Hi, hello, how are you?! 

I’ve been a little absent from this newsletter….for that, I apologize! I have not been able to write, physically and mentally. Since September, school, work, and keeping myself going have been the only things I could focus on. 

For some reason, my last quarter of grad school was the most stressful. With working three days in the office and having a boatload of coursework every week, my brain could not even for a moment consider more creative pursuits. 

I also experienced a panic attack at the end of September, and it has thrown me off much more than anticipated. The last time I could even recall having a panic attack was when I was in middle school. I immediately started therapy again and am slowly finding myself back to the things that bring me joy and peace. However, I’m honestly struggling pretty badly with anxiety, which I am working on with my therapist. 

I’m finally done with grad school, and now all the things I did not have time for, I suddenly have endless time for. Truly, the best feeling is to know that outside of work, I can live my life how I want. Though a part of me will miss the weekends studying and completing assignments, I’m glad to know that I have moved past that stage of my life for the time being. 

Now I am onto a stage of my life where I can pour into myself again. I’m calling it my glow up era, because I love a good era. 

At the end of November, as I finished school, I decided that I wanted to transform my life before the end of the year. And I think I am delusional enough to make it happen. However, now I’m beginning to understand that transformation doesn’t happen overnight. For the longest time, I would get the motivation to change my life, but after seeing no changes after a week, I would give up. Instead, I needed to push through because transforming your life isn’t easy. There’s no wand to wave that will suddenly make me the best version of myself. I have to choose to be her every freaking day. 

And so I am starting my glow up diaries, which is currently a series I’ve started on my TikTok. But it’s more than just a series for me. It’s making sure that every day I am making decisions that will benefit me in the future. 

Here are some of the things I am working on now and going into the new year:

• Less screen time 

I’ve actually already cut my screen time in half because of Opal! Highly recommend Opal or a similar app that blocks distracting apps on your phone. I needed something that would not allow me to skip and go on my merry way. 

• Routines and healthy habits 

I’m working on building a morning and night routine. I have perfected my morning routine so far. It’s simple, and it wakes me up. I wake up, brush my teeth, wash my face, do my skin care, write my morning pages, then I make breakfast and either get ready to work from home or go into the office. It’s easy and doable, which is key! My night routine, however, needs some more work. The only solid thing I have going is my chamomile and lavender tea. 

• Taking care of myself

I got a haircut and finally got my eyebrows done. Both made me feel so much better because I had been putting them off for too long! I also got blood work done to know how I’m doing health-wise wise and I’m back in therapy to continue my growth and healing. It’s nice to do the fun self-care things, but also important to do the serious self-care things. I will also be making a dentist appointment in the new year. Taking care of myself also includes doing the things I have been procrastinating on. 

• Journaling everyday 

I started doing morning pages in November and have been sticking with it as much as I can. It has actually made such a difference in my day. I cannot get myself to write 3 pages, so for the time being, I just put on a timer and journal whatever I can. I started with 10 minutes, and now I’m at 15 minutes, which typically gets me to 2 pages. I’m hoping to work up to those 3 pages soon! Something I want to make into a habit is using journal prompts and guiding my journaling more intentionally. 

Glow up diaries are also about preparing for the new year! I’ve shared a couple of things in this newsletter already on how I prepare for the new year, but I wanted to give you a quick overview here, too:

• Set my goals 

I like to start with broad goals that I want to focus on for the year. Then I will take that goal a step further by determining what actions I can take to move closer to it. For example, one of my goals is to decrease scrolling and screentime. An action I can take is utilizing an app blocker in the morning, when I am at work, and in the evening. I did that with each of my goals and ended up with actionable items I can begin working on now. 

• Vision board 

Once I have my goals and actions, I like to visualize them. I do this by using Pinterest to find images that emulate what my goals look and feel like. I found images and quotes that embodied the person I wanted to become and would become if I were consistent for the next year. Then I will put these images together into a vision board that I can refer to throughout the year to remind me what my goals are. 

• Journal prompts 

This step can be done after setting your goals or at the end. I prefer to save it for the end because I like to have my vision board created. For this step, I like to use a couple of prompts to reflect on the year that just passed and manifest for the upcoming year. 

What went well this past year? 

What do you think could have gone better?

What will your life look like a year from now?

What will I let go of in the new year? 

I hope these items will help you at the end of this year and help you start 2026 off the way that you want to! I finished up my vision board earlier this week, and I’m excited to dive into the journal prompts I shared. 

Happy holidays!

See ya! 

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week!

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