Having to keep up with what’s hot or not in the music, beauty, and fashion scene in this day and age can be stressful. Instead of focusing on our personal development, it can be easy to be suffocated with fads that come in and out of season. However, did you know there’s one thing that doesn’t go out of season? Good lifestyle habits that will inevitably get you performing, looking, and living your best! Check out this month’s guide to greatness.
Drop
Bad Energy
Is there a friend, colleague, or situation that generally gives you bad vibes? Do you feel like you’re sometimes around people that take you for granted and/or abuse your time? Time to get rid of them sis! It can be hard to let go of what you know and are used to, but you are worth and deserve so much more than these bad vibes. This month make a conscious effort to avoid people or situations that don’t make you feel so good and use that time to build on a skill or create some art. Whatever it is you choose, bad energy needs to stay far far away!
Cis White Only Feminism
Off the back of the Caster Semenya controversy, I think it’s important that we realize there are some damaging ideas that are being reinforced as ‘feminism’, evident in the reaction of some white female athletes. I do not think it is a quality of ‘feminism’ to exclude a woman based on her natural biological makeup, or restrict her ability in order to protect the ego of others. As women, our ‘feminism’ should be intersectional and representative of the issues faced by all women, not just one’s society considers to be superior. Women come in all forms, shapes, races, and abilities, and our ‘feminism’ should reflect this.
Clout
*Alexa play Clout – Offset* Down to the way people act, the music they listen to and what clothes they wear (especially when they try so hard to be different but end up looking and acting the same) it becomes difficult to seek out the genuine on the creative scene. I am done making decisions based on what I think is ‘very cool’ or ‘dope’ simply because I feel like I should be wearing it. I admire those who know how to put a fit together by incorporating different elements of themselves, but it’s not by force to spend £200 on some exclusive drop that you’re probably only going to wear once, just for the sake of clout. There can be an unnecessary pressure to conform to how these creatives like to dress but know that you and your style choices are okay! Admire and purchase consciously without the thought of what people are going to think about it and simply slay.
Adopt
Camp
This year’s MET theme was ‘Camp’. Think flamboyant, vivacious, extra AF. The theme bought out some very eye-catching looks that were all about being your loudest and proudest self with some added flair. I think we can all incorporate a little Camp into our lives. Dare to be different this month, to go against the grain, and challenge yourself into exploring new depths of your personal styles and tastes. I’m thinking to incorporate some of the loud colors of the red-carpet in my daily make-up routine. What can you do?
Wake Up An Hour Earlier
When we constantly complain about not getting enough sleep or always tell ourselves that we are tired, our body will tend to listen, thus making us feel as though we need extra sleep. If we change the narrative and approach waking up differently, our morning’s will change dramatically. I swear! In the extra hour you have gifted yourself why not try meditating, yoga, journaling, exercising, or getting to read a chapter of the book you (still) haven’t finished. It may seem small but my motto is small steps usually lead to big leaps! Go for it and challenge yourself to do it for one week.
Be Kind To You
Daily affirmations are something I would incorporate into your everyday routine starting today. Being kind to yourself is a revolutionary art that I think we can take for granted. I like to meditate and reaffirm my intentions for that day, week, or project I’m working on as a way to keep focused, but also to continue pushing myself to greatness. I didn’t realize how many negative thoughts I had about myself until I actively started using daily affirmations. Since making the change so many great things have been attracted into my life and I can only boil it down to being kinder and more forgiving of my perceived ‘faults’. I have selected a few of my favorite affirmations that you can start using if you have a hard time coming up with your own. Again, try this out for just a week and see how much of a difference it can make!
- I am a beautiful expression of health and wellness.
- My skills and abilities are not comparable. I am in a different league.
- Concentration and focus come easy to me.
- Everything I need to succeed is already within me.
by Elisheba Akalawu
