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zzzzzestforlife · 1 month

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✏️ what no one tells you about how to journal 📒

i was sick of all the "how to journal" content out there recycling the same advice that sounds great but doesn't always work in the reality of daily life. you're welcome 😏 (also low-key a shitpost, but there are nuggets of wisdom in here, i promise 😇)

✍️ what to journal about ✍️

sure, you could journal about self development and treat your diary like your therapist, OR you could write about:

the pettiest grudge you're still holding onto from elementary school 😤

all the gossip about other people's lives that you have Strong Opinions™️ about, but you're a good person, so what goes in the journal, stays in the journal 🤫

all the witty comebacks you never say to people's faces because you're a sensible, non-confrontational person, but also you didn't think of it until later 🙃

the possibilities are endless, let your imagination run wild, and/or feel free to contact the blogger for more 🤭

🚫 when NOT to journal 🚫

this is just as, if not more, important as when to journal.

nothing to say — forget morning pages, i can barely string together a coherent greeting before lunch. also, a whole night's sleep is like a total memory wipe, so i have nothing to write about 🤷‍♀️ and don't listen to whoever says to just write "i have nothing to write about" because if you start enough entries with that, you're gonna begin to feel there's no point BUT THERE IS!! just not right now. and that's okay ☺️

too often — personally, i think it's important not to make journaling your one source of clarity 🔮 continue to think things through in your mind, confide in people you trust, and have moments (in nature, perhaps) that simply can't be transcribed to words 🌼

not feeling it — if you're too tired OR feel fulfilled and clear-headed enough about your day, don't make journaling a chore you have to do no matter what. if that means you don't journal everyday, then so be it 🌝

so when do you journal? in general, when doing so would add something to your day ☀️ whether that's peace, humor, gratitude, or something else.

🎁 materials 🎁

now for the fun part: let's go to the stationery store! 🛒

✒️ GET A PEN THAT WRITES SMOOTHLY! you are literally lowering the physical resistance that's keeping you from journaling, trust me it works. also pencils suck.

🔐 get a journal with a band, lock, clasp, button, etc. — just because it's fun, but it has the added benefit of securing your intellectual property(?)

have a separate journal for writing thoughts vs. schedules vs. todos vs. collections (TBR lists, recipes, etc.) — beats having to make and maintain a whole index to keep it all organized in just one (1) notebook 😵‍💫

🌸 stickers — are a pretty substitute for correction pens 😻 (in theory, but i have yet to use all the washi tape i bought 😅)

or just journal digitally, idgaf, do what works for you, okay? 😇

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peachblossomstudy · 2 years

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// planning systems

by @peachblossomstudy

#studyblr #planning systems #planning advice #bullet journal #bujo #planning #planner #student #studyspo #study advice #studying #problematicprocrastinator #bulletnotestudies #myhoneststudyblr #heyzainab #heysaher

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simplestudentplanning · 5 months

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How To Start A Bullet Journal

Bullet Journal: "A customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less." (Ryder Carroll, creator of the Bullet Journal)

Supplies

Notebook (typically it's a dot-grid notebook, but you can use any type of notebook)

Pen

Set Up Key Pages

Index Page: similar to a table of contents

Key Page: create a key or legend to represent different tasks, events, and notes.

Personally, I don't use these pages because I usually have a bookmark to keep track of important pages, and I already know which symbols/colours to differentiate my tasks/events.

Create a Future Log

Purpose: To see the next several months (or the whole year) at a glance

What To Put: At least 3-6 months of the year's worth of events, birthdays, holidays, deadlines, etc.

Monthly Spread

Purpose: To see the month at a glance

What To Put: A calendar, goals, and any other elements that are relevant to your planning.

Weekly/Daily Logs

Purpose: To see your week/day at a glance.

What To Put: Tasks, events, and notes for each day/week.

You can use a combination of both!

Design and Decorate

Purpose: To personalize your bullet journal so that feels more like you, and it'll be more enjoyable for you to use it.

Reflect and Adjust

Purpose: To see what's working and what's not in your journal system.

Consistency

Purpose: To get into the habit of bullet journaling. It'll help you be more mindful and organized with your life.

Experiment

Purpose: To find what works for you. Don't use other people's designs and ideas if it doesn't work for you. Bullet journals are supposed to be systems that will help you organize.

The bullet journal is a flexible system, and you can adapt it to suit your preferences and needs. Explore different styles and find out what works best for you.

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greenstudies · 2 years

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Some older bullet journal pages!

I realised it's a lot more fun to make them when you really just do what you want. I used to try really hard to make them look clean and aesthetic but that only makes the activity stressful and time consuming. If you want to start journaling like this yourself, I want you to forget everything you've heard and seen about it do far. Sit down, think about what YOU NEED and what YOU LIKE and then follow your heart! After all, bullet journaling should be your system that helps you the best.

#studyblr #greenstudies #studies #advice #bullet journal #bujo #journaling #movies

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mothmanchronicler · 2 years

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here's a romance plot explainer i made because i'm a maniac and can't just write a fic for the fun of it

ps i made this for myself because i wanted to, but there are an endless amount of ways to structure and outline your fics and stories. just because this is a traditionally profitable and well known structure doesn't mean that fics/ stories need to have this structure to be good!! in fact, i think stories that deviate from a formula are fundamental to the literary world

#yes that's my bullet journal!!! no more to do lists i'm a full time fic writer now #anyway lots of my favorite long fics (and romance novels) follow these patterns and structures #and i noticed that i am more satisfied when long fics (i'm talking 150k+) use this blueprint because it creates a really #good emotional roller coaster momentum that carries me through the story #plus i think it's fun that for some reasons we as humans really just enjoy stories told in this way #somewhat interestingly the three act structure is often attributed to aristotle but that doesn't seem to be true #aristotle envisioned a two act structure for story telling (binding and unbinding) (before and after tragedy strikes)#there's so many more plot structures that are too complicated for me to think abt lol #if anyone ever wants me to regurgitate writing and plotting advice i'm here lol #i've researched myself into oblivion #how to write romance #fanfic #writing advice

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touchingshootingstars · 9 months

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I feel like time passes and I am barely here to realise it. I know that as I get older, the years feel shorter. I cannot imagine what it is like to be 80-years-old and have one year be such a small percentage of your life.

