several months into the year, when one of my classmates added me into group chats for the classes we shared (geometry and chemistry). It was a tremendous help, to be able to ask and answer questions, to compare homework, etc. I highly suggest doing this!!

Find your study space. Whether it’s going to the library after school or your desk in your room, find the best place you can study and focus without distractions.

Learn how to take notes and study. Find the way you learn and study! You can learn about what type of learner you are here. Knowing how you study will help you immensely. Tips on taking notes are here, and extra advice on studying can be found here.

Create a study schedule. Make studying a habit! Even reviewing just a little bit after school and reviewing what you learned over the week on weekends will make revising for tests a lot easier. Schedule specific times for when to study so it’s not left floating in the air. Make your study times longer as it gets closer to tests, midterms, or finals.

Midterms and finals are not as bad as they seem. But you should still be prepared and study for them just as hard. They’re not the end of the world, they’re not the worst thing that will ever happen to you. Just prepare and start reviewing more intensely a couple weeks before or so.

Don’t copy word for word when taking notes. You’ll remember a lot easier if you put it in your own words. Also, don’t copy every single thing that your teacher says. However, if they write it down on the board or repeat it several times, you should write it down. Creating acronyms also help you memorize.

Quizlet is your best friend. I don’t suggest making them for everything, but they also help you memorize, and it’s great if you don’t have index cards on hand. I used it for memorizing names and formulas in Chemistry, vocabulary terms for History, and theorems for Geometry. Plus, if you want, you can share with a few friends if they need it!

Annotate! Annotating helps especially with English. Ask the teacher beforehand what you should be focusing on, what the themes are, etc. Annotating helps you become active in your reading. Buy page flags or post it notes if you’re borrowing the book from school, otherwise, write right inside the book if it’s yours.

Underline and write in the margins rather than highlighting. Highlighting is passive learning–you’re not really absorbing the information and it can get overwhelming for me. Instead, I grab different colored pens, make a key in the corner of the page, and underline. With each underline I pair it with an explanation of why I underlined it and my thoughts. It helps you engage with the reading.

Stay organized! Find your organization system–whether it’s binders and loose leaf paper, folders and notebooks, etc. Keep track of all your assignments and grades for future reference (some teachers may directly copy questions from homework onto tests), and never throw away any papers you get from your teachers, unless they tell you to.

USE YOUR AGENDA/PLANNER/BULLET JOURNAL! It will be one of your lifelines. Write down every assignment/essay/project/test date as soon as you hear about it. It’s very important to keep track of this!!

Use the Pomodoro method! It’s basically 25 minute study sessions with 5 minute study breaks, and on your fourth study break, you take a 25-30 minute break. It’s great for sectioning time when you’re studying (I did this for my midterm/finals!), and gets you to look up, drink water, and stretch before getting back to work.

ACTIVITIES & SOCIALIZING

Learn how to balance your social life and your school life. Know the right amount of time to dedicate to studying and when you need to take a break from homework to hang out with friends. It may take a trial or two, but once you find your rhythm, it’ll be great for your health, education, and experience.

Join some extracurriculars! Extracurriculars are great for exploring what you like, meeting people who share the same interests, and just overall having some fun. Find out what your school offers and join what you think will be interesting! However, don’t overwhelm yourself and join everything (it won’t be good for your health) just for the sake of a college app–find what you love and stick to it.

Go to those dances and football games! Understand sports? Me neither, but it’s great to connect with friends and have a wonderful time. Have some fun! But don’t force yourself into anything that will make you really uncomfortable, of course.

Dating isn’t everything, popularity isn’t either. You don’t have to date in high school, especially not freshman year. However, if you do, know what you’re getting into and make sure that school is a priority above a relationship. Popularity and cliques aren’t everything either, just be yourself, find your own friend group, and I promise those friends will last longer than any sort of high school popularity.

Sitting alone at lunch is perfectly normal. Don’t be afraid of sitting alone. So many people do it, and you probably don’t notice them until you’re one of them. Just pop your headphones in, do some homework, and don’t mind the people–they aren’t even staring at you, promise. If it does bother you, though, go to the library or a classroom! You can also just ask a classmate/acquaintance if you can sit with them. There’s no harm in asking.

Make friends and drop the toxic ones. High school is a clean slate–you may lose some of your old friend group, but it’s also an opportunity to make new friends. Say “hi” to someone next to you in class, spark a conversation over a borrowed pencil, meet people at your extracurriculars… you name it! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, everyone’s just as nervous about making friends as you are. This is also a time to drop friends who may be toxic and negative. High school should be a wonderful experience, don’t let others hinder that.

