---

Welcome back, all you lovely nocturnals and diurnals ♥

Listen, I get it, our phones are portals to the magical realm that is the internet and, with it, adorable kitten videos, aesthetic youtube vlogs, and those buzzfeed quizzes that tell us what kind of dog we are, BUT… you need to stop staring at your phone all day.

“But, what ever shall I do without my phone?!”, you yell.

Do not fret – I have compiled a little list of things you can do instead, and you can also incorporate these self-care practices to your daily routine to help boost your mood and boost your productivity.

Without further ado, here is my compiled list:

1. Start a Bullet Journal

Now, I know I only began my bujo journey fairly recently, but, I have to say, it’s helped me a lot.

Not only am I spending less time on my phone, but I am being productive and organized at the same time.

Keeping a bullet journal is great for keeping track of life and not missing a thing. By writing everything down and checking/updating your journal every day, you will create a positive habit that will, undoubtedly, increase your productivity and creativity.

Personally, ever since I began my bullet journal, I haven’t been able to stop. I get excited to make next week’s spread, mark down my habits, check off my monthly goals as I achieve them, and more.

There is a sense of accomplishment that comes with just keeping a bullet journal, and I feel like it’s good to give it a try!

2. Revive a Lost Hobby

You know what I’m talking about – that hobby you had a couple years ago that you no longer do or only do once every blue moon. A hobby that used to bring you joy, but you no longer practice. Whether that be painting, writing, singing, dancing, gardening, etc.

Reviving a lost hobby also revives a part of us that has been dormant along with it. For me, it was writing – hence the existence of this blog. This is what I love doing, what I know I was born to do, and what I hope to keep doing forever. I suppose, for me, writing is more than a hobby… it is – at the risk of sounding super cheesy – a part of me.

So, revive that lost hobby that you used to feel passionate about doing. You won’t even want to get back to your phone as often.

3. Cook/Bake Something New

I also enjoy doing this from time to time. In fact, this very week, I cooked something new for dinner, and I made a new kind of chip dip [which turned out delicious if I do say so myself]. Both of these creations were done without a recipe in sight. I just love to experiment in the kitchen and, whatever comes out of it, does.

_{Thankfully, everything I’ve made so far hasn’t tasted anything less than edible.}

However, _{if you aren’t the type to just pour ingredients into a pot and pray to the kitchen gods}, then following a recipe is great, too! There was a recipe I followed for raspberry sorbet and it was the most delicious dessert I’ve ever made.

Just goes to show that recipes exist for a reason and maybe, just maybe, I should follow them more _lol.

4. Practice Yoga

I’m just going to go ahead and say it – I didn’t really believe much in yoga. I used to think that people who practiced yoga were just trying to regulate their breathing [which, it does have to do with it], but it’s much more than that.

Yoga eases the body, mind and spirit. It aids against insomnia, improves your emotional wellbeing, refreshes and “wakes” up the brain, and so much more.

My first attempt at yoga was last year – a yoga session with Adrienne from youtube.

I still remember the feeling after finishing her Day 1: Ease into it yoga video. I felt renewed, refreshed, and ready to tackle the day. I even slept better that night. The more I continued doing yoga, the better I felt – physically and emotionally. I whole-heartedly recommend her videos for anyone who’s looking for these kinds of results.

No matter who you choose to be your yoga instructor, I feel like it is such an important practice to include into your every day routine!

5. Prepare and Send a Letter

I know – who sends letters anymore? Well, I still do. Albeit, it’s not as frequent as I’d like but I’m getting back on the “mail” train and preparing more letters to send as we speak.

Sending letters possesses its own magical charm that sending a text or email will never have. Just the thought of receiving a letter that someone took their time to hand-write, artfully package, and send, is nice.

You can even take it up a notch by drawing, painting, and crafting a work of art into each letter – like these ones from Pinterest.

Not only are they nice to receive, but to send as well! I find it therapeutic to sit down and carefully think of a layout, style, colors, and other aspects you would want to incorporate, and then actually doing it.

I’ve spent a good chunk of time just making one single letter, but it is so satisfying when you complete it and it’s so exciting once you send it, only to await anxiously for the recipient to get it.

---

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and, as always, thank you for reading! Why not drop by and say hi in the comments? One of the things I enjoy most about writing in my blog is interacting with my readers ♥

_{~Nocturnal Blogger♥}