Regardless, it is July and soon the second uni semester of the year shall arrive. I did fairly well this past semester, and I'm hoping to do even better in this one. Balancing university with work is a continual struggle.

I am always open to any study advice anyone has, specifically about time management and preventing procrastination.

Listening: Rush by Troye Sivan

Reading: The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory

#mine #university #bullet journal #studyblr #bulletnotestudies #gloomstudy #heypeachblossom #hiyatranquil #june #procrastination #study advice

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thesoapgirl · 10 months

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I started this blog because I want to keep myself accountable, but also track my progress and journey as I learn to cope with my mental illnesses, and with that I have decided I am going to start bullet journaling again. I have found that it helps me remember things more clearly, helps me keep track of my symptoms, and gives me something positive to distract myself.

I struggle a lot with anxiety, and I've been learning things recently that I need to remember:

-It doesn't have to be perfect.

-You can take your time.

-It is ok to take breaks.

-Not everything has to be done at once.

#bullet journal #mental health #advice #breathe

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sixstepsaway · 2 years

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So, uh, you regularly use your bullet journal, huh? If you don't mind me asking, any tips on keeping up with one? Asking for a friend of course. -dd anon

Not so much tips, but I'll tell you what works for me:

I don't use one of those Leuchtturm notebook type things? I use a binder. I have an A5 (5.83 x 8.27 in, since I know the US doesn't use As for their papers, I don't think) leather binder and I have a set of blue plastic A5 file type binders on my shelf.

I use a binder because my brain does not like the rigidity of the notebook style. If I fuck it up, I'm just...stuck with it? If I want to add a habit tracker before my weekly spread, if I've already done my weekly spread I can't. If I want to have a certain note section (like my RegEx reference sheet) close at hand, it can only be where I put it.

I bought a 3 - 3 hole punch and a box of A5 paper that's lasted me since 2018 so far, and I put pages in and out as I want.

I put stickers/designs on my binder to personalize it.

I enjoy art, a lot, so I treat my bujo as a pretty good way of doing some art and enjoying myself. So, towards the middle of every month (usually; I totally fucked this up in April and ended up doing my May spread literally on the fly week-to-week) I open my Pinterest board and I scroll through my sections and decide what kind of design I want to do for the next month. This month (June) is watermelon. It came out real cute. Last month I did a ship/nautical theme, but as it was such a rush I didn't really do a lot of it. I did the main cover page and the weeklies were all black with no real embellishments. I try to do a pretty spread for weeklies and a nice cover every month. I also do a dividing section of a nice "Welcome, [Season]" page to help remind my brain where we are in the year, a little.

I have some tabbed dividers I put in my bujo. Behind the first is my year-round stuff, so I have things like what I've watched, what I've achieved, subs on my currently abandoned Sims yt channel (see: internet being 500kb/s), plans and intentions for the year, year at a glance etc. I did all of my 2022 yearly pages last December. Behind the second divider is the month I'm currently in. If I do the next month soon enough, it goes right after. Behind the third divider is all the other months. So right now my bujo goes: 2022 | June | January | February | March | April | May | Notes Section. This way the current month is always at the front and easily accessible, and my year round is on hand too.

I have a three-surface set-up in my shoebox room. My main desk, with my monitor and keyboard etc, is front, then to the left I have my art desk I can turn around and work at. Behind me I have a trolley I built a couple of months ago. Because I have spare surface room and a spot I spend the majority of my time, my bujo lives, open to today/this week, beside my keyboard, permanently. Specifically, mine is directly to the right (as I use my mouse left-handed), always where I can see it, in front of whatever tea I am currently drinking and my water bottle. It's always there. No out-of-sight-out-of-mind allowed. I used a ring-bound notebook briefly last year before I bust my bujo back out properly and any day I moved it, I forgot it existed. So, my bujo lives right here. I don't go out so it doesn't go anywhere. Sometimes it gets moved to my bed so I can make a note I need to make, but it always goes back where it came from immediately. I think this is the most important point for me tbh.

Because my binder can't hold endless amounts of paper, when a 6-month period ends I take those six months out and put them in one of the plastic binders on my shelf. The second six months go after it, along with the year pages, and that binder becomes the year binder. I haven't fully done this yet, as I've only really perfected managing to keep my bujo up this year (but I've kept it up since January 1st, and since November if you include my using my notepad briefly), but I have my old pages in one of them. It works for me.

I start the next month/year early, so my brain can't trick me by going, "Oh, you can't use your bujo, you didn't finish it." And if I fail at that like I did in April for May, I just bully my brain into letting me manage for a month. It's not the end of the world.

There is apparently a text block limit so, here's a break to see some of my pages/designs etc:

The nautical one for May was somewhat hastily done (I colored it in later, but I don't have a photo rn) and I'm sad about that. Might do another nautical one later this year, who knows.

I experiment every month. Different colors, different theme, different style, different hand-written fonts, different vibes, different experimentation. Keeps it fresh and makes me look forward to the next month. I don't do it in bulk for the whole year because idk what I'll be into by August, and because I'll be bored of whatever I did by then.

Every month I do a cover and my weekly spread. Those are my only requirements, but I can do more if I want to.

