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SUNDAY RESET: journaling, prepping and relaxing

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why is Sunday the best day to reset?” There are a few reasons, but the primary one is that it begins a new week. This means it doesn’t matter if the week prior was good or bad; it’s a chance to start over completely.

Of course, if it was a good week, that will motivate you to keep the streak going. However, if it was terrible, you could move on and let go.

That’s the mindset I had to get myself into this year, specifically. A lot can impede growth, and being unable to let things go is one of them. Sundays are the PERFECT time (at least for me) to prepare for the new week ahead.

So, how do I reset on Sundays? Easy. I journal, prep and relax.

Journaling (Oh, how I love to write.)

It’s something about hearing ink glide across a nice crisp sheet of paper in a journal. I usually write the date at the top of the page, so when I re-read my journal, seeing how far I’ve come will be more satisfying.

I write about how I feel, my weekly goals and more. Reminder: Refrain from cramming a lot into your journal. Take it week by week, you’ll accomplish goals faster, and life will be less stressful.

Prepping (Let’s put the action to the word.)

Prepping can be a lot of different things. You can prepare your food for the week, outfits, social content, etc… For me, it’s getting organized. I prep specific content ideas (personal and work-related) and more.

Relaxing (The most vital of the three.)

Weekends are for fun and relaxation. You work the entire week and only have two days to get your energy back. I like to watch a movie, binge my favorite comfort shows, cook, bake, etc… Relaxing is excellent for your mind and body.

What do you do to reset on Sundays?

5 Reasons Why You Should Rest EVERY Weekend

What are you doing this weekend? Resting? If not, we need to talk. Because now I have to rant to you about five reasons why you should rest EVERY weekend.

It doesn’t take a lot for our bodies to shut down completely. You may think you have a high tolerance for overworking, but your body says otherwise. How does your body feel when you just finished working a 12 hour day, five days a week, while standing the entire shift? I felt like my legs were about to fall off from someone who had done this in the past.

No, you know what? My legs were in pain so bad that I could not walk anywhere but from my bathroom back to my room. My mom and sister had to cook my food and bring it to me (forever grateful for them, by the way.) I never wanted to feel that type of pain again.

After experiencing that, I vowed never to overwork my body, especially on the weekends.

Still, feel the urge to overwork? I have five reasons you shouldn’t, especially on the weekends. You might ask, why the weekends? It’s usually the time people have off from work. You should never strain your body anytime, but at least allow yourself two days or more to unwind.

5 reasons why you should rest every weekend
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5 Reasons Why You Should Rest Every Weekend

  1. Your body is not a robot. We can’t easily replace parts of our body when worn out. There are no stores to go to if you broke your back consistently lifting heavy boxes. If you overwork yourself consistently, you’ll end up sick.
  2. Your mind deserves a break. Have you ever thought so hard that your head started to hurt? Sometimes our minds want to relax and not deal with complex thoughts every day.
  3. It’s time to start living. Are you alive? Yes. But, are you living? No. We only get one chance to live. Why spend 90 percent of your life wearing and tearing your body down 24/7?
  4. Self-care is vital. Self-care might be the word of the decade, but it’s imperative to make time to cater to your mind and body.
  5. JUST DO IT. If the first four reasons weren’t good enough for you to rest, be like Nike and just do it. Do something for yourself for once.

We all need to take better care of our bodies, it might not be the easiest thing to do, but we can start by resting when we can, especially on the weekends.

For more in-depth reasons why you should relax, check out this article.

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5 Things To Do Before You Go To Bed | Clear Your Mind

Did you know that your pre-sleep routine can affect your night’s rest? Here are five things to do before you go to bed to help clear your mind.

If you’re like me, you often find yourself waking up out of your sleep often– even when you’re sleepy. It wasn’t until recently that I thought of asking google, “why can’t I have a good night’s sleep?” because, you know, we ask google everything.

And, google being google showed me the scariest symptoms to my issue. Ignoring google’s suggestions of chopping off my hair, I thought of something else. I knew I wanted to have a clear mind before I slept, but it was just a matter of how I could do that. Then, the imaginary light bulb over my head lit up, and I decided to change my pre-sleep routine.

This routine is not the nightly face wash, and it’s what you do while you’re lying in bed. So, here are five things to do before you go to bed– I’m sharing what helps me in hopes of it helping at least one person.

5 things to do before you go to bed
Just spreading some positivity 🙂

5 things to do before you go to bed

1. Sit your phone on a desk.

Once I sit my phone on a desk or chair by my bed, I do NOT pick it back up when I lay down anymore. I used to find myself on my phone all night, and my eyes would be crying, literally. This helps me focus more on trying to go to sleep.

