You can do a lot with your phone. In this fast-paced world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of always staying connected. Making content, connecting with friends, reading the news, aimlessly scrolling through twitter, finding romanse, etc. There’s so much you can do that it can sometimes be super overwhelming. However, there are some apps that provide resources to make your life better. Whether you need gentle check-ins or a quiet escape, here are 3 self-care apps that can help you with your self-care routine.
1. Aloe Bud
Aloe Bud is a great self-care app that uses gentle reminders to keep you on track. The best part is that you only have to use it as much as you want. Aloe is completely free. Though if you want, you can pay for different packages to make more personal customizations, but that is not necessary for you to have the full experience. Whether you need a gentle reminder to take your medicine or a reminder to tell you to take a minute to breathe, you can be sure that Aloe bud is the pocket companion that has your back.
2. #Selfcare
#Selfcare by TruLuv is a very unconventional self-care app, but I really love using it to take a break. This app is basically a low-pressure escape room. The premise is that you’re laying a bed and recharging with various activities. That’s it. You can play low-risk games, draw tarot cards, create your own altar, do breathing exercises, and even pet your cat. In addition, it’s just beautifully designed from the graphics to the atmospheric music; it’s an excellent way to quiet your brain in this fast-paced world.
3. Happy Not Perfect
Happy Not Perfect is like having a life coach in your pocket. This app basically gives you meditation exercises to complete every day. While many users enjoy paying for a subscription, the bare basics of the free Happy Not Perfect app are excellent. This app takes you through a daily mindfulness reminder, and even a daily ritual to start out the day right. In addition, there are a lot of free courses in mindfulness. Right now I’m working with the self-love meditation and the morning mindfulness meditation. Happiness starts from within at Happy Not Perfect, and they want to give you the tools to help make that happen.
Thanks for reading!
It’s a hard world out there, don’t forget to take care of yourself. I hope some of these recommendations work well for you. Leave us a comment if there’s one that you think we should check out! 💖
It’s Halloween, and if you already tackled your spooky plans this weekend, chances are you’re staying in and giving out candy, but your mood might be a little weird and for good reason. According to Sara Coughlin in Refinery 29,
“The moon will be in Pisces […] which will make us a little more prone to daydreams and flights of fancy. In the true spirit of Halloween, you might even wish to become someone else entirely.”
That being said, you’re probably feeling pretty magical, right now whether you’re going out in costumes tonight or not. With that in mind, I thought it would be a great idea to have tea tonight, which made me think of witches. So, I looked up some of the best witchy tea recipes I could find. Here are 3 of the best ones.
Caveat:If you have concerns or allergies, please talk to your doctor about these teas. I am NOT giving health advice. I tried my best to pick recipes with ingredients I recognize so I could in good faith recommend them. But, that being said, I am not an expert. I really just spent some time on google this afternoon for a Halloween themed post.
1. For Safe and Sweet Dreams
Here is a recipe via Sanctuary to help water types, in particular, have a good Halloween night. They also have great recommendations for rituals for other signs to do as well, but personally, this recipe sounds amazing:
Peppermint for protection
Lavender for peace
Mugwort for safe dreaming
Honey to sweeten your dreams
Mugwort is bitter; sweeten the tea with honey. Combine these herbs – if fresh, a handful of each. If dried, one tablespoon. Bring water to the bill and pour over the herbs, steeping for thirteen minutes. Strain into a cup and add a spoonful of honey. Stir counterclockwise and speak into the cup a sincere prayer for protection, asking that as you sleep this night you be kept safe from all harm. You may drink at your altar, in your bedroom, or in a safe and comfortable place. Focus on the herbs in the tea and thank them with all your heart for giving you their help and protection. Feel the gratitude and warmth in your heart.
“One of the most exciting parts of magic is experimenting with different magical elements and combining them into one strong and specific spell. A great entry-level way to practice this skill is by making spell tea! If you know the magical qualities of different elements, you can easily create your own unique tea blend that can be charged for very specific magical desires.”