I experimented with the best way to do weekly spreads early this year. January I did boxes but no dutch door, February (up there) I did dutch door with no boxes. I hated the no boxes, I really like having things tidily put together? But I loved dutch door because I could put a little calendar on one side and notes/goals/to-dos/whatever where I could see them week to week without having to turn pages! Once I figured that out, my weekly spreads were easier to draw out and easier to use, and I could still experiment with the design (sometimes I cut out the side, sometimes the bottom, maybe next month I'll do the top! Who knows?) and have fun with it. The only month since February I haven't done dutch-door is last month and that was because I was literally doing each week on the fly in panic. I was doing the week I was on as I was on it the one week, it was a disaster lmao

I bought a snazzy rainbow bookmark and hole punched it and I use that to keep my page in my bujo, so I can get back to it easy when I have to close it (my ducks throw water everywhere when they're up here with me)

I have a simple key for my goals etc. Circles for things I need to do, circles with a clockface for things that are on a time-limit, circles with a > for things I'm bumping to another day, crossed out circles for things I no longer have to do for whatever reason. I fill in the circles when I've done the thing, which is great for my brain, and because my bujo and pens are right next to me, I can do it easily on the go.

Squares (with the same basic pattern) are for things I'd quite like to do but they're not pressing to-dos, just a good idea.

I added some other simple keys for things I use sometimes. I have a little pill capsule for logging any meds I take beside my normal (so the last 5 weeks I've been adding a little "💊 Elvanse [x]mg, #/7" so I know which day of my titration I'm on and which level I'm on. If I take a nytol or a melatonin or ibuprofen, I can write that down if I feel I should). A little bell is an event. An exclamation with a heart for its dot is a note. I had other ones but I've never used them.

This month I added a little side piece to my daily boxes. I put a ☀ and a 🌙 and under each I put, with my tiny little 0.05 fineliner (which I use for any writing I do in my bujo, to-dos etc) little daily to-dos of brushing my teeth, doing my skincare, taking my meds morning and night. It was a fun experiment and it's working for me, so I'll continue it next month! If it didn't work and I didn't use it, that's okay, it was just an experiment!

When the end of the month comes, at the end of the last day of the month I write out how the month went, either on a sheet I set up in advance all pretty, or just a normal plain sheet I add. I say what worked (dutch door, little suns and moon sections), what didn't work (no boxes, leaving it until the last moment) and what I want to change next month (add a mood tracker to my dutch door? not write week when I meant month?), then I move that entire month to the back of the second section, where I can get to it if I need to, and write out my to-dos for the next day.

I write tomorrow's to-dos before bed every night when I'm ticking off my meds, and add anything I might forget to them during the day.

I also added a "PRIORITY" top section to my boxes, usually in a complimentary color (this month's colors are green, yellowgreen and pink for watermelon, so the PRIORITY is in a nice green), and I got sick of writing "PRIORITY:" repeatedly, so this month it's a cute "!:" instead, which is the same thing.

welp ran out of space again. MORE BULLETS:

I love habit trackers but they do not work for me if I have to turn a page to get to them, which is why the sun/moon is working so nicely. I might expand it next month.

If I can't see something, it just doesn't exist, so anything important has to stay within my line of vision, hence dutch door and keeping my bujo right next to me.

I don't beat myself up if I don't do all my goals, I just focus on what I did do and use it as a way of managing my working memory rather than scolding myself. Monday my goals were to work on my sewing, start July, reply to my titration nurse, write, work on the ores for my modpack, shower, and post some metas on AO3. I did 5/7 of those things and showering was a square not a circle, so it doesn't even count. I did well, and having it written down reminds me to try again tomorrow, if applicable.

If I have ^ all those on my to-do list, and then I realize I need to, idk, clean my desk, I will add cleaning my desk to the list, so I can tick it off as done when I've done it, even if I'm already halfway through.

I've talked around this a few times but I'mma say it plainly: if something isn't working for me I discard it and try something else. Habit tracker? Gone and incorporated into the dailies. Mood tracker? Put it on my dutch door this month and have forgotten it most of the time, so I might put it on the left side (closest) instead of the right side next month and see if that helps? Too tired to do anything complex? Simple spread to get me through the month. Not enough energy to do a proper cover? Slap the name of the month down, color it, shove it in. Solved.

I might enjoy making pretty bujos and enjoying the artistic side of it, but it's my bujo, and aside from my parents seeing my designs when they stand by my desk, it doesn't have to be for anyone except me. All that matters is what works for me and what I enjoy.

So, the tl;dr and the tips I extrapolated from this ramble:

Experimentation with colors/designs/themes to keep it feeling new and fresh. Incorporate any hyperfixations in, if it helps (nautical theme lmao).

Discard anything that doesn't work, try new things every month until something sticks, then change its design rather than its function.

Please yourself and no one else, it's your bujo. Use it for what you need help with (working memory, in my case, rather than motivation or intense tracking of what I'm doing. I'm more likely to forget I wanted to do something to begin with, than I am to just not do it).

If you have problems like I do where you mess it up and you don't want to be stuck with it, swap to a binder you can move pages in and out of.

Keep it close and within your line of vision, open if possible.

Write down doing your bujo things on your bujo. Sounds stupid but if I write down "Start July" I have more of a chance of actually starting July than if I just imagine I'll get it done eventually.

Bookmark so you don't have to sift through pages.

Hope this maybe helps a little!