2. Drink some water.

I don’t know why, but most of the time I’m hot before I go to bed. When I drink water, it chills my body temperature, so when I wrap myself in a blanket (because I can’t sleep without one), it feels like heaven on earth.

5 Things To Do Before You Go To Bed

3. Relax your mind.

I try to push away stressful thoughts when I’m lying down. Whatever happened during the day is now in the past, so I remind myself that tomorrow is a new day.

4. Think of something funny.

Okay, I’m weird. However, I always find myself thinking of something I laughed about a long time ago. You know, one of those hilarious moments that crack you up every time you think about it? That’s what I do.

5 Things To Do Before You Go To Bed

5. Find a “Cool” spot on your pillow.

My pillow needs to be excellent for me to lay on it. So I toss it around several times just to get that “perfect ” spot. Once I do, my head feels like it’s on a cloud.

Here’s an in-depth article I found online from experts because, you know, I’m just a twenty-something-year-old woman navigating through life. What are the five things you do before you go to bed?

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I Took a Social Media Detox, Here’s What I Learned

There’s a lot we can gain by being on social media. However, there are a lot of social media detox benefits.

Recently, I took a few days away from social media. What exactly does this mean? Well, I didn’t open the apps of Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, which are my usual go-to instant social platforms. Instead, I used the time I would spend on each app working on my brand, resting, and finding out what needs to go in my life.

Why did I take a social media detox?

If you have an iPhone, there’s a recent feature added that gives you a phone usage report. I noticed a massive increase in my time on my device, and the leading apps I spent my time on was social media platforms. Honestly, the percentage of time spent on each app was embarrassing. Yes, since my career is in media, I spend a lot of time on social media looking for news stories, engaging in content discussion, etc. And, I could’ve used this as an excuse for the amount of time spent. But, being honest with yourself is a part of growing. So, I knew I had a real issue.

Since I intend on improving my life this year, I was aware that this detox was imperative, and I was ready to make a change.

social media detox
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Here’s what I learned during my social media detox

I regained the urge to go out and have fun.

In just those few days, I felt the urge to go out into the real world and enjoy the beautiful streets of my city. Social media took up a lot of my time, which eventually made me lazy. I didn’t want to go anywhere after finishing my homework or articles, but somehow I found the strength to tweet an unhealthy amount of times.

I love baking as a hobby.

My sister and I went to the grocery store with my new spare time and purchased every ingredient we needed for making cookies from scratch. We even ordered custom aprons with our names on them. It was a breath of fresh air and an excellent way to bond with my sister. We’re planning to bake often!

I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes.

As a graduate student and journalist, the most accessible food option is fast food or something quickly put in the microwave. But, since I had some time to spare, I found myself on tasty searching up dinner recipes and cooking with my family.

This social media detox was well needed, and I plan on taking one often to enjoy real life more. What are your thoughts on social media detoxes?

Hey, you made it this far. Check out 5 Things To Do Instead of Being on Your Device

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Here’s How I Plan to Improve My life in 2022

It’s the second month of the new year, and I still want nothing more than to improve my life in 2022.

Before the year started, I promised myself that 2022 was going to be MY year. Yes, everyone says this. Yes, I said the same thing about 2021. But, you know that feeling of elevation? I’ve been experiencing this since the year started. It might be my determination to make this year better than the last, or I could be in the process of elevating.

Whatever’s the case, it has me even more pumped to see what I can accomplish. Since I’m excited about the future, I’ve decided to share three ways I plan to improve my life in 2022. I hope this can help my readers or people just visiting prepare themselves to spread their wings and soar.

My 3 Way Journey to Improvement

Ways to improve your life in 2022
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No more sleepless, burnout nights

Nothing prevented me from accomplishing my goals more than sleepless, burnout nights. We’ve all watched success stories of individuals who do nothing but work, work, and work. They preach about how they’ve gone days without sleep to perfect a launch or create content. To improve my life, I choose not to glamourize the ‘all work, no play’ mindset. I’m human, and I need sleep–of course. But, I also need time to relax and have fun. I don’t want to overwork myself and not enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Write/Plan… Organization Matters

This is a very imperative way to improve your life. In 2021, I did not write and plan out my content, organize homework assignments or digital content. This is a significant reason I did not accomplish a lot of my goals last year. Since I started mapping things out–from articles to content– I’ve seen an increase in my consistency. When I write something down, it’s easier for me to complete it and check off my list when I can see it… crazy. Sidenote: I’m currently writing this post at 11 pm. 2021 Lashaunta would’ve never done this!

Morning Affirmations? Yes, please.

Okay, I started getting into affirmations in 2021, but I’ve been deep into it this year. If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you’ll know that I’d talk negatively about myself when I was younger. And, of course, this is far from a confidence booster. However, now that I’m in my 20’s, I want to love myself more than anyone. Because if I love myself, I can love others properly. Writing and saying morning affirmations set the tone for the day. I always feel like I’m important in this world because I am– and you are too.