According to her guide, you can use whatever tea you like as your base: green, black, rooibos, or anything you have, and then, add these accompanying ingredients to help focus it more on your sign or specific needs:
Lavender – Mercury (Virgo), Lavender is great for spell work related to finding peace of mind, cleansing, healing, dream fulfillment, and revealing the truth. Also, for what it’s worth, lavender has a strong traditional association to love magic.
Peppermint – Mercury (Gemini) This element provides clarity to possibilities that you’re exploring. It can help you find the answers to burning questions, like: which queer city should I move to? Which hobby fills me with the most wonder and curiosity? Adding peppermint to your spell tea may help you find the insight to organize the options in your life.
Cinnamon – Uranus (Aquarius) Sometimes you need the strength to revolutionize your life and discard old habits that aren’t needed anymore for your growth. In these moments, use cinnamon in spells for passion, independence, brilliance, creative projects, community building, or bringing issues to a quick resolution. Also, Uranus is associated with queerness, so throwing a dash of cinnamon in a queer relationship spell certainly couldn’t hurt.
Licorice Root – Venus (Libra) This element is associated with Venus, the planet that rules connections that we make with others – friendships, partners, family members, co-workers, even pets. Licorice root can be used to attract any sort of good, healthy, mutually beneficial kind of relationship into your life. It can also be used for mediating arguments or finding harmony in any existing relationships.
Forget-Me-Not – Neptune (Pisces) You can use this flower for any spells connected to fulfilling your dreams, opening your heart, accepting your emotions, finding inspiration in artistic projects, feeling connection to something beautiful, or finding beauty in solitude.
Amaranth – Saturn (Capricorn) In spell work, amaranth provides strength, stability, and protection. It can help you develop stronger self-control, commit to work projects, get the dream job, or help with anything else that builds positive structures to hold your life together.
Rose – Venus (Taurus) Rose can invite simple, beautiful moments of reflection into your life when it feels too chaotic. It can help you make room for simplicity in your life. Roses also can attract someone who has the ability to offer you good sensual, healing sex. It also brings out your strength as a partner, helping you be more affectionate and loving.
Orange Peel – Sun (Leo) Orange peel is great for spell work if you’re feeling lost lately, like you need to connect with an inner spark that allows you to be your best self. It can help you connect to joy and charm, and can also help you gain recognition for your accomplishments.
Ginger – Mars (Aries) The planet Mars rules our ability to defend ourselves, so it’s great to use in spell work for protection. It’s also what makes us feel energized, or feel really turned on, or take risks, or pursue our passions. Any of these focuses can be helped by using Ginger in spell work — especially sex magic!
Yerba Mate – Jupiter (Sagittarius) Yerba Mate is technically a tea base, but it can definitely be used magically! It is caffeinated, but the caffeination feels less jittery than coffee and more energized and focused. Yerba Mate magic can make us feel confident, generous, expansive, and lucky. It’s great to use if you want to connect with optimism and fun in your life — or even adventures involving travel!
Jasmine — Pluto (Scorpio) The planet Pluto deals with some of the scarier things in life, like intense transformation and healing through pain. If you have been profoundly injured, Jasmine could be used in spell work to help turn your wounds into wisdom. If you’re in need of a total self-transformation, this could also support that.
Chamomile – Moon (Cancer) This element helps us feel safe and at home and comfortable with our inner life. Chamomile is great to drink at home to recharge, or to find a queer chosen family, to receive the care that you need, or to learn how to care for yourself.
While you drink your desired combination, she advises thinking about your intentions to make the strength of these ingredients work.
3. Boost Productivi-Tea
As a theatre artist and a writer, boosting productivity and creativity is important to me. That’s why I love this recipe via HoneyCoyote, AND it actually contains ingredients you already have in your kitchen:
Productivi-Tea
a simple tea for aiding in being productive and creative with your work. or help with mental fatigue and to boost your mental capacity on a stressful day when you have tons of work to do.
Materials
3 parts Black Tea
1 part Rosemary
1 part Basil
1 part Peppermint
Place all herbs in a tea ball,
put in your favorite mug, and add boiling water.
Steep this brew for about 10 minutes.
Remove tea ball and sweeten to taste
Have Other Witchy Tea Ideas?