#izzy's dd anon #ask #bullet journalling #bujo #my advice

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sodacowboy · 7 months

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oh I HATE that a physical to-do list that I have to draw up and put coordinated pretty colors on actually works

#like bro I am one thing away from finishing this list #it’s like a quest list in a game or something #and idk having it all laid out helps me move from one task to another?????#hate this hate this hate this #people were right??? when they said to just use a planner??????#I don’t have a planner #but I think making a to-do list is along the lines of that advice y’know????#an energy drink to boost doesn’t hurt either tbh #anyway #I should buy a bullet journal

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thunderandsage · 3 months

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very random journaling/diary keeping advice, but since i’ve never had consistency with what i post, here’s some stuff that’s helped me keep a semi-constant journal since 6th grade:

if you’re feeling too tired for sentences, bullet points (like this!) are fun

take note not just what you’ve been doing, but what you’ve been thinking about that day

if you want to, you can revisit past events even if it has nothing to do with the day (just make sure to mark down the approximate date of that past day for lack of future confusion)

write down lists of books/movies/tv shows or music you’ve read/seen/heard and your opinion about them

mix-up your standard format with colorful or unusual pencils/pens, adding in doodles/stickers/cutouts of stuff, writing vertically

every few months, word-vomit about anything that feels significant/important at that time of your life and don’t worry about consistency

occasionally write in 2nd person to yourself

cut up a paper bag and tape together a DIY cover for the book. the shittier it looks the more spirit it will have, and in general, i write more honestly when you don’t have to live up to how professional the journal’s cover looks

swear. it’s very therapeutic.

go back and annotate stuff you’ve written ages ago as if your present self has traveled back in time to meet your past self and challenge/comfort them

#journaling #diary entry

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catboybiologist · 2 months

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Transition journal and documentation: Jan and Feb of 2024

Measurements for January are up, and February will be soon to follow! Tagging @whalesharkcat and @trans4hire here. If you want to be tagged when I post these, let me know! The advice for injections is in the journal below.

Some quick notes to clarify things:

I'm consolidating qualitative observations into my journal. Oftentimes these haven't been easy to cleanly classify into different categories of observation, so I'm not really gonna bother.

As I'm sure you've realized, the timing of these observations isn't consistent. I have a private document with exact date stamps for everything, and these are mostly right at the end of the month. But my levels checks don't match up to this cleanly, so I group them with the closest set of other measurements. Sometimes I don't have one that cleanly fits.

I can't trust myself to measure height anymore, to be blunt. I want to ask the doctor every time but chicken out about it easily.

But anyways.

And now, as a journal, a brief summary of my thoughts on the past two months:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

*deep breathing*

fuuuuuuuucccckkkkkkkkkk

Okay. So. I'm not gonna list off everything that's happened since the year started. So many independent things started happening, one after the other, that I had to start formatting it as a bulleted list to tell people I know irl what's been going on. Each one has been a crisis on its own- massive emotional events, health problems, health problems in people close to me, transphobic drama with former "friends", academic&research problems, and a resulting mental health spiral. And all of this leading up to my qualifying exams at the end of February, for which I barely scraped by and passed.

But. With all of this. There's silver linings.

The biggest one is that the start of this year has been a stress test of my overall emotional state since starting HRT. I'm not gonna lie- if all of this had happened a year ago, I don't think I would be here now. I either would have completely snapped and done something I regret, or... yeah. But as it stands? I cried. A lot. I isolated a bit. I had mood swings and anxiety and anger and excitement and relief and highs and lows beyond my wildest dreams. It was intense. It was not pretty. But it was cathartic, and healthy. Before this, I would've processed all of this as a generic, stressful, anxiety-ridden malaise, that would've weighed down on me until a breaking point. As it stands, however, I made it. Not in a neat way, not even really in an emotionally stable way, but I made it. And there is no fucking way that would be true pre-HRT. I think I can genuinely say at this point that estrogen has been life saving for me.

In the middle of all this, I switched to injections, right at the start of February. A mistake? Maybe, but I'm too fed up with delaying my progress because "the time isn't right", so I stubbornly refused to delay that change any further. It's a goal I worked out with my provider ahead of time and I stuck to it. So how's that been?

It's been an incredible and WILD experience. I'm on estradiol valerate. For those that don't know, estradiol is conjugated with another compound, which is then cleaved over time in your body to release it. For injections, that results in a peak irculating levels about 1-3 days afer injections. Some people feel it more than others- and holy shit, do I feel it. This has given rise to "the Sundays", because on Sundays, I'm going fucking nuts. My senses are heightened, and I start craving and reacting to physical touch in intense ways. It's not always sexual- while arousal comes easier to me the closer I am to peak, mostly I just become a cuddleslut. It is WILD. I'm also more emotional and cry more easily. Some cis female friends I have confirmed that it mirrors the feelings they get at a certain point in their monthly cycle, so essentially the fluctuating levels are giving me the sensory and emotional effects of a period every week.

The flip side of this is that I feel like shit on Thursdays, like I missed a sublingual dose when I was on that. After the first two weeks, I started taking 2mg sublingual on Wednesday night and Thursday mornings to avoid this, which helped a lot. My provider specifically said this was a good idea, so if you're dealing with that yourself, consider trying it out. I might move to a 5-day injection interval instead, but we'll see.

I've only had one problem with injections so far, which I'm dealing with right now- on my fifth self injection ever, I had unsteady hands and hesitation before stabbing myself, causing a not-great needle stick. Currently, I have a nasty looking injection bruise. Not painful, and healing pretty well, but not fantastic to look at. Self injecting has been intimidating and scary, moreso than I thought it would be. But the actual physical pain is much, MUCH less than I thought it would be, its just that the lizard brain refuses to stab yourself.

If you're thinking of switching to injections, here's a bit of my advice:

keep as many oral/sublingual pills on hand as you can anyways. These will be helpful if you feel your injections aren't carrying you emotionally for the entire interval, or if you don't have an environment where you can inject regularly

If you have a provider, they should provide a nurse tutorial and consultation for you to inject properly. If they don't, try to insist on one. They'll give better advice than I can.

think less, do more. Ideally, the actual moment of the stab should be painless. Be quick and steady about it. The fluid entering feels like pressure and slight burning, but nothing more than that.

vary your injection sites. A doctor or nurse should explain this to you, but this reduces risk of doing what I did and bruising yourself.

be extremely sterile about things. All of the wiping down and sterile technique you'll hear? Don't fuck around with it. Infection is no joke, and absolutely can happen.