How are you improving your life in 2022? We have so much time to get things started.

Hey, you made it this far! Check out. So, you failed? Here’s How To Recharge

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So, you failed? Here’s How To Recharge

So, you failed. But, guess what? There’s only one way to go once you hit the bottom, and that’s to the top!

We need to get into the habit of turning failure into knowledge. We can not win every game, but we’re winning in life if we try and learn from our mistakes. This is easier said than done, and of course, you’re going to feel some way if you take a loss. However, it’s the way you react to the loss that dictates whether you’re going to bounce back or let it control you. If you consistently blame others for not winning, you have a long route ahead of you.

So, you failed?
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Take accountability for your failure.

When you take a loss, always take accountability. This is your life, and you’re the main character. Everyone else has supporting roles or are extras. You’re the only person with the power to allow yourself to take chances. When you take a chance, you’re making yourself vulnerable to losing. Do not lash out and make a social media post whenever that happens.

Don’t blame your family and friends for not helping you, even if it’s true. Just take accountability, turn it into a lesson and prepare for your win with the knowledge you just gained. Sometimes we don’t give things our all. Life can be wild, and we tend to handle a plethora of things at once with no structure. Sometimes we do everything we can, and we still lose. This is the universe telling you that it’s not your time, or this is not the route for you. Again, take accountability and turn it into a lesson. Most importantly, cut yourself some slack.

Always make your past self jealous.

You allowed yourself to take a chance, and you deserve to be proud of that no matter the outcome. Your determination to succeed proves that you’ve grown and are a better person than your past self. You lost, so what! At least you put effort into improving and took on the challenge. Compare your mindset now to how it was five years ago. Your past self wishes they had the confidence you have now.

So, you failed? Okay. Victory feels so much better when you’ve bounced back from failure.

To learn more about Lashaunta Shanese, visit her website.

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3 Breathing Techniques To Help With Stress and Anxiety

Sometimes, life can be overpowering, and we do not always have the answers to keep us calm. We face challenges that cause us to overthink to a point where we can barely breathe. These challenges can be big or small, yet the effects of both can take a toll on our health the same way. If you’ve ever had an intense worry about everyday situations, you’ve had anxiety. Anxiety can be triggered by work stress, relationship problems, the loss of a loved one, a traumatic event, and more. There are four different levels of anxiety: mild, moderate, severe, and panic. Each group can dominate your mind and body if you can’t keep it under control. Here are three breathing techniques to help with stress and anxiety.

3 Breathing Techniques To Help With Stress and Anxiety

3 Breathing Techniques To Help With Stress and Anxiety

The One Minute Breath Concentration

This is a simple breathing exercise that you can perform several times per day to keep your nerves under control. It consists of concentrating precisely on breathing with no other movement. Sit motionless, clear your mind, and try to ease your body for one minute. As you close your eyes, take deep breaths in and out. This usually works best for mild anxiety.

4-7-8 Breathing

This is a mindful pattern of breathing that lowers stress levels and helps with relaxation. Sit up straight as you inhale, counting to four, hold your breath to the count of seven, and exhale at the count of 8. This should be repeated four times. There’s a common side effect of lightheadedness, so make sure to only practice when needed.

2 to 1 Breathing

This is a yogic breathing technique that serves to calm your nervous system. Sit in a comfortable position, inhale at the count of 4 through your nose, exhale at the count of 8. Your body and mind should feel energized. This exercise is excellent for severe and panic levels of anxiety.

It’s easier to say, “don’t allow stress and anxiety to control your life” than to take action. The road to controlling them might be a little challenging, but you got this. Use these three breathing techniques to help with stress and anxiety.

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These 4 Things Can Prevent Your Growth

As the new year approaches, the last thing we need is growth prevention. So let’s get into how these 4 things can prevent your growth.

Growth can be stimulating— especially when you’re having a hard time figuring out what’s taking the process so long. For one, we can’t rush it. Growth is something that transpires when you permit yourself to change. It’s when your mind becomes more assorted and willing to step out of your comfort zone. Honestly, the process is dissimilar for everyone. For some of us, we can easily adapt to this new form of thinking which allows growth to overtake our lives. And for others, it’s not a walk in the park.

Either way, there are 4 things that can prevent your growth— whether you can easily adapt to changes or not. Let’s Talk!

These 4 Things Can Prevent Your Growth

These 4 things Can Prevent Your growth
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Low Self-Esteem

If you’ve never experienced low self-esteem, you’re an icon—seriously. It’s when someone lacks confidence about themselves and what they can achieve. They often think of themselves as failures before they even begin. Low self-esteem is one of the main problems that prevents growth— because in their mind, they already loss.