Let us know! While I love witch and astrological culture, I really don’t know a lot about it other than the witch books when I was at my Harry Potter fangirl PEAK (12-year-old Katy was on a roleplaying Quidditch team). We’d love to hear more about it. Let us know your recipes in the comments or shares!
If there are two things we love at Plucky Media HQ, it’s our expansive tea collection and the zodiac. Whether you get your zodiac content from the @poetastrologers, @astrologyheaux, or through zodiac based tumblr memes, there’s nothing better than the intersection of the zodiac and pop culture! Also, NO TEA NO SHADE NO PINK LEMONADE, but the other tea article we read got everybody’s tea COMPLETELY WRONG, so I had to fix that!!!! Anyways, here’s the tea on every zodiac sign bbys.
1. Aries
“I never go outside unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star. If you want to see the girl next door, go next door.”
– Joan Crawford, Aries
Aries is known for being courageous, optimistic, being incredibly passionate (and sometimes aggressive). The Aries mind is always active and ready to tackle anything they put their mind to. Passion Tango Herbal Tea. It’s a sweet, warming, and packs a punch, just like the Aries!
“Success isn’t overnight. It’s when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up.”
– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Taurus
You’re a down to earth person that’s steadfast, secure, a little stubborn, and has that bit of fire. Your tea is going to be Constant Comment by Bigelow Tea. You and Constant Comment are both bright, bold, and sweet (with just a little spice).
If you’re a Gemini, then you are high-energy, witty, and rarely stay still for long. Because of your changeable and flexible nature, you’re the Rooibos Tea. Rooibos or “red tea” isn’t technically a true tea, but an herbal infusion. It’s harvested as a young plant, and because of that, it tastes sweet, grassy, and floral. The innocent and carefree nature of Gemini pairs so nicely with this type of tea.
Oh, Jaden, you sweet baby Cancer. You and your emotions go hand and hand. You seek safety and value the closeness with others, especially family. Because you crave comfort, you are the Royal Myanmar Tea Mix. People in Myanmar typically drink their tea with condensed milk. It’s sweet, indulgent, and the perfect comfort tea for a Cancer sign.
Leos are larger than life and the center of attention. They can command a crowd in seconds. The perfect tea for the Leo is Egyptian Licorice Tea. Egyptian Kings used to ingest licorice for it’s bold and sweet flavor. Licorice is also good for the throat and will help the mighty Leo roar on.
Like Beyonce, Virgos are the most hardworking, precise, and practical of the signs. They value order and carefully approach everything they value in life. The perfect tea for the Virgo is Builders Tea. Builders Tea is an incredibly strong black tea that will get the busy Virgo through anything. It’s bold and perfect for the focused Virgo.
The whimsical Libra strives for balance, beauty, and harmony among their peers. The perfect tea for any Libra is any Chamomile Tea. Chamomile is known for being a great tea to help with stress, sleep, and can even make your skin and hair glow! Chamomile is also a beautiful plant, perfect for any Libra’s aesthetic goals. Chamomile is the perfect cup of tea for the Libra that seeks order and harmony.
“I don’t have pet peeves, I have whole kennels of irritation.”
-Whoopi Goldberg
Like Whoopi Goldberg, Scorpio’s are very passionate, steadfast in their ways, and incredibly loyal to those they love. Their piercing nature can intimidate many, but once you’re in their inner circle, you will be so thankful for their loyalty. The perfect tea for any Scorpio is Mate. Mate is praised to have almost the same strength as coffee. This tea is bold, caffeinated, and can pack a punch just like any Scorpio.
Tyra shook the earth when she proclaimed “Kiss my fat ass!” on The Tyra Show. Like her, the crazy Sagittarius is fun loving, a free spirit, and incredibly social. You are often the center of attention and are very popular. Your tea is Kombucha. Kombucha is a fizzy, unique, and can keep you on your toes! If Kombucha isn’t brewed just right, then it could ACTUALLY kill you, just like if you test a Saggitarius. Kombucha is perfect for any Sagittarius, but make sure you buy it from an actual store.