Purchase spare needles and syringes from a pharmacist or online. Several reasons for this- one, if you make a mistake and a needle is no longer sterile, you don't want to hesitate about throwing it away. And two... well, let's make a second point about this.

If you want to stock up on estradiol for the future (if you're worried about future access to HRT), this can be easier with injections- but you have to be careful, and you'll need extra needles (for the love of fuck, do not reuse needles). Vials will always have excess medication, because it allows standard volumes to fill and distribute, and it also ensures that needle draws will always be able to be fully submerged. Do NOT try to run your vial out. You WILL run into sterility and contamination issues. That said, vial expiration dates are typically measured from time of first puncture. This will vary, but for me, I was told that the vials are good for 4 weeks after the first puncture. This is overcautious, but not egregiously so. My recommendation would be to use each vial for 1-2 extra punctures, and open the next vial a bit later. Still get prescription refills as frequently as you can. That way, you can stock up on unpucntured vials in case anything happens to your supply. THIS SAID- if you notice ANYTHING wrong with the vial- if the seal isn't containing the fluid properly, if bits of the seal are falling into the medication, if you can see a noticable hole in the seal, DO NOT USE THAT VIAL. Look me in the fucking eye. Do. Fucking. NOT. get sepsis. Do not fuck around with this. The flexibility to be cautious about your vials is a great reason to stock up on a bit extra in the first place.

To anyone in the US, if you're comfortable with doing this to stock up, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend starting this now. Slowly start using your vials for 1-2 punctures extra, stock up unbroken vials. Just in case something bad happens after the elections.

Typically, your medication will come with two sizes of needles- a draw needle (puncture the seal and draw medication into the syringe) and an injection needle. You might want to consider going *slightly* smaller on one or both of those needles. Estradiol is dissolved in a viscous oil as medication, and can be difficult to draw and dispense as a result. But, if you're patient, a smaller gauge might help. For the draw needle, it can help do less damage to the seal and preserve it a bit longer. For the injection needle, if you have a bit more sensitive skin, it might be comforting. Don't deviate too much, though, ESPECIALLY without a medical professional involved.

Remember that I'm not a medical professional, please consult one whenever possible.

I'm still on spiro for now, and I'm continuing it until my next levels check comes back clean. I don't want to erase months of progress getting my levels up by dropping it too early.

Measurement-wise, there hasn't been much change. But I'm starting to realize that the measurements aren't really telling the full story. My breasts look so much larger and, for lack of a better word, breast-like than they did even a couple months ago, but that hasn't been coming through in the measurements very well. I think what's happening is that my fat around my sides is shrinking at the same time my breasts are growing. This is reflected a bit in terms of underbust and waist measurements, but it still seems more dramatic than those are letting on.

Face wise, I think I'm really seeing some changes now. It's hard to put into words, but I'm starting to look more and more androgynous or femme by default, especially if I shave. I'm estatic, honestly, and I hope the trend continues. My chin and nose continue to be problems, but as the structure of the face around them changes, that's becoming less and less true.

I've been getting laser, but so far it's done pretty much nothing. There's lag time, and some of my health issues meant that I had to delay a session and get both sessions at a much lower power than I would've like. I was really hoping to have visible hair removal by June or so, but it looks like that's not happening. That kinda stings, and is a huge blow to my ability to pass by the one-year mark, which has been my target.

I think my boymoding has been holding, for the most part, although its been harder. Even with my sports bras, small bumps are visible under a t shirt, and the face changes won't be unnoticable forever. I've def been more loudly bisexual, and I think most people just write it off as me being fruity. Cis people can also be pretty oblivious, especially when changes are gradual. That being said, I've been coming out slowly to people, giving my usual speech of "I'm still presenting as a man for now, but just so you know this is what's going on", which removes a lot of the pressure and anxiety from boymoding. Still, I haven't told everyone (notably, labmates and family), and my timeline of social transition between June and August seems to be holding steady.

So uh, yeah. If you're curious about anything specifically, I'm an open book, although I may move it to DMs if it gets too personal. Hope that my progress updates are helpful to at least someone!

#trans #transitioning #transgender #trans journal #trans progress #trans documentation #transfemme #trans HRT #trans woman

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writingquestionsanswered · 6 months

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I've had ideas for stories I want to write, I write down a bullet point outline, but then I struggle with the actual writing bit. I can think and imagine a full scale plot with hooks, twists, etc but there's a block.

I've always struggled with getting my thoughts put into words that make sense for how I see it. Or just putting thoughts into words in general.

Do you have any advice that may help?

Plot Fleshed Out, Can't Write

When you understand plot and story structure, have the plot fleshed out and outlined, but still can't write, it's almost certainly because you're lacking one or more of the following:

1 - Inspiration - Your story's outline is sort of like the wooden studs, struts, joists, and beams that serve as the underlying structure of a house. You can have detailed instructions for how to build the actual house, but if you don't have ideas for what materials to use to build the walls, the kind of roof to put up, what type of floors to put in, what color to paint the walls, and how to decorate everything, you'll only ever have a structure. That's why one of the most important things you can do as a writer is make sure you have a full creative well at all times. If you're struggling to take a detailed outline and turn it into an actual story, it's probably because your creative well is dry. You have the structure, you just don't have ideas for what to do with it. So, spend some time Filling Your Creative Well and you'll find that ideas for what to actually write come pouring in.

2 - Motivation - Believe it or not, you can have a detailed outline and a full creative well providing you with lots of ideas for what to write, and you can still be unable to actually write anything. All kinds of things can hamper our motivation to write, from self-doubt and distraction to not feeling well or life getting in the way. My posts: Feeling Unmotivated with WIP, Worried About Writing Style, Delaying Writing Out of Fear, Writing and Depression, Would Rather Be Doing Other Things can help with some of the common motivation zappers.

