matcha for the mind

Like most girls when they’re six, I was in love with the idea of being a princess. They got to wear big colorful dresses and sparkling tiaras. Their hair was long and beautiful, and their voices sounded like angels. I looked up to the princesses I saw on TV, and despite knowing that I could never be one of them, I hoped that in the future I could feel as beautiful as them. As I grew older, I made sure to get my nails done, straighten my hair, and never leave the house without mascara. As a fifteen-year old, doing my hair and makeup still excites me, but I’ve realized the only true way to feel as beautiful as those princesses is to learn to love myself. Learn to love my laugh, my smile, my eyes, my spots, my nose, my style, and everything about me that makes me special. I know it may sound cliche, but ever since I gained the confidence to look in the mirror and be proud of who I saw in front of me, I’ve never felt more beautiful. I used to feel really insecure about my stretch marks, which I got at twelve years old. I never knew why I had them at such a young age and it disturbed me after people started pointing them out. I would always wear sweatpants to try and cover them up, and I remember constantly googling how to get rid of them. One day, I was sitting with my friend, and I noticed the stretch marks on her leg, similar to mine. I asked her about how she got them, and she told me that it was normal and that many girls get them during puberty. Hearing her say this made me realize I had nothing to cover. My stretch marks were a sign of growth and they were nothing to feel ashamed of having. I know a lot of girls struggle with insecurities, and I was one of those girls, but the only way to overcome them is to accept them. Once you accept your insecurities, you’ll feel so much happier and more content with yourself. Which is truly how our favorite childhood princesses felt. So to whoever’s reading this, I want you to look in the mirror and, instead of noticing the things you don’t like about yourself, try pointing out the things you do like. 

Skincare Routine

I developed my first ever skincare routine during quarantine and since then it’s evolved for the better. My skincare routine allows my skin to feel nourished and refreshed everyday making me feel more confident and satisfied with my appearance.

Checking in on My Friends

Everyday I ask my friends “how was your day” to see what they’ve been up to. This habit allows me to stay connected with my friends while they’re overseas for their summer holiday. I’ve also realized that nowadays people are rarely asked how their day was and it’s a question most people would like to answer.

Taking Time to Relax

It’s been a long school year and while I’m being productive during the summer it’s also important for me to take some time to relax. I do this by binging a Netflix show, journaling, or sleeping in.

Journaling

For the last two summers I’ve been journaling daily to keep myself busy. Not only does journaling help me get all my thoughts out but it also gives me time to step away from a screen. 

Leaving my House
Since it’s summer we can often be stuck in our rooms on our bed. While this may be true I make sure I get at least one outing every single day. Whether it’s going to a mall, going for a walk, catching up with friends, or even just going to the grocery store, a simple outing everyday keeps me from feeling drained and tired by sitting in my room all day. 

During quarantine, I opened my drawer and discovered all of my past journals from my childhood. I read through each of them and was fascinated to see how my thoughts changed over time. You can always go through old photos and remind yourself of old memories, but you can never truly go back in time. Reading these old journals made me feel connected to a younger me in a way that I hadn’t felt before. It was a feeling of comfort knowing that everything I read was straight from my thoughts as a child. After this, I decided I wanted to start journaling again, so I went to Daiso, bought a plain blue journal, and just let my pen flow to the beat of my thoughts. I wrote about my feelings, my insecurities, my obsession with Twilight, my gratitude, and many more random topics. When I was done with filling up each page, I went and bought another journal to start over. 

One of the biggest misconceptions about journaling is that there are rules for it. People assume you should write about the events of your day every night, but these “rules” are what make journaling seem more like a chore. Giving myself the freedom to write whatever I simply felt like allowed me to look forward to journaling.

While I have less time than I did during quarantine to journal, I still continue to write in my journal and have completed four journals since quarantine. Journaling has helped me relax my mind during stressful times and feel more connected with myself. It’s a great habit that I think every teenager should try out.