Befriend some upperclassmen! They’re not as scary as you think! They know a bit more than you do, and they especially help to give you advice on future teachers you might have or to vent about your current teachers.

Be kind to everyone. Compliment someone, smile at others, make someone’s day brighter!

Going to a party? Be safe, please. I won’t tell you to avoid alcohol and drugs like the assemblies at school, but just know the consequences that follow should you want to do something like that. Tell a friend, buddy up, you know the deal.

Avoid drama. It’s probably a given, but you shouldn’t need to involve yourself in any sort of that. Sometimes it’s inevitable, but avoid it when you can!

SELF CARE

Eat breakfast! You should start your day off right and at least eat something before you’re off to school (or if you don’t have time/resources, eat breakfast at school). It boosts you with energy so you can focus in class!

Take a nap if you need to! If you didn’t get enough sleep one night and feel sleepy during a study session, don’t hesitate to rest so you can focus, otherwise you won’t be able to retain much info. Make sure to set an alarm for 20-30 minutes so you won’t sleep for the rest of the day.

Never pull an all nighter! It’s detrimental to your health and 9 times out of 10 it’s not worth it. It’s much more beneficial to at least take a nap (read above) and wake back up in the morning (if you really have to, like 4am-5am). I’ve seen friends pull all-nighters with hands shaking, sweet tarts bag in hand, and have to nap in a class just to survive. Don’t do it. Take that nap. Plan out your study sessions. Your health comes first!!

Take a break! Been studying for too long? Writing for too long? Your mental health is super low ‘cause of school? Take a break, a mental health day, whatever it is to get yourself rested. You can’t do much if you’re not in the right mindset or burned out.

Get yourself on the right sleep schedule. Teens need about 9 and a half hours, and while that’s unreasonable, at least aim for 8. Set a bed time and a wake up time (I use an app called sleep cycle on my phone). Put away your electronics for at least 30 minutes before bed. Sleep is essential!

Don’t be so hard on yourself. I had a really tough time with this, but you have to accept what happens. You can get upset about failures, but you should ultimately learn from your mistakes and try harder. You are not your grades, they do not define you.

Always carry a water bottle with you. Stay hydrated! Especially carrying a reusable water bottle will help cause it also holds more water than a normal water bottle. Make sure you can have it in your classes, but most of the time you should be alright–it never hurts!

Go on a social media detox once in a while. It’s nice to take a break from Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Sometimes it can get to you and overwhelm you. Just put your phone away or delete your social media apps and take a breath.

Here’s some links on self care.

MISCELLANEOUS

Freshman year is not the be all, end all. but you still need to do well to set up your sophomore year and the years to come. You’ll make mistakes, and that’s okay.

Attend orientation if you can! It’ll help get to know some of your classmates, know where to go in the school, and generally get an introduction to where you’ll be going to school for the next four years!

Grab a map and know your schedule. It’s okay to carry a map/schedule around and “look like a freshman” for a couple days. I’d rather be getting to classes on time than worry about if I look like the new kid on the block. Just know where you need to go, and you’ll get the process down! (Don’t be embarrassed if you accidentally enter the wrong classroom at the wrong time or anything, it happens.)

You don’t have to have everything figured out. Don’t worry about college, what you’re going to major in–you have four (4!!) years ahead of you, and even then you don’t have to have it all determined.

Utilize your counselor! Your counselor is super important, from scheduling to college to anything else. My counselor helped me out immensely by getting me into an art class and moving me out of classes I didn’t like. They’re amazing for advice, too! Don’t be afraid to go into their office from time to time.

If you have an ID, keep it on you at all times. At least at my school, they crack you down if you don’t have an ID around your neck at all times. I’ve seen the fear in my friends’ eyes. Just make sure to immediately put your ID in your backpack after school so that way you won’t forget it at home.

Keep some money on you. $5 to $10 is fine, it’s just in case you forget to pack your lunch or anything so you can either buy yourself lunch or get something from a vending machine! You’ll never know when you need it.

Get a good backpack. You don’t want to die because your bag can’t support two textbooks and some notebooks–make sure to get a quality backpack with good straps and sizable to carry what you need!

Make some playlists for the different aspects of your day. Whether it’s waking up, walking to school/through the hallways, doing homework, writing essays, etc., if you’re the type of person who needs music to get motivated or start working, it helps to have soundtracks for your activities!