3 - Excitement - Even with a detailed outline, a great story idea, tons of great ideas, and plenty of motivation to write, if you're not excited about your idea--about the characters, setting, plot details, all of it--you may find yourself struggling to actually write. My posts: Guide: How to Rekindle Your Motivation to Write, Getting Excited About Your Story Again, and

4 - Practice - Knowing how stories work and being able to actually write one are two completely different things. Kind of like you can know how to read sheet music and understand how to play a piano, but that doesn't mean you can just sit down and play a beautiful, flawless concerto. Writing requires practice, and practice means you have to spend a lot of time writing not-so-great stuff before you can write great stuff. But if you never take the time to write the not-so-great stuff, or if you never start writing because you feel like what you write has to be immediately perfect, you'll never get the practice you need. So, just start writing. Do writing prompts. Write fan-fiction. Journal. Any kind of writing will exercise your writing muscles and get them into shape.

5- Energy - Having the physical and mental energy to write is just as important as everything above. If you're lacking in energy, you're not going to feel like writing when you sit down and try to write. So, self-care is super important when you're going to be writing. Make sure you're getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating right. Try to avoid doing things that sap your physical and mental energy if you know you're planning to write later. Take some time to figure out the time of day that works best for you energy-wise and try to schedule your writing time then.

Happy writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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weirdly-specific-but-ok · 2 months

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a lil good omens brainrotted update from your mascot

Hello my maggots it's nearly midnight here's how the brainrot's going (spoiler alert, there are no, uh, ripe braincells anymore).

I just spent a rather significant amount of time drawing leaves into my bullet journal (because it's Crowley themed this month).

That whole time I listened to first Crowley's apartment ambience and then to a bunch of Good Omens edits and got extremely emotional about it but in the best way. God I love this show.

Every day (it'S a-GEtTinG clOSeR) I have a stare-off with the Good Omens book that keeps me company on my desk.

It laughs in my face, daring me to read it.

I recall the last time I opened it (to summarise, I read a line about Crowley and burst into tears like the macho guy I am). I refuse.

We are locked in a battle of wills. Who will win, the book or I? I'm torn between wanting to read it so bad and the fear that I will never be emotionally stable again if I do.

Speaking of books, just for vibesies an update on the one I'm writing, I've written 7,200 words in the past six days (when I pulled the WIP out of its musty folder because of that post Neil made).

The page I made in the bullet journal was actually a writing tracker here lemme show y'all because I'm proud of the progress I made:

[Yes, that is the Good Omens book lurking in the top left, it's never far away. The battle is perpetual.]

Crowley quotesssss all the Crowley quotes I love them so much it's insane.

Also, I'm gonna go get yarn to I can continue my endeavour to learn crocheting to make a Crowley-beanie. @singalongpoppet is my guru and leader in this journey. Not sure if I'll manage it, but a guy can dream. Channeling my non-existent cottagecore era.

I am also considering getting a Plant.

Weirdly enough, this is not entirely brainrot, I was supposed to grow a plant back in January because my word thing of the year was Grow (the burden of prophecy is real).

However, I am dreadful at taking care of them, even succulents. I managed to kill a wild cactus that I brought home from a roadside. It survived several months but in the end being around me was too much for it, poor thing.

I assume there is a bit more to plant-parenting than misting them and screaming at them to GROW BETTER, so any advice, please?

End of update, I have no idea how to write conclusions so have a snapshot of the dynamic of Rian and Avi, the characters in the book I'm writing [spoiler alert: their dynamic is dumpster fire].

Love you my maggots have a wonderful brainrotted day xxx

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kali-chaotic-neutral · 1 month

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Advice

Pick a cat and get some much needed advice

This will include:

~Advice you might need ~Something you have to hear ~Insight on something

Disclaimer: this is just for entertainment purposes, and as a pick-a-card reading it may not resonate for everyone. Take what you resonate with, leave what you don't.

Please do not hesitate to suggest a few PAC reading topics as I am struggling with these type of posts.

Cat 1:

I feel as though you may be in a sort of identity crisis. Maybe you're going through a time of major change, and it is causing some crisis of sorts. You're worldview has been shaken and you're brain chemistry has been altered dramatically. Additionally, this could be some drastic change in your spirituality or maybe you're leaving a religion for another or just leaving religion entirely and being hounded by your community for doing so. I know it's stressful, I know you're probably extremely critical of yourself, picking and panicking over every little mistake you make. I want you to take a deep breath and know that this isn't the end of the world. Take the energy you use to criticise yourself to maybe journal, do some shadow work or gratitude journalling. You don't have to write paragraphs after paragraphs. Even one bullet point can make a difference. Let out your thoughts on paper so you don't end up blowing up on someone. and regretting it. Let it out, clear your head and do some damage control before evaluating what steps you have to take to get yourself out of this pit.

Try to reconnect with your inner child, let that child within you have their moment. Do something simple and childish, colour a book, draw. Do something you've always wanted to do, surround yourself with people you love and your friends, let them help you. Trust that those who care about you have your back. Do not let this temporary setback make you lose sight of what you want. This stressful and dark time you are going through is coming to an end. The only reason this moment seems endless to you, is because it is YOU that is unintentionally dragging this moment. Maybe you're stretching on an argument, or clinging onto a grudge, or just simply holding onto bad habits. You are hurting yourself at this point, and there is no one else to blame but yourself. Accept this pain, let go of this grudge or actually try to stop repeating bad habits. And it's not easy. I have a smoking habit myself, but I am taking steps. I haven't smoked for a month now and it has taken too many failed attempts for me to get here. Do not prolong this situation, because when you fall it will hurt even more. Try stepping out of your comfort zone, baby steps is perfectly fine. For me, getting out of my comfort zone meant wearing more form fitting outfits. I started with crop tops and a jacket over, then moved onto just crop tops and jeans. Then only recently have I gotten the confidence to get out of the house in flared leggings. Very simple, yet so effective in telling you: "Hey, it's okay. See, You're fine. You look so beautiful when you're confidently wearing what you want.". Everyone's journey is different, take your time, but taking the steps is what matters.

