the only way to escape the past is to be fully present. one of the best ways to be present is to try new things — pick up a new skill or hobby, travel somewhere new, try a new food, make a new friend, try a new sport, learn a new instrument, cook something new. it’s nice to reminisce and feel nostalgic, but life isn’t lived in the past. its lived in the present and ultimately you have the power to change and redirect your thoughts and actions.
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i used to (and still do) freak out so bad thinking about the future and whatnot, but i have found that if i make myself focus on the present moment, i am almost instantly calmed. AND, this forces you to savor the time you are currently in so you’ll hopefully remember it better. i try and notice little details in the moment because that’s what will bring me back to the memory easiest later on. i think you just kinda have to remember that there’s only so much you can actually control with the passage of time (that being how you choose to experience the present moment), and what you can’t control will eventually work itself out if you let it.
Oct 3, 2024
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with so many unknowns in this & every stage of life (at 30 years old it still hasn’t stopped), the best thing that has helped me is to try to live one day at a time. rather than focusing on some big, distant, ambitious goal, i bring myself back to the present so i don’t miss my actual life. give yourself things to look forward to & focus on connecting with people. remind yourself of what brings you joy or improves your mood somehow & do more of that each day. think of it as a gift to future you to make their day better. make a list you can refer to on grey days if that helps. tackle it with others if you feel stuck or overwhelmed. remember you’re allowed to try things out & make adjustments & mistakes. it’ll be cool to look back & see how everything played out.
Jun 11, 2024
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Went through a period like this recently, it helps to think of it as an opportunity to learn about yourself and discover new things that you enjoy.
I think part of this is recognition that maybe you’ve grown and you no longer get the same enjoyment out of things that you used to really like. That’s ok!
take some time to try new activities or hobbies. Pick up new ones and drop old ones as much as needed. As you try new things, try and reflect on what you like about them or whether it’s giving you what you hope to get out of it. As you’re trying these new things, go back to the old and see if it sparks joy like it once did.
Try to approach it from the perspective of learning more about yourself rather than trying to fit yourself into a mold that you may have outgrown.
Jan 23, 2025
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i don't think anyone ever intends to become a recreational ornithologist. but i've noticed that it definitely creeps up on you slowly in your mid-twenties. it starts with noticing how funny pigeons are, then learning pigeon lore, and suddenly you're feeding your neighbourhood birds every morning and buying books on birds. as a child i idolised the pigeon lady in home alone 2, and i woke up this morning and realised — i AM the pigeon lady 🐦
Mar 6, 2025
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reading is a habit of building and developing your empathy and critical thinking skills. you’re forced to sit with an idea for however long you are reading it and forced to contextualise it and comprehend it within your own life and perspective. You can’t just scroll away or pause or put it on 2x speed. you have to sit with it. it’s super underrated, but genuinely I’ve made this a habit for the last year and feel like a totally different person. also you come out of it having learned something new or seeing the world in a slightly new way. I literally do not see any downsides to reading. make reading cool again! also you don’t have to do it in one big block, you can space it out — 15 mins here, 45 there — whatever works for you!
Dec 9, 2024
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our cultural obsession with being perceived as cool is a disease. its peak capitalistic/consumerist propaganda. fuck being cool. like what you like and who cares if it's cool or not. it's tiresome and we need to leave it in 2024. literally nothing gives me the ick more than people who betray themselves in an attempt to be perceived as cool by the masses. be yourself — even if it means you're 'uncool'.
Jan 3, 2025