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The Life You Deserve

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?

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

You should follow Lashaunta Shanese on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram.

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

You should follow Lashaunta Shanese on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram

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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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5 Things To Do Instead of Being on Your Device

In 2022, we’re focusing on the real world. Here are 5 things to do instead of being on your device.

As humanity evolves, we’ve developed an attachment to our cellular devices now more than before. It provides access to jobs, connects us with family and strangers worldwide, and even stores valuable information. The connection with our devices is so strong that it has become a morning ritual to check it as soon as you wake up. With newly addictive devices comes detachment from the real world. Think about it. How many hours do you spend on your electronics per day? Now, how many times have you gone for a walk? Friends, it’s time to put the phone down. Here are five things to do instead.

5 Things To Do Instead of Being on Your Device

5 Things To Do Instead of Being On Your Device
Photo by Tracy Le Blanc on Pexels.com

Read a book

So many phenomenal new books are waiting for you to indulge in its characters. From fantasy to urban fiction, don’t miss the chance to visit your local bookstore and start your bookworm journey. To stay away from the urge of using your phone, stick to hard copies.

At-Home date night with friends

What’s better than a night full of great vibes in the comfort of your own home? Invite some of your closet friends over, reminisce, and enjoy a night full of laughter. Create some ‘boss friends’ goals together and talk about how you all can better support each other.

Take a walk

Life isn’t a walk in the park, but that shouldn’t stop you from taking a walk often. Walking is known to help clear your mind and release negative energy. If you don’t want to take one alone, ask a friend.

Game night with your family

Thanksgiving and Christmas don’t have to be the only time families come together. Have a game night with your loved ones instead of texting or calling them. Talk about those embarrassing times when you were younger. Play spades or claim someone is cheating during a fun game of Uno.

Buy a journal and write your heart out.

Feel like writing a social media post about how you feel? Buy a journal instead. Sometimes we give too much insight into our personal lives to strangers who find amusement in our pain. Use that journal to get your feelings out and keep adverse people out of your business.

If you like this post, you’ll love What To Do In The First Days Of 2022

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What To Do In The First Days Of 2022

Happy New Year, everyone! It’s day 1 of 365, and we’ve already accomplished one of the biggest goals— we lived to see another year! Everyone expects the New Year to be completely different than the last. We want our lives to change for the better, but sometimes we don’t know how to get to that point. We start to stress ourselves out the first few days of the year. Let’s not do that— here’s what to do in the first days of 2022.

What to do in the first days of 2022

Don’t stress about New Year’s resolutions.

I get it. Every time the New Year comes around, we force ourselves to create one goal that we want to achieve in the year. Yes, New Year’s resolutions were made to challenge yourself, but they can be done in a fun, non-stressful way. It also doesn’t have to be something extremely challenging. Don’t create a goal that you genuinely don’t want to achieve. That’s how you end up putting yourself down. Also, New Year’s resolutions do not have to be completed within the first two or six months of the new year. Please don’t put a time limit on it. You have the entire year to meet this goal. It’s also not a crime to not have a resolution at all.

What To Do In The First Days Of 2022

Relax your body and mind.


This is something I had to learn. You do not need to go into the New Year pushing yourself. Use this time to relax or write in your planner/journal in the first few days. Give yourself time to breathe before you go hard; you don’t want to burn yourself out before the year even settles in.

New Year, New Growth

Leave the past in the past.


Try not to think about negativity from the past year. Think of this year as a fresh start and allow yourself to bring in good energy. For you to grow this year, you must not let the past hold you back.

Speak highly of yourself and make it a habit.


In the first days of the new year, get used to speaking positivity into your life. This year is yours, and you’re going to achieve everything you have planned. Speak that into existence so you can get used to doing it every day of the year.

I’m excited for the New Year, and I know you all will achieve so many goals. Please don’t be hard on yourself. Move at your own pace, and everything will run smoothly. What to do in the first days of 2022? Relax and prepare for greatness! Happy New Year, everyone.

If you like this post, you’ll love 6 Affirmations To Start Off Your Day
To learn more about Lashaunta Shanese, visit her website
Please read my latest article for Sheen Magazine

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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The Lonely Hour: Reasons Why You Need To Be Alone For A Few Hours Everyday.

Being lonely a few hours out of the day doesn’t sound too bad. To be honest, after dealing with the many different actions of humans for majority of the day, it sounds like a breathe of fresh air.

The word lonely has a bad reputation. Society made it the face of depression and basically if you’re ever lonely, you should hurry up and find someone to talk to.

However, this might sound crazy, but we need to be lonely for a few hours a day.

Perhaps I should say “alone” since many people can create the argument between the difference of the two.

Any who, here’s a few reasons why we need that alone time.

• We need time to ourselves.

• It allows us to sit and relax, maybe even use our Apple watches to “breathe”.

• It’s one of the few times out of the day that’s not stressful.

• If you don’t feel like talking, you don’t have to.

• It helps with becoming more in touch with yourself. You can notice more of who you are when you’re not distracted by life. Even if it’s for a few hours. We learn something new everyday.

• YOU CAN BE YOURSELF. You can eat how you want. Nothing has to be perfect when you’re alone. (Although you should always be yourself)

• You’re getting away from life, for a bit.

These reasons are more than enough to convince people why they should take time for themselves EVERY DAY. We deal with so much in life, it’s overwhelming.

Those small moments/ hours of calm can motivate you to keep going. Your mind & body needs rest every day.