Cat 2:

There is someone (or was someone) in your life that absolutely changed your life for the best, someone that was there for you in your hardest time. You might be feeling a bit guilty in the sense that they are always there for you, that whatever you give them (or want to give them) seems inadequate, or maybe this person is not in your life anymore and you feel guilt for not expressing your gratitude while they were there. The guilt is weighing you down, and might be leading to insecurities as well. Just know that even a simple acknowledgement and thanks is a gift, while not the most extravagant, it does hold meaning. Open your heart, let them know how grateful you are. And if you struggle with this, a small simple, meaningful gift will always send the message. A gift is a gift, it's the thought that matters. Let this person know, that you appreciate them for more than the comfort they bring you. And if they aren't in your life anymore and it feels like it's too late, it can be as simple as a journal entry addressed to this person. Pour out your heart and write the letter as though you would send it to them if they were present. Or maybe you went through a rocky split up (romantic, platonic) and you want to reach out but you're unsure whether or not you should. Give it a shot. If the other person doesn't respond or responds very harshly, let it go. At least you tried. Or maybe things just fell apart. Me and a few of my high school friends went to different colleges and just stopped chatting with each other. And even now, it's so awkward to try and chat with them, but also so awkward to unfollow them.

Take some time off if you can, maybe during a special occasion. If you're celebrating something with this person, let it be more intimate. Maybe with close friends/family or even just you and this person. Make time for this person, like they do for you. Or maybe it's a day that reminds you of them, honour them by doing something they enjoyed. One thing my grandmother enjoyed doing when she was alive was travelling to sacred, religious places where I live. Every year, my family and I go to these places, pray for her and have fun because she would have wanted that for us. If you've had a split up with this person with so many unsaid things, reach out. Get your closure, clear the air of misunderstandings if there are. If it's with someone you've gradually lost touch with and the awkwardness has stopped you from reaching out. Don't. Reply to their story, send them messages or posts online. let them know that you want to rekindle the friendship. Let them know, that you are also wanting to have this relationship (platonic, romantic). I've said to try and rekindle the relationships/reach out so many times and here I am saying it again: MEND THE RELATIONSHIP!!! BUILD BACK THE FUCKING BRIDGE! Forgive them, but also most importantly, forgive YOURSELF!! It's normal being hard on yourself. This however, what you're saying/doing to yourself is not it bbg. You need love right now, sweet summer child, not criticism. Put your inner critic on the back seat, let your inner healer take control. Do some self care. Face masks, spa, massage, manicure/pedicure. Take care of yourself.

Cat 3:

You're in a crisis. You have conflicting emotions that are fluctuating so fast it's giving you whiplash. Maybe you're facing a choice where you have to leave what you have known. Maybe you're home for further studies or maybe you're planning on moving homes or cutting off contact with family or friends you've known for a long time. It's difficult, because you are potentially leaving what you've always known, what your comfortable with/or people who you've known for a long time. There will always be people who will not support your decision, especially if you're cutting off contact with close family members or friends who you used to always be with. This crisis/conflicting emotions are more so due to you not wanting to deal with criticism from people you've grown up with and less to do with whether you want to do it or not. Because you do. You know it is what you want, but the potential of people's reaction is what's stopping you. If you always walk on eggshells when making decisions, to appease the people around you, you won't make it far. Stop caring about the opinion of people who don't have your best interests at heart.

Maybe what you are pursuing (If it is further studies/a job) is something that you've always wanted to pursue but have been discouraged to do so because it: "Won't put a roof over your hear head and feed you". A creative job/study. Art, music, dance, literally anything that requires creativity. Don't let these people have you give up on your dreams and instead have you slave away at a stressful office job/"prestigious" job. Don't be afraid to splurge on yourself once in a while. Treat yourself to a nice dinner in a fancy restaurant, or buy yourself something you've always wanted. Or even simpler, take a self care day. Take your time bathing, put on a face mask, dress yourself up (even if it is just to go get groceries) If you want to see change, you must initiate it. Don't be a sheep that follows people around mindlessly, take control/the reins if you have to. Assert yourself. Let your opinions stand out, true and strong.

Cat 4:

You're stretching out something tense, maybe an argument, maybe something that really angered you. And i'm not saying that you're anger is not justified. It is, what's not justified is how you're dragging this out. Blowing this situation out of proportion, making a mountain out a molehill. You are getting on the defensive, feeling the strong urge to prove that you are correct or that you didn't do something (or perhaps did) But at this point you're arguing at the wall honey. Know when to stop your battles, get yourself in check before the universe slaps you in the face. The other party has already dropped out, not wanting to spend their time arguing an age old issue. Come to terms with what happened, and try to calmly speak your mind. If you can't, journal it. let it go.

This conflict has you shaken and feeling unsure. What I'm getting is to make sure you're not biased, make sure to listen to the other person's side as well. Just listen and make your decision then. Because if you make a decision right now, it will only be more chaotic. Don't make a decision yet, wait, give yourself some space to clear your head because you're mind is not in the right space to make important decisions right now. Maybe this conflict is between you and a friend or a sibling/family member. I'm feeling that this conflict could be solved if you were to communicate, but there is such a clear lack of it that I am quite speechless. Talk things out, calmly and clearly, let them know how they hurt you and let them apologize/talk as well. Forgive if you can. Enforce boundaries with this person, maybe they overstepped despite your warnings and it was what caused this conflict. Remember, forgiving is good but it's not necessary to heal. If this person has been constantly overstepping your boundaries, firmly set them and cut off contact if you must. Or just be very firm and strict with your boundaries, you might have a habit of caving in to this person walking all over you. Not anymore.