Don’t compare yourself to others. Focus on you. You’re not anyone else, you can’t be anyone else, so don’t worry about whether someone’s grade was better or worse than yours. It’s not a good mindset to have.

Good luck! You got this! You’ll be okay. I believe in you.

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angeltriestoblog · 6 years

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Bullet Journaling 101: My Story, Flipthrough, Tips and Resources

A bullet journal is a system of organization created by Ryder Carroll that “aims to track the past, organize the present and plan for the future”. It’s a diary, journal and planner all in one: an amalgamation of all the facets of a person’s life in a series of different bullet points. Several YouTubers and bloggers have attributed their newfound sense of productivity and success to this and attested that it has helped tremendously in reordering their priorities.

And just like everyone else who seemed tempted by the idea, I’ve been wanting to join the whole movement. In fact, I’ve been watching flipthrough videos since last year, with my “bujo inspo” YouTube playlist amassing a grand total of 109 videos as of press time. I’ve followed a lot of Instagram accounts who’ve made a living out of this practice, and even put a short-lived Pinterest account (for the third time since the ninth grade – I don’t know why it can’t stick with me) in the hopes of gaining inspiration to get started. But, none of those worked in helping my intimidation die down.

I have been exposed to a great number of bullet journal spreads that are so aesthetically pleasing and color-coordinated that they seem almost unrealistic. I lacked the skills and resources required to start. Not enough Tombow brush pens or collaging skills in my arsenal, I thought, which would just lead to a decline in my journal’s appeal. At this juncture, I would like to point out that a bullet journal’s main priority must be functionality. Yes, it can also serve as a great medium for artistic expression but this must not hinder it from serving its true purpose: to get its owner’s life together.

Anyway, dumaldal na naman si Angel. Wala talagang kupas.

If it’s of any interest to you, I use a Leuchtturm 1917 ruled notebook in the color purple, which I got for half its original price at my local National Bookstore. I was initially supposed to go for the dotted version, as it is more popular in the bujo community. Turns out I forgot to check the label before paying for it, and only found out I had bought the wrong version when I had got home. I don’t have any regrets though: I find it easier to write on lined pages, and they don’t really change its effectivity.

I have a black Pilot G-Tec in 0.4mm thickness for writing, as I feel my handwriting looks best when I use this pen. Alongside these are my Dong-A fineliners—which are a great alternative to the much pricier Steadtlers—and my pride and joy, my Stabilo pastel highlighters. I have a black Artline Stix brush pen, which I use for my headings, and a normal pencil for making rough drafts of spreads. I also keep a thin pad of Post-it notes that I replenish weekly on the front page, where I write down any ideas that pop in my head that I’d later on put in its respective spread. I’m trying to keep my set-up as minimal and low-maintenance as possible, but with a pop of color here and there so it won’t end up being too bland and boring.

But contrary to popular belief, there is no fixed set of materials that one must purchase to start a bullet journal. In fact, there doesn’t even need to be any purchasing at all: you can start with something as simple as an old notebook lying around your bedroom floor, and the regular pen that you use for school. Colored markers and washi tapes and any other art supplies are purely optional.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s a peek into what’s actually inside my bullet journal:

Key: Consists of a series of symbols that mean to organize entries into different categories. I have tasks—which can be subdivided into those that are complete, have been migrated or scheduled on another date—events and notes, which can be further emphasized by an asterisk that means they are a priority.

About Me: A short page on the side complete with my basic information. I don’t intend on sharing this with anyone else after this post, but I like keeping this as it feels like a standard way of starting a journal.

Index: Serves as a table of contents. It’s incredibly helpful when it comes to locating spreads, but it cannot fulfill its purpose if one is not consistent in supplying the information it needs. I like to jot the page number and a short description of what’s written on it in the index immediately after I fill out another spread so I don’t forget.

Future Log: My next six months at a glance. This is where I write all major activities and events. I’ve considered putting in birthdays of people who are important to me as well, but I feel like they’d take way too much space so I’ll work on assembling a separate spread to keep track of them.

Collections: Just a few pages to jot down some books I need to read, movies to see, posts to write for this blog and places to go. If ever you have any recommendations, you can shoot me a message here on Tumblr or any of my social media accounts.