Environment

Yes, your environment can prevent growth. Sometimes we get too attached to the areas we grew up around and become scared of the thought of leaving. It is possible to grow in the same environment, but not much. We need to experience new surroundings and people from different cultures. We need to experience the world. It’s much bigger than the neighborhood or city you’re used to.

Overly Procrastination

It’s no secret that everyone procrastinates. Even the most successful people talk about how there are times when they ‘put off’ doing something until the last minute. However, overly procrastination can prevent growth. What is overly procrastination? It’s when your motivation is erased by consistently waiting until the last minute to do something. You eventually choose to not finish the project— for example— at all. And we all know, if you don’t finish what you start, you’ll still be in the same position.

Negative Nancy’s (Naysayers)

The people you choose to be around can affect your growth. If you surround yourself with unsupportive people, that energy affects you mentally. You start to second guess yourself and your talent, which can create low self-esteem. If people are always negative around you, distance yourself. Nothing positive comes from that negative energy.

You know you have what it takes to take the world by storm. Grow and allow yourself to stay away from those 4 things. You got this.

If you like this post, you’ll love 6 Affirmations To Start Off Your Day

To learn more about Lashaunta Shanese visit my website.

Read my latest article for Sheen Magazine.

Protect Your Energy: Life 101

Let’s learn ways to protect your energy in this crazy world.

One of my favorite topics to write about is protecting your energy. I’ve witnessed some crazy things in my life, and so far, I can comprehend how imperative it is to put a protective barrier around your energy.

Let’s be honest.

As much as we wish the world were a better place, we have to admit that people often push out negative agendas. They always find something hateful to share or say, and they never see anything wrong with their actions. These are the type of individuals that we should plan on staying far away.

These people find joy in seeing others sad and hurt, so the best way to deal with it is to keep your distance.

But, what if we have to be around these people? Let’s get started! That’s when you use these three different ways to protect your energy.

3 Ways To Protect Your Energy

Protect your Energy
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Try to avoid conflict

I know, I know. Sometimes conflict comes around and we have to defend ourselves. However, please try to avoid it as much as possible. It’s one of the quickest ways to take in bad energy. As I said, there are people who will purposely target you and try to bring you down. Most of the time walking away or agreeing to disagree works. Don’t let them win!

photo of a sign and eyeglasses on table
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Choose positivity, always

Of course, this is better said than done. We all have bad days even when we try to think positive. It’s a part of life. However, as long as you’re choosing to think positive thoughts, you’re fighting against the negative energy in this world. Also, just because you have a bad day doesn’t mean you’re a negative person. Don’t worry, we all have those moments, even the most positive people in the world do.

woman doing cobra pose
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Clear your mind with meditation

When I feel overwhelmed by negative energy, I take a moment to breathe. I usually use the mone minute breathe concentration on my apple watch to help calm my nerves. This is a part of meditation, and there are many other ways you can clear your mind and body of toxic thoughts. Although I still have a lot to learn about meditation, this method works for me.

Now go out there and protect your peace!

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The Key To Having a Productive Day

It’s time we discussed the key to having a productive day.

Every day we wake up with the intention of having a better day than before. Because no one wants their days to be worse, that’s insane.

Of course, in the life we live, there are times where events will happen out of the blue that alters your day. However, it shouldn’t stop you from at least trying to map out what you’d like your day to be like.

As a grad student who’s also a journalist/creative marketer/digital content producer (I wear a lot of hats, I know), I need to create a plan for my days, or else I’d drive myself crazy.

In my opinion, the key to having a productive day starts with realistic planning and allowing yourself time to relax.

Let’s get to it.

The Key To a Productive Day

The Key To Having a Productive Day
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Realistic Planning

Let me start by saying planning helps a lot with trying to stay organized. If I didn’t plan what days to do my homework and the number of hours I’d spend on each class, I’d be stressed out. However, sometimes we plan things outrageously.

What do I mean by that?

You should plan realistically, meaning map out things you know you’d for sure have time to do. For example, today is my content day for this week.

I planned to write this blog post and create social media content. For me, this is realistic because I know for sure I could get it done without feeling tired. Outrageous planning would be me planning to write 10 blog posts, 5 social media content, and a youtube production.

Don’t get me wrong, there are people who can plan all of those things and get it done, but for me and all that I have to do, it’s not realistic. Planning this would’ve resulted in me thinking my day was unproductive because I couldn’t get it all done.

woman sleeping
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Allowing Yourself Time To Relax

In order to have the energy to be productive, you have to allow yourself to relax. Yes, you read that correctly. If you go the entire day just working, more than likely you won’t finish all of the tasks you’ve planned. Give yourself a coffee/tea break in between projects, read a book or do something relaxing. I usually read a chapter of my favorite book or have a tea break.

What’s your key to a productive day?

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