#pac tarot #tarot pac #free tarot #free tarot reading #tarot community #tarot spreads #tarot cards #tarot reading #tarotblr #witchy #pac reading #pick a photo #pagan witch #witchblr #baby witch #witchy vibes #witchcraft

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tainbocuailnge · 1 year

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if there’s one piece of advice i want to give literally anyone ever it’s to get a creative hobby. drawing writing sewing knitting baking singing dancing playing an instrument bullet journaling woodworking photography video editing gardening bookbinding shoemaking blacksmithing romhacking lego building candlemaking it doesn’t fucking matter you need a hobby that lets you have an idea for something to make and then the ability to make that thing. if you don’t occasionally exercise the miraculous human ability to make things your brain and soul will shrivel up and die forreal

#anyway i love cuchulainn

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thesensteawitch · 7 months

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Full Moon In Aries Guidance (29th September, 2023)🌝🔥

Pick A Pile Reading

Take A Deep Breath And Choose!

(Pile 1, Pile 2, Pile 3)

Hello, Senstea Souls!

I hope you're all doing great. This is a full moon reading that marks the beginning of Autumn Season. Pick a pile and read the message. It's a collective reading.

Take what resonates and leave what doesn't.

Pile 1

Cards- 7 of cups, Temperance, 10 of pentacles, The World

Hello, my beautiful pile 1. This full moon is asking you to understand that what did not work out for you worked for you. You are somebody who has a lot of desires and wishes. You dream big. But because you have so many things that you want to achieve you feel frustrated. From your dream list, you may be able to act upon a few of them. And what frustrates you is the fact that you have to balance between things as you're handling so much at one time. And you also feel a lot of resentment towards yourself as there are wishes on the list that you aren't able to act upon yet. See my dear pile 1 the message is that you can do anything but not EVERYTHING! You have to let go of the controlling attitude. You can't control everything that happens in your life. The reason why your wish did not come true is because God/Source was protecting you. So this full moon, work on letting go of past achievements and failures. Do one thing at a time. Focus! Communicating with your family or friends may be of help. I see that your family is always there for you. It can be blood family or your soul family. Your life is demanding you to start a new chapter but you are a bit hesitant. A thought of somebody or something important to you is stopping you from starting this new journey. Some of you may need to move out of town or start your own business. You need to heal yourself to heal the situation. This is not the time to put bandaids on the bullet holes. Do not start this journey wounded. Give yourself time to heal. Go for a vacation or do something exciting at your home. Journal about what you truly feel.

I am sending letters to people who need healing and guidance. Drop a ‘🩷’ or ‘Letter’ in the comments and I will drop a message in your Tumblr inbox. The letter will only cost $2.

Pile 2

Cards- 9 of swords, 10 of swords, The Magician, 9 of wands

Hello, my dear pile 2. First of all, tell me how are you doing? For a minute I went silent looking at your cards. I am sorry but it pissed me off. There are serious self-worth issues here! And I mean it! It's SERIOUS! What on earth are you thinking? You're doubting the vision you have for yourself, someone you are capable of becoming in the future. I see that you also struggle with money. My heart is with you pile 2. You can be the magician of your life. But you're disappointed because people are not even appreciating all the magic you have created till now. But who needs others to validate our magic? You need to have faith in your capabilities first. Believe me when I say this, your mind is your greatest enemy right now. It's fooling you and you're letting it! Your soul, heart, and mind must be your allies, not enemies. This full moon is asking you to release the hurt that you and someone else have inflicted upon you. My advice is to surrender to the divine and have faith in his plans. Keep doing the right thing, keep performing your magic. Don't put so much pressure on your shoulders. Listen to your higher self. You already are who you think you should be. I don't know why but I am also getting the message that you need to start focusing on making yourself financially strong. This full moon you need to make a long-term plan for your career. And allow yourself to genuinely rest. Take care of your health. I mean it! God bless you.

I am sending letters to people who need healing and guidance. Drop a ‘🩷’ or ‘Letter’ in the comments and I will drop a message in your Tumblr inbox. The letter will only cost $2.

Pile 3

Cards- 4 of cups, Queen of pentacles, 8 of pentacles, 7 of swords

Hello, my beautiful pile 3. So this full moon in Aries you're asked to get up from your work table and give a thought to the things that you have been ignoring. I see polarities here. Where everything seems good on the outside but is not. On the other hand, everything is good in your surroundings but your heart can't accept it. So to avoid confronting and seeing the truth of the situation you throw yourself into work. No doubt that you work hard. But now is not the time to keep working blindly as if there's nothing more to this world. Do not start a new project trying to excuse yourself. Your mind is tricking on you. This full moon ask yourself what is that you need to release. Your problem is that you do not even know what's there to release. You aren't allowing yourself to feel the hurt someone else has caused you. You can't see that your mind is tricking you. It's a coping mechanism. Your mind thinks that you won't be able to handle the truth so it is trying to put you in a delusion. It's time that you realize the truth and let it go. Forgive someone and move on. Use this time to reflect upon your life patterns and see what you're missing. There's a blessing in your cards. You are blessed. I also feel that you are very disciplined. I really admire that quality. But your subconscious needs your attention now.

I am sending letters to people who need healing and guidance. Drop a ‘🩷’ or ‘Letter’ in the comments and I will drop a message in your Tumblr inbox. The letter will only cost $2.

I hope you found this reading helpful.🐦

You can subscribe to my newsletter for free and receive helpful tips for Full Moon in Aries.

#full moon #full moon in aries #harvest moon #tarot readings #general reading #message for the collective #full moon reading #tarot reader #psychic #pick a pile #pac reading #pick a picture #pick a pile reading #tarotblr #free tarot #aries full moon #the witch speaks

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