(Half) Year in Pixels + Habit Tracker: Admittedly my favorite spread so far. Although I did have to make the grids manually because I’m using a lined notebook, I am very satisfied with how this came out. On the far left side, I’ll be tracking my mood by coloring in squares according to how I felt during the day: purple if great, red if good, orange if it was smack dab in the middle, blue if it was an off day and green if terrible.

For the remainder of the spread, I’ll be monitoring my progress in developing five habits of my choice and checking the corresponding box if I was able to do it on that specific day. The ones I’ve chosen to focus on are drinking eight glasses of water a day, eating only one cup of rice for lunch and dinner, not lurking on anyone’s accounts during my free time to avoid counterproductivity, saying only kind words towards others and using social media for only an hour a day.

Monthly Spreads: Pretty self-explanatory. This is the one I’ve made for November 2017, and I feel like this is the layout I’ll be sticking to. On the left-hand page, I have all the days of the month written vertically with an important task or event beside it. You might have noticed that these are the exact same items under my Future Log, and think that the whole practice of bullet journaling can get quite repetitive but I find it better to write the same things over and over again so they stick to my head.

To the right, I have an expenses tracker, where I write everything I’ve bought for the month. I was supposed to add a box to indicate my savings goal, but I’ll get around to that eventually. I also have a sleep tracker, which I will be doing in the form of a line graph, and my five main goals to give me a sense of direction.

Grades Tracker – 3rd Quarter: Where I write down all the marks I’ve gotten in all my subjects. I write down HW for homework, PT for performance task, Q for quiz and SW for seatwork, then my score but I haven’t been able to do the latter yet since none of our class activities have been graded yet. I’m aiming to become at least a Merit Card Awardee by the end of the school year, so this tool will be extremely helpful in ensuring that everything I do is a step in the right direction.

I have a page that shows my class schedule for this semester and two weekly spreads but the former is too private to divulge and the latter is still under construction, so I decided not to include any pictures of them. Besides, I don’t think any of them would be of much interest to you. Do note that this serves mainly as a source of inspiration. Your bullet journal does not have to follow this format. Since it’s highly flexible and customizable, revolves around you, you wants and your needs, you call the shots at the end of the day and are given full authority to change things up to your liking.

If, by any chance, this post has made you consider converting to this system, congratulations. You’re making a great decision, and I can’t wait for you to see your life get whipped back into shape. I’ve only been bullet journaling for two weeks tops, but I can honestly say that I’m never looking back. As mentioned in my previous blog post, it has given me a newfound sense of order in and control over my life, and keeps motivated to do the tasks required of me. Literally my favorite feeling in the world right now is getting to cross out everything I needed to do for the day.

Below are some resources that I found could be helpful for any bullet journal beginner. There’s honestly much more where that came from, and you can always message me for them:

Ryder Carroll’s (the creator of the bullet journaling system) video

The official Bullet Journal website

Boho Berry on YouTube

AmandaRachLee on YouTube

Caitlin’s Corner on YouTube

planningwithkay on YouTube

Mistral Spirit

#bullet journaling #bujo #bullet journal flipthrough #bullet journal tips #bullet journal resources #angeltriestoblog #angeltriestobujo #angellikestothinkshesucceeded #recs #life dump

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youranxiouslyconfidentstude-blog · 7 years

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Things That I’ve Learned After Bullet Journaling for a Year

You don’t have to have the popular journal

This one can be hard, especially for beginners. Personally, my first bullet journal was a black Moleskine with square pages. My second was the hardcover emerald Leuchtturm1917 dotted journal. Both fantastic options to use, but I’ve seen successful and beautiful bullet journals from your everyday notebook.

As a little tip if you’re new to bullet journaling, I would try it out for a month in a spare notebook you have laying around your house or buy one of those 50 cent notebooks from the drugstore. I wish I would’ve done this so that I could see if I liked the way I was using it, I wouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes, I could change the way I was doing things without a guilt feeling, and it was way cheaper.

It can be so time consuming

In the beginning, I didn’t really know what I was doing. The only source of reference I had was the few videos I watched on YouTube and a couple pictures I found on Pinterest. All of them had beautiful spreads full of color and little details. I, however, do not have an artistic bone in my body but love to try new things. This resulted in hours of sketching out doodles in my journal, counting squares to make sure everything was even, choosing colors that would match, and so on. While I have nothing against the super detailed Bullet Journal’s, they’re just not for me, especially when I’m at school and need to dedicated a lot of my time to my studies.