“But generally speaking, I tend to be quiet and introspective”
-Rowan Atkinson, a Capricorn
Rowan Atkinson, or Mr. Bean, like most Capricorns, not only has great business savvy but has a great sense of humor. Capricorns are ambitious, always purposeful, and take responsibility (and everything) very seriously. The tea for the Capricorn is Shu Pu-Erh. This tea is actually a brick tea. This traditional tea is incredibly dense, sweet, and earthy. It is brewed only when it should be ready. The Capricorn will warm up to you when they feel like it’s the right time. Shu Pu-Erh is perfect for the Capricorn’s old soul.
“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”
-Oprah, a Aquarius
The Aquarius sign, like Oprah, is known as the humanitarian amongst the entire zodiac. They believe in community, humanity, and are very progressive. The perfect tea for the Aquarius sign is Matcha. Matcha is a slow release caffeine and provides a powerhouse of health benefits and energy. Matcha is the perfect pairing for the progressive Aquarius. It will give them the energy they need to change the world!
“It’s tougher to be vulnerable than to actually be tough”
-Rihanna, a Pisces
The Pisces is the most gentle and whimsical of all the signs. They rely heavily on their intuition and emotional intelligence. Though they do sometimes have a “martyr complex,” they do generally care about the overall well-being of others. Because the Pisces sign performs a lot of emotional labor, they seek the solace of alone time and rest. The perfect tea is actually any Sleepy Time Tea, particularly Bigelow’s Sweet Dreams Tea. It’s a blend of chamomile and mint that quiets the mind and is perfect for the Dreamy Pisces.
And that’s all folks!
If you like what you see here, don’t hesitate to contact us with suggestions for what you’d like to see covered! Also, all of our writers work for zero money, and we’re trying to change that. Send us a tip if you’d like!
Hey, You! Yeah, You! Oh no, do you need to pull an all-nighter? Well, I got you! Here are 5 ways that can (hopefully) make them way less painful!
1. Create Boundaries
Boundaries are important. They help keep things in balance when it comes to yourself, friends, families, coworkers, loved ones, etc. It’s also important to create boundaries for how you study/work.
Here are some things I’ve done to keep myself more focused.
StayFocused
The StayFocused web extension basically has you put in websites that are just going to distract you. You can allow yourself a certain amount of time for different parts of the day. With the extension, I decided that from 9AM-5PM I could only have 15 minutes of my ‘banned sites’ during that time period. When you reach your budgeted time, the extension shuts you out of those websites. This worked for me a little, but then it just fizzled out. I felt like I was punishing myself, and it just didn’t work well for me. I know tons of people who love this extension, and it’s definitely worth a try!
Separate Your Browsers
This is actually the method that worked the best for me. I use Chrome as my web browser, and I have four separate chrome accounts for very specific uses. When I am working, I use “Sarah Work,” which only has the bare essentials of what I need for to work. The same goes for my other browsers. This is what it looks like:
Having this separation has made the world of difference for me. It’s all about what you think works for you. Try to find some way to create boundaries that will serve you well.
2. Budget the Night Smarter
I’m a horrible procrastinator. I did almost every assignment up to the last possible moment…and it was always pure, terrifying chaos. I would do this thing where I would sit at my computer screen in a haze until it was done… and it was always excruciating.
It wasn’t until I started working from home when Katy introduced the Pomodoro Technique into our work schedule. Katy just (lol) published an entire breakdown of how this system works. Check it out here if you want more in depth information. Basically, you have a series of sessions where work for a total of 4 highly focused sessions for 25 minutes with a 5-minute minute break in between each of them. After you’ve completed 4 successful 25-minute sessions of focused work, you earn a 25-minute break! Allowing yourself organized rewards and breaks, as opposed to just sitting at my computer “until it gets done” makes the whole process way less painful. But yes. Please try the Pomodoro technique. I’ve never been more productive in my entire life.
3. Reduce Eye Strain Where You Can
Staring at a screen for hours can really take its toll on you. Computer screens and phone screens are supposed to shine like the Sun, and this can mess up your circadian rhythm when you stare at it late at night. If you aren’t working on a type of project that requires editing pictures, creating graphics, or anything that requires you to deal with the full spectrum of color, then you need this software called flux. The software warms up your computer screen as it gets later in the day. It helps you keep working at your computer screen without giving you that horrible buzzing and nauseous feeling that comes from staring at a screen too long.
