Things I've done recently to make life a little better

So I had a teeny bit of a breakdown recently. Part reverse culture shock, part general uni stress and part not taking care of myself I guess, but I was so down and in a little bit of a bad place. Luckily, I'm doing better now (apart from a looming essay crisis), and I thought I'd share with you guys a few ways I've been making things a little bit better for myself :) I wrote about in my Basic Self Care post a while back, and I thought it was time to take my own advice.

Things I've done to make life a little better

Having breakfast each morning// Especially porridge. I know it's a bit basic, but just having breakfast in the morning

Having a cleaning routine// Washing my sheets, giving my room a dust and a whip round with the hoover on the regular makes me feel like a functioning human.

Going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day// Getting a bedtime and morning routine established makes everything easier. I'm still not totally there yet- I tend to roll around on instagram

Drink more water// Helps your skin, your mood, helps you feel more awake... water is great. You guys knew that already

Make time for your friends// Even if it's scary. I am trying to say "yes" to things more- I used to reflexively say no because I was scared, and then I'd miss out on what would probably have been a fun time.

Cook more// Cooking is fun! When you take the time to cook properly, you'll save money and encourage yourself to look after yourself a little more. I made an apple crumble the other day and I shared it with the flat which was really fun.

Cut down on caffeine// Now I could never go cold turkey, but limiting tea and coffee to only a few cups a day is great, guys. Caffeine can actually make you feel more jittery and anxious, and caffeine addiction is also super real. At the moment I'm trying to only have a few cups a day, and stop drinking caffeine at all after 5 or 6pm.  Fruit teas and decaffeinated coffee have been slight game changers.

Paint your nails// This makes me feel so 'together'

Buying plants// I am still absolutely plant obsessed. My basil plant makes the room smell amazing, my little succulents seem to be doing all right, and having plant friends is just great ok?

Sort out your uni work/ any papers lying around// This is a tad boring, but filing my papers away instead of leaving them just lying around is just prettier, you know?

Do things you love! Like blogging :) I'm relieved to say that I'm back with some new blogging plans. I'm not quite up to daily posting yet, but I have a few really good posts lined up :) I still have a little bit of Japan content left too.

And some things I still need to work on:

Cut down on screen time// I think everyone is a little guilty of this, but I spend way too long on my phone. Too much screen time has been linked with depression, and I definitely don't want any of that!

Be intentional with the media you consume// I want to watch more stuff in Japanese (which I am doing~) but I also want to avoid randomly clicking around on Youtube. I go to Youtube when I want to be entertained, inspired or to learn something. So,I unsubscribed from some of the more negative accounts I used to follow (bitchiness will only get you down really) and some of the ones that weren't *that* fun and made me feel like I had wasted my time. Sounds brutal, but even though I didn't unfollow many channels, I feel better for it.

Listen to podcasts// I'm so late on the podcast train, I know, but better late than never right? If anyone has some recommendations, please let me know!

Be more intentional when shopping// I'm halfway there, but I need to save money more! I am going to re-start saving my 50p coins, and just generally try and avoid town a bit more...

Learn Korean// I've started learning Hangeul, so now I need to get myself a proper textbook with a CD- I don't want to learn it wrong!

Get some more exercise// yeah.....

Get some more motivation for Japanese// I'm ok with everyday conversation, but I want to be able to use Keigo without dying of nerves, and I want to be able to write all the general use Kanji soon(ish). I've been working hard for my history modules, but I've been somewhat coasting in Japanese recently. I mean I'm glad I'm doing ok, but ever since I got N2 I've been lacking motivation, and I need to get some back sharpish...

Anyway, I hope you guys are doing well! December and Christmas are great, but they can get a bit hectic, can't they. If you have any self care tips, or podcast recommendations, let me know <3
-Amy xoxo

20 ways to look after yourself: Basic self care// Kare Sansui and Maple Leaves at Tofukuji, Kyoto// New in Beauty// What to do in Kamakura