Embracing mistakes is a challenge

This was my worst nightmare and part of the reason my Moleskine is not completed. I hate making mistakes in my journals, which is part of the reason I began planning my spreads out before writing them in pen. While many bullet journaler’s say to embrace your mistakes and keep moving, or give you tips on how to fix them, I just didn’t like any type of mistake in mine. I tried covering the pages with printed pictures or plain colored papers, but the pages wouldn’t stay glued down or were too large to fit on the page.

Do I recommend trying to fix your mistakes? That depends. Recently, I’ve seen some people who don’t try and cover their mistakes or even correct them, and just continue on with their journal. I’ve also seen people who do a wonderful job at fixing their mistakes. So everything just depends on preference and the type of mistake.

It’s fun to see what you’ve tracked

I didn’t think I’d like the trackers. They were tedious to set up and I didn’t really know what I wanted to track in the beginning. However, when I began tracking things, it was actually really interesting. At first, I went crazy and tracked so many things that it was hectic and out of control, but once I condensed it to about 5-10 things it was more manageable. It can be really interesting if you’re honest with yourself, notably if this is your first time tracking habits.

The things I would track include:

Going to the gym

Drinking the amount of water recommended

Eating at least one healthy meal

Making my bed

Studying

Medication

You can actually use it to journal

At first, I strictly used it as a planner of sorts. But one day, I was having such a horrible and emotional day, that I took my journal out and just wrote down my feelings like I would do in any kind of diary or journal I had in the past. Looking back, I wish I would’ve actually journaled out any kinds of feelings or ideas in my journals because that’s what makes them personal and sentimental. That’s the reason why I’d keep them after I’ve filled them up and move onto the next one.

After research, I’ve found people ‘journal’ in different ways. Some people dedicated a page or spread to add memories for the month. Some people keep a gratitude log. Others actually just journal traditionally right on the next open page. I’ve seen people doodle a day or use journal prompts as a challenge to participate in. Whatever you choose to do, I highly suggest at least trying it out for a week or two, not only does it go with the ‘journaling’ aspect of a ‘Bullet Journal’, but it’s a great way to add personality to your journal.

Use social media for inspiration

Inspiration is the key word here. Yes, copying someone’s beautiful spread down into your journal so it looks fantastic is great and yes I’m guilty of doing it too. But, you’ll never learn what works for you if you don’t try other things instead of just copying everything you see. Also, don’t be afraid to search up exactly what you’re looking for. More often than not, you might find just what you were looking for, or something really close.

I tend to find really good inspiration on Pinterest, Tumblr, and YouTube. There are tons of people to follow on every platform that will fit your style of journaling or just give you a new idea to try. I have a post with YouTube channels that I usually go to when looking for ideas or just beautiful journals.

It’s okay if you don’t use every spread or layout recommended

I will tell you right now I do not use every spread or layout that everyone else has in almost every bullet journal. I tried them all in my first bullet journal, but the ones that didn’t work for me, I just never used again and moved on. Maybe someday I’ll go back and try again, but for now I know what spreads work for me.

Trial and error are normal

This one point applies to all other points that I’ve made here. Unless you’ve done this before or planned it out intensely, you are going to be trying and making mistakes in your journal. Heck, I’ve seen people I would say are ‘professionals’ make mistakes or try new things time and again. Personally, I think part of the whole system is to make mistakes and try new things. While this can be intimidating to people, notably those who do not like change, it will help you find things you do and don’t like.

If you don’t want to make the mistake in your own journal, I would say to either look up your idea on social media or try it out on scratch paper before doing it in your own journal.

This is supposed to be for you, so make it and use it how you want to

Ryder Carroll, the creator of the Bullet Journaling system, does not journal like many people we see in the community. His is probably the most minimalist and simple journal I’ve seen. But, people liked his idea so much, they’ve adapted and changed it to fit them and their styles that now most of them are super detailed, colorful, and more complex. While there’s nothing wrong with this, because that’s what makes the journal their own, I feel like people can get so wrapped up in this idea of perfection that they don’t enjoy journaling.

The journal is not for anyone but you, so use it how you want to use it. Do you like fifteen different colors in one spread or maybe two matching colors? Do you use a future log or do you just daily plan? Do you use recommended supplies or just what you can find in your backpack? It doesn’t matter how you answered this questions, as long as you’re doing what you need to do in your journal to make you happy and successful.

#bullet journal #studyblr #bujo #recommendations #opinion #life tips #things i've learned #moleskine #leuchtturm1917 #journaling

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