If you think this would interest you, download Flux here:
4. It’s Okay to Take a Step Back If You Need It
It’s okay to not be able to push through for the entire time. If you need to just go to bed. Do it. If you need an extension. Email the Professor. Sometimes you hit a wall and it’s okay to not be able to finish something.
When you’re coming up to deadlines, it can be easy to prioritize your well-being second. Body and mind are so closely intertwined. If you are coming across that feeling where everything is awful, take a step back. Take a shower, drink some water, stretch, or do something little that makes you happy. Don’t deprive yourself of something because you haven’t ‘earned it.’ If your body is telling you that you need something, then chances are it’s a good idea to listen to it. No paper or assignment is more important than your overall well-being. Remeber that.
5. Drink Some Water You Animal
Just do it. I can go on and on about what water does for your body, but chances are you’ve heard it all before. So just do it. Put the coffee down, you caffeinated fiend!
And yeah…
I hope this helps. I actually learned all these things after I graduated college (lol), so I hope this could help somebody else. Because let’s face it, college burn-out is real, especially towards the end. I’m still recovering from it. Take care of yourself. You deserve it. <3
If you walk into me and Sarah’s office on any given day, you’ll probably hear the following conversation:
Me: Ok, I’m gonna start a Pomodoro
Sarah: I just started the tea
Me: Oh, ok I want one I’ll wait
~ 5 minutes later ~
Me: Ok. Ok We gotta do it.
Sarah: I knowwwwwww ughhhhh
Me: ugggggggh
Sarah: uggggggggh
Me: ok. 3,2,1, go… ok Pomodoro started
Even though we hate it, working as content managers, we rely on Pomodoro’s to make sure we can actually get stuff done. It’s a productivity system that you may have heard of but don’t know a ton about. So, with that in mind, here’s a quick guide to the Pomodoro technique and why we use it.
Where Did This Come From?
I’ve never been a terribly focused person. I can either work hard to finish something at break neck speed or it takes me 2 years. The Pomodoro technique is based on this idea: quick focused work, with multiple breaks. I know it sounds super weird but committing to it actually kind of works. Essentially, the Pomodoro technique is for sprinters, not marathoners. As Lifehacker explains,
“The Pomodoro Technique was invented in the early 90s by developer, entrepeneur, and author Francesco Cirillo. Cirillo named the system “Pomodoro” after the tomato-shaped timer he used to track his work as a university student. The methodology is simple: When faced with any large task or series of tasks, break the work down into short, timed intervals (called “Pomodoros”) that are spaced out by short breaks. This trains your brain to focus for short periods and helps you stay on top of deadlines or constantly-refilling inboxes. With time it can even help improve your attention span and concentration “
By working in small chunks of time, that gives you the ability to tackle each task individually within a time limit that has no room for procrastination.
Of course, you don’t have to do this all on pen and paper. At the office, we use an app called Focus Keeper that does all the timing and tracking for us. There are tons of different apps out there.
Why Does It Work For Me?
Essentially, my day job requires me to do lots of tiny tasks, like writing blog posts about HVAC, law, pest control, and other areas of small business. The bigger tasks I have often require going through websites to change keywords or write copy for websites entirely.
All of those small tasks put together that I need to accomplish in a workday is frankly overwhelming. But breaking up these tasks into 25-minute intervals, let’s me break my day up into:
“Ok, I’m gonna write two blog posts about dog safe plants”
and
“Ok I’ll write a draft of this homepage and then edit it after my break”
and
“Ok, now that I have 25 minutes, I can watch this Yoga video and do a couple stretches”
It brings 8 hours worth of tasks into bite sized pieces my procrastinator brain can’t try to run away from. It still does sometimes and I do pause the sessions sometimes and it takes me an hour to finish sometimes. Overall though, my workflow is improved by breaking it up into tiny tomatoes.
Got Any Productivity Tips You Love? Let Us Know About It!
